Another pivot lube idea

C

Crow T. Robot

Joined
Mar 24, 2015
Messages
17
Hello all.
For the past month I have been using a new pivot lube for my folders with great success and I figured I would pass on the knowledge of this product. I have not seen or heard of any one else on this forum using this particular lube. This product is called Super Lube and is made by Synco Chemical Co. I have it in the aerosol form, but it is also available in a heavier oil and a grease. SL is a non-toxic, fully synthetic, PTFE lubricant that does not evaporate, oxidize, operates from -45 to 450 degrees F, and is impervious to salt water according to Synco. More on this later. I started using SL after becoming tired of putting up with my previous pivot lube, Marvel Air Tool Oil. MATO is a great lube but is toxic and turned by carry blades into absolute lint magnets. The SL makes my primary EDC blade feel buttery smooth but is very resistant to lint accumulation. I can now go 1-2 weeks between tang "de-linting" rather than 1-2 days.

The corrosion resistance has also proven to be excellent. My primary EDC blade is CPM-M4 and I work in a very wet and humid environment. Before SL, I was using mineral oil on the edge which was messy and also hoarded lint. The SL keeps the edge lint free and has successfully warded off corrosion, spotting, and edge degradation. I have made my own lube cloth with the SL. I got a 12x12 inch microfiber cloth from a local discount store and cut into 4 pieces. I sprayed each liberally with the SL and allowed the delivery solvent to evaporate. I carry one around with me in a plastic baggie and give my blade a quick wipe down after a heavy use. SL has also kept my 52100 fixed blade free from rust.

The only down side to SL is that I can be tough to find in stores. A local hardware store just happened to have it. It's also a bit expensive. An 11 once can ran be about 10 dollars. A little goes a long way, as with any other lubricant.

I also use this stuff on my fishing reels and so far it works very well. I would assume that this would work great for firearms as well.

By the way, I am not sponsored by Synco in any way. I just figured I would pass on my experiences and give you guys more lube options.

Crow
 
Maintenance, Tinkering, & Embellishment it is. General Knife Discussion is for discussion knives, not lube.
 
I like the sound of this one.
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Thanks for the idea! I have tried many different oils over the years in my quest for a better lube, and will give this one a go if the hardware store sells it.
 
I used Super Lube for many years before switching to urea grease for my EDC pivot. Super Lube is a very good product, easy to work with, and does the job. I buy it in the small tube applicators (thickness of a Sharpie) and one would last me a couple of years. These days, having switched to urea grease, the Super Lube sees more action in hinges and lock cylinders.


Stitchawl
 
I started using SuperLube when I was about 15 (if it's the same PFTE-bearing heavy oil I'm thinking of), to lube my bike's pivot points and cables. It's great stuff, I've never actually used it on my knives, weirdly enough... Might have to give it a shot!
 
I'd forgotten about Super Lube. I used to work as an equipment tech/associate engineer in the semiconductor manufacturing/testing industry, and we used Super Lube needle-type oilers in the maintenance of some of our test floor equipment (tight tolerance & very expensive gear); in fact, it was mandated by the manufacturer for these machines. It did seem to work well in minimizing accumulation of dust/grit, and didn't get gummy or sticky either. I think it's likely earned it's good reputation.

Years ago, I picked up a couple of those needle-applicator oilers of it, and stashed them away somewhere; I might re-visit that for use in some of my knives (assuming I find where they're stashed).


David
 
I'm using super lube as pivot oil now the only thing I found was if you put too much it slows the action down I had to take my knife apart and take some lube off now it works much better to the point when I releasedthe liner lock the blade dropped on my thumb and cut me.
 
Almost any good quality thin lubricant will work well for knife pivots, as there is no heavy load, heat, or pressure on the joint.
But... if you put on too much, we get the reverse effect. It gums up and slows everything down.
If you are using an entire drop of lube you are using too much! Instead of applying my lube directly from the container, I put a drop on a plastic mat and then use a toothpick's pointed end to lift some lube and spread it around the pivot. I find that to be more than enough to allow me to open my EDC Benchmade 710 with just a wrist flick. I'll clean and re-lube once or twice a year.



Stitchawl
 
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