Oiling your knives?

S

Skylar23

Joined
Sep 16, 2012
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41
Ok. I need to know yalls professional opinion on what to oil to use for my knives. I generally carry gec with carbon blades 1095. I know that the back spring is made of the 1095 also. Not too worried about the blades as much as I am the back spring. Your thoughts?
 
I let mine turn black.

When I have tried to keep them up I found waxy protectants worked the best. It was a hopeless battle for me though. I either have to polish a GEC like its a full time job or just let it patina. I have corrosive oils.

Some buffing compounds really provide a strong long lasting barrier too.

I did go to an actual rust preventing lube for my pivots though.

Kevin
 
Jerry Halfrich recommended EEZOX to me a couple of years ago and I have been using it on my folders every since. His experience with it has been good and I have to concur.

- Joe
 
I use light mineral oil once a month or as needed after dirty work. I put a drop at the pivot and a couple of drops in the blade slots and let it get between the liners and back spring. I clean the excess oil out of the slots with bits of paper towel. If rust starts inside on the back spring I whittle small chisels from bamboo meat scewers and with a touch of oil scrape the rust away.

Regards

Robin
 
Fluid film is a great product. Doesn't dry out and great rust and corrosion protection. It also penetrates metal and lubricates.
 
Mineral oil. My GECs are all users and need frequent spa treatments, plus they're used for food a lot, so I go through a lot of mineral oil.
 
Ballistol... the patina happens gradually, rust does not happen at all. I try to keep a thin sheen on the blade (and I wipe the spring too) all the time except when I am using it on food.
 
i use whatever 3-in-1 is. if out in the field working and get rained on/drop my knife in water/sweat like a pig i will use motor oil or chainsaw bar oil or a spray can of whatever weird penetrating oil or generic wd40 we have.
 
I find letting it turn black is best. When I oil the blades, I rub whatever's left on my fingers on the backsprings as well.
 
I also have used just about anything on my knives, depending on where I was. Around the house, anything from the old standby 3-in-1 to Hoppes gun oil. Out in the middle of somewhere, I've used a drop of oil off a dip stick when some oil was needed. Mineral oil is good, as well. It's a pocket knife, not the space shuttle. Any light oil that cuts the surface friction in the joint will work. I've known someone who used olive oil in a pinch.

As far as the blade goes, just let it patina.

Carl.
 
So long as the blades & joints are kept reasonably clean & dry, pretty much anything will work for lightly oiling them. I lightly lube the pivots on mine only once after each major cleaning of the knife (wash in hot water with dish soap, thoroughly rinse in hot water), and generally don't apply any more to the joints until the next time. How often I do that, depends on the joints themselves. Over time, carbon steel-bladed folders will accumulate some black 'dust' in the joints, presumably from the steel rubbing off between blade tang and backspring. With a little bit of oil in there, it'll start getting kind of gummy, which will also tend to attract lint & other debris. When I start noticing the blades getting a little 'slow' in snapping shut, that's when I'll do the hot water & dish soap bath. In the interim, I just wipe the blades down after use, usually with Windex on a paper towel, or isopropyl alcohol.

Letting carbon steel take a patina is a good thing, as it will slow down the onset of red rust. I noticed this recently, when tinkering a little bit with the patina on my Schrade 8OT (1095) using vinegar & hot water. Portions of the blade that had been previously patina'd just turned darker (almost black), and the previously un-patina'd portions developed a little bit of red rust, which I promptly cleaned up with some baking soda. That was something of an eye-opener, in illustrating the effect of patina (black iron oxide) on inhibiting rust. It obviously won't prevent rust completely, but it does slow it down.
 
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Wow. You guys really know y'all's stuff. Thanks again. Like I said, not terribly worried about the blades.. Just the back spring.. This is off subject but somewhat pertains to this... How do you all maintain the bolsters?
 
I don't oil the knives under normal use (apart from the pivot), just keep them clean and there's no problem. Most importantly, no fruit juice in the pivot and backspring and you're good.
For storing I wipe them down with some mineral oil, especially the bolsters. In the pocket they constantly rub against cloth/leather and there's no problem, but when left in the drawer they tend to get yellowish (although this would be easily fixed with a loaded strop).
 
Skylar23 said:
Wow. You guys really know y'all's stuff. Thanks again. Like I said, not terribly worried about the blades.. Just the back spring.. This is off subject but somewhat pertains to this... How do you all maintain the bolsters?
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Those are easy. Usually just some metal polish will do (Flitz/Simichrome are good) and, if the bolsters get dinged or scratched, some 400 or higher grit wet/dry sandpaper will clean those up quick (assuming nickel or brass bolsters). Completing a full sanding grit sequence at ~2000 grit or higher will leave it in great shape for the metal polish again, as a finishing touch.
 
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Tons of great advice depending what you want. Here is a cell pic I just took of my GEC 85. It has seen the most carry of any of mine. Mountain bike rides, out on the ocean, at the beaches, and lots more.

I took a note from Carl and just let it go!! I have not polished anything on this knife for months! The bolsters look fine to me.

RGlzdHJpY3QgMTAtMjAxMjEwMzEtMDAwMjUuanBn.jpg
 
Skylar23 said:
Ok. I need to know yalls professional opinion on what to oil to use for my knives. I generally carry gec with carbon blades 1095. I know that the back spring is made of the 1095 also. Not too worried about the blades as much as I am the back spring. Your thoughts?
Click to expand...

I don´t worry about the backspring. I just let it as it is. Patina is some kind of natural thing on carbon steel on my own. Just oil the joints. I don´t worry about the patina on the springs. Some handwarm-water-&-soap-treatment and a safe, dry place from time to time and there´s no problem about the backspring. BTW: If you use mineral oil to the joints and this in regular treatment. Everything is ok. (The oil will run through and give the springs more than enough for a correct working)
 
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