Vaseline as lubricant?

[guthooktotheneck]

intresting

 

[jeep45238]

I've seen folders worn out with oil. I don't think oil helps a knife with nicely fitted properly hardened parts. And it doesn't help a knife that's prone to galling and wear. Those things are built into the knife. Oil only masks it for a while.

Furthermore, oil always attracts dirt, with increases wear. Oily dirt is still abrasive. Prophylactically oiling a well made knife ends up causing problems rather than preventing them.

Smoothly mating surfaces and decent hardening make oil pretty much unnecessary.

Um....would you run your engine in your car at idle without an oil supply?

Seriously though, properly heat treated and fitted parts are key - but a light bit of quality oil and cleaning weekly (or sooner) will make it last much much longer. There's a reason why I clean my carry gun once a week - it's amazing how much dirt it'll collect in 7 days time sitting in a holster. If you were to tell me not to lubricate it because it will turn dirt into a lapping compound (which is true) I'm going to look at you like you have 6 eyes and ask "why do you let dirt build up anyway?" I'll stick to 2-3 small drops of CLP a week for my knife after I degrease it and dry it with an air compressor. The gun gets more drops, but goes through the same process.

And FYI, hardened parts only 'masks' the issue, just like oil does in your theory. Just get a fixed blade knife, or never fold the knife if it's a folder and you wont ever have this problem. At work we use heat treated A2, D2, and S7 fixtures accurate to .0001 of an inch - we insert nickle parts. They still wear from friction alone. Imagine heat treated steel over heat treated steel....