Can you use baby oil to sharpen a knife? (2023)

Can I use baby oil to sharpen a knife?

We have mentioned that you can use different mineral oils for your honing stone. In that case, you can safely use baby oil on your sharpening stone because baby oil is actually mineral oil.

Mineral oil is an ideal candidate for sharpening because it is light and does not harden or go rancid. A light oil is desirable because a heavy or viscous oil will interfere with the sharpening action of the stone.

Baby oil is a petroleum-based mineral oil. It's considered a byproduct of the process to refine crude oil. Baby oil is refined further for use in skin care products and is safe when used externally on the skin. It has been shown to effectively protect babies from diaper rash.

Please Note: Never apply food oils such as vegetable or olive oil to sharpening stones. Only use honing oils approved for sharpening stones.

Standard hones do not require oiling, however you will notice as you sharpen that the hone will begin to move across the blade more smoothly. This indicates that the pores of the stone may be clogging with filings, which reduces the effectiveness of the stone. Clean the hone by putting a few drops of oil on it.

In the case of knife sharpening, motor oil is too thick or heavy and can over-lubricate or clog a sharpening stone, whereas WD-40 is too light an oil and will not carry the metal filings plus stone dust (collectively known as swarf) away from the stone, and clog it.

Olive oil, vegetable oil, and canola oil are examples of natural oils that, in theory, can be used on knives.

Mineral oil quenchants are excellent for oil-hardened steels and steels that require a fast quench rate. They tend to be on the expensive side, but they're highly efficient and have greater cooling capacities for steel alloys.

Mineral oil is a hydrocarbon compound also known as paraffin oil, liquid petrolatum, white mineral oil and Nujol. The only difference between baby oil and mineral oil in general is that baby oil has added fragrance.

Is Johnson's baby oil a mineral oil?

Johnson's Baby Oil, Pure Mineral Oil to Prevent Moisture Loss, Original, 14 Fl Oz (Pack of 6) - Packaging May Vary.

Johnson's Baby Oil, Pure Mineral Oil to Prevent Moisture Loss, Hypoallergenic, Original 3 fl. oz. Amazon's Choice highlights highly rated, well-priced products available to ship immediately.

RUST BARRIER

A drawback with high-carbon steel is that it easily rusts. Smearing some coconut oil onto your knife when puttng away your knife for a long time will ensure that your blade will not be rusty next time you take it out.

To keep your stone from clogging up with small metal fragments, which makes the sharpening properties of the abrasive grains much less effective, you can use either oil or water on a benchstone prior to sharpening.

If your kitchen knives have started to gather rust spots, giving them a soak in vinegar will help restore them to their original shine.

THE DON'TS

Don't run your knife through a knife system or device. Running your blade through a device will unevenly chew up the edge, can scratch the face of the blade, and will not get your knife as sharp as using a whetstone to sharpen.

Yes, you should clean after sharpening, which is not the same as honing. No, after honing, it's not necessary. By sharpening, you take some metal off the edge of the knife to create an edge. By honing, you realign the edge of the knife.

A knife is made to be sharpened and used. You can't ruin it by sharpening and using it in a reasonable manner, unless you count wearing it out after about 150 years of such use as ruining it. If it can't be sharpened then it is no good in the first place.

“A sharpening stone or whetstone is used primarily by professional chefs to sharpen knives, razors, scrapers and more. They can be designed to require either water or oil for lubrication, which also helps to clear or wash away the metal that comes off the edge of the implements during sharpening,” he explains.

To sharpen your knives at home, you can use an electric sharpener or a whetstone (also called a sharpening stone). Electric sharpeners require little effort on your end, but stones are generally the preferred choice since they're gentler on blades, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use.

Can you sharpen blades with aluminum foil?

According to Popular Mechanics, all you need to do is take about 12 inches of aluminum foil and fold it over several times so it is at least six layers thick, then cut the foil into 10 or 12 strips using "full-stroke cuts." Once that's done, you can test the sharpness of the blade by cutting some paper and repeating ...

WD-40 is too thin to be effective carrrying away the swarf. It tends to simply soak straight into the stone. My recommendation is medicinal mineral oil. It is very inexpensive, totally nontoxic, readily available, and has the perfect viscosity for knife sharpening.

A cheap way to keep carbon steel knives and axes lubricated and rust-free is to use common store-bought Mineral Oil or Petroleum Jelly. Mineral Oil is particularly suited to knives because it is safe to ingest while also being odor-free and taste-free. For axes, try Petroleum Jelly.

For a more thorough sharpening on a blade that is dull, use the coarse grit stone first, then go to the fine grit stone or stones. Diamond sharpening stones may be used dry or wet, but wet is recommended. When using them wet, use water, not oil, as a lubricant.

A Honing Steel

A standard honing steel is made of a rod of steel that ridged along its length. The ridges gently guide a blade back into alignment as you draw the knife over it. A regular steel should be used every day before you use your knife.

There are many food-grade quenching oil options available to use for blacksmithing. Among these options are vegetable, peanut, and avocado oil. Some commonly used vegetable oils are canola, olive, and palm kernel oil. Vegetable oil is very cheap and comes from renewable sources.

In the short term, no it won't harm your knife. Just about any oil you can find will be fine for short term use. In the longer term though, olive oil is not a good idea.

Oil has a slower rate of cooling compared to either water or brine, but faster than air, making it an intermediate quench.

Most commercial baby oil is made up of mineral oil (typically 98 percent) and fragrance (2 percent). Mineral oil is a noncomedogenic (i.e. it won't clog your pores) ingredient that creates a barrier for your skin to lock in moisture.

Mineral Oil Alternatives

Examples include coconut oil, shea butter and olive oil. Hewett says to specifically look for oils with larger molecules that don't penetrate the skin easily to replicate the effect of mineral oil. They include castor oil, avocado oil and grapeseed oil.

Is Vaseline the same as mineral oil?

"Vaseline oil" is mineral oil.

Baby oil is a human-made mineral oil. Like petroleum jelly, baby oil is made from a byproduct that's leftover when oil is refined. Baby oil is further refined until it's safe for skin care and other beauty uses.

Companies recommend just throwing it out if there is some leftover by the time the expiration date is reached. Then there are companies that will suggest you throw away baby oil yearly to get the most out of your oils.

The ingredients in most commercial baby oil products are 98% mineral oil and 2% fragrance.

Baby oil locks in up to 10 times more moisture on wet skin than an ordinary lotion can on dry skin, leaving you and your baby's skin soft and smooth. Dermatologist-tested. Hypoallergenic; formulated to be gentle, never harsh. Clinically Proven Mildness formula, is designed for baby's delicate skin.

It's a clear liquid made out of petroleum-based mineral oil and fragrance. According to Johnson & Johnson, baby oil can be applied to a baby's skin before a massage.

Compare to Johnson's baby oil (This product is not manufactured or distributed by Johnson & Johnson consumer products company, distributor of Johnson's baby oil). Gentle & mild. Fast absorbing. Alcohol free.

You can use simple vegetable oil, but it isn't very stable and may go rancid. Food-safe mineral oils (such as wood block oil) tend to work well. Here's one great choice. Plain jane food-grade mineral oil should be available at your local pharmacy (as suggested by several commenters) for cheap also.

yes, pretty much any oil will work, the lower the viscosity the better, you can even dilute a thick oil with kerosene or diesel. If the oil is likely to go rancid it's best to clean it off after using it.

Any household dish soap is acceptable and if your stones seem like they need more than just a soak, an old toothbrush works well to clean grit out of the nooks and crannies.

Can you use gun oil to sharpen a knife?

Sure, you can use stuff like motor oil, transmission fluid, olive oil etc.

Never leave knives in the sink.

But the sink is not only a dangerous spot (hard-to-see-through water doesn't mix well with a sharp object), leaving your knife there can lead to rust.

For the home cook, Ovadia says there's no time to clean like the present. "It's best to wash or at least rinse right after use to avoid having to scrape food off later," she says. But forego soaking. "Knives should never be left soaking in water, as it would lead to rust of the blade and handle," Wüsthof explains.

Always keep your knife dry and clean! Hand wash with warm soapy water. No abrasive sponges. Never put your knife in the dishwasher or leave it soaking in water.

Mineral oil is a safe and effective solution for protecting your swords from rust and corrosion. Alternatively, you can use choji oil, which is often recommended for use on traditional Japanese swords.

To sharpen your knives at home, you can use an electric sharpener or a whetstone (also called a sharpening stone). Electric sharpeners require little effort on your end, but stones are generally the preferred choice since they're gentler on blades, relatively inexpensive, and easy to use.

But, did you know this kitchen staple can help keep one of your other common kitchen tools from getting dull? It's true. Aluminum foil can be used as a quick and easy way to keep your kitchen scissors sharp and ready for anything.

Things to Avoid and some additional tips

While there are a ton of oils that can be used to protect a sword - they all have one thing in common: no organic material. In other words, no cooking oil, baby oil, etc.

When in use, you clippers produce a lot of friction. The heat this produces can damage them if oil is not used to keep them well lubricated. You will likely hear them rattle and the blades won't cut as smoothly as they should – eventually, they might even seize up completely.