Christo-Lube MCG-111

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Jun 3, 2017
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Has anyone tried this grease, which you can get for about 1/5 the price of the CRK grease if you buy it in a 2oz tube (which should be a lifetime supply)? I'm trying to find a good substitute for the CRK grease because it is expensive but mainly because the little 5 gram tube is just a pain to use and leads to waste (making it even more expensive). I can get Finish Line Extreme Flouro grease, but one thread on this forum suggested that this is the CRK grease. One place that sells the Christo-Lube MCG-111 also sells it in a plain white 5 gram tube that looks exactly like CRK grease without the CRK labeling (and, perhaps not coincidentally, is priced the same as the CRK grease).
 
As far as I know it's the same stuff, but to be honest I don't use enough of it to be concerned about the cost. A 5 gram tube lasts me a long time. CRK at one time offered it in a syringe.

Be sure to shake the tube well, it will separate.
 
No one knows the exact Christo lube that is the crk grease. There are three possibilities of it. This being one possible. I forget the others. Try it out and see.
 
I looked into MCG-111 quite a bit and purchased the 2oz. tube. I've used it without any probs but also haven't noticed any real benefit, except for the cost savings. That said, I'm going to go back to the CRK stuff next time. No real reason, just feel like goin' back-for a while, anyway. That's probably not much help, but I have no real feelings about any difference either way about either one.
OG
 
No one knows the exact Christo lube that is the crk grease. There are three possibilities of it. This being one possible. I forget the others. Try it out and see.

Krytox GPL 201 is my go-to and it's identical to the CRK stuff. You can pick up a fairly large tube for very little, but the syringes CRK used to offer were much better than current tubes.
 
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Thanks for all the responses. The Krytox GPL 201 seems to be twice the price of the Christo-Lube (at least some versions), and given the similarity of the 5 gram packaging, think that the CRK grease is some type of Christo-Lube. On the different types of Christo-Lube, they all seem to be "fully fluorinated grease thickened with PTFE," but at least the descriptions have some differences (and these are not all of them!):

106 - Very expensive, for low temperature, low torque conditions
111 - A bit more expensive than 129, suitable around food processing equipment (a plus for knives...), plus valve/regulator components
112 - For valve/regulator components/scuba equipment
114 - Aircraft/aerospace
116 - Seems to be geared to aerospace applications
129 - Seems to be the cheapest
134 - high-speed applications
137 - Seems geared for use around harsh chemicals and solvents
153 - Automotive
157 - Particularly suited for non-metal components

When my little tubes of the CRK grease run out, I may try the 111. But who knows which (other than CRK and Christo-Lube...).
 
The CRK lube is Christolube. The old CRK documentation and tubes used to call it “Christolube”, which at the time many thought was a reference to Chris Reeve, but it’s not.

Same stuff, but no one is sure of the exact weight/formula CRK uses as Christolube comes in a few flavours.

In short, there is no benefit to either option. They are the same.
 
The CRK lube is Christolube. The old CRK documentation and tubes used to call it “Christolube”, which at the time many thought was a reference to Chris Reeve, but it’s not.

Same stuff, but no one is sure of the exact weight/formula CRK uses as Christolube comes in a few flavours.

In short, there is no benefit to either option. They are the same.
If anyone can give a definitive and trustworthy answer, kidcongo is the guy for sure :thumbsup:.
I wish I could remember how I determined that 111 was the equivalent - but the memory fails.
FWIW, I recall that it was definitely more than a coin flip, however.
 
many of the past forum discussions if you use the search suggest 111 or 129 and possibly even another one i forget. kind of an old topic. a search will bring more info. its possible that the crk is specifically formulated for them.
 
If anyone can give a definitive and trustworthy answer, kidcongo is the guy for sure :thumbsup:.
I wish I could remember how I determined that 111 was the equivalent - but the memory fails.
FWIW, I recall that it was definitely more than a coin flip, however.

Thanks for the vote of confidence!
 
Most, if not all, of these lubes use a perfluoropolyether base oil and polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) thickener. At one time I researched this (via their respective MSDS sheets that list the CAS number of the ingredients) and found that they use different specific perfluoropolyether base oils. These oils likely perform very similarly. The more significant difference is probably in the amount of PTFE used, and possibly the length of the PTFE molecules, which affect the as-applied viscosity. For example, the CRK grease is noticeably less viscous than Finish Line Extreme Fluoro, at least the samples I have used. A secondary difference may be that some of the base oils are food safe (or at least have been tested as such) while others may not be. I have the names of specific base oils if anyone is interested.

The Christo-Lube MCG-111 is the one that is most commonly thought to be the same as the CRK grease, but it uses a different, though likely very similar, base oil. An older tube of CRK grease that I have says it was made by Christo-Lube and even gives the CAS number of the base oil.
 
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Saw this thread the other day and did some GOOGLE-FU of prices of CRK vs. Christo-Lube. What I found on Amazon for the Christo-Lube was only slightly cheaper. I understand wanting to know exactly what CRK uses. I'm curious too. But the savings isn't a huge thing. Well, maybe if you order the Christo-Lube on Amazon PRIME to save shipping...
 
Saw this thread the other day and did some GOOGLE-FU of prices of CRK vs. Christo-Lube. What I found on Amazon for the Christo-Lube was only slightly cheaper. I understand wanting to know exactly what CRK uses. I'm curious too. But the savings isn't a huge thing. Well, maybe if you order the Christo-Lube on Amazon PRIME to save shipping...

Don't get it from Amazon; find a industry supplier that will sell you the 2oz tube for a fraction of what it would cost for an equivalent number of 5 gram CRK tubes. The 5 gram tubes of the Christ-Lube is priced the same as CRK grease.
 
ECL manufactures several other versions of MCG-111, the MCG-111-20 has a non-combustible fluorinated solvent that evaporates.

I've never used anything other than the CRK.
 
ECL manufactures several other versions of MCG-111, the MCG-111-20 has a non-combustible fluorinated solvent that evaporates.

I've never used anything other than the CRK.
I have a sample from ECL arriving in a day or two. Will use for a while and post observations.
 
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