What kind of oil do you use for your blades?

Philip · 8th December 2019, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by asomotif

As long as you "rub" and don't "club" , you should not become sick

This weekend I saw someone rub his NOSE across an brass shield and than start to polish it for the warm glow. So you are not alone.

One of my old hunting buddies in Hawaii used to squeeze some body oil from the outside of his nose and rub it on his carbon steel knife blades to prevent rust. I'm not making this up. In the pidgin English we grew up speaking in the Islands, we had the term "hanabata" which was coined by Japanese immigrant field hands on the plantations, literally meaning nose-butter, but most folks took that as meaning the stuff inside the nostrils. Eeeesh.

Personally, I vote for Japanese camellia oil on blades in any sort of polish or exhibiting watered patterns.
On old European blades with normal wear and weathering, wax (Renaissance, or even the old standby Johnson's), works beautifully.

A. G. Maisey · 8th December 2019, 10:54 PM

Yes, micro-crystalline wax is great for blades with a smooth surface, in fact, it would be great for Balinese finish blades too --- except for the cultural dictates.

Neil · 9th December 2019, 01:09 AM

Hopps gun oil for me generally speaking on my metal antique weapons.

I have used linseed oil on wood shields I have sealed and it definitely polymerizes over time creating a notable layer.

A. G. Maisey · 9th December 2019, 06:04 AM

Hoppes solvent & gun oil has been my preferred firearms treatment for more than 50 years. I've tried a few others, but always come back to Hoppes.

Hand rubbed linseed will give a pretty nice finish to a rifle stock. I've used both boiled oil and raw oil for this, and in my opinion there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference between them. Preparation of the surface, plus repeated rubbings over a long period is the key. However, nothing I've ever done has matched a proper London hand rubbed oil finish. I believe that they probably incorporated genuine tung oil (NOT the stuff they call "tung oil" these days) into whatever they used --- plus probably a few "secret" ingedients.

One problem with an oil finish is that if maintenance is not kept up to it, it will deteriorate and can grow mildew. Not pretty to see.

Personally, these days I much prefer some of the commercial stock finishes rather than linseed.

drac2k · 9th December 2019, 02:49 PM

The mildew may not be from the oil, but rather a high concentration of humidity in your house in certain areas. I had stored some items in a closet and had a reoccurring problem with mildew and nothing that I did would stop the problem.
Finally, I placed a couple of "Moisture Eliminators, "that I got from the Dollar Store and the problem was solved. You would be surprised at the amount of water collected; I change them every 45 to 60 days.

8th December 2019, 10:54 PM	#2
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Yes, micro-crystalline wax is great for blades with a smooth surface, in fact, it would be great for Balinese finish blades too --- except for the cultural dictates.

9th December 2019, 01:09 AM	#3
Neil Member Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Wisconsin Posts: 114	Hopps gun oil for me generally speaking on my metal antique weapons. I have used linseed oil on wood shields I have sealed and it definitely polymerizes over time creating a notable layer.

9th December 2019, 06:04 AM	#4
A. G. Maisey Member Join Date: May 2006 Posts: 7,015	Hoppes solvent & gun oil has been my preferred firearms treatment for more than 50 years. I've tried a few others, but always come back to Hoppes. Hand rubbed linseed will give a pretty nice finish to a rifle stock. I've used both boiled oil and raw oil for this, and in my opinion there doesn't seem to be a lot of difference between them. Preparation of the surface, plus repeated rubbings over a long period is the key. However, nothing I've ever done has matched a proper London hand rubbed oil finish. I believe that they probably incorporated genuine tung oil (NOT the stuff they call "tung oil" these days) into whatever they used --- plus probably a few "secret" ingedients. One problem with an oil finish is that if maintenance is not kept up to it, it will deteriorate and can grow mildew. Not pretty to see. Personally, these days I much prefer some of the commercial stock finishes rather than linseed.

9th December 2019, 02:49 PM	#5
drac2k Member Join Date: Jun 2013 Posts: 1,258	The mildew may not be from the oil, but rather a high concentration of humidity in your house in certain areas. I had stored some items in a closet and had a reoccurring problem with mildew and nothing that I did would stop the problem. Finally, I placed a couple of "Moisture Eliminators, "that I got from the Dollar Store and the problem was solved. You would be surprised at the amount of water collected; I change them every 45 to 60 days.