Oil/Rust Proection

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sean2021

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Jan 18, 2021
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Recommendations on a oil for rust protection/sharpening on a stone...and which is also safe to use on knives dedicated to food prep. Will a light coat of cooking oil suffice (ie olive oil/canola). Thanks in advance
 
Food grade mineral oil is better than vegetable oils. They will dry out and gum up the works. They can also go rancid. For on just the blades, fine assuming they don't go all that long between use, cleaning and oiling again. I do use Canola on my cast iron cookware and the blackstone. Regular use fine, long term storage no go.
 
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Olive oil and canola oil can go rancid, light film of mineral oil should do the trick and food safe.
 
If they are kitchen knives just wash them by hand and dry them right away and you'll be fine and you shouldn't have to oil them,I have high carbon Japanese chef knives I have never oiled and they have not rusted a bit.
 
Boattale said:
Food grade mineral oil is better than vegetable oils. They will dry out and gum up the works. They can also go rancid. For on just the blades, fine assuming they don't go all that long between use, cleaning and oiling again. I do use Canola on my cast iron cookware and the blackstone. Regular use fine, long term storage no go.
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When I read Bushcraft 101, and good old Dave Canterbury said that he oiled his carbon steel knives with olive oil, I had all of the issues that you raised. I agree with you (except that thing that you once said about tequilas under $30). So, pardon my dumbness, but could you give an example of an appropriate mineral oil?

Thanks. :)
 
Boattale Boattale I forgot to mention you really only need to oil a kitchen knife unless you plan on storing it for a long time when it won't be used like 6 months or a year just in case it gets really humid or damp where it is being stored.
 
maybe we should have a poll on how many of us use oil vs. water for sharpening on stones.
i use oil all the time, nothing special (leather oil + bore drill coolant oil) and am not worried about toxicity or storage.
 
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sean2021 said:
Recommendations on a oil for rust protection/sharpening on a stone...and which is also safe to use on knives dedicated to food prep. Will a light coat of cooking oil suffice (ie olive oil/canola). Thanks in advance
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For BOTH sharpening on oilstones and for protecting a non-stainless blade from rust, any food-safe (USP grade) mineral oil will be the best solution, and inexpensive too. A very inexpensive, USP-grade mineral oil is sold as 'intestinal lubricant' (a laxative) at grocery stores in the pharmacy section.

And some dedicated honing oils, like Norton's Sharpening Stone Oil, are graded food-safe and are of a lighter, thinner viscosity than the laxative stuff. The Norton oil is my favorite for sharpening and it's 100% mineral oil. It's more pricey than the laxative stuff, but worthwhile on stones that don't drink up a lot of oil. For those thirsty stones, the laxative-grade oil is more economical to use, at about $2 for a 16 fl. oz bottle at Walmart, for example. By comparison, the commonly seen 4-1/2 fl. oz. cans of the Norton oil might be $6 - $8, depending on where you buy it.

I wouldn't recommend a food oil, like canola or olive oil, for use on stones. It'll go rancid in time and gets very sticky & gummy as well - it'd more likely clog a stone as a result. In a short-term pinch, it can be used on blades for rust protection. But it's important to clean the blade regularly, because these oils can become acidic as they spoil (oxidize) in exposure to the air. And if the blade gets cleaned after each use, or at least every day, there may not be much need for oil on the blade anyway. Keeping it clean & dry is the easiest way to protect it. On that point, I usually don't oil my blades at all, save for rubbing in a little bit of the Norton oil on the blade each time I sharpen them up (once in a few weeks' time, most of the time). Otherwise, I don't deliberately oil them at all. But I DO make sure they're wiped down clean, after I use them. A paper towel or rag with some Windex is good for this.

By the way, mineral oil is chemically inert, meaning it doesn't oxidize. That also means it won't go acidic in time, which is why it's a better choice as a long-term protectant for a blade, as compared to food oils.
 
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Diamond hones don't require any lube and work best when dry (just clean them with soap and water or something like BreakFree CLP from time to time).
 
Mister Coffee said:
When I read Bushcraft 101, and good old Dave Canterbury said that he oiled his carbon steel knives with olive oil, I had all of the issues that you raised. I agree with you (except that thing that you once said about tequilas under $30). So, pardon my dumbness, but could you give an example of an appropriate mineral oil?

Thanks. :)
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Kitchen stores sell butcher block oil which is the mineral oil I have and use. You can also find mineral oil at many pharmacies.
 
Mineral oil on diamond stones and Norton oil on oil stones.
The mineral oil will float away the steel particles on the diamond stones and let them work more efficiently.
No lub tends to clog up the stones quickly which leads to more pressure and tearing out the diamonds from the nickel base coating.

Regards,
FK
 
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