Oil your blades!

Texas Star · Jul 15, 2019

I keep a Fallkniven NL-2 knife high in a kitchen cabinet, mainly as an emergency weapon. It also slits open cellophane wrap on packages of Craisins, etc.

I checked it last night and there's rust trying to start on the tip on one side.

I think my young maid/assistant used it to open a packet of salmon. She sometimes opens salmon and crackers. May not have meticulously wiped the blade after. Or, maybe the newspaper on the shelf just soaked off a thin coat of oil. Been pretty dry for weeks. I think I can get the rust off with a No.2 lead pencil and maybe Simichrome polish. Then, it'll get a light coat of Break-Free to prevent reoccurrence. Point is, even if your blades are stainless, oil occasionally. That NL-2 is about a $450 knife. I should have paid more attention, but this came on so suddenly that I think it was laid down with some moisture and maybe fish oil on the tip.This knife can be saved. Had the blade not been stainless...

mauser9 · Jul 15, 2019

Some good advice Texas. I make sure that 66 made Puma Skinner I got as a kid gets a wipe down with a little CLP in storage. Carbon steel on that one but the added nickel probably helps. Still looks great after all these years plus they are sought after vintage knives these days.

Mister X · Jul 15, 2019

An occasional wipe-down with some mineral oil takes care of my spyderco's. Never had any problems with rust. The same applies to my Glocks and stainless revolvers.

chief38 · Jul 15, 2019

For knives that will be used in the kitchen or fr grilling, - use Olive Oil.

leonardocarrillo · Jul 15, 2019

Para limpiar oxido como primer paso pruebo limpiarlo con WD40,aqui en Argentina es un producto popular,se usa para muchas tares en la casa,es un buen solvente y limpiador ,como lubricante no sirve.
Perdon que escribo en español pero no hablo ingles.
Gracias.

Duckford · Jul 15, 2019

I've embarrassingly have had a similar problem with my NL-1. Even though its a rough and tough knife, its too expensive to be hard on it, so I've instead used it chop up onions down in the cabin more than anything else. Next thing you know, I've got small surface spots of rust, nothing that damaged the blade, purely cosmetic, but bad enough. Put tsubaki oil on it to keep it from getting worse, but I've learned my lesson on "stainless" and "stain resistant". Better "stainless" knife steels are often just more stain resistant.

I suppose carbon steel's problem is rust, but since you keep it in mind and always oil it and never neglect it for a moment it may be potentially less of a problem in practice. The knife you think is tough to rust might be the one that goes bad because you don't oil it and let it sit somewhere until there is a problem.

alwslate · Jul 15, 2019

"That NL-2 is about a $450 knife." Wow! I don't have any $450 knives.
Doubt I ever will unless I find one in the road that someone tossed out
the car window for some reason

I do have a few Bucks that are more
like $45 or so knives. Some have even been abused and neglected for
awhile before cleaning and I have never seen rust on any of them or
any fixed blade Buck for that matter. Just saying

delcrossv · Jul 15, 2019

leonardocarrillo said:
Para limpiar oxido como primer paso pruebo limpiarlo con WD40,aqui en Argentina es un producto popular,se usa para muchas tares en la casa,es un buen solvente y limpiador ,como lubricante no sirve.
Perdon que escribo en español pero no hablo ingles.
Gracias.

I don't think you want to eat WD-40. In any event, WD-40 is not a very good rust preventative.

Food grade mineral oil works well, and won't go stale (eww) like plant based oils will. I use it on our carbon steel kitchen knives ( yep, still have a few!)

Narragansett · Jul 15, 2019

chief38 said:
For knives that will be used in the kitchen or fr grilling, - use Olive Oil.

I cover wood handle knives with olive oil, wrap them in saran wrap, and leave them for a few days then wipe them down to restore the wood

Beyond that blades get pure silicone with no rust problems

leonardocarrillo · Jul 15, 2019

La definicion de "acero inoxidable" es comercial,los aceros para la fabricacion de cuchillos son "mas resistente al oxido".Si se usaran aceros totalmente inoxidables serian muy dificiles de afilar o pierden el filo muy rapido.
Los aceites que se utilizan para lubricarlos deben ser de origen industrial,porque deben ser "hidrocarburos"(hidrogeno y carbono),los aceites de origen natural son "esteres"(hidrogeno,carbono y oxigeno) y lo que oxida es el oxigeno .
Perdon que escribo en español pero no hablo ingles.
Gracias.

THE PILGRIM · Jul 15, 2019

Over the years, I have used just about every possible lubricant on Knives, tools, saws, axes and etc.
Lately, on blades more stored than used I seem to reach for the Rem Oil.

schutzen-jager · Jul 15, 2019

no stainless steel is rustproof - fact is that once rust starts on stainless it progresses + deteriorates the metal faster then if it was plain carbon steel -

Marshwheeling · Jul 15, 2019

Food grade mineral oil. Any knife I have may be called upon to process food. I keep a small bottle at my desk with aneedle applicator, so I can add just a drop to the pivot of a folder as well.

Inevitably, knives, especially carbon steel, left on a shelf for a long time, or in a travel bag, or in a motorcycle tool bag, will begin to rust. I use a Rust Eraser* if I want to preserve a patina, Scotchbrite and WD40 if I am not too particular.

Texas Star · Jul 15, 2019

alwslate said:
"That NL-2 is about a $450 knife." Wow! I don't have any $450 knives.
Doubt I ever will unless I find one in the road that someone tossed out
the car window for some reason I do have a few Bucks that are more
like $45 or so knives. Some have even been abused and neglected for
awhile before cleaning and I have never seen rust on any of them or
any fixed blade Buck for that matter. Just saying

I've let several Buck knives go without oil, too.

I'll be dealing with that this week, too.

Like you, I was lucky. No sign of rust. Buck's 420hc steel, heat treated as they do, endures, and sells at a good price point, too.
Fallkniven blades are laminated VG-10 with 420 sides for greater rust resistance. So, why this stuff on the 420 steel Fallkniven blade? That's largely why I think it got some moisture and maybe fish acid on it.

Mister X · Jul 15, 2019

Marshwheeling said:
Food grade mineral oil. Any knife I have may be called upon to process food.

That's what I use. I buy it in the pharmacy.

What a lot of folks don't realize is that Hoppes #9 lubricating oil(usually sold in little orange bottles that come in their cleaning kits) contains nothing more than mineral oil. However, it's industrial grade(dirty/contaminants not removed), so the food grade/USP stuff is actually better as well as cheaper. I did keep my old Hoppes bottles and refill them with the cleaner oil.

Mister X · Jul 15, 2019

chief38 said:
For knives that will be used in the kitchen or fr grilling, - use Olive Oil.

A lot of folks on the various knife forums advise against using olive or any type of vegetable oil. Supposedly as it degrades, it will get sticky/gum up and even becomes slightly acidic. I've never tested it out to verify if it's true myself, but have seen it repeated enough that I think it's better to stick with the default recommendation of food grade mineral oil.

ralph7 · Jul 15, 2019

I've used gun touch up blue on blades that have rusted and then sanded.
Oil them afterwards for a cool patina that is somewhat rust resistant.

Richard Simmons · Jul 15, 2019

Pretty sure olive oil can turn rancid. I too use mineral oil on blades that I use for food prep.

Rayfan87 · Jul 15, 2019

Man, you guys are reminding me I need to clean my leatherman tool. I carry it all the time but don't think to clean the insides, just the blade.

Ole Joe Clark · Jul 15, 2019

Any 400 series of stainless is heat treatable, but is only rust resistant. 300 series is not heat treatable and is much more rust resistant, it is used a lot in food processing and the chemical industry.

Most stainless firearms are 440 stainless and magnetic.

I need to buy some mineral oil.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

Oil your blades!

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