olive oil ok?

[vactor]

well, i have been using Oilve Oil (extra virgin) as a coating on my Mnandi blade. seems to work very well. i have not had any rust problems before this (BG-42 IS nice) but thought an added layer of protection would be good as well. i like it cuz i have lots of it in the house and i can cut food without worry of putting some icky 'normal' oil on my food. is this ok to use? are there ANY benefits of using olive oil? or should i just leave the blade dry and not use anything? (i only use a weeeee touch of it)

 

[JohnW]

hehe, can't resist: You may be getting a little over-protective here.

I have a BG42 small sebenza that I use on food and everything else all the time. I wash it with soap and water, dry it with a towel, blow any remaining water out from the pivot area, and let it stand open to dry (if I close it while wet, some water seems to get under the bushings, and makes it a feel gritty for a little while).

No rust, no decoloration. Unless you're in a salt-water environment, or leaving acids (or blood) on your knife for long periods of time, you really don't need to worry about oiling it.

With that said, I recommend you use mineral oil instead. Olive oil is organic, and WILL go rancid over time. At least, don't store your knife using olive oil.

 

[SALTY]

Keeping a good stainless stainless usually just means keeping it clean and dry. I too, however, like a little oil on the blade as I live in a coastal area.

You may want to consider mineral oil from the drug store. It will not go rancid over time like olive or other food based oils. Mineral oil lightly applied regularly is a good thing for your knives and should keep them, ah, regular.

 

[Architect]

I concur. Using food-based oils will heavily gunk the pivot area and will be a real pain in the *** to get out.

If you like oil, use mineral oil. It will still attract dust and grime much worse than any synthetic, but it is cheap and usually I have some around.

 

[SALTY]

Just so I make myself clear on how I use the mineral oil. I put some on a tissue and lightely coat the blade or exposed area of the blade on coated knives. I do not use mineral oil as a pivot lube or action lube. I use synthetics for that. I want a light coating of oil on the blade for protection but don't want to cut food with petro-chemicals or synthetic chemical when mineral oil is so safe (for consumption) and available. I do not use ity in the pivot or action, though I suspect it could work in a pinch, but not regularly. (Sorry )