All About Pocket Knives

I have a question about using Mineral Oil.

So I gather that soaking an old rusted pocket knife in mineral oil will help loosen the rust. That's probably the starting point in the resurrection of an old knife.

So here's my questions:

1. After the knife is removed from the oil, does it now need to be taken completely apart and dried off?

2. What's the best way to remove all excess oil from your knife?

3. What happens if you soak a knife in mineral oil that has "Delrin/Plastic" handles?

4. Will mineral oil damage handles made of "Rams Horn/Linen Micarta/Exotic Woods"?

Any guidance would be greatly appreciated. All comers are welcome...

___________

Mike

...I've used mineral oil on my knives for years and I've never had any adverse affects from it on anything......maybe it's like "salve", which my grandpa used to say was "good fer mumps, bumps and bruises and makes childbirth a pleasure"!!!!......... ...............

Just wipe it down good. Might want to oil the joints with a light weight oil of your choice. I usually wrap them in paper towels for a day or so and let them soak up some excess oil. I'm not aware of any handle material it will damage. It's actually good for faded or sun bleached Delrin.

My choice of rust penetrants is usually Break Free or PB Blaster. I use that and then a light coat of mineral oil for protection. Wouldn't recommend them for synthetics like plastic(Micarta or Delrin shouldn't be affected);especially celluloid. I usually soak stag scaled knives in mineral oil as it seems to condition it;especially old and dried out stag.
For cleaning out inside liners,I spray in a little Break Free,let it soak for a bit and then blow it out with compressed air(WEAR SAFETY GLASSES!)I use a Popsicle stick cut at an angle on the end and if I can fold a piece of paper towel over it to clean out any remaining residue. If you cut it at about a 45 degree angle,you can get it slightly behind the tang when the blade is open.
CAUTION: I recommend cleaning out celluloid scales knives with just compressed air and a dry paper towel DO NOT get oil on the scales as it has a tendency to wick under the them and destroy the pictures.It can also initiate outgassing(my opinion).To lubricate put a SMALL drop of oil on the pivot and wipe away any excess.

Good advice. Especially about the celluloid.

I might add I've used mineral oil soaks for the handles and such, but I've never used it to free a stuck blade. It seems to thick to penetrate well to me. To free stuck blades I use Kroil. And to flag out gunk, WD-40.

After years of useing 3 in 1 oil I switched to MO due to 3IN1 oil jelling up over time,I love MO for the bone and Delrin scales

My first thought, and I'm NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO expert but, steel likes oil and so does bone.

I clean it with a rag as best I can after a MO bath, but don't take the knife completely apart.

Thanks fellas!! Have some old EDC's I need to clean up. Mineral Oil seems to be the way to start.

Appreciate all the help!!

____________

Mike

Don't forget to take before and after pics!

I use mineral oil a lot, although I've never "soaked" a knife for days. If I have one that is frozen up, I use Kroil first to loosen it up. Mineral oil is great for any handle made of natural material like bone or antler. It is what I recommend for use on ivory handle knives that I have made. However if you soak the knife you stand the chance of it swelling up, so just wipe the handles with a good mineral oil soaked rag. I don't know of anything it would hurt. Terry

I bought a "lot" at an estate sale on the 17th of December.

This Robeson has been soaking in MO since then......I just pulled it out today. Enough of the rust has faded to where I can open the blades and they are tight and have great snap.
Unfortunately the nail nick was mising when I purchased the knife.

The only knife I would soak in mineral oil are old dried out stag or bone handles.
If I need to clean a knife I use Birchwood Casey's Gun Scrubber. It doesn't damage handles, is safe on synthetic materials. It works fast and is very effective. I have even experimented with it on celluloid with no observable negative effects.
I would never use mineral oil as a lubricant, unless it was the only oil available. It is fine to rub on bone, stag or Delrin and on the blades to prevent rust, though there are far superior rust preventative oils; I use Eezox, it works great!

To lube the joints I use Quick Release Oil, almost exclusively, it is just flat out the best knife lube I have found, which is not surprising as it was engineered for that.

Most any oil is better than nothing in knife joints, but mineral oil doesn't make my top 25 list of knife lubricants, I just do not think it will hold up to daily use. Too much mineral oil will attract and hold dirt in the joint, accelerating the wear to the joint. For a knife carried in the pocket, it is possible to have too much oil. I have repaired such knives, well oiled and the oil held sand in the joint wearing out the round end of the tang leaving the blade with no snap.

Thats a great knife Scott Dremel out a EO notch in the handles and slip her in the pocket

garddogg56 wrote:Thats a great knife Scott Dremel out a EO notch in the handles and slip her in the pocket

That's a good idea Dogg.....