Try to figure out wich lubricant to use for my knives ! At the moment I'm using simple gun oil and i would like know what you all are using and what are you experiences with it ? Thought about trying "Quantum Hot Sauce" (reel oil) anybody used this before ?
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Lubrication ???
- Thread starter Stretsch
- Start date
Any special ones you would recommend ?
powernoodle
Power Member
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Just about anything works. There are minor differences in lubricity, rust prevention, etc., and a wide range of prices. I'm a lube hoarder, but just grab whatever is closest. Really, I almost never use a lube, and have never found a reason to. WD-40 (mineral oil + mineral spirits) is just fine, though some guys say they experience a gooey residue over time, but I never have. 3-in-1 oil works great too, and you can move up the price latter to the super spendy stuff if that floats your boat. Figuring out what works for you is part of the fun, but really any of them will do the trick just fine IMO. But I won't spend $20 for 0.3 ounces, when a container of mineral oil is almost free and will last you a lifetime.
Good to hear that ! Just looked around and found some pretty expensive stuff, i mean i love all my knives and i really want to serve them right but i don't got the money growing on trees and spending that much money for some lube wich wont last too long is imo not really the answer ! I recently saw a vid from theAposleP where he talked about some lubes and among other things he mentioned that tuf glide suck's wich kept me away from buying some ! I think i'll try some of that quantum stuff wich is pretty affordable !
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I've used everything from kitchen mineral oil to sewing machine oil to Blue Lube to Militec to Tuff-Glide to... I haven't really noticed much difference in any of them. I don't coat my blades any more, so I use about a drop on each side of the pivot when they get seriously cleaned (once every year or two) and that's it. Currently, I'm going through a bottle of Blue Lube and it's doing just fine.
The only exception is on my Sebenzas. I use CRK lube on those.
The only exception is on my Sebenzas. I use CRK lube on those.
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3-in-1 or whatever sort of sewing machine type oil I have around. one thing to keep in mind is whether or not the lube will evaporate over time, and what it will leave behind. I avoid wd-40 for this reason as its good at cleaning out whatever was in the pivot, and once it evaporates, nothing is there to protect anything. For me corrosion is a bit of a problem, living right on the coast. But a shot of oil when I clean out the pivots, and everything is happy. Another option would be lock graphite.
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I've tried half a dozen different brands and I seem to always come back to Breakfree CLP. For anything used around food I have a container of food grade mineral oil which you can find in the laxative aisle for under $3 which is enough to last a lifetime.
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Reel oil, sewing machine oil, electric shaver/trimmer/clipper oil, it doesn't matter. It's all 'light mineral oil' anyway (just packaged and marketed to a niche), so it'll work fine. The light, colorless and odorless character of all of them is what pretty much IDs it as light mineral oil. Some may be slightly 'yellow', but most will be essentially clear as water, with little or no discernable odor. Most dedicated 'honing oils' will also be the same stuff, again just packaged for a niche market.
David
It depends on the knife, although I am a very strong advocate of the usage of fluoropolymer grease due to its longevity and how much it reduces friction. I believe Chris Reeve advocates the usage of a fluoro for the exact same reason given how much it will reduce wear on a knife used every day for years or decades. Additionally, this is one of the reasons the Sebenza is such a smooth-operating knife.
For knives with bronze/PB washers and most any metal-metal and metal-ceramic contact, I strongly favor a fluoropolymer grease that will resist evaporation, migration, and washing out better than any liquid product. I generally use DuPont's Extreme Fluoro and it is widely considered to be one of the finest greases on the market. Additionally, it greatly reduces actual friction and the outcome is a smoother opening and less long-term wear. Every knife I have used this on becomes much, much smoother than when factory new, plus the frequency that additional lubrication is needed is a fraction of if you are using a liquid.
When using a liquid, I generally use Eezox, but I have used TuffGlide, Benchmade Blue (which is now a dry lube), other dry lubricants, some wet lubricants, some semi-dry lubricants, some food-grade oils like mineral oil and beeswax, and actual wax. I use Eezox more when I am in a hurry or want corrosion resistance more so than actual lubrication given that kind of product does not reduce friction and wear like that of a fluoropolymer grease. Eezox is probably the best corrosion protectant made. Many products which advise corrosion resistance outright suck.
For knives that have certain internal friction parts like the Omega Springs in the AXIS lock, they get lubricated in grease as well because they are constantly rubbing against other metal and aluminum parts. I feel strongly that this reduces wear and will dramatically reduce the chance of and frequency of failure of these springs.
There are quite a few decent lubricants on the market today (and quite a few crappy ones, especially in regards to corrosion resistance). The one which I would avoid at all costs, however, is Militec-1. Many traditional wet lubricants may also be best avoided mainly because a dry lubricant and fluoropolymer greases do not tend to foul/gunk up like that of a wet lubricant, they better resist "oil migration", and they do not evaporate nearly as fast.
For knives with bronze/PB washers and most any metal-metal and metal-ceramic contact, I strongly favor a fluoropolymer grease that will resist evaporation, migration, and washing out better than any liquid product. I generally use DuPont's Extreme Fluoro and it is widely considered to be one of the finest greases on the market. Additionally, it greatly reduces actual friction and the outcome is a smoother opening and less long-term wear. Every knife I have used this on becomes much, much smoother than when factory new, plus the frequency that additional lubrication is needed is a fraction of if you are using a liquid.
When using a liquid, I generally use Eezox, but I have used TuffGlide, Benchmade Blue (which is now a dry lube), other dry lubricants, some wet lubricants, some semi-dry lubricants, some food-grade oils like mineral oil and beeswax, and actual wax. I use Eezox more when I am in a hurry or want corrosion resistance more so than actual lubrication given that kind of product does not reduce friction and wear like that of a fluoropolymer grease. Eezox is probably the best corrosion protectant made. Many products which advise corrosion resistance outright suck.
For knives that have certain internal friction parts like the Omega Springs in the AXIS lock, they get lubricated in grease as well because they are constantly rubbing against other metal and aluminum parts. I feel strongly that this reduces wear and will dramatically reduce the chance of and frequency of failure of these springs.
There are quite a few decent lubricants on the market today (and quite a few crappy ones, especially in regards to corrosion resistance). The one which I would avoid at all costs, however, is Militec-1. Many traditional wet lubricants may also be best avoided mainly because a dry lubricant and fluoropolymer greases do not tend to foul/gunk up like that of a wet lubricant, they better resist "oil migration", and they do not evaporate nearly as fast.
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3 in 1 to 14W40. Any oil is better than none, which is what most knives usually get.
I agree most knives don't get maintained properly and it's a major reason why they die prematurely, develop wear that leads to blade play, and eventually to where the knife is no longer safe or practical for usage. But there is still a big difference between any oil and the right oil...some products on the market are mainly useless and others are just plain snake oil (Militec-1, which in many cases makes rusting worse than uncoated!!!).
For example, Eezox and Corrosion-X demonstrate corrosion resistance that is really unmatched
http://www.m4carbine.net/showthread.php?103924-Corrosion-Testing-(New-Pics-5-08-12)/page5
http://www.6mmbr.com/corrosiontest.html
http://www.ar15.com/forums/t_3_7/630802_Backyard_rust_test_part_2.html&page=1&anc=bottom#bottom
Nano-lube is awesome. I like their grease just as much as I do DuPont's Extreme Fluoro and FrogLube. I really like those sorts of products as I find they significantly reduce wear on locking and spring components in knives. Good stuff!
When I worked at a gun shop we used to Ballistol all of the guns up because it was safe on all surfaces, which was a huge plus to be able to use one product just on everything and not worry about it harming finishes. Using it indoors was sometimes pretty intense given how strong the smell was!!!
When I worked at a gun shop we used to Ballistol all of the guns up because it was safe on all surfaces, which was a huge plus to be able to use one product just on everything and not worry about it harming finishes. Using it indoors was sometimes pretty intense given how strong the smell was!!!
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Yeah Balistol has a peculiar odor, that's for sure.
I use a leftover container of refrigeration oil for air conditioners from when I repaired them. It is a simple mineral oil. On a user that get cleaned off regularly due to use and re oiled it is fine. If I was storing them long term in a humid spot I would use Eeezox or one of the other more rust resistant products.
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- Mar 15, 2010
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I bought a tube of Nano Oil 10 weight based on the rave reviews it always gets. To be honest, I'm not impressed. I feel like the oil I was using before Nano Oil (Slip 2000 EWL that I use on all of my guns) is markedly more slick. I don't know if I got a bad batch of Nano Oil or what, but it almost gums up the action.