Which Lubricant?

I

ibanezplayer470

Joined
Dec 21, 2009
Messages
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I'm cleaning and lubing up my 551sbk Griptilian today, and I can't decide which lubricant would be best to use on the pivot. I have available:
-Reflex Speed Lube (a synthetic oil designed for skateboard bearings)
-Finish Line Wet Lubricant (a bike chain lubricant designed for "extreme riding conditions")
-Powdered Graphite
-Vaseline
-Olive Oil
-Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant (contains: Hexane, 2-propanol, Liquid petroleum gas, and PTFE/BN Colloid)
-Liquid Wrench Industrial Chain Lube

which would you recommend?

Also, should i lubricate any parts of the axis lock itself?

Thanks a bunch!
 
If knife is used for food prep then mineral oil, otherwise Militec-1 or Eezox. From what you listed I would use the Reflex if it's a dry lube and you don't use your knife for food prep.
 
I use triflow for moving parts and mineral oil for non ss blades. I don't know which of the brands you listed best match these criteria, but imo you want to use a thin, light, synthetic lubricant. A drop on each side should do it.

BTW, welcome to bladeforums.
 
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I use mineral oil on all my blades (it's actually called Paraffin Liquid here) because then I can use any for food prep without having to think about what they are lubed with. I can't think of any obvious disadvantages to sticking with the mineral oil - it seems fine for lubricating & protecting.
 
I use whatever is handy at the time. I've used 3-in-1 oil, turbine oil, mobil 1, and militec-1. I do know that militec-1 does not provide good rust protection but it's damned good lube, and so for any carbon steel blades, I don't use militec-1.
 
thanks for all the responses everyone! looks like I'm gonna have to pick up some militec-1... is it sold at wal-mart or dick's or some convenient place like that?
 
You can buy direct:

http://www.militec-1.com/

or from various dealers found on the web. FWIW the company used to send out free samples, you might call/email and ask. They may have discontinued doing that however, since a tiny bottle lasts a very long time and probably was hurting sales. :)

Also, to get full benefit of Militec-1, after you apply to the pivot pin, bushings and bearing surfaces of the blade, warm everything up with a hair dryer; about to the point where they're almost getting too warm to touch. Let it all cool, wipe off any excess, and then reassemble. This way you have no excess lube to pick up lint and crud. And as far as I can tell, Militec-1 treatment lasts nearly forever on a knife, barring getting wet or really crudded up. I've got knives that have been running for several years and thousands of openings, all smooth as silk.
 
When you warm up Mil-tec with heat it lets it bond to the metal. Mil-tec stated this on their web site and that 3 applications would make it the most effective. AS Dog of War said heating makes it better.

RKH
 
Dog of War- I emailed them, but they said that they are unable to send a sample due to financial constraints. looks like I'm gonna have to order a bottle... what size though? its just a couple drops per knife, right? so would the 1oz size be best?
 
ibanezplayer470 said:
I'm cleaning and lubing up my 551sbk Griptilian today, and I can't decide which lubricant would be best to use on the pivot. I have available:
-Reflex Speed Lube (a synthetic oil designed for skateboard bearings)
-Finish Line Wet Lubricant (a bike chain lubricant designed for "extreme riding conditions")
-Powdered Graphite
-Vaseline
-Olive Oil
-Liquid Wrench Dry Lubricant (contains: Hexane, 2-propanol, Liquid petroleum gas, and PTFE/BN Colloid)
-Liquid Wrench Industrial Chain Lube

which would you recommend?

Also, should i lubricate any parts of the axis lock itself?

Thanks a bunch!
Click to expand...

Of the ones you list above, the closest match to the needs of a knife pivot is the one designed for "skateboard bearings".
 
ibanezplayer470 said:
Dog of War- I emailed them, but they said that they are unable to send a sample due to financial constraints. looks like I'm gonna have to order a bottle... what size though? its just a couple drops per knife, right? so would the 1oz size be best?
Click to expand...
If you have other knives, or particularly firearms, then it might make sense to get a larger bottle. But I can tell you, an ounce of Militec-1 should go a long, long way.
 
Just remember to use a different oil as rust inhibitor and not rely on Militec-1. If you're putting a blade away for storage, Militec -1 will not provide much protection from rust.
 
dsmegst said:
Just remember to use a different oil as rust inhibitor and not rely on Militec-1. If you're putting a blade away for storage, Militec -1 will not provide much protection from rust.
Click to expand...

what kind of oil do you recommend for storing/preventing rust on a blade?
 
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