Our MKC Blade Wax protects and preserves knives, including handles, holsters, and sheaths, from early wear, moisture, and other contaminants. The specialized formula prolongs the life of your knives.

You can use MKC Blade Wax on more than just knives. Here are 10 uses for blade wax — or 10 great reasons to pack it on your next trip.

10 Clever Uses for Blade Wax

1. Season Cast Iron

Cast iron pots and pans take abuse at home and in the field. A quality cast iron pan endures high heat, inclement weather, sharp or suboptimal utensils, and more.

Despite the beating they suffer, they’ll last forever with proper care. Our blade wax creates a protective coating to keep cast iron from rusting. Since our wax uses natural, food-grade ingredients, it’s safe to use as a seasoning agent on many cooking surfaces.

Cast iron pots and pans are heavy, so you probably won’t take them hiking with you. But you may bring them along if you travel by horse or vehicle. MKC Blade Wax keeps your pots and pans clean and usable, whether you tie them to your saddle or toss them in your trunk and forget about them. 

A good coating of blade wax is also the perfect prestorage measure. It’s ideal for seldom-used cast iron that spends most of its time in a cabinet or a remote cabin. It even helps prevent exposed copper from tarnishing over time. 

2. Prevent Rust on Cooking Utensils

MKC Blade Wax protects metal and wooden utensils. It defends materials against rust and hydrates wood, locking in moisture and preventing cracks.

I used to toss my wooden utensils into a sink full of water out of laziness. However, submerging wood (and some metal) utensils in water can damage them. While our blade wax may not work miracles — it can’t repair cracked wood, for instance — it helps prevent water damage.

If you’ve ever used a steel spatula exclusively for grilling, you know how quickly it collects grime and grease. A protective wax coating helps keep your grilling tools clean for longer and maintains their shine.

3. Unjam Zippers and Other Moving Parts

We’ve all dealt with a stuck zipper. Luckily, our blade wax acts as a lubricant and a protector. Apply some to a rag, wipe it along the zipper, and give it a little wiggle. It helps free up jammed zippers and keeps metal zippers from rusting.

Zippers often go overlooked, but they need care just like other tools. Jacket zippers face inclement weather, and zippers on soft coolers encounter moisture. MKC Blade Wax protects zippers and keeps them gliding smoothly.

Our wax is as handy as WD-40 for keeping moving parts quiet and stick-free. Use it on hinges, locks, carabiners, stuck windows, frozen nuts, and squeaky wheels.

4. Preserve Fruit and Vegetables

Did you know farmers and grocers often coat their produce with wax to keep it fresh? This trick prevents moisture from seeping in or out and preserves food a little longer.

Carnauba wax is one of the main ingredients in our blade wax. If you know you’ll be out for a long time, you can apply a thin coat of wax to fruit or veggies.

5. Preserve Leather and Cloth

Leather absorbs and expels moisture naturally. It may become damaged if it gets too wet or too dry. Fortunately, MKC Blade Wax works as a moisturizer and a moisture barrier. It keeps hydrated leather from drying out and exposed leather from getting too wet.

Our blade wax is also ideal for waterproofing and protecting smaller cloth items. Use our wax to coat gloves, hats, shoes, bandannas, and more. Don’t use it on large items like jackets because you’ll likely run out of wax. Stick to smaller items that need additional water resistance. 

6. Treat Cracked Hands

You may have cracked skin if you work with your hands, particularly outdoors. While our blade wax probably isn’t on your dermatologist’s list of recommended products, it’s skin-safe. When you don’t have hand cream, it’s a great way to soothe pain from cracked hands.

7. Hair and Beard Balm

We know from experience that MKC Blade Wax tames wild hair and unruly beards. Use a pinch in a pinch to dapper up quickly! It even has a mild lemon smell that won’t offend most noses.

Our blade wax recipe starts with ethically harvested beeswax, fractionated coconut oil, and vitamin E for skin and hair health. It’s lightweight enough to protect skin without making it greasy and won’t clog pores. 

8. Prolong the Life of Metal or Woodworking Tools

Over time, tools that endure friction, from axes to saws to screwdrivers, eventually wear away. Tools with hinges or metal pivot points are well-served by a natural lubricant like our blade wax. It keeps the tool and its components from wearing out prematurely.

All woods — especially hardwoods like maple and oak — may crack under stress, but a little wax helps screws glide right through. (Tip: Add a little blade wax to the screws before using them.)

9. Waterproof Laces

Well-fitting shoes are the best countermeasure for rough terrain. However, long days in the rain and dust can cause natural laces to fray, dry out, and snap, and even the best synthetic laces wear out over time.

Our blade wax uses organic carnauba wax for strength and hardness, making it ideal for waterproofing. Apply blade wax to a rag and run it along the length of your laces, and you’re good to go.

10. Start a Fire

MKC Blade Wax won’t burn well since its ingredients are primarily waxes and oils. But our blade wax makes a useful fire starter when applied to tinder. It also helps dry tinder burn longer, just like wax does around a candle wick. 

Many outdoor enthusiasts like to pack an emergency fire-starting kit when conditions aren’t ideal. Using rope or cloth and some blade wax, you can create a water-resistant pseudo-candle to light wet fires in an emergency.

Final Thoughts on 10 Uses for Blade Wax

MKC Blade Wax is a multipurpose tool. It’s valuable for preserving knives, protecting leather, seasoning cast iron, and more.

We encourage you to get creative with it — and let us know what you come up with!


by Josh Smith, Master Bladesmith and Founder of Montana Knife Company