Can I use vegetable oil on carbon steel blades?

[Showler]

Can I use vegetable oil or canola oil to lightly coat a carbon steel blade so I can protect against rust?

 

[EChoil]

Yes. There are better things but yes.

Be sure it's an oil that won't go rancid.

 

[marcinek]

Yes. Except it may go rancid. Go to the drug store, find the laxatives, and get mineral oil. Food safe, works, is dirt cheap, and it'll make you poop if you're blocked up.

 

[loonybin]

Mineral oil or Frog Lube. Frog Lube if you want long term rust protection.

 

[AntDog]

Any oil is ok. If you use it for food, wash it off (completely) before you cut food with it. Just use a good grease cutting soap (like dawn). Cut whatever you want to, then relube.

 

[ksskss]

+1 to Marcinek. Vegetable oil will go rancid. If you are using your knife daily or close to it, just dry your knife THOROUGHLY after use. I use the microcloth towels that are used for drying cars - much better drying than regular cloth terry towels. If you don't dry well and oil you trap water under the oil (bad idea).

---
Ken

 

[David Martin]

I've used extra virgin olive oil on my 01 blade and it will turn sticky on the blade without use after 2 weeks. I now go with mineral oil. DM

 

[Gadsden]

I agree, mineral oil works good on my straight razor.

 

[Angus McGunnigle]

Mineral oil.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I'd avoid the vegetable oil, UNLESS you're willing to clean the blade and re-apply the oil every few days at least, to keep it fresh. As DM mentioned, vegetable oil gets 'sticky' if left too long, and also goes rancid. When that happens, it can even become somewhat acidic, which will contribute to corrosion instead of prevent it.

My mother has an old set of Chicago Cutlery kitchen knives, with stainless blades and walnut handles with brass rivets. For years, she regularly oiled the handles with vegetable oil to keep them from drying out and cracking. That worked, but the handles are continually sticky and the brass rivets have always shown some green corrosion (verdigris) from the acidic oil.

Simple mineral oil is non-reactive; it doesn't oxidize and go rancid or cause any corrosion issues. For a simple and cheap solution to help protect your blades, that's what I'd likely be using. There are other dedicated rust-protectants for knives, guns, etc. which can work well; but at the least, mineral oil won't do them any harm like vegetable or other food-based oils.


David