# Camellia Oil



## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

Good morning to all : )
I was looking into purchasing some* Camellia Oil* for hand tool care and couldn't believe the prices. 
I Googled the oil and found it for sale in health food stores , cooking stores, etc., at substantially lower prices. 
Much like "butcher block oil" versus Mineral Oil , it all depends on marketing schemes. 
Also learned that it is not only good for your tools , but is also good for you for many healthy reasons : )
This is just one link to get you started and I'll let you find your own "best deal" on the oil.
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B004J264JG/ref=asc_df_B004J264JG1732412?smid=A216LHO9N19DU1&tag=nextagusmp0372209-20&linkCode=asn&creative=395105&creativeASIN=B004J264JG

Have a wonderful weekend and hopefully this will help some of us save some money : ) 
Len


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## pierce85 (May 21, 2011)

I was just looking for another source for camellia oil and doing the same comparison shopping last night, which I didn't do the first time around. I found the same thing - prices all over the place and depending on the packaging, you could spend almost 10 times more for the same amount of liquid.

Len's Amazon source is a very good price and I like the old-style amber bottles. Although I'm sure they're just plastic. You can get 64 ounces of the stuff for around a dollar an ounce on ebay but what the hell would you do with 64 ounces of camellia oil? ;-)


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

After you're through rustproofing your tools with it , You can use it for cooking / recipes / treating "ringworm" , softening your skin , etc.. : )

I wonder how it would be for making french fries ? LOL


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## racerglen (Oct 15, 2010)

MMMmmmmm, French Fries,...

And BEEER…!!


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## croessler (Jun 22, 2007)

I don't think you can make beer from it…


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

LOL guys !


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## DarrylJN (May 20, 2011)

Thanks for the informative post, I might give this a try.


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

Just curious, but is there any scientific proof that camellia is apprecibly better than the countless other oils people use to clean/protect tools? I read a few anecdotal accounts of its "superiority", but never a myth-buster-type study. 
I'm not trying to say camellia isn't better. I honestly don't know. Its just that I use paper shredder lubricant (oil) on my tools since I fished eight 16oz bottles out of a dumpster about a year ago. The MSDS indicates its just a general petro-based oil. So far, none of my tools seem to have corroded, so I'm convinced the stuff works well enough. 
Any reason I should consider switching to camellia??


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## ChunkyC (Jun 28, 2009)

16 Oz for $19.75 + $9.75 shipping. The shipping costs are bit on extreme side.

c


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Tedstor:

FWIW: I've been using mostly Japanese hand tools for about 45 years, as well as Western hand tools.
I usually use Camellia Oil when I can get it cheap, because it is traditional.
However, I've met many Asian woodworkers that use other types of natural oils for protecting and lubricating their tools.

Since the beginning of this year, I've been using Canola Oil on my hand tools with great success!
The trick is to avoid oils that dry (cure), become gummy or turn rancid, e.g. linseed oil, tung oil, walnut oil, soya oil, olive oil, etc.
I'm also a chemist.

Blessings,
Bro. Tenzin


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## Dusty56 (Apr 20, 2008)

*ChunkyC*...I agree about the shipping charges , but I suppose that they have to pay someone to order it , receive it , put it on the shelf , take it off the shelf , package and label it and then finally pay about $2 for actual shipping costs.

*Tedstor*...I haven't used Camellia just yet, but I was trying to help others out with saving some cash .
Regarding paper shredder oil , the brand that I have (from Staples) becomes tacky and dries out over time and actually gums up the shredder. 
A lot of people use the Camellia oil on their hand planes and seeing that it is a natural , food safe oil , I would have no problem leveling a cutting board with it , versus having a petroleum based oil on my plane. I guess that the Camellia oil is just a proven rust preventive over a very long time , as the Samurai used it on their swords , for example. : )


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## Arminius (Dec 27, 2007)

I think it was PW that did the comparison study, albeit against limited alternatives. The real advantage that camelia and jojoba have is they are both long-lasting plant-based oils with no tannins, so they will never affect your work piece or a finish.


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## hObOmOnk (Feb 6, 2007)

Canola Oil Wiki

Blessings,
Bro. Tenzin


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

There is some information about rust-preventing oils in Fine Woodworking #221 (Oct) on p. 81. It is not a rigorous scientific study, but the result is that camellia won.


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## Tedstor (Mar 12, 2011)

If I remember correctly, the article in FWW was based on a guy using various types of oils, in no particular systematic fashion, while working on a yacht. He claimed Camellia worked the best, but didn't really say how or why. 
I think I might grab a few old beater chisels, and conduct a trial. Might be fun. 
I can't imagine some residual oil having any appreciable affect on a workpiece. I'd think the tool would have to be oozing with oil to leave a stain behind.


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## ChuckM (May 12, 2008)

Among LN. Woodcraft and Highland woodworking, LN seems to have the best deal: $12 for 8 oz bottle plus shipping ($4 if you're in Canada). I'd buy from a woodworking store to support the woodworking community if the prices after shipping are not much different instead of from eBay or Amazon.


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## 280305 (Sep 28, 2008)

I bought it from LN several years ago. I use it on my chisels, planes, hand saws and so on. I have probably used about one OZ so far.

My shop is in an exterior barn and is unheated. I have never had any rust on any of these tools.


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