Bone Valley Co.
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Product Care

So you just received your new Bone Valley product. Here you can learn how to maintain it, so it will last for many years to come.

 

Product Care & Maintenance

Knives:

Blade: Maintain your O1 carbon steel knife with a light coat of your favorite gun oil or food grade mineral oil. Our knives come with a light coating of mineral oil. We recommend you maintain it like a quality firearm.

Patina (Magnetite) is a mild form of oxidation that affects only the outer surface of the metal; its presence actually prevents further corrosion. Magnetite turns carbon-steel knives a charcoal gray, giving them what is known as a patina. If water is left in contact with the blade for an extended period of time (for instance, if a wet knife is allowed to dry naturally), rusty spots will form quickly.

Carbon Steel is very sensitive to many environmental factors: acidity, moisture, salts… As soon as you touch a knife, you are already affecting the chemistry of the blade. This doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t use your knife! Chemical reactions happen everywhere, and are nothing to worry about. A patina usually forms when subjected to an acidic medium. For example, if you cut lemons and oranges (citrus fruits contain a lot of citric acid), you will notice that you knife starts staining quickly. This is nothing to worry about! It’s just a patina.

*Never store the knife in wet or damp sheath or wash in a dishwasher *

The Handle (Scales): Natural wood scales with boiled linseed oil finish should have additional coats of oil added to the scales when they start to feel dry. I put up to 5 coats of boiled linseed oil on the natural wood with 24 hours between coats. After dried I use a quality paste wax to help maintain moisture protection. The harder woods such as cocobolo, desert ironwood, and stabilized wood, I use paste wax as a final step to aid in moisture protection.

Sheath/ Leather Products:

The vegetable tanned leather can be maintained with a quality leather conditioner such as Aussie Leather Conditioner and a top coat of Carnauba Cream.

Fire Steels:

Avoid salt water contact and never store in a damp sheath.

Folding Buck Saws:

The saws should have additional coats of boiled linseed oil added to them when they start to feel dry.

I put up to two coats of boiled linseed oil on the natural wood with 24 hours between coats. After dried I use a quality paste wax to help maintain moisture protection. 

The Black Walnut and Curly Cherry saws only need an occasional coat of quality paste wax to help and protect the finish of the spar urethane.