Do Folding Knives really need maintenance?

[FlaMtnBkr]

I think people are going a little over board here. A knife isn't a close tolerance internal combustion engine spinning at thousands of RPMs. Just use a little common sense. If the blade gets some specks of rust then put something on it. If the pivot is tight put a drop of oil on it if you want. If its still tight loosen it a little just not to the point of blade play. Some knives only take a very small amount to loosen the blade, like only a few degrees. If the blade is gritty take and rinse knife in warm water and work some liquid soap in the pivot and cycle it open. Rinse it out well, shake out as much water as you can, and then spray compressed air if you have it to speed up drying. A can of compressed air for computers works well in a pinch.

I rarely lube my knife pivot, because like you said, it can attract lint and dirt and require more frequent cleaning. There are some lubes that dry out and leave a film that doesn't attract dirt but I don't use those either. All my knives are very smooth and fast opening without the lube. If one happens to be stiff and does not get better, then that is the exception that gets a drop of oil. Also, when a knife is new and breaking in, the parts that move against each other will take longer to polish and smooth out if there is oil. So oiling a new knife will take even longer for it to break in and smooth out.

I rarely have any grit in my knife since I have nothing to hold the grit in place and pull it into the mechanism. Just use some increasingly rare common sense and you will be good to go.

 

[parbajtor]

I'm reminded a bit of the guy over here going around painting 3 stripes on the corners of the sidewalk. When they asked him why he did it he said "well, it's an anti-rhinoceros precaution. They see the three stripes on the kerb and get a little agitated and walk off in the other direction. Can you imagine the chaos if a Rhino came strolling down the high street?"
Then someone said to him " Don't be stupid, this is Putney, London, England. We don't get Rhino here."
His reply, "See, it works!"

 

[OrdnanceBubbaUSMC]

You can use that break-free or even some wd-40 from walmart - just put a tiny amount around the blade tang and you are good. Better to not do it at all than to do too much. My 90's Cold Steel and Spyderco folders worked 100% for over a decade with just a little sharpening now and then. I only take precious care of slipjoints - the mechanism and carbon steel needs it more.

 

[Shotgun]

I oil my non-stainless blades.

If you want the ultimate in smoothness, oil it.
If you get it soaking wet, oil it.
If you have a stainless blade that all you want it to do is work, oiling is optional.

Same here. I wouldn't use any of the recomended oils even if I did go OCD with lubes. Use mineral oil for the pivot and keep the rest clean.

 

[Alann45]

Is this the correct break free to use?
http://www.botachtactical.com/breaklubpres1.html

They have several different types. How would be the best way to apply this? It doesn't look to be a spray bottle.

Any of the Break Free products will work fine as both a lub and protector. Usually comes with a long plastic tube so you can place it where you want it.
I usually put a slightly excessive amount on and then wipe it all off with a cloth.
Do a little price comparing....some places want obscene prices for Break Free or Break Free CLP.

There is also a product called Quick Release that is an excellent lube. You can buy with a "precision oiler" or in bottles.

If you are going to use the knife for food prep, you probably want to avoid these type products. As others have stated, mineral oil is a choice, though I have never used it.

 

[BRL]

Take note of the post in this thread discussing environment and body chemistry. I've seen enough comments about how people's knives DO have issues that I've taken to keeping a light coating of oil on my blades.

I use all my folders and some of my FBs for food so I also thoroughly clean them occasionally (you wash your forks, right?). Nothing like cutting pieces off a green pepper while looking deep inside of a folder full of pocket lint and cat hair

I oil the pivots too. Not very often. Mostly because it makes sense to slightly lubricate a moving part, not because I can think of a time where I ever noticed a knife needing to be oiled.

 

[Dorito Monk]

Just about anything on the planet that is made of moving parts requires maintenance, think about it. Guns, knives, cars, etc.

+1. Exactly what I was going to say. Hell, any non-disposable item I've ever seen needed maintenance. Everything from Pencils that need sharpening to Flashlights that need to have their batteries replaced. Yes, your knife will need maintenance.

That said, knives are simple things and don't require any complex maintenance. Sharpen it when it gets dull, clean it when it gets dirty, dry it when it gets wet, and oil it periodically. A quality blade like the Hogue will last you a lifetime if you do these things. :thumbup:

Also, you don't really need break-free, specifically. 3-in-1 oil works great, too. I use Hoppe's oil and I have no complaints. Some folks seem to be big fans of Rem-oil, and others like to use Mineral oil to keep their knives food-safe. Whatever oil you happen to have will work just fine.

 

[Thomas Linton]

WARNING! Blandies, Botach is a company with many, many, many complaints against it here at BF and all over the Internet. I have personal experience with their deceptions.

 

[Noctis3880]

I typically put a drop of Blue Lube or two on my users. From time to time I might wash the knife with soap and water and dry it out, then oil the pivot again. Though I'm not religious about it and I have yet to have a knife fail on me or rust up at the pivot.

 

[flarp]

The knife could probably continue to work for quite a long time with no maintenance, but a little simple maintenance can go a long ways to keeping your knife-wielding experience positive.

* I sharpen/strop periodically, namely when I notice cuts getting more difficult to make. As a general baseline for me, if the blade can't cut light posterboard (eg. post card) smoothly (without tearing/shredding), it's time to re-sharpen.

* If cutting things that stick to the blade (eg. tape adhesive), I'll clean that off at the earliest opportunity. WD-40 and Goo Gone work well, although they are poisonous. For knives you're using on food, use soap and water. Mineral or cooking oil can also sometimes help remove adhesives, as can rubbing alcohol (just be sure to let it evaporate or rinse it off before cutting food again).

* If the opening pivot starts to feel slower or tighter, I'll put a drop of 3-in-1 in to lube it back up. If it feels gritty, I'll spray some WD-40 in to try blasting it out. Both those are poisonous as well, so for knives you're using on food, use mineral oil instead.

 

[22-rimfire]

I oil sparingly periodically at the friction points; usually RemOil. I think it is just common sense.

I also will wipe the blade down periodically with an oily rag (usually old underware) that I wipe my guns off with.