Blade pivot lube

Comeuppance said:
Pretty much whatever will do, tbh. Just keep it minimal to avoid the dirt/debris issue you mentioned.

You’ll find people here who swear by mineral oil, nano-oil, WD-40, tuf-glide, etc etc etc.

They all work. I use nano-oil, but I’d put money down that I wouldn’t be able to tell the difference between that and almost anything else in practice.
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As a motorcycling buddy once told me, any oil is better than no oil at all.

Not sure if the same's true for knives, but you get the point.
 
Over the last going on 58 years I've used 3 in 1 oil (AKA: "Sewing Machine Oil"), Olive Oil, Mineral Oil, 10W-30, Transmission Fluid (Ford/Chrysler and GM), 2 Stroke Oil, Powdered Graphite Lock Lube, Hoppy's #9 Gun Oil ...

As for "food safe" ... I wipe off any excess lube after I lube the knife and wipe the blades with oil.
I've always used whatever knife I have on me for food prep ... As far as I know I'm still above the grass ... so they must all be "food safe" if the "contamination" is miminal and spread over time.
 
Avoid snake oil lubes like nano oil. Too expensive for what is just mineral oil.

Lots of good suggestions here too.. Also look up

Knife pivot lube
Its pretty new but alot of people are saying it's better than the lube they used previously By a long shot.

Always remember less is better with any liquid lube.

afishhunter said:
Over the last going on 58 years I've used 3 in 1 oil (AKA: "Sewing Machine Oil"), Olive Oil, Mineral Oil, 10W-30, Transmission Fluid (Ford/Chrysler and GM), 2 Stroke Oil, Powdered Graphite Lock Lube, Hoppy's #9 Gun Oil ...

As for "food safe" ... I wipe off any excess lube after I lube the knife and wipe the blades with oil.
I've always used whatever knife I have on me for food prep ... As far as I know I'm still above the grass ... so they must all be "food safe" if the "contamination" is miminal and spread over time.
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Don't use transmission fluid. It's very toxic. Even though It's absolutely a great lubricant.
 
Nano oil is pretty controversial. I like it, but it came with a knife and I'm not sure I'd get it again when I run out. I can't tell you if it's 'snake oil'; it's definitely top tier lubrication, but something cheaper may do the job just as well. I've also heard great things about Knife Pivot Lube, an oil apparently made specifically for knives and that's a little less expensive than nano oil. But I haven't tried it myself.
3-in-1 worked well for me before I got nano oil that I'm currently using.

Also, don't use WD40. That stuff is not an actual lubricant; it has an oily texture but it's a cleaning solvent and will dry out.
 
Mo2 said:
Avoid snake oil lubes like nano oil. Too expensive for what is just mineral oil.

Lots of good suggestions here too.. Also look up

Knife pivot lube
Its pretty new but alot of people are saying it's better than the lube they used previously By a long shot.

Always remember less is better with any liquid lube.


Don't use transmission fluid. It's very toxic. Even though It's absolutely a great lubricant.
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Nano oil is snake oil but you're recommending Knife pivot lube? lmao.
 
Any lube will work to some degree but each will make the action feel slightly different from another. Some lubes definitely feel slicker then others and some stay in place better. I have tried many different lubes and I have found that the generic cheapo lubes like hoppes, rem oil, wd-40, clp, cheap grease, all work but leave room for improvement in terms of smoothness. So far my favorite has been wilson combat ultima lube lite oil, nano oil 85 weight, and ballistol. I wouldn't take advice from anyone calling something one product snake oil because it shows they have no idea what they are talking about. No lubes contain any groundbreaking ingredients but the slight difference in ingredients and ratios will change how the lube feels, this isn't to say some are overpriced. I was skeptical about nano oil until I tried it, people say its just mineral oil which is just dumb since its obviously works differently then regular mineral oil (regardless of whether its contains mineral oil as an ingredient). I use a light grease on my guns called Cherry Balmz, many have called this overpriced moly grease yet fail to show any product for sale that feels and works the same. Frog lube is rumored to be just coconut oil, and for this reason people call it snake oil, yet you cant just use coconut oil because it will go rancid. My point is that lubes are made from a handful of basic ingredients but each ingredients or additive can have an important effect on the outcome of the product and therefore calling an expensive product "snake oil" because it might contain a cheaper ingredient is idiotic since the final product is still different.
 
ribeyemediumrare said:
Any lube will work to some degree but each will make the action feel slightly different from another. Some lubes definitely feel slicker then others and some stay in place better. I have tried many different lubes and I have found that the generic cheapo lubes like hoppes, rem oil, wd-40, clp, cheap grease, all work but leave room for improvement in terms of smoothness. So far my favorite has been wilson combat ultima lube lite oil, nano oil 85 weight, and ballistol. I wouldn't take advice from anyone calling something one product snake oil because it shows they have no idea what they are talking about. No lubes contain any groundbreaking ingredients but the slight difference in ingredients and ratios will change how the lube feels, this isn't to say some are overpriced. I was skeptical about nano oil until I tried it, people say its just mineral oil which is just dumb since its obviously works differently then regular mineral oil (regardless of whether its contains mineral oil as an ingredient). I use a light grease on my guns called Cherry Balmz, many have called this overpriced moly grease yet fail to show any product for sale that feels and works the same. Frog lube is rumored to be just coconut oil, and for this reason people call it snake oil, yet you cant just use coconut oil because it will go rancid. My point is that lubes are made from a handful of basic ingredients but each ingredients or additive can have an important effect on the outcome of the product and therefore calling an expensive product "snake oil" because it might contain a cheaper ingredient is idiotic since the final product is still different.
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Look man I could detail all the bs marketing they make but when it comes right down to it, you can do that research yourself. It's clear as day it's snake oil and I'm not the only one saying it. It's also the same as diamond lube of which had even more snake oil advertising. The thing is, it's just mineral oil. So all that marketing is what's the snake oil.

Knife pivot lube is not making up any marketing as far as I can see. They let the product do the talking. They don't have to make a web page with snake oil advertising to sell it.

Alot of this marketing is to provide false info into thinking the oil is doing something great when it's not doing said marketing. For instance when they use the Timken machine. Or how they put it into an engine and make it quieter or whatever bs they make up. Or how the wight of the oil makes a difference lol.

In any case these two companies nano and diamond have a long history on the internet of snake oil scams. It's not just me saying it.
 
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Mo2 said:
Look man I could detail all the bs marketing they make but when it comes right down to it, you can do that research yourself. It's clear as day it's snake oil and I'm not the only one saying it. It's also the same as diamond lube of which had even more snake oil advertising. The thing is, it's just mineral oil. So all that marketing is what's the snake oil.

Knife pivot lube is not making up any marketing as far as I can see. They let the product do the talking. They don't have to make a web page with snake oil advertising to sell it.

In any case these two companies nano and diamond have a long history on the internet of snake oil scams. It's not just me saying it.
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I wont argue with the marketing or the background of the owners but its a pretty good product, even if its expensive. Knife pivot lube might be pretty good as well, I haven't tried it but Im sure whatever is in it cost much less then what they are selling it for, and their marketing claims pretty much applies to all lubes, there isn't anything special in it that works miraculously well for knives. Lets be real here all lubes use cheap base ingredients in their preferred ratio or recipe and then use fancy marketing to sell at inflated prices for profit, its not anything new its just how the market works. Either lube can use mineral oil, petrolium, or something synthetic as a base with some additives but that doesn't make it a snake oil. Snake oil would mean the product is complete bs and doesn't work, both products work neither are bad. If you go to drug store and buy regular mineral oil and i'm pretty sure it will feel different then either nano oil or knife pivot lube (especially considering there are different weights). Both products have a website with marketing and both are advertised all over social media, how is this bad? Doesn't make sense to call a product "snake oil" just because it has hype and is on the expensive side.
 
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ribeyemediumrare said:
Snake oil would mean the product is complete bs and doesn't work, both products work ... Doesn't make sense to call a product "snake oil" just because it has hype and is on the expensive side.
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Hi,
Slang is very flexible that way :)

For example when infomercials exaggerate how difficult some existing product is,
in order to sell their "easy" solution
you can pick that one part and call it bull$hit,
cause the other parts aren't,
or you can call the whole thing snake oil

How many exaggerations or out right lies over how much time does it take for the whole thing to be called snake oil?
An example
Quaker State Ads for Slick 50 Are False and Misleading, FTC Charges | Federal Trade Commission
 
I like tough glide on most washers and prefer CRKs grease on bearings or slotted washers ... if it will be used with food I use a light coat of the CRK grease it stays put pretty well ... and just takes a tiny bit ...

but best tip I can give is clean and dry it well before applying fresh lube ... and a little goes a long way.
 
If anyone tells you that oil "attracts" dirt and grit they have no idea what they're talking about - just repeating what they've heard. You only need a tiny drop on a blade pivot anyway. After it soaks into the joint wipe the excess off. A shot of compressed air before you apply oil will get rid of the dirt and grit. I carry and use a SAK every day and once a week I rinse it with hot water, take it out to the shop and blow the water out and re lube. They work MUCH better when clean and lubed. If you do not own a compressor - get one. They are awful handy in a shop or garage and keeping your tires properly inflated will save you money and make your car much safer to drive.
 
The Python stuff is too thick, the Cobra thing is not food safe, Boa one is constricting the pivot and the Anaconda oil stinks af... I prefer Rattlesnake oil it`s light stays in place repels dirt, smells good... Only thing, the knives started rattling at people that are too close.
 
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