Knife action and the weather

[Otto Carpenter]

Relative newbie question: Does knife action change with humidity/temperature?

I ask because some days a few of my folders are balky and dry sounding. Then the following day they're smooth and quick. I have to start servicing/lubing them (next step in the new hobby), but none of them have been used except for light tasks.

 

[dwdickey]

Possibly, but that would be very dependent upon what materials it was constructed out of. A quality modern folder made from quality materials should not be affected much if at all. Older knives or knees with full wooden handles would be affected much easier.

 

[afishhunter]

Opinel and other friction folders with wood handle: Yes.
Any traditional knife with metal liners, and "modern" knives: No.

 

[znapschatz]

Opinel and other friction folders with wood handle: Yes.
Any traditional knife with metal liners, and "modern" knives: No.

Asked and answered.

 

[Jamesh Bond]

Unless it's really cold or hot out.

 

[bflying]

Too many variables to know. But will say that some knives like to be a little wet (light oil), and some run better dry. You'll just have to experiment for what works best for you and whatever knives you own. I've even had some that develop horrendous lock stick and weird blade rollout if there is any oil present. But completely degreased and bone dry, the actions are amazing.

 

[Otto Carpenter]

Thanks, all. It has happened on two new Spyderco's - a PM2 and a Slysz Bowie. Possibly some kind of grit made its way into the washers, but neither had been used or exposed to anything. I was thinking it was an initial break-in thing, but the symptoms are sporadic (the knives arrived fine, then developed stiffness - even a "squeak" on opening) that's what made me think about other conditions, like humidity and temperature, even though the materials are pretty inert.

Right now, they're both running fine but I should probably open them up and take a look (although that voids Spyderco's warranty) and I think Spyderco assembles the knives with red Loctite.

 

[killgar]

There are a variety of ways humidity/moisture and temperatures can affect a knife. But since it appears you live in New Jersey, and since this is summer, and I see on the news that it's been really hot and humid where you live, I'll assume that you're asking about hot and humid weather.

I can think of three basic ways in which a knife can be affected by weather- the materials the knife is made of can be directly affected, any lube in the knife can be directly affected, and then there are outside elements resulting from the weather.

Different materials can react to heat and moisture, metal can expand and contract in reaction to heat and cold, but the temps need to be a bit extreme. I'm not sure if it's been hot enough where you are to cause any expansion, although it's certainly possible. After all, steel bridges will expand in hot weather.

Lubricants/oils/greases can get "thicker"/stickier or "looser" depending on temperature. But since high temps tend to loosen lubricants rather than making them thicker and stickier I doubt that would be your issue, especially if there is no lubrication in your knife.

And then there are outside elements, like for example- sweat vapor. If you're carrying around a folder in your pocket all day, on a hot day, every crevice of your knife might be saturated with sweat vapor causing the parts to be coated with a salty liquid film. In liquid form sweat might not cause any noticeable issues when opening a folder, but if you take the folder out of your pocket at night, and put it on a dresser, the sweat can dry in place leaving a residue that could make a knife not open so smoothly. And even if the pivot is tight and the sweat vapor cannot penetrate the pivot, the vapor might coat the blade in the path of the ball detent causing a bit of roughness upon opening.

I've had work folders get saturated with sweat vapor and be a bit rough upon opening the next day.

 

[Otto Carpenter]

Lubricants/oils/greases can get "thicker"/stickier or "looser" depending on temperature. But since high temps tend to loosen lubricants rather than making them thicker and stickier I doubt that would be your issue, especially if there is no lubrication in your knife. I've had work folders get saturated with sweat vapor and be a bit rough upon opening the next day.

I suspect the knives are running pretty dry, though I don't know how lubed a Spyderco is when it leaves a Taiwan/Colorado factory. Like I said, both knives are almost brand new, which leads me to think that possibly some fabrication material (from the lock or lock face, maybe) worked its way into the pivot area and just needs to work its way out as I continue to break it in. The sweat vapor theory most likely doesn't apply in my case. Pretty cold in this office, even though it's roasting outside.