Finger grease as carbon steel oil?

MyLegsAreOk

MyLegsAreOk

Joined
Aug 31, 2017
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I got a weird one. You know that grease you leave if you touch a super clean stainless blade or some such like s90v that gets super polished, or glass, or a waxed piano, or something. Do you think that oil or grease or whatever comes from our body can be used as an agent to keep water off the steel? It sure makes it easier just pressing hard on the exposed part of a folding knife than taking it apart to oil it every so often, especially a maxamet manix which I use as a work knife.
 
I think that there tends to be a lot of salt in the oils on our skin. I don't think that the sebaceous excretions of humans are a good option for protecting carbon steels.
 
MyLegsAreOk said:
I got a weird one. You know that grease you leave if you touch a super clean stainless blade or some such like s90v that gets super polished, or glass, or a waxed piano, or something. Do you think that oil or grease or whatever comes from our body can be used as an agent to keep water off the steel? It sure makes it easier just pressing hard on the exposed part of a folding knife than taking it apart to oil it every so often, especially a maxamet manix which I use as a work knife.
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No it cannot. The oils from the skin on our body contain agents that will cause steel to corrode. Perhaps if there was some way to distill out the pure oil it might work but I am no biologist/metalurgist superhero. (And just the thought of that is gross)

However I have heard it said the oil from the glands at the sides of our nose (not the nose itself but the flat skin that surrounds the very sides of our nose) apparently is almost pure sebum which apparently CAN be used to protect from corrosion. I had read this on several survival articles, addressing protection for carbon steel when you have nothing available.

I didn’t really want to find out.
 
Greasy fingers have left perfect rust-etched images of my own fingerprints on some of my carbon steel blades. They're definitely not the best way to protect such steel from corrosion. As mentioned, there are salts (from sweat) and other corrosive stuff in the moisture coming off our fingers, not to mention residue of anything else that our fingers handle/touch during the day.

Just wiping the blade down and keeping it dry is usually enough. And most any lubricating oil will do, on a knife that gets used, handled and wiped down regularly. Really doesn't take much to protect it, unless it's put away wet or dirty and then neglected for a while.
 
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Oils from your fingers and nose contain salts and acids. The amount varies with individual body chemistry. It will most definetely result in staining and corrosion.

Regards,
FK
 
Skin oils suck.
You don't have to take your knife apart to oil it.
 
What a shame. It just seems so easy.
Bill DeShivs said:
Skin oils suck.
You don't have to take your knife apart to oil it.
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Maybe not on fixed blades but on folding:
1.The oil will not get in the tang part that is in the handle needed in there for the lock to work and the pivot detent etc etc.
2.If you apply the oil and you get too much dripping all in the handle it will attract dirt like nobody's business and make the action worse quickly.
Yeah the max manix has a great smooth grind that doesn't catch material in micro pores or streaks but I am in the rain and snow and get fluids of all types over my work knives. I caused a vg10 to rust inside the handle, got oxidation spots on stainless liners, s110v is ok, but I'm paranoid about m4 and maxamet.
 
Use FrogLube and heat the blade first with a hair drier then apply the FrogLube and wipe off after letting it sit for 10 minutes,that's what I do and I have no problems.
 
I repair knives for a living.
If your knife needs cleaning, just flush it out with WD 40.
 
M4 is not that bad of a steel for rusting and corroding like Maxamet,but like I said in my post above I use FrogLube in the paste form and all I do is heat the blade up good and warm brush it with a small brush and let it cool down and wipe off any extra and it's protected for a while.It works really well on Maxamet George from STATES the guy who sells the K02 sharpeners put me wise to it and he use's it on his Manix with Maxamet and so do I.

MyLegsAreOk said:
What a shame. It just seems so easy.

Maybe not on fixed blades but on folding:
1.The oil will not get in the tang part that is in the handle needed in there for the lock to work and the pivot detent etc etc.
2.If you apply the oil and you get too much dripping all in the handle it will attract dirt like nobody's business and make the action worse quickly.
Yeah the max manix has a great smooth grind that doesn't catch material in micro pores or streaks but I am in the rain and snow and get fluids of all types over my work knives. I caused a vg10 to rust inside the handle, got oxidation spots on stainless liners, s110v is ok, but I'm paranoid about m4 and maxamet.
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I used windex this past week. When I need to hone it next (this is where I'd type lol) I'll use mineral oil since I have some already. If I get a spot I need to sand off like on some other steels I'll spring for the frog lube that comes in those 4oz plastics tubs. I typically only have that happen close to the pivot under the liners/scales .
 
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