Knife Lube: What is Good. Where Can I get It?

VorpelSword

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There is a thread here on maintaining folders. The use of lib oil coms up.

I have a large Spiderco, a similarly sizs CRKT M18 and a Leatherman Wave.

Whatshould I be using on them, and where csan I get it?

The CRK Sebanza I bought as a gift came with grease . . .???
 
I’ve been using a $5 bottle of 3n1 oil from Home Depot. Works great and lasts for a long time. I don’t buy into the knife pivot specific lubes. Not because they don’t work but because you pay a premium for “specialization”.
^^^THIS^^^
 
I just use whatever gun oil I have laying around or 3 in1 which I have bottles of stashed around. 3n1 is great and sold everywhere. At work if my knife gets gunky I flush it out with diesel.

Never used grease, none of my knives have zirk fittings 😁
 
I need my knife oil to be food safe and not attack brass, so gun oil is out. So I use this now for a couple of years, from Amazon to lube folders and clean blades. Works well.

i-MFXf6pF-X2.jpg
 
I need my knife oil to be food safe, so gun oil is out. So I use this now for a couple of years, from Amazon to lube folders and clean blades. Works well.

i-MFXf6pF-X2.jpg
Any chance that’s nothing more than mineral oil?
 
Any chance that’s nothing more than mineral oil?
High chance. Just sharing … it does a surprisingly good job in cleaning though, so who knows … this is the same knife before cleaning and taking the photo above:

i-t3Dsvj3-X3.jpg


Note that I don’t have any other food safe mineral oil in the house, so I had to get something. Diddy would be surprised 🤣
 
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A lot of specialty-labeled oils like reel oil, clipper oil, cutting board oil, sharpening stone oil, shredder oil, etc. are nothing more than what is usually a 'light' or 'white' grade of mineral oil, which usually is more refined and thinner viscosity (although the laxative-grade stuff is heavier, but still food-safe). A lot of the other 'light' or 'white' grades are also food-safe as well. They're very clean oils, both colorless and odorless. Look for 'USP' labeling on the product to specifically denote it's safe for food use. Any of them would be just fine for simple use as a knife pivot oil, and for keeping some rust protection on non-stainless blades.

I've liked Norton's Sharpening Stone Oil (edited to add: it's 100% light mineral oil and food-safe) both for use on my oil stones and at the same time, giving the knife's joints a little lubrication after sharpening. And I've also used a very similarly light & clean mineral oil I picked up at a local restaurant supply store. It's labeled for use with food processing equipment like slicers, blenders, mixers, etc. I've been using that on my stones and occasionally for lube purposes as well. None of these are particularly expensive for the volume purchased and a little of it will go a very long way in light use for knives.
 
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High chance. Just sharing … it does a surprisingly good job in cleaning though, so who knows … this is the same knife before cleaning and taking the photo above:

i-t3Dsvj3-X3.jpg


Note that I don’t have any other food safe mineral oil in the house, so I had to get something. Diddy would be surprised 🤣
I’ve just learned from buying art supplies that companies will charge a premium by taking a standard material/lube etc and charging 10x the normal cost because they label it for a specific use.

For example I once bought like a 12oz jar of modeling paste from Micheals for almost $20 only to realize it was nothing more than plaster of paris or Sheetrock mud which cost mayb $13 for 2.5 gallons.

Since then I’ve always been on the lookout for similar price gouging traps.

I don’t know for sure this is the case for specific knife pivot lubes but I do know that $5 bottle of 3n1 works great.
 
An alternative to mineral oil is clear refined jojoba oil. It's not a food oil, but the reason why is because--like mineral oil--it's indigestible and passes right through you if ingested. Unlike 3-in-1 oil it won't form a scum or varnish over time.
I just use the 3n1 in and around the pivot. Been using mineral oil on the blades but looking to try some food safe wax soon.
 
I’ve just learned from buying art supplies that companies will charge a premium by taking a standard material/lube etc and charging 10x the normal cost because they label it for a specific use.

For example I once bought like a 12oz jar of modeling paste from Micheals for almost $20 only to realize it was nothing more than plaster of paris or Sheetrock mud which cost mayb $13 for 2.5 gallons.

Since then I’ve always been on the lookout for similar price gouging traps.

I don’t know for sure this is the case for specific knife pivot lubes but I do know that $5 bottle of 3n1 works great.

8oz of 3n1 is $7.54 at Amazon. Mine was $11.99 - not too bad. Regular 3n1 is not food safe and can affect brass. Pick your poison :)
 
I just use the 3n1 in and around the pivot. Been using mineral oil on the blades but looking to try some food safe wax soon.
Yeah that's the last place I'd want a varnish to form. There are cleaning compounds you can use to remove oil varnishes but it's a pain that can be avoided by using oils that resist oxidation.
 
I've liked Norton's Sharpening Stone Oil both for use on my oil stones and at the same time, giving the knife's joints a little lubrication after sharpening.
That's what I use.
Norton sharpening stone oil is food grade mineral oil. And it's lower in viscosity than what is typically sold for laxative usage in the pharmacy. Plus it comes in a nice can with an applicator spout.

I find that 3-in-ONE oil gets gummy when left exposed to air for long periods of time. Food grade mineral oil is extremely stable and does not degrade or get gummy.
 
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