What kind of oil do you use for your blades?

[Interested Party]

Originally Posted by M ELEY

For dry, damaged hide/leather or wood, like on hilts and scabbards, i find that linseed oil has an amazing way of re-lusturizing (is that even a word- ) the finish. Also works great on old gun stocks...
Anyone else try this product??

Do you use boiled or raw linseed on the leather? To my understanding boiled has lead added to it as a drying agent and it seemed to have a long term negative effect on leather. I do like the boiled on wood as it doesn't gum due to the drying agent and you can use a finer abrasive.

Growing up in my grandfather's old school gun shop we used Rig on everything metal, but we dealt in European and American knives and fire arms. It did just fine on Damascus shotgun barrels and preserved case hardening colors nicely. That said I have been told that it would damage the temper lines on Japanese blades. I think the gentleman who told me that said he used magnolia oil. I live in the desert now and don't have to worry that much about rust. My preservation problem now is splitting wood.