Food-safe maintenance of folders?

S

slin100

Joined
Nov 27, 2007
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Hi, folks,

I've done a lot of reading of the archives and came up wondering--What do people do to maintain their folders that are used to cut food?

I came across one post that mentioned food-grade mineral oil. Is that the only option for lubrication, or are there other options?

I have a bottle of Benchmade's Bluelube. Does anyone know if this is safe?

What about the Tuf Cloth? The Sentry Solutions website says it's nontoxic, but do you trust it?
 
Hey Slin100 - Almost all folders are made of a stainless steel, so rarely is "blade maintenance" too much of a concern. Lubricating the pivot should be done sparingly, in my opinion.

Here's my formula: Clean knife with HOT (read: HOT) water, wash with sponge and dishsoap, rinse with HOT (read: HOT) water, dry, use or store knife. IF it's time for lubrication, put a drop or so down in the pivot, work it in, wipe off any ooze. Cut food.

We're out there, in this world of ours, breathing carbon monoxide, smoking cigarettes, shaking hands with people, eating fruits and vegetables, drinking bottled water that the French have probably peed in, and generally living life.

Is there really, I mean truly, a concern for ingesting .7 billionths of a molecule of some petroleum lubricant every so often? I mean, in light of this "living of life" that we're engaged in?
 
I've gotten into the habit of using Food Grade Mineral Oil on my EDC knives. It works fine on the stainless and non stainless and is available at the grocery or pharmacy. A big bottle costs a couple bucks, if that much, and will last forever.

Oiling the pivot is the most important maintenance you can do to your folder, right up there with keeping it sharp.:thumbup:

I'm not sure whether mineral oil is a suitable choice for storing knives, especially non stainless steels.
 
The first time I disassembled/reassembled my Sebenza, all I had for lube was mineral oil, which is what I use to protect carbon blades. Put bluntly, mineral oil sucks as a pivot lube. I went out and got some Teflon in a pen oiler.
 
As StretchNM says, pocket knives with stainless blades will only need a small drop on the pivot for lubrication. Otherwise a clean blade will not be likely to corrode at all.
Keep the food away from the pivot or use food safe mineral oil if you can't.
Personally I use Nano-Lube on my knife pivots, but then I don't cut much food with my pocket knives.
Greg
 
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