how or what can i do to my rr knifes to keep them from rusting or my old file blades or heck any blades ???
thanks

Lots of options, bluing, light coating of oil and keeping fingers off of the blades, are a few thoughts.

Any grind marks or scratches help rust get a start. If you mirror polish carbon steel it helps a bit...Guns are mostly blued as that is a rusting process and gives less chance for rust to get going but we have all seen rust on guns. Like it says above wipe every time and oil it down. If you keep them in sheathes, cloths, etc. you increase the chance of rust.

clear coat laquer in a spray can works well. but it comes off with use..

get the best finish (highest grit) you can, polish etc. but if its not "stainless" stock then expect some tarnish. i dont use oil or anyother chemicals cuz i like to be able to cut food.

Mineral oil, beeswax, and paraffin wax are food safe. They have limited durability though.

Phil

a 50/50 mix of mineral spirets and linseed oil applied at about 200-300 degrees works amazingly well, foodsafe too if you give it about a month b4 letting it touch any food

really junker? why do you have to wait so long? you'd figure after it was baked on it would be safe? do you have to let it set into the steel? i'm not saying your not right, i'm just thinking if it work i'd probably do something like that for some of my stuff.

Edited November 15, 200916 yr by rokshasa
spelling

i just like to make sure... only time i make stuff is for friends and family and i wanna make darn sure im not gonna poisen them. the colore is cool too, almost like an iredescent black/ purple

test the temp with a piece of paper... if the metal is hot enough it will char the paper almost immidiately

I use car polish.

I use car polish.

Car polish is good... just make sure it's the wax type.... i think its called carnuba wax or something....

i don't know if you guys have access to lanolin grease, (wool fat) but if you can get your hands on a tub of that stuff, it's up there with the best as well... Laplander's have been using it for century's...

you might find some at a saddlery or something, as its used for leather as well...

personally i like beezwax... it has a nice smell... lol

a 50/50 mix of mineral spirets and linseed oil applied at about 200-300 degrees works amazingly well, foodsafe too if you give it about a month b4 letting it touch any food

Could this be done on the final stage of tempering the blade in the oven?... i'm just never really that keen to re-heat a blade after I've done the heat treatment on it.

Although i know 300 isn't quite tempering heat for some steels...

Commercial linseed oil is processed with chemicals and driers making it not food safe. Use Flax seed oil from the health food section of the grocery store. It is the same as raw linseed oil, but cold pressed with no chemicals so it is perfectly edible.

Vegetable shortening is my choice black finish applied hot. It can go on as low as 300F but takes a while to set up at that temperature. I use it on my cast iron cookware, but I prefer applying at 450F since it takes only a few minutes to set up.

Food safe choices that set up at temperature include vegetable oils, vegetable shortening, beeswax, paraffin wax, and if your clientele tolerates animal and pork based coatings, lard. I am sure there are other coatings that are food safe too.

Phil`

I have always just kept my blades raw and keep a light coat of oil on them in storage. If they get a little oxidation on them though use a scotch pad or very fien steel wool and oil to clean it up. If it is a display piece that you never plan to use - I really liked tompdw's suggeston of car wax. Thats a good idea. Of course, if you really never plan to use it other than to hang it on a wall/sit on a display, maybe just coat it with a commercial finish(non-yellowing acrylic clear coat?) It will last forever that way.

You can get lanolin at most grocery stores in the baby aisle. It is used as a skin protection for breastfeeding mothers. In the US there is a purple tube branded Lansinoh, which is medical grade lanolin. I think it is anhydrous too, but may be wrong about that. Also good on cracked skin.
Phil