Good lube for stiff Case slippies?

S

Stainz

Joined
Jun 24, 2007
Messages
3,760
I acquired three new Case Seahorse Whittlers recently as my first ever Case knives. Another Case knife owner seems to think they open/close fine, but I think they are 'stiff' - especially when compared with any of my Boker Tree Brand, Buck, and Puma slippies. Made in Germany - or Idaho - seems to yield a smoother action than these Case knives presented with. I did clean some black carbon-like gunk out of the chestnut-bone 'pine cone' pattern handled Seahorse's innards. It improved drastically from horrid to slightly stiff, where the other two are now, as well. I have tried dripping fine clock oil and liquid Breakfree/CLP in/around the pivot, but no help was noted. Is there a magic potion that works better? Are Case knives stiffer than Boker Tree Brand classics? Thanks!

Stainz
 
Spring tension can vary widely from maker to maker, pattern to pattern, and knife to knife. A good cleaning can help smooth things out, but no lube in the world can compensate for tough springs. I'm still waiting for my first Seahorse to arrive, so I'm not sure if tough springs are normal in that pattern or not. A lot of guys like tough springs, and feel it is an indication of quality.

For lubrication, I use Rem Oil, Breakfree, or good ol' mineral oil. If you're using Breakfree already, I doubt the oil is responsible. It may be that you're just used to lighter springs. Some of Buck's springs, particularly on the 301, are known for being very light. If you carry and use the knives for a while, it may get so that you don't even notice it much. I don't own any Bokers, so I can't say whether their springs are light or not, but I can say Case is not generally known for tough backsprings. If you want a REALLY heavy spring, try one of the pen blades on the early GEC barlows. :eek: Those things will take the nail right off of your thumb. Quite literally, in my case.
 
The master blade on my Schatt & Morgan Railsplitter was pretty stiff. Not really a nailbreaker but I wanted to loosen it up just a little.

None of the lubricants I have tried made any difference. A good cleaning didn't help either. As moonwilson stated, "no lube in the world can compensate for tough springs".

You might try this as it worked for me: Make the decision to not carry or use the knife for several days. Open the stiff blade to the point that the backspring is stressed as far as it will go. Leave the blade in that position for several days. It will take a small amount of tension out of the backspring.

This method worked perfectly for me but I only wanted to loosen the spring a tiny bit. Now the blade opens with the perfect amount of tension for me. I left the blade open for 5 days.

Give it a shot.
 
I have tried all kinds of oil on my slip joints over the years and now just use mineral oil, mainly because of food contact.

No matter what I've used, lube in an open joint with metal to metal contact just doesn't last when not in storage and worked daily.

Blue and Gus knocked down my idea of installing an oil pump, oil pan and a spin on filter for a longer lasting Lube for my slip joints. :D

With problem opening slip joints I have done a break in. I'll break out the oil and a rag to keep from cutting myself, sit in front of the TV with an eye on what I'm doing :D and break in the knife by opening and closing it over and over. This has worked well for me.
 
555 said:
No matter what I've used, lube in an open joint with metal to metal contact just doesn't last when not in storage and worked daily.
Click to expand...

I'm glad to hear that someone else has noticed this. I thought I was the only one.
 
moonwilson said:
Spring tension can vary widely from maker to maker, pattern to pattern, and knife to knife. A good cleaning can help smooth things out, but no lube in the world can compensate for tough springs. I'm still waiting for my first Seahorse to arrive, so I'm not sure if tough springs are normal in that pattern or not. A lot of guys like tough springs, and feel it is an indication of quality.

For lubrication, I use Rem Oil, Breakfree, or good ol' mineral oil. If you're using Breakfree already, I doubt the oil is responsible. It may be that you're just used to lighter springs. Some of Buck's springs, particularly on the 301, are known for being very light. If you carry and use the knives for a while, it may get so that you don't even notice it much. I don't own any Bokers, so I can't say whether their springs are light or not, but I can say Case is not generally known for tough backsprings. If you want a REALLY heavy spring, try one of the pen blades on the early GEC barlows. :eek: Those things will take the nail right off of your thumb. Quite literally, in my case.
Click to expand...

I agree with Andy on all counts. I've used Rem Oil for years. I have several guns and always have it handy.

555 said;
I have tried all kinds of oil on my slip joints over the years and now just use mineral oil, mainly because of food contact.
Click to expand...

I must say that I've grown quite used to the taste of Steak & Eggs & Rem Oil; Pork Loin & Sourkraut & Rem Oil; and Roast Beef & Mashed Potatoes & Rem Oil over the years.:)
 
No lubricant will totally make up for issues with knife build but I have had good results with Tuf-Glide.

After oiling the joints with Tuf-Glide I open and close the blades a few times and put the knife up for the night. I normally find the action to be much more responsive the following day.
This has worked on several knives.

I'm sure that some excellent ideas and suggestions will be forthcoming from the "Maintenance" forum...
 
Tri-Flow is another really good lubricant. It's generally used on bike chains. Check it out, too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top