Will this mineral oil work?

[CrazzyAzzy]

Hey guys so I was out doing errands for the family and I needed to pick up some mineral oil for my soon to arrive BK7. I bought of bottle of this stuff while I was at Bed Bath and Beyond and was wondering if this will work for knives. All it said in the ingredients section was "mineral oil," so I just assumed it was just straight up mineral oil with no additives. Says it's for wood though. Any thoughts?

 

[HeavyHanded]

Should work fine. If its too thick it will slow your grinding down some but won't hurt anything.

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

Awesome thank you. I also read that bees wax/ChapStick was good lube for a quick touch up. Any recommendations? I was thinking Burt's Bees but that stuff has a bunch of other ingredients in it.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Awesome thank you. I also read that bees wax/ChapStick was good lube for a quick touch up. Any recommendations? I was thinking Burt's Bees but that stuff has a bunch of other ingredients in it.

Why bother? Just use the oil. I've never heard of using bees wax, but petroleum jelly is used in a few applications as an oil soak barrier on a stone, or as a strop conditioner. Outside of that I can't see going to the expense of using the wax.

Curious to hear others opinions though.

HH, your avatar always make me think you approve of the question or comment before your post. Of course it's just a drawing but for a split second it makes my brain think you used the :thumbup: emote. Drives me nuts.

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

Why bother? Just use the oil. I've never heard of using bees wax, but petroleum jelly is used in a few applications as an oil soak barrier on a stone, or as a strop conditioner. Outside of that I can't see going to the expense of using the wax.

Curious to hear others opinions though.

HH, your avatar always make me think you approve of the question or comment before your post. Of course it's just a drawing but for a split second it makes my brain think you used the :thumbup: emote. Drives me nuts.

I was thinking of carrying some wax in my sheath for when I'm outdoors and need to do a little touch up instead of carrying oil.

 

[HeavyHanded]

Why bother? Just use the oil. I've never heard of using bees wax, but petroleum jelly is used in a few applications as an oil soak barrier on a stone, or as a strop conditioner. Outside of that I can't see going to the expense of using the wax.

Curious to hear others opinions though.

HH, your avatar always make me think you approve of the question or comment before your post. Of course it's just a drawing but for a split second it makes my brain think you used the :thumbup: emote. Drives me nuts.

That cracks me up! I decided I'd been a member long enough I should have an avatar, and being able to draw I had to make my own. When one is heavy-handed long enough, they just might become good friends with a wrist surgeon...I spent a bit of time in a cast in that exact pose - sort of a cross between a thumbs'up and an inside joke at myself Since I was casted through the Holidays a few years back, red was the natural choice.

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

Striga, Martin,

Lol. I felt the same until I got used to it now heard the story, real nice one.

So you also draw yourself :thumbup: (this is the real emoticon)

To stay OT, to OP, I simply use baby oil, my knives smell 'cute'.

 

[Fanglekai]

I use USP food grade mineral oil from the grocery store. Costs about $2 for a bottle. Even after an unfortunate spill I still have well over half the bottle left after 2 years. Mineral oil is mineral oil. If that's what the bottle says it should be fine.

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

I use USP food grade mineral oil from the grocery store. Costs about $2 for a bottle. Even after an unfortunate spill I still have well over half the bottle left after 2 years. Mineral oil is mineral oil. If that's what the bottle says it should be fine.

It says food safe on the bottle so I wasn't too scared of it. Can someone shed some light on the wax question though? A lot easier to carry a bar of wax over a bottle of oil. What kind of wax is good for rust prevention? I'm thinking bars of wax not like a wax paste for cars and such.

 

[SOLEIL]

Wax should work just fine. I have not tried it but have been told that chap stick works well as a rust preventative. I use mineral oil when putting carbon knives up but when out in the field I just clean them and wipe dry. I have never had a rusting problem in 40+ years using this method while outdoors.

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

Wax should work just fine. I have not tried it but have been told that chap stick works well as a rust preventative. I use mineral oil when putting carbon knives up but when out in the field I just clean them and wipe dry. I have never had a rusting problem in 40+ years using this method while outdoors.

You think a bar of candle wax or board wax would work for a quick touch up? I heard ChapStick works too. Thinking of getting a Burt's bees and just throwing it in the sheath pocket. Doubles as lip balm and a rust preventer.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I was thinking of carrying some wax in my sheath for when I'm outdoors and need to do a little touch up instead of carrying oil.

What kind of stone are you using? I'm guessing a SiC combo? If not, I recommend a Norton Economy 6" from Home Depot. Not sure if that's too big. If so, a lapidary shop would be able to cut it down for you I believe.

In any case, you should easily be able to find a suitable SiC stone and use it dry. Nothing wrong with dry. Or water is fine too. If no one gives you an answer just try it and see what ya think. If it doesn't work well, boil the stone.

That cracks me up! I decided I'd been a member long enough I should have an avatar, and being able to draw I had to make my own. When one is heavy-handed long enough, they just might become good friends with a wrist surgeon...I spent a bit of time in a cast in that exact pose - sort of a cross between a thumbs'up and an inside joke at myself Since I was casted through the Holidays a few years back, red was the natural choice.

Dude, is that what that is?! I kept thinking it was a cartoon Super Hero's hand or something. A cast on *yours* never occurred to me. That's actually pretty cool. Not sure if it'll make a difference yet though.

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

What kind of stone are you using? I'm guessing a SiC combo? If not, I recommend a Norton Economy 6" from Home Depot. Not sure if that's too big. If so, a lapidary shop would be able to cut it down for you I believe.

In any case, you should easily be able to find a suitable SiC stone and use it dry. Nothing wrong with dry. Or water is fine too. If no one gives you an answer just try it and see what ya think. If it doesn't work well, boil the stone.

I have a combo stone from the family. Looks like a generic two sided stone though. However, I'm not planning on bringing a stone in my sheath. Not even really sure how big the front pocket on the BK7 sheath is. The BK7 will be my first carbon blade so I'm new to all this oiling and what not.

 

[SOLEIL]

You think a bar of candle wax or board wax would work for a quick touch up? I heard ChapStick works too. Thinking of getting a Burt's bees and just throwing it in the sheath pocket. Doubles as lip balm and a rust preventer.

I don't see why Burt's wouldn't work and it serves dual purposes as stated.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Oh Jeez, I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about using the oil for stone lubrication. You're referring to rust inhibition?

Yes, I have seen people use wax to protect their knives. I considered Renaissance Wax for my wood carving knives. I'm not sure about the others durability, but as a touch up I'm sure it would work. I've owned carbon blades for years. Keeping them clean and dry is all I've ever needed, but some have issues in humid areas.

One easy to carry solution is an oily rag. Just wipe off the blade after use.

Hopefully someone can answer your question better. It's possible they are confused too.

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

Sorry for any confusion. I'm just wondering about rust prevention. I'm not too fond of carrying an oily rag with me. I have this huge irk of oily things and I think carrying an oily rag in a ziplock would drive my insane. I think I'll just keep them oiled when I'm at home, but then just carry some wax in my sheath for outdoor purposes.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I don't see why Burt's wouldn't work and it serves dual purposes as stated.

If it were just wax, it'd likely be fine. The thing that makes Burt's Bee's so attractive for skin, lips, etc., is all of the natural food/plant/vegetable oils & extracts in it, in addition to the beeswax. The possible downside I'd see for use on steel is, some of those ingredients being acidic or becoming acidic over time, as they break down. Any food extract or vegetable product containing natural sugars will break down that way. I'd be somewhat concerned about it contributing to rust at times, instead of preventing it.

In reality, so long as you thoroughly clean & dry the blade every day, and re-lube/oil it with fresh product, you could likely use almost anything on it with little risk. And cleaning & drying the blade is about 95% of the battle anyway, whether the blade gets oiled/waxed, or not.

These are the ingredients listed on the Burt's Bees web page for their original 'Beeswax Lip Balm':

( quoted from page -->: http://www.burtsbees.com/Beeswax-Lip-Balm/11099-00-1,default,pd.html?cgid=lipbalm&start=2&q=#start=2 )

"Beeswax — Another treat from our friends the bees, Beeswax is a natural skin conditioner when used in moisturizing formulas.

cera alba (beeswax, cire d'abeille), cocos nucifera (coconut) oil, helianthus annuus (sunflower) seed oil, mentha piperita (peppermint) oil, lanolin, tocopherolrosmarinus officinalis (rosemary) leaf extract, glycine soja (soybean) oil, canola oil (huile de colza), limonene.

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

If it were just wax, it'd likely be fine. The thing that makes Burt's Bee's so attractive for skin, lips, etc., is all of the natural food/plant/vegetable oils & extracts in it, in addition to the beeswax. The possible downside I'd see for use on steel is, some of those ingredients being acidic or becoming acidic over time, as they break down. Any food extract or vegetable product containing natural sugars will break down that way. I'd be somewhat concerned about it contributing to rust at times, instead of preventing it.

In reality, so long as you thoroughly clean & dry the blade every day, and re-lube/oil it with fresh product, you could likely use almost anything on it with little risk. And cleaning & drying the blade is about 95% of the battle anyway, whether the blade gets oiled/waxed, or not.

These are the ingredients listed on the Burt's Bees web page for their original 'Beeswax Lip Balm':

Yeah I read the back of the Burt's Bees lip balm while I was at the store. Seeing all those other ingredients made me not want to pick up while I got the oil. Will board wax work? It's essentially candle wax and it'd be really easy to carry that stuff around in the pocket of the sheath. I could wrap it in a cloth as well so I can wipe down the blade after each use. I have tons of generic board wax from my old skateboarding days. Has anyone tried a bar of soap? I'm trying to go for a solid stick or rectangle that I could bring with me in addition to a cloth for touch ups in the field

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Yeah I read the back of the Burt's Bees lip balm while I was at the store. Seeing all those other ingredients made me not want to pick up while I got the oil. Will board wax work? It's essentially candle wax and it'd be really easy to carry that stuff around in the pocket of the sheath. I could wrap it in a cloth as well so I can wipe down the blade after each use. I have tons of generic board wax from my old skateboarding days. Has anyone tried a bar of soap? I'm trying to go for a solid stick or rectangle that I could bring with me in addition to a cloth for touch ups in the field

Generally-speaking, if you really want to use some form of wax, I'd just say 'simpler is better' (in terms of ingredients). So, if you can verify that the wax doesn't contain other stuff that might be acidic or caustic (strongly alkaline, at the other end of the pH scale), I'd think you'd be OK. Don't know if any bar soaps still contain lye or not (many did, at one time), but that's one of the 'caustic' things to avoid, if it's there.

Personally, I think a clean mineral oil-soaked rag/cloth is as good as anything. Carry it in a zip-loc bag, and use it only after cleaning the blade, so the rag doesn't become contaminated with rust-making stuff. OR, if the lip balm idea still appeals to you, I'd personally favor the 'original' Chapstick. It relies on mostly petrolatum (petroleum jelly), and some other ingredients including mineral oil; not so much of the other 'natural' food-sourced stuff that may be good for skin, but maybe not so good for corrosion-prone steel.


David

 

[CrazzyAzzy]

Generally-speaking, if you really want to use some form of wax, I'd just say 'simpler is better' (in terms of ingredients). So, if you can verify that the wax doesn't contain other stuff that might be acidic or caustic (strongly alkaline, at the other end of the pH scale), I'd think you'd be OK. Don't know if any bar soaps still contain lye or not (many did, at one time), but that's one of the 'caustic' things to avoid, if it's there.

Personally, I think a clean mineral oil-soaked rag/cloth is as good as anything. Carry it in a zip-loc bag, and use it only after cleaning the blade, so the rag doesn't become contaminated with rust-making stuff. OR, if the lip balm idea still appeals to you, I'd personally favor the 'original' Chapstick. It relies on mostly petrolatum (petroleum jelly), and some other ingredients including mineral oil; not so much of the other 'natural' food-sourced stuff that may be good for skin, but maybe not so good for corrosion-prone steel.


David

So either straight and simple wax or a petroleum based stick if I want something solid? The whole oily rag thing really bothers me because I'm a neat freak and oils and I do not mix well.