3 in one oil for nihonto ?

[Bosco]

Hi,

 

I was just wondering is 3 in one oil safe for Japanese Blade ?.  I don’t have access for o Choji oil so thinking of using this as an alternative.

[lonely panet]

If it cleans then it might have a nasty nasty in it

[Bosco]

Just now, lonely panet said:

If it cleans then it might have a nasty nasty in it

This is contents

[PNSSHOGUN]

Pure Camelia oil is readily available on ebay. The spray bottle will last for years. 

 

[robinalexander]

Ditto with the Camelia

[Bugyotsuji]

On the bottle it says “For the protection of high quality blades”.

Camellia Oil for Blades

[Bosco]

51 minutes ago, PNSSHOGUN said:

Pure Camelia oil is readily available on ebay. The spray bottle will last for years. 

 

Okay, I bought one just then from ebay. 

 

[Bugyotsuji]

Of course there is some kind of 100% pure mineral oil that some Nihonto folks swear by.

[Bosco]

1 hour ago, Bugyotsuji said:

Of course there is some kind of 100% pure mineral oil that some Nihonto folks swear by.

Thank you, just another question. For the nakago oiling. Some said no some said yes, but I believe it’s necessary to lightly oil it to prevent red rust. What is your recommendation for oiling the nakago ?

[Bugyotsuji]

If there is no active rust already, no need to add or do anything. The oils from your fingers will help keep the Nakago black and stable. 

[ROKUJURO]

I would avoid the 3-in-one oil. The DMSO would bring some sulphur into play, and this substance easily penetrates human skin, which I personally would not like.

[Brian]

For the nakago, IF you must prevent red rust, put a drop or 2 on your fingertips, and lightly massage it onto the nakago. One or 2 drops is more than enough. Some say do nothing, but sometimes I feel the nakago can use just a little oil.

[Mister Gunto]

Another vote here for that brand of Camellia Oil. I use it on all my blades. Has worked very well. 

[Jacques]

If you are not in a very wet environment you can avoid oil. It's that i do for decades. 

[Mark S.]

14 hours ago, Jacques said:

If you are not in a very wet environment you can avoid oil. It's that i do for decades. 

This is what I do as well, except on newly polished blades.  But I do wonder if I should be concerned about ‘oxidation’?  Not rust per se, but a ‘greying’ of the blade?  If in a controlled, relatively dry environment, stored in shirasaya, is this a concern?

[Bosco]

14 hours ago, Mark S. said:

This is what I do as well, except on newly polished blades.  But I do wonder if I should be concerned about ‘oxidation’?  Not rust per se, but a ‘greying’ of the blade?  If in a controlled, relatively dry environment, stored in shirasaya, is this a concern?

Our humidity in Australia is very low especially where I live. Problem would be extra dry is equal more dust in the air. I think taking it out monthly to check is a good idea for now. 

[Ikko Ikki]

On 6/2/2025 at 1:05 AM, PNSSHOGUN said:

Pure Camelia oil is readily available on ebay. The spray bottle will last for years. 

 

Btw for future purchases, I found it cheaper on amazon.  

[vajo]

You can fill a little bottle with tsubaki and put some splashes choji oil in it (more liquid and typical smell). Pure tsubaki (camelia) is very thick. A german manufactur offers a mixed camelia oil with some more liquidity (Dictum company).  When using pure camellia oil, it tends to dry on the blade if you don't check on it for a while.

 

Btw tsubaki is the best choice for kitchen knifes. That oil is food safe. You can use it for your hair, lipps, and dry skin. Tsuruta san says tsubaki is salad oil. 

Edited December 8, 2025 by vajo

[Ikko Ikki]

4 hours ago, vajo said:

You can fill a little bottle with tsubaki and put some splashes choji oil in it (more liquid and typical smell). Pure tsubaki (camelia) is very thick. A german manufactur offers a mixed camelia oil with some more liquidity (Dictum company).  When using pure camellia oil, it tends to dry on the blade if you don't check on it for a while.

 

Btw tsubaki is the best choice for kitchen knifes. That oil is food safe. You can use it for your hair, lipps, and dry skin. Tsuruta san says tsubaki is salad oil. 

Thank you for the advice Chris, do you mind linking a cheap and legitimate choji oil?  Also, if I buy that Kurobara Tsubaki 245ml spray bottle, roughly how much choji oil should I then put into it?  Do the two oils mix on their own or would I have to mix it around myself before each spray?

[eternal_newbie]

I don't know about cheap but I've been using this one without issue:

https://japanesesword.net/collections/accessories/products/sword-oil-large100cc

 

It looks like you can get a smaller bottle here:

 

https://japanesesword.net/collections/accessories/products/sword-oil-small20cc

 

If someone else has a source for better (or cheaper) stuff I'd be interested too.

[vajo]

6 hours ago, Ikko Ikki said:

Thank you for the advice Chris, do you mind linking a cheap and legitimate choji oil?  Also, if I buy that Kurobara Tsubaki 245ml spray bottle, roughly how much choji oil should I then put into it?  Do the two oils mix on their own or would I have to mix it around myself before each spray?

 

put it in a smaller bottle. Like this

. 

 

Buy a better choji but not one from the pharmacy! Medical choji is not good for metalworks. When you buy sword choji it is mixed ready with other refained oil for fine mechanics. You can mix it with tsubaki 5/1 or 10/1 what you like. If you like the smell make more inside or less what you like.

[vajo]

My wife use the kurubara tsubaki for cosmetics. So fill it in such a small bottle and add choji. That small bottle lasts a very long time. You need only some drops on your blade and whip it without additives cleanex or a microfiber, whatever.

Edited December 8, 2025 by vajo

[Robert S]

8 hours ago, vajo said:

My wife use the kurubara tsubaki for cosmetics. So fill it in such a small bottle and add choji. That small bottle lasts a very long time. You need only some drops on your blade and whip it without additives cleanex or a microfiber, whatever.

Because of the way pulp is made for kleenex, there is some risk of micro-abrasives being in them.  I try use cotton cosmetics pads instead (speaking of cosmetics :-) ... although I must admit to sometimes breaking this rule - expediency.