Knife Oil

Looking after your knives is absolutely essential if you want to maintain their quality and increase their longevity and durability over time.

However, taking care of your knives is a multifaceted process – it’s about where you store your knives, how you store your knives, and how you treat them. When it comes to the latter, it’s become common practice these days to oil your knife blades.

But, what does it mean to oil a knife? What kind of oil are we talking about, and how are you supposed to go about doing it?

We’re going to telling you exactly what knife oil is, why it’s important to use it, the different types of knife oil that are meant for specific blade materials, and how you’re supposed to go about oiling a knife.

What Exactly is Knife Blade Oil and What is Its Purpose?

Knife oil is a product that is used to maintain the integrity of knife blades and protect them from damage and other outside elements. You get different types, and some types of knife oil are best suited to specific blade materials. But regardless of the exact composition of the oil, the most essential thing is that it’s food safe.

Here are the main reasons people use knife oil:

• Preserving Sharpness: Since knife oil seals off blades, it can be good at maintaining the sharpness of the edges of knife blades.
• Prevent Corrosion: You can use knife oil to prevent rust and corrosion over time.
• Food Safety: Food safe oil can be used to make knife blades safer for direct use with food – it cleans them off and removes any substances that may be inedible.
• Protecting Wooden Components: Knife oil isn’t just for blades – some types can also be used to treat the wooden parts (normally the handles) of knives.

Different Types of Knife Oil for Specific Blade Materials

Knife blades can be made from different materials, so it’s only fitting there are also knife oils that are specifically suited to different blades.

• Carbon Steel Knife Oil: If you’re looking for oil for carbon steel knives, natural or specifically rust-preventative oils are a good bet, as they have the tendency to corrode if not maintained properly.
• High-Carbon Stainless Steel Blades: Mineral oils are normally used on most types of stainless steel – stainless steel is already resistant to corrosion, but you can also use oils with corrosion protection as an extra precaution.
• Damascus Steel Blades: It depends on the individual, but often, people use wax or mineral oils to look after the blade and its unique pattern.

So, if you’re after the best knife oil, you’ll probably need to consider the material from which your blade is made first.

How to Oil a Knife

Here’s a quick explanation of how to oil a knife:

• Clean the blade.
• Apply the oil using a soft cloth or paper towel – put it on the blade and/or wooden handle.
• Spread it evenly.
• Let it sit.
• Wipe off the excess.

And that’s it!

Shop the Bamboo Guy’s Selection of knife oil products today.