As a bladesmith, I always want to be sure that my customers have what is needed to protect their investment. I want to be sure they have an easy way to prolong, not only the life of their blade, but the beauty of it as well. That is why I created Pelican Paste.
What is Pelican Paste?
Pelican Paste is a premium hardening wax. What that means is, it is a wax that will harden onto whatever you put it on. This creates a thin layer of wax that will not rub off easily. It's hard layer is resilient enough to with stand the everyday use of your knives.
With it's high percentage of Carnauba wax, Pelican Paste essentially becomes a shield against the outside elements. Even your hands body heat won't strip the wax from the handle.
This hard thin layer makes Pelican Paste perfect for high carbon mono-steel or damascus blades. Pelican Paste is designed to create that barrier between your blade and whatever moisture or acid it comes in contact with.
The softer wax and oils found in Pelican Paste lends well to protecting and revitalizing your beautiful wood handles. It will fill the gaps and pores of the wood nicely, allowing your wood handle to continue to look new for years to come. And because of the nature of Pelican Paste, there is no oily or sticky residue left behind. It will keep your handle felling dry and grippy.
How to apply Pelican Paste
Because it is a 'harder' wax, you will need some sort of heat source to help you apply Pelican Paste to your knife. I recommend having the following available:
- Pelican Paste (of course)
- Lint free rag or paper towels. I personally love these blue shop towels.
- Heat source. I use a heat gun, but a hair dryer works well also.
- Buffer (optional)
To apply Pelican Paste, do the following:
- Start by heating up your Pelican Paste and getting the surface soft; no need to melt it. We are just trying to soften the surface.
- With your paper towel, scrape a thin layer of wax out of the tin and apply it to the entire surface of your knife blade steel and handle. On my first application, I like to be generous and apply a thicker coat.
- Optional: Using your heat gun or hair dryer (on low), heat the surface of your knife to melt the wax into the pores of the wood handle. This will also even out the coat of wax.
- Let sit for at least 20-30 minutes.
- Using your rag or blue shop towel, wipe off any excess wax.
- Buff the handle by hand with your shop towel; wiping the handle vigorously.
- Optional: Use a CLEAN buffing wheel to buff the wax into your handle. I would recommend dedicating a certain wheel only for waxing.
That is it! Your knife is protected.
How often do I apply Pelican Paste?
How often you use your knife will determine how often you want to re-apply Pelican Paste. My standard rule of thumb is every month or so.