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What oil for maintanance
- Thread starter iMarcoU
- Start date
marcus52AR
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 22, 2014
- Messages
- 4,736
For my pivots on my folders I use fishing reel oil. Nice and light, works well for me.
- Joined
- Sep 15, 2009
- Messages
- 839
WD40 works great to clean a folder when it gets wet because it displaces moisture but I wouldn't use it as a lubricant or corrosion inhibitor.
I'm looking for an oil to lubricate the pivot. I dont think my blade will rust, I always keep it dry, and try to keep it that way.
Hello fellow Dutchbro,
I prefer using Ballistol. It's nicely available in the Netherlands, foodsafe and cheaper than the branded oils (Victorinox, benchmade). It's great for both lubricating the pivot as well as protecting blades from corrosion. (There are a thousand other uses too).
I would not recommend using WD-40. I've been told that over time, it will attract more dirt/dust and I'm not sure if it is food-safe.
If you're not sure where to get Ballistol, I could tell you a dutch webstore, but I'm not sure if that's against the rules here or not.
I prefer using Ballistol. It's nicely available in the Netherlands, foodsafe and cheaper than the branded oils (Victorinox, benchmade). It's great for both lubricating the pivot as well as protecting blades from corrosion. (There are a thousand other uses too).
I would not recommend using WD-40. I've been told that over time, it will attract more dirt/dust and I'm not sure if it is food-safe.
If you're not sure where to get Ballistol, I could tell you a dutch webstore, but I'm not sure if that's against the rules here or not.
Bill DeShivs
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
- Joined
- Jun 6, 2000
- Messages
- 12,566
For years knife manufacturers have told people to "oil the joints." I see many knives with worn out tangs from no oil.
Any light oil will work. WD 40 is fine, but if you feel any grinding or loss of smoothness you may need a heavier lube.
I seriously doubt anything you would put on your knife joint will contaminate food enough to hurt you.
Any light oil will work. WD 40 is fine, but if you feel any grinding or loss of smoothness you may need a heavier lube.
I seriously doubt anything you would put on your knife joint will contaminate food enough to hurt you.
Wowbagger
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2015
- Messages
- 7,733
Go to the Auto Parts store. Walk up and down the isles until you find something that says Magic on it. Buy it. Poor it in your gas tank and when that doesn't work call us back.
That is a quote from my favorite radio show, that is off the air now alas (rest in peace Tommy), Car Talk with Click and Clack. They used to tell that to people who didn't want to listen to bad news about how much a car repair was going to cost etc.
Not that it applies to you necessarily but I like it.
OK
Ill bite.
I warn you . . . Im in a weird mood.
Havent had my espresso yet.
WD-40 is good. Does no harm. Really it is about like putting on food safe mineral oil. By the way it stays wet; it doesnt dry.
I will work the other end of the coin. Why do you want to put ANYTHING on your knife(s) ?
Oil on the pivots is just going to attract pocket grit/fluff.
That is assuming it is going to see a pocket.
although
I live where it is dry (Wild, Wild, West, USA) and I dont clean fish with my pocket knife.
So
I dont put anything on my knife pivot or blades.
The exceptions :
I just stumbled across some goop in a Japanese catalog that sells knives and woodworking tools. They had on offer Camellia oil that clove oil had been added to. They stated the Cool Guys (Samurai) put that on their swords. I put Camellia oil in parentheses because I think most suppliers these days just sell mineral oil with a fancy label on it. Why do I think this ? Because when I was first using it a decade ago on my woodworking saws it would turn a bit gummy and be a pain to get off before I used the saw. I dont use it for that reason.
Now it stays wet as if one just put machine or mineral oil on the blade. What has changed ? The way I hold my tongue when I apply it ?
The photos are of my latest knife. I ordered it straight from Japan. I couldnt find a local supplier that stocked a Japanese double bevel slicer this short.
The reason I post it is . . . it is a good example of what the cool guys think is good to put on a blade that can rust, especially on a voyage across the ocean where it needs max protection, one would assume. What was on it ? Nutn.
Well no oil anyway.
Note the black magic marker marks near the edge. That was from using my Edge Pro sharpener on er.
Usually I can get the marks off with plane O rubbing alc. Not this time. I got to looking at the blade close and it looks like they lacquer coated the blade. Modern Western lacquer no doubt not the real stuff. My theory is the magic marker solvent was just wet enough to combine with the factory coating.
So
no camellia from the guys that make the knives
. . . maybe you should get a bottle of clear lacquer ? ? ?
Now this knife has been wet off and on with all sorts of food stuffs since I got it a week ago. All I do is wash it off under the facet and dry it on the dish towel and leave it on the counter to finish air drying.
Absolutely no rust near/at the edge.
The lacquer works anyway.
When the out door temperature gets into the sixties I will probably wash off all this lacquer using fresh lacquer thinner. I prefer the more primitive look of the plain steel with patina on it etc.
Bottom line
at last
if you want some magic elixir go with the Camellia with clove.
Real world, at least for me, nothing just wash and dry. Keeps the dust bunnies out of the folders and it isnt like you are going to get in to high enough cycles of opening and closing that the pivots are going to heat up from the friction.
That is a quote from my favorite radio show, that is off the air now alas (rest in peace Tommy), Car Talk with Click and Clack. They used to tell that to people who didn't want to listen to bad news about how much a car repair was going to cost etc.
Not that it applies to you necessarily but I like it.
OK
Ill bite.
I warn you . . . Im in a weird mood.
Havent had my espresso yet.WD-40 is good. Does no harm. Really it is about like putting on food safe mineral oil. By the way it stays wet; it doesnt dry.
I will work the other end of the coin. Why do you want to put ANYTHING on your knife(s) ?
Oil on the pivots is just going to attract pocket grit/fluff.
That is assuming it is going to see a pocket.
although
I live where it is dry (Wild, Wild, West, USA) and I dont clean fish with my pocket knife.
So
I dont put anything on my knife pivot or blades.
The exceptions :
- When I cut rubber items for repair/restoration projects I put regular O motor oil all over the blade to allow the blade to slip through the material and not grab and distort the material. Then when I am finished working I wipe it off with a rag.
- When I get box tape glue/gunk on a blade from cutting packaging I use WD-40 to dissolve the glue off because it is usually the closest thing to hand that works well for that. Then I wipe the blade dry as I can.
I just stumbled across some goop in a Japanese catalog that sells knives and woodworking tools. They had on offer Camellia oil that clove oil had been added to. They stated the Cool Guys (Samurai) put that on their swords. I put Camellia oil in parentheses because I think most suppliers these days just sell mineral oil with a fancy label on it. Why do I think this ? Because when I was first using it a decade ago on my woodworking saws it would turn a bit gummy and be a pain to get off before I used the saw. I dont use it for that reason.
Now it stays wet as if one just put machine or mineral oil on the blade. What has changed ? The way I hold my tongue when I apply it ?
The photos are of my latest knife. I ordered it straight from Japan. I couldnt find a local supplier that stocked a Japanese double bevel slicer this short.
The reason I post it is . . . it is a good example of what the cool guys think is good to put on a blade that can rust, especially on a voyage across the ocean where it needs max protection, one would assume. What was on it ? Nutn.
Well no oil anyway.
Note the black magic marker marks near the edge. That was from using my Edge Pro sharpener on er.
Usually I can get the marks off with plane O rubbing alc. Not this time. I got to looking at the blade close and it looks like they lacquer coated the blade. Modern Western lacquer no doubt not the real stuff. My theory is the magic marker solvent was just wet enough to combine with the factory coating.
So
no camellia from the guys that make the knives
. . . maybe you should get a bottle of clear lacquer ? ? ?
Now this knife has been wet off and on with all sorts of food stuffs since I got it a week ago. All I do is wash it off under the facet and dry it on the dish towel and leave it on the counter to finish air drying.
Absolutely no rust near/at the edge.
The lacquer works anyway.
When the out door temperature gets into the sixties I will probably wash off all this lacquer using fresh lacquer thinner. I prefer the more primitive look of the plain steel with patina on it etc.
Bottom line
at last
if you want some magic elixir go with the Camellia with clove.
Real world, at least for me, nothing just wash and dry. Keeps the dust bunnies out of the folders and it isnt like you are going to get in to high enough cycles of opening and closing that the pivots are going to heat up from the friction.
Last edited:
Finish Line Extreme Fluoro 100% DuPont Teflon Grease, 20g Syringe for pivots - $9.90 on Amazon
and
Yoshihiro 100% Pure Tsubaki oil for blades and wood - $13.49 on Amazon.
WD-40 is good as a solvent to remove dirt, rust and grime but doesn't last long enough for a lubrication and is fairly toxic.
and
Yoshihiro 100% Pure Tsubaki oil for blades and wood - $13.49 on Amazon.
WD-40 is good as a solvent to remove dirt, rust and grime but doesn't last long enough for a lubrication and is fairly toxic.
Wowbagger
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 20, 2015
- Messages
- 7,733
Read the can it is listed as food safe for comercial kitchen use.
I believe I read in an article on the guy who invented it (a failure by the way) it is mostly fish oil.
W means water
D means displacement
40 means the fortieth attempt at a formula that would work.
