rust inhibitors?

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Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
We use a product called Tuf Cloth on our guns.
Very corrosive atmosphere here.

Not sure if it is safe to put on a blade you cut food with, but the Mighty Internet will surely answer that,
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
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Bedfordshire
What do you need to protect? Knives, wood working hand tools, machine tools, shooting gear...???

I have used Tuf Cloth on blades made of O-1 and not been frightfully impressed with the results. Two things. One is that the action of cutting and handling tends to remove whatever film is there from the blade and exposed tang. The other is that if you carry the cloth around, eventually the pouch wears and the cloth dries out to become completely ineffective. This can happen when you are not paying attention.

I have tried Ren. Wax but that has a similar problem in that cutting removes the film. It is different if it is a storage situation, in which case the Ren Wax is pretty good and TufCloth works well.

Chris
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
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Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
Everything you apply on a knife blade will wear off quickly. I found that even the factory applied finishes, type the Teflon looking coating, wears off when a knife is used for cutting items harder than meat.

I have two guns ( I know, I know, not knife related....) where I had (at a crazy cost) the outside coated with DLC, which is supposed to be Diamond Like Coating.
Wears off in areas of contact. Total waste of money.

If you store knives for longer period of time ( weeks, months), apply raw linseed oil, and let that harden.
A superb protectant. Cheap, easy to apply, non toxic.

The Japanese use Camellia Oil, supposed to be fantastic, but I know nothing about that.
 

Tiley

Life Member
Oct 19, 2006
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Gloucestershire
I know it's an oil, which you don't want, but Ballistol Klever is good at inhibiting rust. It has an interesting aroma but seems to do the job pretty well and comes in a wipe form as well as the more conventional oil.

Then, of course, there's camellia oil which is also very good.
 

Janne

Sent off - Not allowed to play
Feb 10, 2016
12,330
2,293
Grand Cayman, Norway, Sweden
I know it's an oil, which you don't want, but Ballistol Klever is good at inhibiting rust. It has an interesting aroma but seems to do the job pretty well and comes in a wipe form as well as the more conventional oil.

Then, of course, there's camellia oil which is also very good.
Ballistol is food grade. Lovely smell. I have used it for all my life for all mechanical stuff.
But it is easily rubbed off, and needs to be re applied after each use.

The German and Austrian Armed Forces won the war on the Eastern Front in WW1 thanks to Ballistol.

How does the famed Camellia oil work? Hardens? Worth buying ( at high expense?) ?
 
Last edited:

Fadcode

Full Member
Feb 13, 2016
2,857
894
Cornwall
Ye, stainless steel,
However I find Ren Wax to be good, or a light smear of vaseline, when out I usually carry a dampened rag which has been lightly sprayed with WD40 or light oil, and a quick wipe will keep the rust away, if using the blade to eat or cut up food, a quick wipe to get the oil off, use the knife and a quick wipe to put some oil protection back on, nothing to worry about unless staying out for days at a time.
When I get back home,I treat the wood and blade and stow away separately from the sheath.
 

Dave Budd

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Jan 8, 2006
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I've been using a lot of jade oil the last couple of years. It dries leaving a film that is pretty good when the blade is exposed to rain at shows, even ifi don't get to dry them properly. Dunno how durable in use it is, i'm always keen to sell my knives before they get used!
 
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Forest fella

Full Member
Jul 2, 2008
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Gloucestershire
is the Tuf cloth a single use item, if so how many knives do you think it will treat, Or last for when opened, As I've only been able to find them in packs of 1.
 

Stew

Bushcrafter through and through
Nov 29, 2003
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Aylesbury
stewartjlight-knives.com
is the Tuf cloth a single use item, if so how many knives do you think it will treat, Or last for when opened, As I've only been able to find them in packs of 1.

It's designed for repeated use.

I have had some but wouldn't buy it again. Did dry up before I felt I got value, plus I found being good with drying etc works just as well.
 

C_Claycomb

Moderator staff
Mod
Oct 6, 2003
7,355
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Bedfordshire
Bacon fat...salty fat...salty steel...rusty steel. Not sure what would happen with a mix of salt and grease, but don't think I will test it on anything important.

I have had two Tuf Cloths. First dried out, second may still be okay, but I haven't carried it around and it could well be dry, even in its bag. Agree that they are hard to get money's worth from on knives. Hunting guns would probably be another story...walking around in the rain, all the metal is exposed all the time, high value, low wear/rubbing on surfaces
 

Robson Valley

Full Member
Nov 24, 2014
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McBride, BC
Seems responsible to dry, clean and oil firearms after a day's shooting.
I take the gun apart, let the pieces warm up to room temp, inspect, clean, dry, grease the mating parts.
I have a panel of flannel cloth, 30(?) years old, that gets a few drips of 50W sewing machine oil on it for a wipe down.
Usually, my day-pack is near by so the knives get washed(fruit/sausage, etc)and wiped with the oily gun rag.
The's such a thin film, I have no concerns about toxicity.
 

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