Olive Oil for Carbon Steel

[Pandama]

I use wax for both short and long term. It's neither messy like oil can be, nor does it wipe off onto everything it touches. It won't be removed by the sheath like oil can be, and if wax gets on the inside of your sheath it won't cause any problems like oils do.

Purchased Renn Wax that was recommended... glad I did.

 

[Pandama]

I sometimes wipe a little olive oil on a carbon kitchen knife, because it's right there. Food safe, of course, and will get used often.

If you're talking about general maintenance, I'd recommend something like mineral oil. It won't go rancid like vegetable oils, and is also food safe.

For long term storage, Renaissance Wax was developed for museum display and storage (or so their marketing says) it's good stuff in my experience.

Thanks for recommending the Renaissance Wax, two-thumbs up!

 

[Unicorn161]

For food safe, I use a light amount of food safe silicone, a very light coat of vegetable oil, or a mix of carnabua and beeswax, usually with a bit of oil in it to keep it soft. Something like a cutting board wax. Or even just some beeswax.
Something I left out of my original reply because I wasn't thinking about food safe.

 

[jackknife]

Chapstick.

It's non toxic. Its cheap. Its easy. Its not messy. Its field portable. It works.

Edit to ad; it also works on blued firearms in the rain.

 

[P_A_S_1]

Little side humor, a coworker gummed up his revolver using olive oil.