Which oil is used by Cold Steel?

[tess_lawrie_fan]

I just received a SRK and a Recon Tanto, both made with SK-5. They are beautiful, specially the Recon Tanto!

Does anyone here know which oil is used by CS to ship these knifes? I'm asking out of pure curiosity!

(Just for the records, I'm using this thread as a reference about this matter.)

 

[hermit dave]

judging by the smell, maybe rotting fish oil.

 

[tess_lawrie_fan]

judging by the smell, maybe rotting fish oil.

Wow!

My two knives have a mild and pleasant smell, like the solid vaseline I use myself.

 

[strideruser]

I imagine just some thick mineral oil? I don't think anyone apart from the factory could tell you....

 

[strideruser]

rotting fish oil??? whoever packed you knife obviously didn't like you! all of my knives just smelt of mineral oil....

 

[Man with no name]

It was years ago but a rep from Cold Steel answered this question and said that they used 3-In-One brand oil. Some knives are also shipped with a thick coat of a clear grease, not sure what brand that is.

 

[nephron]

3-in-One Oil is a general-purpose lubricating oil sold for household and do-it-yourself use. It was originally formulated in 1894 for use on bicycles, and remains a popular lubricant for their chains. Its name, given by inventor George W. Cole of New Jersey in 1894,[1] reflects the product's triple ability to "clean, lubricate and protect".

The product changed ownership many times throughout the 20th century and was bought by its current owners, the WD-40 Company, in 1995. The current marketing slogan is "The Tool Kit In A Can," with the logo of the text "3 in" inside a large numeral "1".

 

[tess_lawrie_fan]

I saw a YT video (good test, good methodology) in which many products were tested in carbon steel knives. I'm not being able to locate the video, but I do remember that the 3-in-One oil was the winner.

But, at least in in the SK-5 knives, they're using the clear grease mentioned by Man with no name. It seems to be a good quality mineral oil / solid vaseline.

 

[tess_lawrie_fan]

judging by the smell, maybe rotting fish oil.

I just received my Magnum Tanto II

and it came full of a stinking black grease.

This thing was not made for food processing...

 

[jbmonkey]

ones I have gotten that are sk5 or 3v lately seem to have a thicker than oil mess on them. not quite grease consistency, in between oil and grease.

some are cleaner as in clear, and some are the blacker stuff. makes me think they grab whatever runny grease was slapped in their station and use it.

either way no big deal wiping off the blade but its left in the secure ex sheaths and a pain to remove there. not hard just a pain.

 

[tess_lawrie_fan]

ones I have gotten that are sk5 or 3v lately seem to have a thicker than oil mess on them. not quite grease consistency, in between oil and grease.

some are cleaner as in clear, and some are the blacker stuff. makes me think they grab whatever runny grease was slapped in their station and use it.

either way no big deal wiping off the blade but its left in the secure ex sheaths and a pain to remove there. not hard just a pain.

I think you're right in all points.

I was about to disassemble the sheath and wash it, but in the end I just used a cloth and a stick.

Anyway, I don't intend to put the knife in this sheath again. It will be wrapped in TNT until I manage to get some cordura fabric.

 

[jbmonkey]

^yep thats kinda how I did it too.

wrapped in tnt as in dynamite??

 

[tess_lawrie_fan]

^yep thats kinda how I did it too.

wrapped in tnt as in dynamite??

I make all efforts to write in English in this forum, but sometimes... I just fail.

Apart from being dynamite, "TNT" is also the acronym (in Portuguese) for "Nonwoven fabric".

 

[jbmonkey]

I make all efforts to write in English in this forum, but sometimes... I just fail.

Apart from being dynamite, "TNT" is also the acronym (in Portuguese) for "Nonwoven fabric".

ahhh.. gotcha. I missed that completely. thanks for follow up.

 

[G. Scott H.]

No idea, but the 3v Tai Pan I bought a couple years back came slathered in stuff similar to Vaseline. I think they actually filled the sheath with it. I'd wipe the blade clean, re-sheath, and it would come out just as coated as before. I finally ran the sheath under hot tap water with plenty of dish soap for a while and that cleared it up. The odor was very mild and reminded me of this stuff:

 

[upnorth]

My Bushman has been sitting around for years. It still has that hard core smell of Cosmoline, like the sludge used to preserve firearms for decades.

 

[tess_lawrie_fan]

My Bushman has been sitting around for years. It still has that hard core smell of Cosmoline, like the sludge used to preserve firearms for decades.

This is a very good reference, thanks.

From Wikipedia:

"Freshly applied cosmoline, or that which is hermetically sealed in a plastic bag or shrink wrap, retains its grease-like viscosity and wipes near clean with a rag, leaving only a thin film behind."

"Older cosmoline which has had air exposure usually solidifies after a few years, once its volatile hydrocarbon fraction evaporates and leaves behind only the waxy remainder. This solid wax does not readily wipe off. It can be removed with laborious scraping but leaves crumbs to be swept or vacuumed away."

"Soldiers in field conditions have often used gasoline or other handy petroleum-based solvent (such as kerosene) to clean cosmoline off stored weapons."