What's a good 'lube' for my carbon blades???

brewcitymike

brewcitymike

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Aug 26, 2011
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I'm just wondering what some good oils are for keeping my carbon blades coated with. I see some people have their blades covered pretty much all the time while they're sitting around and since nearly all my knives I have left are carbon steel, I though I should get something to oil them regularly. I'm looking for something inexpensive, that won't run off and disappear right away, and that won't stain/discolor the blade(if that's even possible). I saw a pic of a few knives this guy was selling and they all looked really messed up but it was actually motor oil they were saturated in. I'm not too keen on doing that but I thought I heard mentioned once that mineral oil was good to use but I could be mistaken cuz that was a while ago. I appreciate whatever help you guys/girls can give.
 
Pick up a silicone gun and reel cloth and wipe them down with that. They are inexpensive, last a long time, and they also clean and protect as you wipe the knife down.
 
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mineral oil is good and cheap. Any kind of oil/wax will work. I wouldn't use cooking oil tho since it goes bad after awhile.
 
I use mineral oil and haven't had any problems while using it.

It comes off with use though so, unless you love patina like me, make sure you reapply after use.
 
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Just like every Remington I own, I soak my carbon blades in "Break free CLP" over night when I first get them. It seems to be the only thing that keeps rust off my 870 and I've never had rust issues with my knives. You can get it at Walmart for around $4 in the gun section.
 
l use mineral oil quite often because I have it on hand for use as honing oil. It is food safe, which is nice. Nowadays I have one of those tiny nalgene squirt bottles filled with it that stays in my pack for trail honing and maintenance.

Other things I have used are linseed oil, because it is on hand when working with axes, Birchwood Casey silicone rags, which are about the most permanent solution I've seen (and the easiest to apply) or fat/grease if I don't have anything else on hand.
 
I always use silicone cloths for wipe downs, silicone clear liquid ( A.G.Russell ) for use ( it dries and doesn't collect dirt), and for storage I use renn wax. I keep all my carbon and alloy steels clean and patina free . The paste wax even micro polishes the steel getting stuff out I didn't even know was there. I use no conventional oils at all with the exception of using them for cleaning. For lube needing pivots etc. I use dry teflon/ptfe containing stuff, or moly powder depending on the app. I used to keep graphite around but got sick of the mess. For storing knives that are rough, have scale or surface imperfections I have a more liquid type wax which is easier to apply on uneven surfaces. It takes longer to dry, isn't as shiny/pretty as paste wax but it does the job as well.

Joe
 
I have coated 1095 and A2 knives. I use food grade mineral oil. It works well and I can use the knives on food if I want.
 
If you are hard on your blades & leave them outside or in the truck ect... try this stuff. Fluid Film. It is avail at any John Deere dealer (at least by me it is). It is the best rust preventative i have ever used, period.
 
Yup, Mineral Oil, because I usually end up using any knife I carry for food.

Go to your local grocery store, in the medicine area you should be able to find a big jug of it under "digestive care" or whatever. It's sold as a laxative, but that's only if you take a big tbsp of it, so don't worry about a bit rubbing off into your food :P it also is odorless and tasteless.

I don't coat the blades on my users, though. I only coat the blades if they are going to be sitting in the drawer for awhile. When I'm cleaning/sharpening I might rub a very thin layer on, but it usually gets rubbed off quickly. For pivots I will use some 3 in 1, Mineral Oil is a bit thick for pivots, IMO.
 
Sewing machine oil for pivots n' stuff! It has among the lowest of viscosities. It's almost like water, so you don't need more than a drop (which is usually too much).
 
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wroughndt said:
Just like every Remington I own, I soak my carbon blades in "Break free CLP" over night when I first get them. It seems to be the only thing that keeps rust off my 870 and I've never had rust issues with my knives. You can get it at Walmart for around $4 in the gun section.
Click to expand...

^^^ Ditto on the BreakFree. Cheap and most effective. Plain oil is fine if you will reapply it very regularly.
 
Give Chapstick or Burt's Bees lip balm a try. Has a lot more staying power than the less viscous hydrocarbons.
 
I just used BreakFree CLP tonight on my Buck Vantage, and it worked great. I've used all of the ones already mentioned, too, and none of my blades spontaneously disintegrated, so I think they all work pretty well.
 
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