If you have spent money on the knife, it is important to take care of it. If you don’t look after it, the blade may get rusted. So, the best way to avoid corrosion and maintain the shine of the blade is by using a good quality lubricant. This will not only maintain the sharpness of the blade but also maintain the working of the pivot.
There are a lot of oils and lubricants available that can be perfect for the knife. You can use the lube to maintain the shine of the blade and preserve the opening procedure of the knife.
In this article, we have covered the best knife oil that you can buy in 2023 and keep the blades away from rust.
Best Knife Oil – Top Picks
Here we are going to round up some top-quality knife lubricants that can preserve their shine and also help you keep working with the knife for years.
1. Pure Tsubaki Japanese Knife Maintenance Oil – Yoshihiro
If you are looking for viscous oil that can do your job with a single drop, this lube can be a perfect option for you. This food-grade oil is the perfect choice for kitchen knives as it doesn’t make the food toxic. So, the edible remains safe from being poisonous using this oil.
The bottle comes with 3.4 oz oil and a drop of oil can be enough to maintain the working process of the knife.
Furthermore, the knife kit contains a cloth and a small rust eraser. You just need to put some oil on the knife and rub the cloth here. The eraser can be used to remove the corrosion from the blade.
Pure Tsubaki Japanese Knife Maintenance Oil
Dense Oil
| Pros | Cons |
| Dense oil. A single droplet can be enough to clean the blade | Little expensive than other mineral oils |
| Food-safe. No need to worry about the toxicity in the food items | |
| Cloth and rust eraser included in the kit |
2. 100% Pure Tsubaki Knife Maintenance Camellia Oil – KUROBARA
This is another best food safe knife oil that can be a perfect choice for kitchen knives and can avoid corrosion on the blade. Not only is this knife useful for food knives, but you can also put oil in guns, machines, and scissors. The lube doesn’t get removed easily so it maintains the shine for a long time.
Because the oil is highly pure, there are no chances of damaging the plastic, ceramics, or rubber material using this oil. The oil comes in a 3.4 ounces bottle and it can be enough for you to use for a single knife for a couple of months.
Pure Tsubaki Knife Maintenance Camellia Oil
Tasteless & Odorless
| Pros | Cons |
| Tasteless and odorless. Can be used for multitasking | Pick up dust. Needs some extra protection |
| The product is food-safe | |
| Effective in removing rust from the knives |
3. Premium Knife Blade Oil & Honing Oil – UniKitchen
This is the top-quality lubricant that not only helps you maintain the shine of the tool but also protects the food from being toxic. The oil is designed with premium protection in mind so can help in maintaining the blade sharpness.
Because the oil is food-safe so you can use it to clean kitchen knives and prevent them from corrosion. In addition, to keep the blade rust-free, this oil can also be used for cleaning the handles. However, it is not a perfect choice for the pivot because of its viscosity.
Premium Knife Blade Oil & Honing Oil
Perfect Choice
| Pros | Cons |
| The oil can clean the blade and handle | Not best for multiple purposes |
| 8 ounces of oil in the bottle. It is much cheaper than other lubes | |
| Perfect choice for high-carbon steel |
4. Original Knife Oil for Blades – KPL (Knife Pivot Lube)
For those people who are looking for oil for knives, this is one of the best choices. Using this lube, you can make the opening process of the knife quite smooth. The KPL oil is made by a small family in America which makes it a reliable option for usage. You just have to put a small amount of oil on the pivot and it will be enough to operate the knife easily.
The bottle comes with a needle that you can use to put the oil on the pivot precisely without dropping it on unnecessary parts. This thin lube also odors very well. So, you don’t have to worry if the knife will become smelly after applying the oil.
Original Knife Oil for Blades
Smells Good
| Pros | Cons |
| The needle is added to the box that makes it easy to apply the oil in the required area | Not usable for multiple purposes |
| Makes the pivot operate smoothly with just a single drop | |
| Smells good |
5. Knife Oil Rust Eraser – PuGez
This oil is specially made for carbon steel knives as it can not only protect them from rust but also maintain their sharpness. The oil set comes with a lube bottle, a rust eraser, and a small piece of cloth that can be used for cleaning purposes.
Knife Oil Rust Eraser
Food-Safe Oil
You can use this best knife oil for your kitchen knives and protect the food from any poison. This non-toxic lube prevents harming the eatables.
| Pros | Cons |
| Provides extra protection to the knives and moisture to the blade even in the extreme conditions | Not perfect for resisting stain |
| The long-lasting effect that maintains the shine for a longer period | |
| Food-safe oil that doesn’t let your food items become toxic |
What Kind of Lubricant Should You Use for the Knife?
You will get three different kinds of oils that should be considered for the knives. Here we will talk about each of them in detail.
• Wet Petroleum Rich
This is low-viscosity oil that is mostly used for folding knives. This lube is a perfect option for such knives for which you need some extra protection. This oil is also used in guns and sewing machines.
• Food-Safe Oil
You can’t use toxic oil for kitchen knives. Therefore, these blades need to be lubricated using food-safe oils. Such oil is best for the knives used for cutting fruits, vegetables, hunting, and fishing.
This oil doesn’t contain any kind of scent and it is totally flavorless. So, it is the best choice for food knives and you can easily get them from pharmacies.
• Teflon-Based Dry Oil
You need Teflon oil as it has more viscosity and can be perfect for the pivot.
Essential Elements to Consider Before Choosing Knife Lube
Before you choose lube for the knife, some important elements need to be considered. In this section, we will cover these key points that will help you get the right oil for your knife.
• Oil Viscosity
The first thing that you have to consider is the oil viscosity. Before choosing the oil you have to decide if you are purchasing the lube for the folding knife or the kitchen knife.
The oil comes in both light and thick viscosity. Dense oil is perfect for carbon knives and also needs more protection from moisture. The light lube on the other hand is used for folding knives and maintaining the working of the pivot. So, you need to decide for which knife you need the oil.
• Flexibility
Some oils you get in the market can be used for multiple purposes. For example, earlier we talked about wet petroleum oil that can be used for knives, machines, scissors, guns, etc.
Such oils can be used for cleaning the knife, honing the blade, and also preventing rust. Therefore, you need to consider such versatile oil that can be used for multiple purposes.
However, this condition is not applicable to every knife because knives like cooking knives need non-toxic lube so you have to take care of this element.
• Purpose of Use
As discussed previously, you must focus on the purpose of using the oil. You should know if you will use the oil for reducing friction in the pivot or to avoid rust.
If you have to use the oil on the kitchen knife, it is important to use a natural oil that is food-safe and doesn’t affect the quality of the food items.
However, if the purpose is to maintain the shine of the blade or avoid rust on the steel, you need to apply high-viscosity oil.
Final Words
Choosing the best knife oil can maintain the performance of your knife for a long time. Not only this, but it also prevents the blade from rusting and helps you cut the items quite easily.
There is a list of top-quality knife oils that can be used for multiple purposes. Some lube comes with low viscosity while others are dense. For us, KPL is the best oil that can be perfect for pocket knives and it is the overall value for money.
However, if you are looking for such oil that can especially resist corrosion, you need to go for KUROBARA camellia oil.
