Olive Oil?

Yes, but it will gum up and/or go rancid. For temporary use it should be ok.
 
BreakFree CLP. Just rinse before using for food prep (which I usually do unless I forget... no ill effects so far:o).
 
If it is a folder or has wood or surfaces with pores, olive oil should not be used due to the rancidity. It smells terrible, is almost impossible to get rid of, and isn't safe if you are using it for food prep. I like to use a cutting block oil which contains both mineral oil and beeswax. The beeswax is a little more solidified than just mineral oil and it helps avoid the migration that any sort of wet and liquid oil generally sees.

If the purpose is for general storage on a non-kitchen knife or knife you aren't going to use for prepping food or long-term storage, I highly recommend Eexoz and I think it is vastly superior to most all other products on the market. It's so much better than most other products sold for providing corrosion resistance that it isn't even a comparison...
 
My standard reply: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...-a-not-so-little-rust-prevention-test-round-2

Also recently, I read about Coconut oil as a good alternative to mineral oil. It's 100% plant based, pleasant and does not go rancid. Also has quite some antibacterial properties. Camellia oil does not work well IMO. If I am outdoors with a carbon blade, I usually just wipe the blade down to dry it - no problems so far. It develops a light patina this way which I don't mind. I have to maintain the whole grind anyway regularly which then removes the patina. If I am away for a longer time and it's going to be humid/wet, I have a mineral oil "soaked" cotton cloth that I use to wipe the blade.
 
I've been experimenting with Coconut oil as a simple moisturizer for hands & skin, here in the ever-dry desert southwest; my hands are always 'itching' for some moisture. I've found it can indeed go rancid, if only by the smell anyway. After using a bit of it on my face in the morning (with some in the moustache, directly below my nostrils), it gets to smelling a bit 'off' by the evening, and I feel compelled to wash it off.

Any plant or animal-based sugars, oils or fats have the possibility of going rancid to some degree, when they oxidize. The only question is whether it's enough of a problem to avoid it's use for a knife blade; in some cases, it may not be a big deal for short-term use, in the absense of a better lube or protectant. I wouldn't use them for pivots, as they'll all gum up eventually; I've noticed this with vegetable oil, olive oil and coconut oil, so far. They all end up a bit 'sticky', when left exposed to the air for some time. I suspect part of the claims to it not going rancid may just be dependent on storing it in a relatively 'full' sealed container (as would be the norm in the kitchen), minimizing exposure to the air. If stored as such, it will stay relatively fresh for a longer time, before use in cooking.


David
 
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I use a light coating of petroleum jelly on all of my knives. Works good and I haven't gotten cancer yet, but check back in 30 years. Food grade mineral oil is probably the right answer though.
 
I always choose camellia over coconut just because coconut goes rancid and gummy the same as olive oil, just in a different way. Coconut oils smell when it does go off, usually from cutting something acidic, isn't as nice as when it's fresh. Wouldn't want it on my food.
 
I agree with the food grade mineral oil.
It's worked great on my carbon knives and wood handles. Really makes the wood grain show.
Good luck
 
I am a woodworker by trade (and amateur knife maker). I coat all of my cutting boards in a homebrew mixture of mineral oil and bees wax. For the knives, I coat in mineral oil only on metal and the same brew as the cuttingboards on wood. I then buff the wood until I get the desired sheen. Hope that helps.
 
So, what's the best way to remove the rancid olive oil? I just purchased a second hand folding knife that's pretty stinky. :barf:
 
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