What Lubricant Do You Prefer?

lol! When I got my first Emerson, I over-lubricated it! Then... she got smooth in good time.
I just don't want you to spend too much time in your lab, newknif.
 
Wahl oil designed for hair clippers works great. My personal favorite lubricant that I use on just about everything from rifles and machine guns, to pistols and knives is white lithium bearing grease. You can find it at your local auto store, its simple, cheap, and last nearly forever. If you want you can get a more sophisticated version like TW-25B a white lithium grease with a few additives. White lithium grease just works really good, and that's all there is to it. There are tons of lubricants out their all saying they do a better job than the other guy, but some times the really simple and cheap answer is the right one.
 
My Les Baer came with distinct instructions to leave the break in oil without cleaning for at least 1000 rounds to allow all surfaces to seat and break in properly. Thats a 2k gun. These are production knives, and I believe they have a similar break in period. That is unless you get a handmade one or stonewashed version. They seam to be pretty great up front, but even those smooth out in my experience. I agree with you Unc. Less is more.

Lycosa said:
lol! When I got my first Emerson, I over-lubricated it! Then... she got smooth in good time.
I just don't want you to spend too much time in your lab, newknif.
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I haven't bought any grease or oil in years. I used petroleum jelly on my emersons and works well, not to sure why.
 
richstag said:
My Les Baer came with distinct instructions to leave the break in oil without cleaning for at least 1000 rounds to allow all surfaces to seat and break in properly. Thats a 2k gun. These are production knives, and I believe they have a similar break in period. That is unless you get a handmade one or stonewashed version. They seam to be pretty great up front, but even those smooth out in my experience. I agree with you Unc. Less is more.
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Many times I've made the Baer/EKI comparison. Both are strongly my favorites in their categories.
 
I don't use any lubricant on my Emersons, especially not on customs. Lube attracts dirt and lint. Dirt and lint attracts moisture. Nytralon washers don't need lube. I use Renaissance Wax to prevent rust on my stonewashed blades.
 
I often use car wax, such as Griot's or Meguiar's, on my stonewashed blades. In addition to protection, it makes the contrast pop.
 
Lycosa said:
Same with Glock. Less is more.
Ernest likes the Glock.
Thanks, Nef.
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Ok, earlier when we talked in this thread I thought about less being more. I took my Commander apart and cleaned everything. I put it back together with just the nylatron washers.

It works fine if you like your knives a little tighter. I wouldn't be able to wave the thing I'm pretty sure. I could get by but to me that was just not more.

So I took it apart again and used my unstable super slip concoction. Less this time though. Two little dots on either side of the washers and a dot on the detent paths.

Works like the Super straight from the factory. So in this instance, less multi complex lube from hell was more. You were correct with your wise saying in a way...Less is more...
 
newknif- Thanks but I'm just trying to share things that I have learned from experience. One must do what works for them, tho.
I wasted a lot of WD40. :D
 
Every now and the a drop of Ballistol... Generally when I wash it after raw meat/ food prep... Otherwise, I found it to be not very necessary.
 
newknif said:
This is so strange that this thread was started now. I have been looking for a grease comparabile to the one that comes stock in Emerson knives. For some reason I was on a non toxic type of kick.

I bought teflon washers and tried them dry, which doesn't work. I tried them with a bit of oil and it works to an extent but not like that factory stuff from Emerson. Seeing as how I had to use oil I considered it a bust as well.

I researched and found that silicone grease was non toxic and it had teflon and was called Super Lube. So I ordered it through Home Depot and recently I received it. It wasn't cheap either.

So I once again took apart my Commander. I can do this blind folded by now. I cleaned everything and applied a bit to the stock nylatron washers and put it back together. I can reassemble and find the sweet spot on my Commander blindfolded as well. With the custom scales and extra standoffs no less!

So as I'm adjusting everything, nothing is acting correctly. I'd turn the pivot a bit and expect the blade to draw to the left and it would draw to the right. Nothing was normal upon putting it back together with the silicone grease.

Opening and closing the knife was as rough as hell. I was sure I lined something up wrong or something. I took everything apart and cleaned everything and started over. I did this three times all together with the same results. It was lousy!

I wound up putting it back together with the nylatron washers and a bit of oil which works well but not like the factory stuff. I was brooding about buying that stupid silicone grease. So it dawned on me that the factory grease has graphite in it and it stays in one place quite well. It doesn't claim to be non toxic either so maybe I was being a little too demanding.

I put a blob of silicone grease in a small dish. I added a copious amount of graphite powder and mixed it very well which turned the blob black. It still had a sticky consistency though.

I thought to add 3 in 1 oil to thin it a bit which worked well. I also added Chesterton penetrating oil to it which thinned it to perfection. The stuff would not run but it was not gummy at all.

I started over with my Commander. I applied this concoction to the nylatron washers on both sides. I applied it to the pivot and touched the detents with it as well.

The result is awesome. Over the last two days, I have been opening and closing the knife. It's smooth as ice like my Super Commander which I have never taken apart yet. The Super still has the factory grease.

There is no running at all. The grease is staying where it should and the knife is as clean as can be. So I'm using silicone grease with teflon mixed with graphite powder, 3 in one oil, and penetrating oil. I still have quite a bit left too.
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What are the ratios or proportions that you mixed all that together?
 
Like Rev and a couple of others, I don't use anything on my Emersons anymore, either. I did a couple of times, and yes, it made those knives smoother (a mini-15 and a micro-Com). But that didn't do anything to improve their performance and I like Emersons the way they come from the shop. So... I've been running my others with just air to clean them out when needed.
 
Lycosa said:
See. This ^ works for dalefuller.
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Hey, bro...

I've gotten to be really minimalist over the years. When I started this adventure years ago, I got into everything... tools, lube, cleaners, aftermarket scales, sharpeners, periodic breakdowns, the whole 9 yards. But since I'm really a user at heart instead of a collector or experimenter, I've figured out that I like things to be as functionally basic as I can get. Simple tools for the simple-minded, and I'm probably as close to a troglodyte as you'll find these days.

Emersons just check all the boxes for me they way they come from the shop. I can even take one of Ernie's little round diamond pocket sharpeners and be fully prepared both to use the tool and maintain it in good order for as long as necessary. I'm really attracted to that kind of philosophy and design. Seems that the more complicated life (and gadgets) get, the more I "retreat" into simplicity. Probably a "design flaw" in my makeup somewhere, but whatcha gonna do?

Wow... how'd we get from a discussion of lubes to this post? Apologies to the OP for derailing the thread.
 
A drop of FireClean, best I've used on the firearms. AR/SCAR/1911/Glock. Makes cleaning a snap and excellent lube over slip/frog.
 
The stock stuff that comes in emerson knives looks just like the stuff that come on Glocks, from the factory. I don't know if it's the same but looks a lot like it. Suppose to be really good stuff, how ever I use tetra gun grease. I use it all of my knives, and firearms with good results. I've been using it exclusively for three years now. Different strokes for different folks.
 
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