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**JAMES PIETERSE** · 03-02-2009, 04:54 PM

Organic oils such as olive oils will oxidize over time, causeing it to "solidify" and produce a hard protective coating ...

Mineral oils (or baby oil) do not oxidize, and hence will remain an oil.

Actually, the point of oiling wood in general (furniture, bokuto, shinai) is to protect the wood from the effects of humidity (warpage) by excluding water. Linseed/tung ('organic') oils protect the wood by forming that nice polymerized layer either at or just within the surface. Mineral oil does not form a protective layer and, in fact, is not retained over time (read: messy). I'd mention that some oils (olive and other cooking oils) tend to go rancid with time, though I suppose that the odor of linseed and tung isn't nothing, either.

John

03-02-2009, 04:54 PM	#23
JAMES PIETERSE Join Date Oct 2005 Posts 520 Senior Member	Organic oils such as olive oils will oxidize over time, causeing it to "solidify" and produce a hard protective coating ... Mineral oils (or baby oil) do not oxidize, and hence will remain an oil. Actually, the point of oiling wood in general (furniture, bokuto, shinai) is to protect the wood from the effects of humidity (warpage) by excluding water. Linseed/tung ('organic') oils protect the wood by forming that nice polymerized layer either at or just within the surface. Mineral oil does not form a protective layer and, in fact, is not retained over time (read: messy). I'd mention that some oils (olive and other cooking oils) tend to go rancid with time, though I suppose that the odor of linseed and tung isn't nothing, either. John
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