Renaissance Wax

[javand]

Camellia oil - aka Choji Oil

While traditional choji was clove oil, today's commercial choji is usually a blend of mostly camellia with some clove oil.

I personally found the camellia oil to simply "evaporate" over a few days time. I think it's great for daily use carbon steel kitchen knife that gets a wipe-down every day, but I didn't find it safe enough for anything that was going into storage or lay around on the bench for long periods of time. I'm in a weird environment though, super humid in the warmer months, and so dry in the winter that stag and even some composites will shrink, any ivory that hasn't been here will crack etc.


I like ren-wax, boeshield, or fluid film, but all of them, require you to have the material clean, and totally dry (not just cloth dry, but like, heat dried or similar) or you'll seal in moisture, and cause rust to happen underneath. Straight oils are a little more forgiving, but have to be applied more often. Ren wax if you get it prepped properly, and apply a couple of coats, works really well IMO, and is really nice for shows because you can use a microfiber cloth and "hand buff" out handling marks, and other crap that comes out of people's mouths between customers easily, and it's pretty forgiving under the fucked up lighting most of the show spaces have. Oil looks like absolute SHIT under those lights typically, and makes it look like there are flaws in materials that aren't there, even to the naked eye, but 10x worse in photos.

On the other hand, I wouldn't want to be eating ren-wax coming off a kitchen user knife, so camellia oil or some food oil is better. People get really fixated on the whole "this or that oil can go rancid" thing, mostly because I think the word conjures ideas of getting food poisoning or something, but "rancid" oil, is just oxidized oil, as long as it's food safe in the first place, may taste bad, but won't hurt you. In reality however, unless you leave something sitting for a couple years, it wont be an issue, and for a kitchen knife, peanut, olive, sesame, coconut, etc oils, are all FINE to wipe down carbon steel with, and usually a lot more accessible than camellia oil. I like peanut or coconut oil for my carbon kitchen knives, as they're neutral tasting. Coconut oil that's solid at room temp is nice, cause it "sticks" well, if the knife isn't being constantly used.

I'll admit I haven't really tried paste wax except as a handle sealer.

 

[Rhinoknives1]

Never use Olive oil on a kitchen knife or cutting board! It can turn rancid and make you poop like a Goose! ———— I only use mineral oil on cutting boards if I want a shine and make SS knives so no coatings needed! ——-//////////———-/As far as the OP, I’ve used Ren wax but for a nice shine on my handles & blades for a show etc the caurnuba auto waxes & Johnstons floor wax which was what the people before me recommended work fine!

 

[kuraki]

Paul, I've used Johnson's Paste wax on gun finishing projects in the past. It's definitely softer than Trewax (and Trewax is softer than Ren wax), however that's why I don't use it. It seems to me there is a higher solvent content in Johnson's, which I don't necessarily like, especially when talking about leather. I was looking for a paste wax that I could use on everything - handles, steel, wood, leather and while the Trewax is harder, it's still very easy to apply. It acts somewhat like coconut oil, in that it's solid until you get a tiny bit of heat on it, meaning even from your hand is enough. Johnson's with it's solvent may penetrate more, but it also in my experience takes very long to dry and doesn't ever dry as completely or build as fast as Trewax.

Johnson's is about the perfect product for glass bedding, as it being so soft, applies very easily to just about any surface or contour and wipes off. But that's all I use the tin I have for.

As for 12 makers and 12 answers, I find when that occurs, especially when it's about a product preference, it's because it really doesn't matter a whole lot and people are making their choices based on minor conditions and not major ones. I only suggested the Trewax because of the few I've tried it's available and works on everything I use paste wax for, applies easily, and brushes to a high sheen. I'm sure most of the waxes suggested do the same.

 

[kuraki]

C coldsteelburns

Here's a sheath I just made, after drying


Rubbed some Trewax on, just coated everything using a paper towel. It builds up a little in the threads or recesses but that's ok



After 30 minutes or so I take an acid brush like this and brush it off vigorously, wax wants to be abraded and not rubbed.



And there we go, shiny and protected

 

[coldsteelburns]

Thanks Kuraki I really appreciate all the info. I must say, that texturing stamp really is one of my favorite and is very fun to play around with. I believe it was Rick Marchand's sheaths that really sold me on that stamp pattern.

It's incredible how much of a difference wax makes on a leather sheath and how it really helps define the tooling and details. It really is like appyling that first coat of oil on wood . I had used leather balm with Atom wax on top of the one I just made and it's a night and day difference how it made the leather look. I'm curious if the the LB Atom wax is ever used on wood... ?

Anyway, I was doing some more research on waxes, and I came across one called "Flag Classic Wax". I noticed that USA knifemaker also sells and recommends it, but of course as with many of their items, it's out of stock lol . Tracy mentions he uses it on his entire knives and sheaths as well.

It really doesn't seem to be all that available in the normal places so I'm not sure how well known it is, but luckily I was able to find one on 'the bay'.

Apparently it's supposed to be a good replacement for Briwax that contains no toluene or xylene. It's a blend of natural carnauba and beeswax.

I'm going to go ahead and give this one a try and see how it works out.

If you're curious about it as well, here is the full description on the USA KM site: http://usaknifemaker.com/classic-wax-1lb-clear-replaces-briwax.html

~Paul
My Youtube Channel
... (It's been a few years since my last upload)