Yes, commercial honing oil is essentially highly refined mineral oil. While some brands add petroleum distillates or deodorizers for a thinner viscosity, basic mineral oil (like the inexpensive kind found in grocery or drug stores) works perfectly.
The best, most accessible honing oil substitute for sharpening stones is plain mineral oil (often sold as cutting board oil, or unscented baby oil). It has the ideal viscosity to float metal shavings (swarf) away without gumming up the stone.
Regular mineral oil is the base of many sharpening stone oils, so yes it can be used. Either soapy water or oil can be used. The only downside about oil is the fact that you can't go back to water if you have used oil once. It deeply penetrates the stones and can never be fully removed.
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.
Jojoba Oil: Nature's Mirror
First to emerge as an important substitute for mineral oil is jojoba oil which is extracted from the seeds of the jojoba plant. Jojoba oil is a natural moisturizer because of its molecular structure that closely resembles the skin's oils.
The best mineral oil substitute depends on your intended use: fractionated coconut oil for food-safe wood surfaces, jojoba or sweet almond oil for cosmetics, and synthetic motor oil or mineral spirits for heavy-duty mechanics.
Just lubricate its parts. WD-40 is made up of mineral oil. This is the case with most lubricants.
To sharpen a knife without a whetstone, use the unglazed ceramic bottom of a coffee mug, plate, or plant pot. Hold the blade at a 15° to 20° angle and drag it across the rough ceramic in a consistent sweeping motion, alternating sides for 10–20 passes until the edge is restored.
Examples include:
Yes, but it can get a little sticky if you leave it on your stone. I prefer mineral oil but have absolutely used 3 in 1. I started using Ballistol primarily because it was within reach one day when I was touching up some kitchen knives.
The disadvantages of mineral oil for your skin
It coats the skin like plastic and clogs the pores interfering with skin's ability to excrete toxins, promoting acne and other skin concerns. The result may slow down the skin's functions and cell development which in turn may result in premature aging.
You need to lubricate and cool the blade when sharpening it, honing oil works well. So does water. In fact, water stones and water sharpening are quite popular with woodworkers. Especially the ones that use hand tools a lot.
Low viscosity creates less “carry off” which makes cleaning easier after the honing process is complete. This honing oil is petroleum based with mineral oil, sulfur and chlorine additives and is recommended for honing hard steel, aluminum brass, bronze, soft steel and cast iron.
Yes, mineral oil makes a good honing fluid, and baby oil is simply mineral oil with a fragrance added to it (exact formulations may vary). If you don't like the idea of using baby oil, you can purchase pure mineral oil at almost every grocery store or pharmacy.
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.
The best, most accessible honing oil substitute for sharpening stones is plain mineral oil (often sold as cutting board oil, or unscented baby oil). It has the ideal viscosity to float metal shavings (swarf) away without gumming up the stone.
In the sharpening phase, we do not recommend any current WD-40® Brand Products although some may be used later for storage & protection. For sharpening stones the lubrication can come from water or oil.
The oil used for honing oil is quite thin. WD40 is suitable, but you need to use a lot of it. Otherwise thin some engine oil with some paraffin or diesel.
A honing rod realigns the microscopic teeth of the blade that become misaligned during regular use. Chefs frequently use honing rods before and after cutting tasks to keep their knives sharp.
Cutting boards made of glass, granite, ceramic, or your dinner plate may look stylish or convenient, but they are the fastest way to destroy a knife's edge. These surfaces are harder than your knife's steel. So every time your blade contacts them, it suffers microscopic edge deformation, chipping, or even rolling.
You cannot use aluminum foil to truly sharpen a knife. True sharpening requires removing microscopic amounts of steel with a hard, abrasive material. Because aluminum is incredibly soft, it will not reshape a dull metal blade.
WD-40 helps you remove mold, rust, and rancid odors from your refrigerator.
In most applications, lubricants are either mineral or synthetic types. In the past, mineral oils were widely available on earth and inexpensive; therefore, they were used in many different applications and mechanical systems.
It took them 40 attempts to get their water displacing formula to work, but on the 40th attempt, they got it right in a big way. WD-40 Multi Use Product was born. WD-40 stands for Water Displacement, 40th formula. That's the name straight out of the lab book used by the chemist who developed the product.