Camellia Oil

Camellia Oil was traditionally used in Japan to prevent rusting of both woodworking tools, knives and weapons such as Samurai Swords.  It is also used in cosmetics and as a cooking oil in Asia.  It is produced from the seeds of the tea plant, Caemellia Sinensis.  It has almost no smell and so is a nice alternative to petroleum based rust preventatives.

This oil is ideal for applying to iron and steel tools to prevent corrosion in humid areas and also after sharpening on water stones.  It can also be used instead of wax to help planes and chisels slide more easily, and as a bonus helps prevent dry skin.  The bottle has a spray cap which can be used to apply the oil sparingly, which is all that is required, since the excess should be wiped off.  Another method of applying it is to saturate a microfiber cloth with it and use that to wipe down tools after use.  The cloth can be stored in a ziploc bag when not being used.

This 60 ml (2 fl. oz, about 30 mm dia x 90 mm long) bottle of camellia oil that we are providing is 100% pure camellia oil.  It is organic and cold pressed with no chemicals used to extract it, but hasn't been certified as food safe, so it shouldn't be used for cooking or taken internally.  A lot of the product that is packaged and sold in North America as Camellia Oil contains up to 95% paraffin/mineral oil with small amounts of Camellia Oil added.  We wanted to supply the pure oil, because it is renewable, sustainable and also it doesn't make sense to sell and ship it heavily diluted with mineral oil that you can buy locally at the hardware or drug store.  The amount supplied should last a long time, but if desired, you can also make it last even longer by diluting it with mineral oil.