What kind of oil do you use for your blades?

[fearn]

Yep. The problem is that the heating and ignition seems to be pretty unpredictable, otherwise you could carry a wad of cotton and linseed oil camping to light a fire. That unpredictability is the annoying part, and I've certainly never seen it.

It's not hard to fix, so it's worth cleaning up properly. Otherwise, linseed's lovely stuff.

Best,

F

[PUFF]

I use Renaissance Wax or alike for both metal and wooden parts.
I found drying vegetable oils (linseed, tung) do not protect them from moisture well enough. Drying oil also darken the wood part too much.

Non-drying oil like mineral or white oil may attract dust. Human or animal oil also attract pest (mice/insects) to take your scabbard as their snack.

[A. G. Maisey]

On wood in perfect condition a good furniture wax of one kind or another is essential. Rennaissance or Antiqax are probably the best. However, on wood that has deteriorated, linseed oil is probably the best substance to assist in restoration.

I have treated wood carvings with raw linseed oil that had great gaping cracks in them and these carvings were brought back so that the cracks were completely closed. It took months in all cases to achieve this, and in the case of one large elephant from Bali, he stood in oil for a very long time. But the closure of gaps has stood the test of time.

[Dimasalang]

One thing to really keep in mind about linseed, it is not that great if you are restoring "decorative" wood. For instance, bunti wood with the nice grain on a barong that really stands out. In the wood working world, linseed is not that great for getting the grain to pop, reflect, stand out, glow, or give that 3D effect(chatoyance). You will still see the different grain sections, but it will be dull and not stand or pop out. Many wood workers have their own techniques and can use different methods to get grain to pop..it is like an art form. It is difficult to do since nearly all wood(even if the same type) can behave differently to the same techniques. Most popping techniques involve shellac and sealers. And I have heard some wood workers using Chromium Trioxide, which is a highly cancerous chemical, just to make the grains stand out(not a good idea IMO if you are always handling the wood). Down side of all this, these popping grain finishes typically do not last long ...a good 10 years and the pop will be fading; and the shellac or sealer can make it look extremely cloudy.
So, I guess it all boils down to what you want or have, and what you want to do with it. Bunti wood is very attract wood and can be just as decorative as curly maple...which is why I believe the Moros used the wood. For historical pieces I have or will acquire, I would use linseed. If I was restoring a piece and more interested in making it look nice and stand out, then linseed may not be a good idea.

A barong I have that had the handle refinished where the grain pops.

[A. G. Maisey]

Yes, a hand rubbed oil finish is more subdued than a french polished finish, or any of the other variations that are used now. I am not a woodworker, even though I have made a number of custom rifle stocks, but my father was a fine art cabinet maker, and others in his family were the same trade. A normal french polish used to be the bench mark for a fine furniture finish, and if done correctly, this will highlight anything that a grain has to offer.

The old English stock finishes were, as previously mentioned, hand rubbed oil finishes, and although these will blind you with reflected light, for a connoisseur this has long been regarded as the finish of choice. The grain is still there, it is still chatoyant, but you require taste and education to appreciate it, rather than the bling that is a factor in a fine french polish, and that anybody can see and appreciate.

[clockwork]

I have use clove oil on my blades with good results and it smells good LOL

[Nathaniel]

Hello all. Just thought I would repost this thread and see if anyone had anything new to add