Knives Dulling with Time

LimpCroissant said:
Yup it definitely can and will happen unless you keep your blades well oiled and with a silica packet or other dehumidifier nearby. As someone else said, most people wouldn't really notice it and I usually don't really unless I have mine sitting around for months or years. I recently pulled my Ritter Grip out of a box that was sitting for a few years and although the edge is polished up and looks amazing, it's pretty dull. What I do is keep all the little silica packets I find and throw them in the box/drawer with my knives. I also put them in with my plastic bag of batteries. I should also do it with my flashlights.

I have a thing where I hate putting any sort of oil on my folder blades because I keep all of them around me easily accessible and play with them often. I don't like getting oil on my hands every time I pick up a different knife, so I just keep my blades super clean and give them a stropping now and then.
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Just a thought - consider trying “Renaissance wax”. It’s a very thin light wax that dries in a very thin, clear layer. No mess protection. (Although on an extremely sharp edge the wax layer will inhibit good cuts to an extent…)
 
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scdub said:
Just a thought - consider trying “Renaissance wax”. It’s a very thin light wax that dries in a very thin, clear layer. No mess protection. (Although on an extremely sharp edge the wax layer will inhibit good cuts to an extent…)
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Hmmm, that's interesting. I just looked it up on Amazon. Looks like it might work real good for that. Kind of expensive though. Does it leave like an actual wax layer that you can see and scrape off with your finger nail or is it is it more of a apply and buff off type thing where you can't really notice that it's on there? Thanks for the recommendation!
 
LimpCroissant said:
Hmmm, that's interesting. I just looked it up on Amazon. Looks like it might work real good for that. Kind of expensive though. Does it leave like an actual wax layer that you can see and scrape off with your finger nail or is it is it more of a apply and buff off type thing where you can't really notice that it's on there? Thanks for the recommendation!
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Apply a small amount and buff. It's the same principle as mineral oil. You only need enough to create a barrier between the metal surface and air. (The amount used will mean that a small tin of wax can last for a very long time.) Besides that, they have different properties. I tend to choose oil for working surfaces but there may be value in waxing for longer-term storage. You can also get a nice shine with wax if that's something you want to pursue. ("Oil vs. wax" is a classic debate. There are plenty of threads on it here and elsewhere.)

If I recall correctly, Renaissance Wax was developed as a safe and stable all-surface wax for museum pieces. I don't use it on blades but I have used it on guns. I especially like it on wood rifle stocks and blued steel.
 
I have noticed this and thought about it before. Stainless knives have Chromium in it to make the corrosion resistant. The way it works from what I understand is the Chromium in the steel reacts with the oxygen in the air and forms a Chromium oxide layer over the steel, which is what seals it and keeps it from rusting. When you sharpen a knife, you remove this off the edge and it get really sticky hair popping sharp. After it sits a while and the chromium oxide layer forms over the freshly sharpened steel, would that cause it to appear to "dull" slightly? I am not sure how thick the layer is, maybe only microns, but is it enough to change the perceived sharpness?
 
Chronovore said:
Apply a small amount and buff. It's the same principle as mineral oil. You only need enough to create a barrier between the metal surface and air. (The amount used will mean that a small tin of wax can last for a very long time.) Besides that, they have different properties. I tend to choose oil for working surfaces but there may be value in waxing for longer-term storage. You can also get a nice shine with wax if that's something you want to pursue. ("Oil vs. wax" is a classic debate. There are plenty of threads on it here and elsewhere.)

If I recall correctly, Renaissance Wax was developed as a safe and stable all-surface wax for museum pieces. I don't use it on blades but I have used it on guns. I especially like it on wood rifle stocks and blued steel.
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Ooo yea, I hear you on the wood stocks and a nice blued barrel or action 👌. You just made me remember and gave me fond memories of using Howards Feed n Wax on my old H & R single shot break barrel 12 ga. that I bought as a kind for 60 bucks. I used to love waxing that stock with that nice citrus smell to it. I'd forgotten I used to wax gun stocks all together until just now. You're right, that container of wax would probably last me 15 years. Alright man, thanks for the recommendation!
 
One of them is for Sd. After owning it, I don't see any other purpose in it except for that. I'm pretty far from a tactical person but I am also pretty comfortable with guns and knives, I opted for a sd/hd blade over a gun (for the time being). The rest of my knives are Edc or woods knives. My Edcs get a lot of play. Sd I hope never. The woods knives get less and less play these days, mostly a few times a year. I underwent a lifestyle change from being a country boy to a suburbanite.

The SD is fully serrated and mostly just sits around. So now I'm trying to figure out how to keep it in prime condition. I've always had a knife, but just starting to do the a knife for every purpose thing. Small pocket knifes that are good for city life got me going on this.

craytab said:
I take it you think you need this for SD knives then? If so, you must decide how committed you are to this idea. I mean, the edge will start to degrade the moment you stop sharpening so maybe just walk around touching up the edge all day long. What about when you sleep? That edge is dulling!

I kid, sort of. The idea stands, how extreme you take it is up to you. Decide how much dullness is reasonably acceptable and touch up the edge accordingly. If it were me, and I wanted the least amount of edge degradation possible, a touch up at the beginning of the day seems reasonable. Like run the edge once or twice on a ceramic rod or whatever your favorite touch up method is.

While I don't in any way do the above because I don't care that much, I will touch up the edge on a kitchen knife before I use it, some knives nearly every day right before use. No low drag spec ops here, just like a sharp knife in the kitchen and I cook every single day.
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LimpCroissant said:
Hmmm, that's interesting. I just looked it up on Amazon. Looks like it might work real good for that. Kind of expensive though. Does it leave like an actual wax layer that you can see and scrape off with your finger nail or is it is it more of a apply and buff off type thing where you can't really notice that it's on there? Thanks for the recommendation!
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Camellia oil ?
Pure Chinese camellia oil from Böker , for the care of knife blades (especially for carbon steel).

  • Manufactured according to a traditional Chinese recipe
  • The camellia oil is food-safe and convinces with its special purity
  • It is purely vegetable and is ideal for preserving knife blades because - in contrast to other care oils - it does not form an emulsion with water
  • It is quickly absorbed into the wood and thus also protects the knife handle from moisture, dirt and UV radiation
  • High quality camellia oil in a glass bottle


The thin oil is obtained from the seeds of the camellia tree, is tasteless, acid-free, non-gummy, non-volatile, odorless and does not dry.
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LimpCroissant said:
Hmmm, that's interesting. I just looked it up on Amazon. Looks like it might work real good for that. Kind of expensive though. Does it leave like an actual wax layer that you can see and scrape off with your finger nail or is it is it more of a apply and buff off type thing where you can't really notice that it's on there? Thanks for the recommendation!
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Hey there - sorry I didn’t get/see the ding when you quoted my post. Yes as was stated it’s something you buff off and it just leaves a microscopic coat. And yes if you use it sparingly a little can should easily last for years. Happy waxing!
 
Natlek said:
Camellia oil ?
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Hmm, that's interesting, never heard of that. Only thing with that is the I'm really not a fan of having oil on my knives because it gets on my fingers throughout the day every time I pickup, use or play with my knife. I'm on the road 8 hours a day so when you can't wash your hands and get oil on them it's a pain in the butt. Cool recommendation though, it'd work real good for storing. Thank you.
 
scdub said:
Hey there - sorry I didn’t get/see the ding when you quoted my post. Yes as was stated it’s something you buff off and it just leaves a microscopic coat. And yes if you use it sparingly a little can should easily last for years. Happy waxing!
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Yea that stuff sounds really good for my needs. I'll look into that further. Thank you sir!
 
LimpCroissant said:
... Only thing with that is the I'm really not a fan of having oil on my knives because it gets on my fingers throughout the day every time I pickup, use or play with my knife. I'm on the road 8 hours a day so when you can't wash your hands and get oil on them it's a pain in the butt. Cool recommendation though, it'd work real good for storing. Thank you.
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The amount of oil needed on a blade surface is pretty minimal. After buffing or wiping, it shouldn't be enough to coat your fingers on contact. Even being more liberal with oiling the blade surfaces of knives in D2, handling them isn't like eating a bag of chips. The only times I get noticeable oil residue on my fingers is when I've freshly oiled the action and excess oil migrates near to the pivot.

Also, how often are you touching the flats on the blade?

BTW, I spent a lot of years working on the road. I always kept a roll of paper towels, a handkerchief, and a tiny spray bottle with vodka handy. It's effectively 40% ethanol in water. It's great for anything from greasy fingers after lunch to dirty eyeglasses. While it might technically be a violation in some places, using a little spray bottle for eyeglass cleaner renders it totally uninteresting.
 
Chronovore said:
The amount of oil needed on a blade surface is pretty minimal. After buffing or wiping, it shouldn't be enough to coat your fingers on contact. Even being more liberal with oiling the blade surfaces of knives in D2, handling them isn't like eating a bag of chips. The only times I get noticeable oil residue on my fingers is when I've freshly oiled the action and excess oil migrates near to the pivot.

Also, how often are you touching the flats on the blade?

BTW, I spent a lot of years working on the road. I always kept a roll of paper towels, a handkerchief, and a tiny spray bottle with vodka handy. It's effectively 40% ethanol in water. It's great for anything from greasy fingers after lunch to dirty eyeglasses. While it might technically be a violation in some places, using a little spray bottle for eyeglass cleaner renders it totally uninteresting.
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Thank you for this comment. So, I oil all my knives. Particularly my carbon steel, when I got my first Opinel, Douk-Douk, Higonokami, K55... I am still new to knives. Then, I got more legit stain...ful steels, some carbon, some not, like ZDP, REX45, Cruwear... not so bad, but I will have K390 and do have D2 which is kinda iffy I have heard.
I have oil SLATHERED on my knives after reading this thread. The exception was the Yojumbo because I was carrying that often, in sweatpants. So, the "slather" of oil wiped off very quickly, but I noticed a light coat still remained, regardless of being in my pants or anything.
 
Hashishiin said:
Thank you for this comment. So, I oil all my knives. Particularly my carbon steel, when I got my first Opinel, Douk-Douk, Higonokami, K55... I am still new to knives. Then, I got more legit stain...ful steels, some carbon, some not, like ZDP, REX45, Cruwear... not so bad, but I will have K390 and do have D2 which is kinda iffy I have heard.
I have oil SLATHERED on my knives after reading this thread. The exception was the Yojumbo because I was carrying that often, in sweatpants. So, the "slather" of oil wiped off very quickly, but I noticed a light coat still remained, regardless of being in my pants or anything.
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It's amazing how well oil can hang on. Unless you are wiping with concentrated alcohol or acetone, expect a little to stick around. (This is why degreasing is an important step before acid etching, etc.) The issue is that rubbing against things does deplete that layer and often unevenly. Think about the effect of rubbing hard against a dry absorbent medium such as cardboard as it bisects around the blade. The goal of oiling in surface protection is to maintain a very light and uniform coat.

I keep a bottle of cheap, non-toxic mineral oil from the local pharmacy. To apply it, I dip a Q-tip and press the excess off the swab inside the neck of the bottle. I then dab it along the surface of a freshly cleaned blade to leave little splotches. Then I lay the side of the blade edge against a towel, desk blotter, etc. for safety and stability. I then vigorously buff it in with a cloth, rag, cotton ball, etc. to evenly distribute a very thin coat of oil. I then lightly run the Q-tip along each side of the sharpened edge. The whole process shouldn't take more than a couple of minutes unless you had to clean a really dirty blade first. (Use Zippo fluid for tape gunk.)

The key point is to leave a very thin and even coat of oil. You mostly need to create a barrier to air. Keeping the layer thin not only keeps it from being messy, it leaves the blade sticky to dust, lint, etc. Even such a thin layer will still be helpful in making some residues easier to wipe off with a cloth/rag throughout the day. The level of maintenance you need is determined by the corrosion resistance of your steel, your individual blade use, and your level of blade contact with sweat, salt, acid, etc.
 
Chronovore said:
The amount of oil needed on a blade surface is pretty minimal. After buffing or wiping, it shouldn't be enough to coat your fingers on contact. Even being more liberal with oiling the blade surfaces of knives in D2, handling them isn't like eating a bag of chips. The only times I get noticeable oil residue on my fingers is when I've freshly oiled the action and excess oil migrates near to the pivot.

Also, how often are you touching the flats on the blade?

BTW, I spent a lot of years working on the road. I always kept a roll of paper towels, a handkerchief, and a tiny spray bottle with vodka handy. It's effectively 40% ethanol in water. It's great for anything from greasy fingers after lunch to dirty eyeglasses. While it might technically be a violation in some places, using a little spray bottle for eyeglass cleaner renders it totally uninteresting.
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That's true. Honestly it's probably not really an issue for most people, I'm just kind of wierd like that. I have a thing where I'm kind of like a germaphobe but with oily stuff. Just a wierd personal quirk. I don't mind getting dirty working on my car and going camping and what not as long as I can clean up afterward, it's just the day to day things where I can't clean up like I like while on the road. But you bring up a real good point that I could probably oil the blade and then buff it off real good and it'd probably still leave a slight film that would help. I'll give her a try this morning. Thank you good sir.
 
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