Knife Oil On Teflon Washers?

J

johnnywizzo

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Mar 1, 2018
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I have a sluggish assisted-open flipper that I want to lubricate. Will the use of a good quality knife oil help if applied to the pivot area of a knife with Teflon washers? Adjusting the tension screw is not an option as it takes a T-6 Torx bit and doesn't want to budge.
 
If the pivot is the issue, yes. I use Nano Oil on my knives with Teflon (and nylon) washers, and it works well.

If the issue is gunk in the pivot, a weak torsion spring (for the assist), or really anything else, then no.

I've only handled one A/O knife with sluggish action and it was because of the torsion spring. Months with no lube don't seem to affect the action on the A/Os I currently own.
 
It can help. Most of my knives have Teflon washers and I use Böker Knife Oil on most of them. IMHO it definitely improves the smoothness of the action but in my experience knives with Teflon washers will never have an action as smooth as knives with bronze washers or bearings.
 
Oil probably won’t hurt, but I doubt the problem is either lubrication or the washers/bearings. A good number of auto and AO knives don’t run any sort of dedicated bearing surface. As others have said, likely culprit is a weak spring. If the knife was used before you got it, it could also be dirty enough to slow down the action.
 
Apply heat to the torx screws using the cone head of your wood burning kit or soldering iron to defeat the Loctite.
That way you can disassemble and clean, repair/replace/omit parts as needed.
Consider using blue Loctite instead of red when you re-assemble.
 
Ideally, you should try to take the knife apart. The problem could be tension. It could be a lack of lubrication. It could be dirt or grime. It could be a weak spring or torsion bar depending on the method of assist, in which case it might need to be replaced. You are right to be cautious of applying force with a T6. afishhunter afishhunter gives good advice about trying to heat the pivot screw with a soldering iron (etc.). Just be patient, let the heat move through the screw, and then apply gentle even pressure.

If you run into problems and can't get the knife apart, here is an alternative strategy for cleaning and oiling. Flush the pivot with a steady stream of 91% isopropyl alcohol. Gently work it a little as you do and take your time. (You can get a good stream by poking a hole in a squeezable container with a thumb tack. It is a good idea to keep a finger over any lid and wear eye protection since you don't want that splashing in your eyes.) Then, you can either use compressed air or just let it sit in a ventilated place overnight to thoroughly dry. Then drop in a high-quality light-weight knife oil and work the action to distribute it. It doesn't need to be "teflon oil". In fact, the non-toxic Lubriplate FMO-350AW is perfect for this. (You can buy it in reasonable quantities from Lubrikit.com)
 
J johnnywizzo If you want to try the slipperiest oil on the market try Go-Juice it's a plant based oil that doesn't gum up and it's meant for guns but it also works on knives,ask sickpuppy1 about it as well we both use it as well as many other members and it's the slickest stuff your going to find and you can really feel the difference,I have tried many oil's for my knives and nothing comes close to how cheap Go-Juice is and how slick it is and how sparingly you need to use it when oiling a knife.

It cost's 11.50 for 4 oz and is much cheaper the Nano Snake Oil,you only need 1 drop down each side of the knife if you use a needle oiler bottle and they can be found on ebay.

If you think it's an oil related problem try Go-Juice you won't be sorry you did,1 bottle will last you for years,my first bottle is about 85% still full and I have mine for 3 or 4 years.
 
Apply heat to the torx screws using the cone head of your wood burning kit or soldering iron to defeat the Loctite.
That way you can disassemble and clean, repair/replace/omit parts as needed.
Consider using blue Loctite instead of red when you re-assemble.
Click to expand...

I've actually gotten a torx screw loose from knives even just by putting it in a bowl of hot tap water for like one minute. It usually gives the threadlock enough heat without having to directly apply heat right to the screw. The water shouldn't hurt it since you're trying to take it apart anyway, just dry it thoroughly and re-oil it through and through.

The bigger issue might be like the one I was working with (a Kershaw Shuffle II) I can't loosen the pivot screw because it instantly pushes the blade out of place because it is a liner-lock that constantly puts pressure on one side of the blade. So you couldn't really just loosen the screw even if you wanted to.
 
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