Honing Oil Recipes

[Alum of Potash]

I’ve been cruising on some of the old knife forum threads. One recommendation is to cut ATF one-to-one with kerosene, which reminds me of mineral oil one-to-one with kerosene. One thing they seem to come out strongly against is using vegetable oil, as it becomes rancid and sticky. With some of the finer, polished Arkansas stones, I've noticed that they too become sticky with Dan's honing oil, necessitating a rubbing down with kerosene from time to time. So I wonder what the difference is in the end, beyond viscosity. An old account for sharpening microtome razors recommends using olive oil one-to-one with kerosene.

I’ve recently tried honing with a lighter olive oil, used straight, and didn't really meet with much success. For me, swarf generation is the key, and with the vegetable oils in general, it doesn't seem to be there as much as with the petroleum derivatives. One exception may be jojoba oil, but again, this would be best cut with something like kerosene, defeating the purpose of the “healthy” use of a vegetable oil. So the question remains what to cut the vegetable oil with that would remain good and good for you.

From Melville's Moby-Dick (chapter 32, "Cetology"): "A well-fed, plump Huzza Porpoise will yield you one good gallon of good oil. But the fine and delicate fluid extracted from his jaws is exceedingly valuable. It is in request among jewellers and watchmakers. Sailors put it on their hones."

 

[aephilli]

Let's go fishing?

ETA: Dang, not Flipper.......

 

[Alum of Potash]

I tried honing on the light olive oil last night and met with better success off the black hard Arkansas (4" x 2") regarding tonight's shave. Trick was in really wailing on the stone with abandon, rather than the controlled, lighter passes I'd been giving it before this. Again, with the vegetable oils, there is the question of how to thin them. Kerosene and mineral spirits seem to defeat the purpose. With this in mind, I've come across the following product, citrus solvent, which promises to act as a substitute for paint thinner. I ordered some to blend 1:1 with jojoba oil (a whale oil substitute), so we'll see how this goes once it arrives.

 

[Jayber Crow]

Waiting with "baited" breath for the results of this experiment.

 

[aephilli]

OK, I get it now, we're looking for a somewhat "food safe" or "without toxic petroleum products" alternative?

 

[Alum of Potash]

OK, I get it now, we're looking for a somewhat "food safe" or "without toxic petroleum products" alternative?

Something like that.

 

[Jayber Crow]

Not sure if he's a member of this board, but here's a chap honing with olive oil.

Have you tried the neatsfoot oil yet Alan? It sounds like it might be good light oil given the properties of the foot and leg fat needing to work at cold temps. I had read somewhere that the best sperm oil was the stuff that drained of the spermaceti in January; so we're talking January on Nantucket and that stuff was still flowing.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Not sure if he's a member of this board, but here's a chap honing with olive oil.

Have you tried the neatsfoot oil yet Alan? It sounds like it might be good light oil given the properties of the foot and leg fat needing to work at cold temps. I had read somewhere that the best sperm oil was the stuff that drained of the spermaceti in January; so we're talking January on Nantucket and that stuff was still flowing.

Thanks a lot for the vid link John; I enjoyed it. Haven't tried the neat's-foot oil on stones, but I seem to recall an old recommendation for cutting it 1:1 with kero like the rest. Those sperm whales get around, even going places where Arctic-bound submarines like to follow. January in the tropics and January off Nantucket are different for sure. I wonder if the better oil as found in cold waters was because the lesser quality oil had congealed.

 

[David]

The citrus solvent and jojoba oil sounds interesting. I'm looking forward to your thoughts on it.

 

[Alum of Potash]

I'm thinking.. And don't quote me. That it refers to aluminum because it is much softer and generates far less heat and retains less heat when cutting compared to steel. I don't believe it would have the properties needed to be a good cutting fluid/coolant for steel cutting

Sincerely,

A millwright apprentice.

Thanks. Cutting for drilling/sawing metal is what I take from this and the earlier post. By cutting, what I am loosely referring to is diluting an oil with another substance to make the solution less viscous, the irony being that the cutting action in the drilling/sawing sense upon the stone will hopefully be increased.

 

[aephilli]

I tried honing on the light olive oil last night and met with better success off the black hard Arkansas (4" x 2") regarding tonight's shave. Trick was in really wailing on the stone with abandon, rather than the controlled, lighter passes I'd been giving it before this. Again, with the vegetable oils, there is the question of how to thin them. Kerosene and mineral spirits seem to defeat the purpose. With this in mind, I've come across the following product, citrus solvent, which promises to act as a substitute for paint thinner. I ordered some to blend 1:1 with jojoba oil (a whale oil substitute), so we'll see how this goes once it arrives.

be careful with the citrus solvent, it may have citric acid in it, not bad for health or the environment, but not a corrosion inhibiter on metal at all (quite the opposite)

 

[Alum of Potash]

be careful with the citrus solvent, it may have citric acid in it, not bad for health or the environment, but not a corrosion inhibiter on metal at all (quite the opposite)

Oh no! You may have a point there! Sort of like cutting a lemon with a carbon steel knife can easily stain it. Curses! It may be back to the drawing board. But thanks for bringing it up. I'll give it a try and see what happens.

 

[aephilli]

Maybe the kerosene isn't so bad.....

http://www.health-science-spirit.com/kero.htm

I personally like the smell of turpentine, but completely understand that many people don't.

http://www.health-recovery-info.com/2014/02/healing-with-100-pure-turpentine-dr-jennifer-daniels-md/

I can see the infomercial now - "Turpentine, it's not just for thinning Tung oil anymore..."


(NOTE: I have not tried nor do I recommend any use of petroleum or pine tar distillates for medicinal purposes or human consumption.)

 

[Alum of Potash]

I've gotten used to the smell of Dan's honing oil and kerosene, so I'm not against their use, just curious about other alternatives.

I just called the manufacturer and they say that they haven't heard of the Citrus Solvent discoloring metal, and it is recommended as a de-greaser for engine work. I've looked at the MSDS and the active ingredient is d-limonene, which according to Wikipedia is recommended as a less toxic substitute for xylene. So that sounds perfect as xylene was recommended around a century ago for blending with oils to make a less viscous honing solution.

Probably a good idea to wear nitrile gloves with this stuff all the same. I don't think for that the small amount that is on the stone, ventilation will be an issue.

 

[aephilli]

I've gotten used to the smell of Dan's honing oil and kerosene, so I'm not against their use, just curious about other alternatives.

I just called the manufacturer and they say that they haven't heard of the Citrus Solvent discoloring metal, and it is recommended as a de-greaser for engine work. I've looked at the MSDS and the active ingredient is d-limonene, which according to Wikipedia is recommended as a less toxic substitute for xylene. So that sounds perfect as xylene was recommended around a century ago for blending with oils to make a less viscous honing solution.

Probably a good idea to wear nitrile gloves with this stuff all the same. I don't think for that the small amount that is on the stone, ventilation will be an issue.

 

[Gamma]

I can smell a single drop of kero clear across the house, that stuff belongs in the garage, not in the home where I sleep.

 

[aephilli]

I can smell a single drop of kero clear across the house, that stuff belongs in the garage, not in the home where I sleep.

That's why I use the Klean Heat and baby oil, ends up smelling like baby oil.

 

[Jayber Crow]

Hmm. I wonder how the citrus solvent would work with mineral oil. I'll have to look for some and give it a try.

 

[Alum of Potash]

Back when I was a college student, I spent a spring break with friends in Athens, Georgia. It was a cold spring and the house was heated with kerosene burners. The place reeked of it. A couple of drops in the workshop here is not that big a deal, and the citrus smell may seem equally noxious in another way.

The truth of the video that John linked is that vegetable oil can work. My experience has been that it clogs up quicker than alleged on the video, but an occasional bath in Simple Green 1:1 would probably help. In the past, once the stone sticks from vegetable oil, I've use turpentine to clean it or a Brillo-type pad. Main point of the exercise for me here is how to cut the oil so as to make it less viscous.

Cutting mineral oil? It being a petroleum product, I'd be more inclined to cut it with kerosene, or, if preferred, odorless kerosene.

 

[alpster]

Looking forward to using my new Arkansas stones, today I made up a batch of mineral oil mixed 50/50 with "Kleen Kero". I don't find that it has a particularly offensive odor. Should be getting my SIC powder in the mail in a day or so.