Flippers get sluggish after a week or so. What lube?

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manowar669

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Oct 1, 2002
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So, my flipper knives get sluggish to the point that they won't open fully unless you use a ton of wrist action. I spray them with T6 lube, and they're good for a week or three, but then they're sluggish. The folders in question are Kershaw skyline, Chill, and NRG. I tried tri-flow lube too, same thing. What should I use?
 
I find Benchmade Blue Lube to be a great all around lubricant. I've also like Hoppes. I have tried RemOil, Rem DriLube, Tuf Glide, White Lightning, mineral, 3-in-one, etc. All of which have their uses. I've also heard a lot of other people having success with Miltec-1 and Breakfee CLP. I guess the only way to find which one will work for you is by trial and error. You may live in a different climate than someone else and the knife may be exposed to different materials.
 
JungleJim65 said:
I find Benchmade Blue Lube to be a great all around lubricant. I've also like Hoppes. I have tried RemOil, Rem DriLube, Tuf Glide, White Lightning, mineral, 3-in-one, etc. All of which have their uses. I've also heard a lot of other people having success with Miltec-1 and Breakfee CLP. I guess the only way to find which one will work for you is by trial and error. You may live in a different climate than someone else and the knife may be exposed to different materials.
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Rem Oil SUCKS! Made all my knives stick when they were already broken in...I figured it would make them like greased lightning. Not even close. Now I need to find something that will reverse the effects.
 
2 shot said:
Note that the old lube needs to be cleaned out and to do it properly the knife needs to be disassembled.
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yeah, I thought of that. Gotta leave in a few minutes, and it's too cold, dark, and windy outside to be working on small stuff. If I spray any solvents or anything inside, I'll hear about it from the wife. Maybe tomorrow before the turkey is done.
 
I wonder if some remnants of mineral oil reacted with the Rem Oil on my knives. But the Rat 1 was completely factory lubed(or not as the casemight be).
 
Tried boeshield didn't care for it at all. It's okay when you first apply but after dries it leaves a wax behind which is fine if you're looking for protection. It's stiffened the action so much that I actually checked the pivot to make sure that it wasn't over tightened.
 
I hate Militec-1. Regardless of their claims of not having chlorine in it, it was rejected as an engine oil additive by the USMC for having chlorine in it. It seems to actually enhance rust compared to even bare steel.

Hoppes #9 in the orange bottle is just mineral oil with a different scent.

I've had good luck with Tetra, but I remove any excess because it is a bit toxic as are most lubes.

It's possible to remove almost all oil lube without disassembly if the scales aren't wood or something easily damaged. Hot water and dish soap will remove most things. Non-chlorinated brake cleaner is also great for flushing out everything. Just be sure to lube soon as it will strip all rust protection from the blade.
 
I use mineral oil on all for my knives. It has worked for assists (torsion bar, coil spring, and Kershaw torsion bar), all different kinds of washers, flippers, button locks, lockbacks, liner/frame locks, even slip joints. A drop or two every few weeks is all my knives need. If the action gets notably gritty I pop the knife apart and wipe everything down. Simple maintenance is easy, quick, and priceless.
 
I use Victorinox oil for my knives. It's pretty expensive but my experience with the stuff is good.
 
I use ballistol and it works better than anything else I have tried hands down. Kind of a pain to get since you have to buy it from them but well worth it. It forms a film that stays on for a long time.

I put grease on certain knives too, but only ones that can afford to be slowed down a little bit. It will slow down the speed a little bit but tends to make them much smoother.
 
RemyKaze said:
I wonder if some remnants of mineral oil reacted with the Rem Oil on my knives. But the Rat 1 was completely factory lubed(or not as the casemight be).
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From what I've heard it leaves a coating of teflon. I never thought it worked very well as a lubricant in my .22s, works better as a cleaning solvent.

I also use and like Benchmade's Blue Lube.
 
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