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

It's mostly mineral based oil, but does not have the purity of food grade mineral oil. Even when they hydro treat it, some unsaturated sites remain on the oil molecules. Those sites can degrade. And it has solvents and fragrance added to it.

Here's what the SDS says:

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edited to add:
DMSO = DiMethyl SulfOxide. It's a solvent and relatively toxic. Likely a residue of the oil processing.
 
Bill DeShivs said:
Re: gummy-
The actual oil in 3 in One and 90% of the other oils is mineral oil.
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Specifically it's a naphthenic mineral oil fraction as Knarfeng cited. The "non-hazardous ingredients" is supposedly citronella oil, which--contrary to mineral oil--is an oxidizing oil and likely the cause of the varnish. Mineral oils of certain grades can sometimes degrade and plasticize but it's usually in exposure to heat where the hydrocarbon chains break down into higher fractions of hydrocarbon compounds that are more reactive and can recombine into longer chains that are waxy or polymeric, but knives are unlikely to experience those conditions. The varnish formed on 3-in-1 oil treated surfaces I've seen was similarly not likely to have been the result of those interactions and so it seems most likely to me that the natural plant-derived citronella oil is the likely culprit, especially since it's known to be an oxidizing oil.
 
mitchnola said:
I’ve been using mineral oil on my damscus blades. Works well but comes off pretty easily.

I’m planning on trying a food safe wax soon. Hopefully it lasts a little longer.
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Mitch, I bought two forms of the same kind of wax for my damascus steak knives. I bought a big bag of the flakes shown here for $10 on Amazon. It has a pretty high melting point. You have to warm the blade with a hairdryer and rub it on. I got annoyed with the flakes because I was blowing them around with the hairdryer, so I bought a solid block. It's harder to work with the block since it's harder to get it to contact everywhere on the blade, and it doesn't melt as easily.
In the end I'm back to the flakes. Warm the blade, sprinkle on a few flakes, rub them around with your fingertips. They don't noticably melt much, but you can feel a light layer on the blade. Seems pretty durable. This is what Kyle Royer uses on his blades.
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I have a few PSeries SIGs, so I had a big tube of TW25 already that works great for washer actions. Kpl for the bearings.
 
Richard338 said:
Mitch, I bought two forms of the same kind of wax for my damascus steak knives. I bought a big bag of the flakes shown here for $10 on Amazon. It has a pretty high melting point. You have to warm the blade with a hairdryer and rub it on. I got annoyed with the flakes because I was blowing them around with the hairdryer, so I bought a solid block. It's harder to work with the block since it's harder to get it to contact everywhere on the blade, and it doesn't melt as easily.
In the end I'm back to the flakes. Warm the blade, sprinkle on a few flakes, rub them around with your fingertips. They don't noticably melt much, but you can feel a light layer on the blade. Seems pretty durable. This is what Kyle Royer uses on his blades.
View attachment 2878570
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Thanks man, that’s exactly what I was looking for. I definitely wanted something I had to heat up the blade to apply.
 
I bought a bottle of Benchmade blue lube about the time I joined this forum. It always worked great and I still have the same bottle. Doesn't seem to attract dust and always makes the action smoother.
 
jfk1110 said:
Ballistol.......... For everything..... Zoup to knutz.....😉

And it kinda smells.like black licorice.......🤔

Sure dont.taste.like it though😜
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Much like 3-in-1 gets its smell from citronella, Ballistol gets its distinctive odor from oil of anise!
 
mitchnola said:
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.
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I sometimes rub beeswax on a blade, then put a little mineral oil on a fingertip and rub it into the beeswax. Seems to be pretty durable. I bought a small chunk of beeswax probably ten years ago and still have about 99% of it left.
 
BreakFree CLP has worked for me for decades, both for pivot lube and as a rust preventive. Also works great for cleaning diamond hones.
 
Latama Quick Release oil is a very good lubricant.
Yes, I am associated with Latama- but I won't endorse anything I don't believe in. I use it in my shop.
I really don't know about it's rust preventative qualities- it's probably as good or better than most, but I use it on my pocket carry gun, too.
 
I have been using Frog Lube for the last few years on working knives, and Renaissance Wax for the safe queens.
 
Jason B. said:
I bought a bottle of Benchmade blue lube about the time I joined this forum. It always worked great and I still have the same bottle. Doesn't seem to attract dust and always makes the action smoother.
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I am always amazed at how much difference a drop of the blue lube can make in the action of a folding knife. It is definitely better then my old standard 3 in One oil.
 
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