Question about mineral oil

KarlMaldensNose

KarlMaldensNose

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Feb 3, 2009
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Anyone know if food-grade mineral oil is the same as the stuff found on drugstore shelves? Or is that medical-grade, if there's even such a thing? IF it is not food-grade, where might one find food-grade mineral oil?
 
I don't know the grades but I've been useing extra hevy mineral oil on all my carbon steel kitchen knives an pocket knives for a long time now an I haven't had any problems (I think)
 
The mineral oil in drugstores is the food-grade. It's a fine lubricant and protectant, and safe on blades and all handle materials. Since it is sold as a laxative, it won't hurt you, either. :)
 
Esav Benyamin said:
The mineral oil in drugstores is the food-grade. It's a fine lubricant and protectant, and safe on blades and all handle materials. Since it is sold as a laxative, it won't hurt you, either. :)
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That sums it up nicely. And, if there's still any doubt, look for the 'USP' on the label. That's the mark of the United States Parmacopeia standard, which signifies that it's graded as safe for medical/food use.
 
The funny thing is where I am, in all the drug and grocery store that I've looked local in Canada(BC),the only medical grade mineral oil is the heavy weight stuff.While the light stuff is not recommended for internal use is what I use because the heavy looks aweful thick.
 
razorburn said:
The funny thing is where I am, in all the drug and grocery store that I've looked local in Canada(BC),the only medical grade mineral oil is the heavy weight stuff.While the light stuff is not recommended for internal use is what I use because the heavy looks aweful thick.
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I think "not recommended for internal use" might mean don't drink the stuff or use it by the spoonful as a laxative. I use regular machine oil on my blades and have for the paste 50 years (although a few years ago I switched to 'Tuf-Glide' as blade protection,) including my EDC (regularly cutting apples) and bushcraft knives for camp kitchen chores. That craps got to be worse than any mineral oil for human consumption and I'm still ticking away (with no squeaks.) I apply to the blade and wipe off the excess. Never had a problem.

Stitchawl
 
razorburn said:
The funny thing is where I am, in all the drug and grocery store that I've looked local in Canada(BC),the only medical grade mineral oil is the heavy weight stuff.While the light stuff is not recommended for internal use is what I use because the heavy looks aweful thick.
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I got my mineral oil from the medical supplies/medicines section of Shoppers Drug Mart. I don't recall if it was shelved with other stomach remedies, though (which would suggest food/medical grade to be used as laxative). But I actually gave that bottle to a relative and he gave me a larger tub of the (thick) stuff he uses for his homemade cutting boards, so I don't know or recall if the Shoppers stuff was thick or not... but it shouldn't matter, if it was sold alongside other "medicines." So yeah, since Shoppers Drug Marts litter our landscape like piles of poop in a dog park, you should be able to find a store from which to score.
 
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