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What use do you give to camellia oil in your workshops?

Don’t use it myself, it’s sold in these parts as a rust preventative for tools but it’s much more expensive than other options that work well…


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None

Bought a small bottle years ago and still use a lick on my edged tools and plane bodies.

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The name catgut is confusing. There are two explanations for the mix up.

Catgut is an abbreviation of the word cattle gut. Gut strings are made from sheep or goat intestines, in the past even from horse, mule or donkey intestines.

Otherwise it could be from the word kitgut or kitstring. Kit meant fiddle, not kitten.

Many years ago Bob Ruck told me he used it for French polishing but Bob changed directions frequently and whether he used it long term is unknown to me.

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Stay with the happy people.
--Reynolds Large

Thank you for your replies. I use it just like Colin North write.

I'd never heard of it and had to look it up. In the environment I work in and store my tools in I have no need for rust protection.

First time I heard about it was reading a book on making Samurai swords. I think it was the traditional oil for rust protection.

I bought a 8 oz bottle (a lifetime supply) to apply a light coat to precious high carbon blades in the shop. After a year or two it smelled stale being a vegetable oil and I quit using it in favor of a synthetic gun oil.

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Brian R, Wood Mechanic
N8ZED

Yes I never worked out what camellia oil could do that plain ol 3-in-1 at a few bucks a bottle couldn’t do. I see it for sale in spendy woodworking shops next to the $400 white paper steel Japanese chisels and I guess if you’ve invested $1600 in a set of those you probably might as well pick up the camellia oil while you’re at it.

Things are always better when they come from further away, right? I wonder if it’s time we talked about the various boutique Japanese Nikawa hide glues that all the hip violin luthiers are getting into ..?


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Would tsubaki/camellia oil by any other name smell as sweet?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sqnUs3k18jg&t=20s
Adding to his list of mineral oil scams - woodwind bore oil, 8.99/ 60ml

Ok I have kept out of this, but... Isn't just nicer t?o reach for something called Cameilia oil rather than three in one or WD 40...? It's an aesthetic thing. I use it on the recommendation of a serious woodworker as a protective of sharp edged tools. Yes I know that we keep our RH low so corrosion shouldn't be a problem, but if you finish your sharpening with a high grit waterstone you do want make sure no water is left around. And it does not stain the timber. I'm not saying it does stop any issues with finish but I have not seen any.

So take it as quirk. I like it after sharpening tools.

Dave

I get the aesthetic vibe thing, and I don’t doubt camellia prevents rust. For a custom aesthetic, you could also buy clear pharmaceutical grade light mineral oil, unscented, in bulk, for peanuts, and write anything you want on the jar to suit the vibe of your workshop.

Maybe.. ‘Buddha’s Tears’?
‘Tone cologne’?
‘Strad Juice’?
‘Eau De Somogyi’?

David Charlesworth, who was very highly regarded in woodworking circles, and who has a number of very useful youtube videos dealing with tool maintenance, fettling, sharpening etc., used camellia oil as a protectant film on steel tools.