Oiling your knife

S

Suzukigsx1300r08

Joined
Nov 18, 2006
Messages
273
Im neutral on the situation. I carry my SAKs in my pocket so oiling them will collect crud so i usually dont but i figured id do it anyways. I don't really notice any difference, i do in my pocket knives but thats different. Does anybody else run their SAKs dry? Also, if i pop the scales off of my swiss army knife, do they just snap back on or what?
 
At best, I think oiling them probably does no harm.

I find that scales will survive to snap back on if removed carefully. However, this can probably only work a couple of times before they fail to latch on to my satisfaction.
 
Well, i would like to clean inside there everytime i squeeze the scales i hear crunch crunch. How exactly do you remove them safely?
 
I have a really thin paring knife that I work between the scale and liner on each end, and carefully pry apart.
 
Have you tried blasting it out with water?

I never oil any of my knives, SAKs included. If the opening feels gritty, I just take it into the shower with me. Might sound weird, but it's a continuous blast of hot water (Higher pressure than a sink to boot), perfect for cleaning them. If they're real bad, I'll soak in hot soapy water for 15 mins then scrub with a toothbrush and repeat as needed. This has always brought the opening to as smooth as I desire. Oiling them just isn't necessary in my experience.
 
Tap out the water, then wipe all the tools and insides with my shirt. Let it air dry from there. Never had any issues with rust doing this.
 
oops, peeled off the scales. They snapped back on but the ring around the scale that snaps onto the brass fitting broke on both sides. it clips on and doesnt come off with pulling but it doesnt sit well with me.
 
You can glue the scales back on with a tiny bit of Goop adhesive, if you wish. I haven't had to do that yet, but that's what others seem to recommend.

You can dry out your freshly-washed SAK with canned air sold for use in cleaning computer keyboards. That's what I use.

You can pop the scales off with the can opener on another (Victorinox) SAK. A slightly better approach is to use the watch case opener blade from a jeweler's SAK. FelineVet sell's 'em used for around $8. That's what I use.

- Tim
 
Isn't silicone lubricant not supposed to attract dirt? It seems to work much better in this regard than typical oil or WD-40 from my experience.

But the best stuff I have used is Militec-1. My new Wave can get very dirty at work, and I'll clean it extremely thoroughly in a parts washing tank with mineral spirits and a brush, to the point where it is completely soaked. And even after all that, after drying, the tool still opens like it was just lubricated. I've noticed only a tiny difference if any.
 
Vivi said:
a continuous blast of hot water [...] soak in hot soapy water [...] scrub with a toothbrush
Click to expand...

Same here and it has always worked fine with my Victorinox SAK's. But on my OHT it isn't enough: when dirt makes it hard to open with one hand, a single drop of oil is necessary. This way, even if the knife gets dirty again, the blade still opens smoothly.
 
Vivi said:
Have you tried blasting it out with water?

I never oil any of my knives, SAKs included. If the opening feels gritty, I just take it into the shower with me. Might sound weird, but it's a continuous blast of hot water (Higher pressure than a sink to boot), perfect for cleaning them. If they're real bad, I'll soak in hot soapy water for 15 mins then scrub with a toothbrush and repeat as needed. This has always brought the opening to as smooth as I desire. Oiling them just isn't necessary in my experience.
Click to expand...

Wow, same here.

I don't lube any of my knives, and they are fine.
If I wanted to lube them, I would use a little silicone or mineral oil--but only a little.
 
i always lube mine...a little wd40 or 3in 1 oil...never hurt,,,first wash with soap and warm water,,,then oil,,,then air dry with compressed air,,,works great for me...
 
Suzukigsx1300r08 said:
Im neutral on the situation. I carry my SAKs in my pocket so oiling them will collect crud so i usually dont but i figured id do it anyways. I don't really notice any difference, i do in my pocket knives but thats different. Does anybody else run their SAKs dry? Also, if i pop the scales off of my swiss army knife, do they just snap back on or what?
Click to expand...

I run all my stainless blades dry.
 
Another vote for militec. I use it on my SAK's and original LM Wave. It doesn't attract dust/dirt and keeps all actions nice and smooth.
 
Most gun and knife oils are designed to resist dust/grit collection. i've found Hoppes to be very good at this, for the most part. I'd like to switch to a dry lube and rust inhibitor when Ifind a job, though. Maybe millitech/tuff clothe combo or something...

For years I've run my SAK dry. Now I'll throw a drop of hoppes in the joints once and again when I think about it, but its definately not needed. I don't oil the blades, but I will clean them with NEV-R-DULL when they need it.
 
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