Whale oil would be a great lubricant, and protectant for the blades...kinda rare these days. Also might have a displeasing odor for most folks.I agree, Olive oil doesn't go rancid but it does become sticky. Coconut does not.
This is a good place to discuss food prep. Many of my stainless knives - and some carbons get used for food prep so finding something safe to lubricate the springs with is vital. Here in my part of Europe, mineral oil is only available a Baby oil and is thus scented, not too nice on knife handles or blades. If you apply a tiny drop of 3 in 1 or lock type oils it soon gets on the blade and that too has odour and is unsafe. Is there anything else? Graphites? Some non sticky lubricant that's food safe and no odour? I've found Coconut oil pretty satisfactory so far as you can put a bit on a matchstick directly on the pivot. At least it's edible And it does make handles look good like I say, horn in particular which is very prone to dry air.
The qualifier to the claims regarding a food-based oil that 'doesn't go rancid' is that the claim is always dependant on the product being stored in an airtight container under tolerable conditions of temperature, exposure to sunlight, etc. So long as it's in there, hopefully in a relatively 'full' container (read: small volume of air inside), it'll keep a long time. But once it's 'out in the air' and exposed to an unlimited volume of atmospheric oxygen, all bets are off and coconut oil, olive oil and most others go rancid pretty fast. A little bit of olive oil at the bottom of a nearly-empty bottle that's been unsealed for a while gets to smelling kind of funky too.
Well-reputed producers of olive oil warn of rancidity and also test for it, before shipping their product.
Whether any of that really matters, in using it to protect a knife blade from short-term corrosion, is anybody's guess. It'll probably do in a pinch, and likely won't matter much if the blade is cleaned and re-oiled regularly. But other products will still do it better.
Even more so to WhalesWhale oil would be a great lubricant, and protectant for the blades...kinda rare these days. Also might have a displeasing odor for most folks.
Will, just curious what you meant by "...not to nice on knife handles or blades". Have you experienced or heard of a problem in using baby oil on knives? -James
A while back, I'd experimented with the liquified (assuming 'fractionated') version of coconut oil as a skin emollient/moisturizer. It came as a clear liquid (at room temperature), which I found at the drug store. I intended it mostly for my hands, but I also put a little bit on my face. By the afternoon, I was noticing the little bit of coconut oil left in my moustache, i.e., directly under my nose, was starting to SMELL PRETTY FUNKY. Not like fresh coconut anymore, but something beginning to approximate the smell of dirty laundry. I couldn't wash that stuff off my face soon enough.
Some have claimed coconut oil doesn't go rancid. But the little 'experiment' directly under my nose seemed to prove otherwise. Since then, it's been a no-brainer to me that I'll never use it on my knives. It may or may not do any harm to them, but I don't like the thought of that stuff going 'stinky' on one of my favorite knives.
What little oiling my knives ever need is handled with no worries, using a little bit of mineral oil.
Thanks for the info Will. I was unaware of any potential risks associated with baby oil usage as a knife lubricant. I appreciate your expertise and will avoid using it, particularly on stag.I believe that Baby Oil is refined mineral with added scents, the smell hangs around on the knife's blades and scales. It certainly doesn't agree with Stag, seems to soften it particularly the porous sections and promotes brass bleed/verdigris discolouration in my experience anyway. Knife maker @Bill de Shivs is very against mineral oil soaking for Stag and advises against it, I've found that Baby Oil lavender or aloe vera do not agree with Stag slabs at all.
Anyway, Coconut Oil will work on pivots when applied with a matchstick and it enhances lustre on patina, so far I find it very OK.
Whale oil would be a great lubricant, and protectant for the blades...kinda rare these days. Also might have a displeasing odor for most folks.
I'm old enough to remember when Whale oil was the preferred lubricant for clock movements. Pretty scary to remember that....An off-topic bit of trivia -- GM used to sell a Positraction additive that contained whale oil.
Here in my part of Europe, mineral oil is only available a Baby oil and is thus scented, not too nice on knife handles or blades.
I believe that Baby Oil is refined mineral with added scents, the smell hangs around on the knife's blades and scales. It certainly doesn't agree with Stag, seems to soften it particularly the porous sections and promotes brass bleed/verdigris discolouration in my experience anyway. Knife maker @Bill de Shivs is very against mineral oil soaking for Stag and advises against it, I've found that Baby Oil lavender or aloe vera do not agree with Stag slabs at all.
.....bought this cloth years ago, never used it, still in its plastic bag - will give it a go and report back (though it may've dried out )
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No mineral oil sold as a laxative in Europe, huh?
How about butcher block and cutting board oil? I just googled it, and one brand I saw says it's made of food grade mineral oil stabilized with vitamin E. Should be odorless and not go rancid. Maybe not for stag, but I'd think it's okay for wood and steel.
Oh! That's not good!The nastiest oil I've used used on my knives is Camellia Oil, it'll strip patina, etches, ruin a blade polish, and it sets like gunk in joints. Horrible stuff
Here's the blade of one of my best Joseph Rodgers which was ruined by Camelia Oil, set like a scab on the blade, and ate the (flawless) original mirror polish off
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Same here, I,ve got four cans lined up on a shelf, I keep a little 1/2 oz needle tipped squeeze bottle in a tin, for oiling the joints. The Norton oil has a pretty low viscosity so it penetrates well, and a little drop goes a long way.Never used coconut oil. I don't own any as far as I know. I generally use food-grade mineral oils. They are sold in several guises - as laxatives (for people and livestock), as cutting board oils, and as sharpening stone oils.
I've got several kinds laying around the house. I find the Mineral Oil USP from the pharmacy to be a bit thicker than I like for knife joints. The Norton Sharpening Stone oil I have in a little 4.5 oz can is about ideal for it, and it has a spout which makes it easy to apply a single drop.