Does 100% paraffin USP work for blade care?

Assuming, you have no access to the proper knife lubricants, I will answer your question.

I had no experience with paraffin, but in theory it should add some lubrication and protection against corrosion. But I don't think this would be my first choice. In my opinion any motor oil will work better, unless you plan to use the knife for food preparation, in that case olive/corn oil should work ok.
 
vaseline to be exact

vaseline.jpg
 
I think that Vaseline would attract dirt like a magnet. Depending on the knife, a light to medium weight motor oil on the pivot (applied sparingly) will avoid the potential gumming of vegetable oils. If you use the knife for food prep, mineral oil should work fine to protect the blade.
 
I've never heard of Vaseline referred to as a paraffin before, only as petroleum jelly. As others have said, the term paraffin means different things depending on who you talk to and where you are. In the USA it typically refers to paraffin wax, which is the solid wax often used to make candles or to make chocolate candies. In the UK I'm told it can mean a liquid product used as a lamp oil. Obviously the liquid form would be much more useful as a knife lubricant.

As a coating to use for long-term storage I would think Vaseline would be OK--sort of like cosmoline but without quite so much of a hassle to remote it. As a lubricant on a knife you use it would likely be a gooey mess. I would think that olive or peanut oil from the kitchen would be a better choice.
 
petrolum jelly, paraffin whatever. apologies for my bad naming. i am not well-versed in my organic chemistry. :)

i can't seem to find pure mineral oil in singapore, except baby oil (+ fagrance).

i thought vaseline would be the next best alternative since it is made from 100% mineral oil derivatives.
 
Someone I know, who has collected old Japanese swords & knives for a many years, swears by a mixture of mineral oil & clove oil....
 
One award-winning knifemaker recommended neutral Kiwi shoe polish as a blade protectant. I just use the Renaissance Wax when I want to polish and show a blade. For long-term storage, T-9 Boeshield is a protectant with both paraffin and petroleum components, developed to protect jet engine parts. However, it dries to a milky finish so it's not great for displaying blades.

DancesWithKnives
 
chocochoco said:
tried many major pharmacy.nope :thumbdn:
Click to expand...

That's interesting and a little surprising. May I ask why you are interested in using mineral oil instead of more typical petroleum-based oils like a light machine oil? Are you interested in it because it can be used on cooking knives? If so, then it sounds like peanut oil or olive oil might be the best substitutes if you can find them in a food store.
 
is all i use that being said it seems you cant get that then my next choice would be the baby oil or olive oil, used sparingly. I prefer mineral oil since all of mine get used for food and it wont really give you a nasty chemical taste.
My problem with petroleum jelly would be the viscosity, its way too thick and messy, wonder if you could dillute it somehow, dunno.
good luck to ya
ivan
 
I think what you are looking for is liquid paraffin, sometimes called mineral oil but very different from petroleum jelly. If the knife is to be used for food prep it is better than vegetable oils because it won't go rancid. You should be able to get some in a pharmacy, it's a common treatment for constipation. Try asking the staff, they may keep a large bottle of it in the back.
Chris.
 
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