Silicon Oil, Lube or not

[al3xd4gr34t]

So I found out I had some silicon oil lying around my garage and I was wondering if it would be a good idea to use this on knives.

This is 100% Silicon oil that you use for airsoft guns.

 

[shecky]

It'll probably be OK. Won't kill your knife, in any event. Silicone oil is used in applications where petroleum based oils will attack certain types of rubber/plastics/finishes. Also where resistance to combustion and compression ignition is critical, like what occasionally happens with airguns (dieseling).

One interesting thing I've found is that some commercial silicone oils happen to contain large proportions of petroleum products, so it may be a good idea, if one is trying to avoid petroleum products, to investigate silicone lubricants before use.

 

[flashlife]

It depends on the silicone. If it's specifically made for lubrication, it shoul'd be OK.
If it's a copier 'fusion oil' or made as an electrical dielectric/insulator, avoid it as a knife lube.
Some silicones, not expressly made as lubes, have such low film strength that they act just like cutting oils, ie, they actually cause the metal surfaces to rub harder, with more friction, and eventually gall.

Silicone can be great for non-metals, plastic, wood, etc, but not all silicones are good for metal-to-metal applications.

Edit: OOPS! Just re-read the part where it's an AirSoft gun oil, so maybe it IS a lube, and OK to use.

 

[Dog of War]

Knife pivots can be very sensitive to the type of lubricant used. What I've seen of silicone lubes, they vary quite a bit and some leave just a film that's not very viscous ... I'd check it out on something else first, just see what it's like,

Besides there are other lubricants that are no doubt much better for knife pivots, IMO -- Militec-1 and FP-10, just to name a couple. It takes so little, a small bottle of either should last you through dozens of knives for many years, so cost is kind of irrelevant. Go with the good stuff when you can, I say.