White Lithium Grease

Between grease and nano-oil, I go with the oil. ;)
 
The study of surface interaction and lubrication is called tribology. It is a pretty complex science, practiced by few. Different greases behave differently when in contact with dirt, water, cooking oil, beer, lemon juice, soap, cheese, pressure between metal surfaces, bronze and steel surfaces, the lock-face, etc. Finding the optimum grease may have been an interesting project, but one we won't hear. It's proprietary knowledge.

Your Ace Hardware grease may be fine now, but does it stand up the the kind of wear and use that a knife gets? The CRK grease is supposed to be used a few times a year (once a year at the minimum per CRK) to not only lubricate, but protect the pivot surfaces from dirt, water, oxidation, etc.
 
I sort of feel that people are over-emphasizing the importance of this grease or that oil. These knives are made of high quality materials that resist corrosion in normal circumstances and they are made/assembled with very tight tolerances. In the world of moving parts, the range of motion of a folding knife is pretty small, as is the forces on the various parts and the speed of those parts during that motion.

No lubricant is going to stay perfect forever and yes, a lubricant that stays cleaner and smoother longer is nice, but really, unless you are feeling some sort of scraping/grinding or unusual resistance while your blade is opening or closing, there is going to be very little wear on these parts. Or, at the very least, very little wear that can't be easily adjusted for by CRK with a replacement pivot bushing, stop pin sleeve, or washers.

Keep your CRK clean and lube it with your lube of choice when it stops being as smooth as you like and you'll be fine.
 
While you might be right I'll never understand why pay a premium for a premium product yet refuse to use what they recommend.
 
I don't necessarily disagree, but people have different experiences and perspectives, which result in different preferences. All, I'm really saying is that I very much doubt that as long as some type of lube is used appropriately, that there will be any real risk to a CRK knife.

At the same time, just because a manufacturer recommends something, that doesn't mean that they have exhaustively analyzed every option available and have definitively determined the best product out there. All it really means is that out of whatever they have tried, they have found one product that they like the most.
 
Folding knives have been around a lot longer than fancy lubes. Grandpa carried his pocket knife for forty plus years and used nothing but a drop of motor oil on his pivots. Even today, most manfactures do not recomend any specific lube. In fact, some say a shot of WD 40 is all that is necessary. Personally, I don't use any lube that I can't buy at the local gun shop.
 
rycen said:
While you might be right I'll never understand why pay a premium for a premium product yet refuse to use what they recommend.
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I wear Allen Edmonds shoes, but I don't find it necessary to run all over town to buy Allen Edmonds shoe polish.
 
The standard white lithium grease is great for lubing the threads of flashlights - that's primarily what I use it for.

TedP
 
"While you might be right I'll never understand why pay a premium for a premium product yet refuse to use what they recommend."

Right on.

Per "At the same time, just because a manufacturer recommends something, that doesn't mean that they have exhaustively analyzed every option available and have definitively determined the best product out there." CRK has stated, I believe in one of the the sticky threads on this forum, that they did do an exhaustive search for the right kind of grease and partnered with a supplier for the grease they now sell.

Per "Grandpa carried his pocket knife for forty plus years and used nothing but a drop of motor oil on his pivots...some say a shot of WD 40 is all that is necessary". A sebenza "is not your Granpa's knife." WD-40 is not a grease, it's a "light lubricant" per manufacturer. A light lubricant is not a grease.
 
Feel free to point me to the thread you are referring to, I would be interested in reading it. This quote is straight from CRK's FAQ page.

"What is the best lubricant to use on the folders?
The pivot of all folding knives needs to be kept lubricated for optimum performance. We have experimented with a wide variety of products and have found a Fluorinated Grease that is very slippery but does not get sticky or attract lint very easily. CRK Fluorinated Grease fits the tolerances of our folding knives well – other lubricants tend to be either too viscose so it interferes with the tolerance or too thin and it dissipates too quickly. It isn’t necessary to use much because a little drop goes a long way. "

Nothing in that statement indicates that they performed an exhaustive study of every lubricant available to consumers. Neither do they actually assert that there is nothing better than the Fluroinated Grease they sell. They definitely don't say that there is a wrong kind of lubricant. All they're really saying is "hey, this stuff works pretty well, better than a bunch of other stuff we've tried".
 
Muaddib1116 said:
Feel free to point me to the thread you are referring to, I would be interested in reading it. This quote is straight from CRK's FAQ page.

"What is the best lubricant to use on the folders?
The pivot of all folding knives needs to be kept lubricated for optimum performance. We have experimented with a wide variety of products and have found a Fluorinated Grease that is very slippery but does not get sticky or attract lint very easily. CRK Fluorinated Grease fits the tolerances of our folding knives well – other lubricants tend to be either too viscose so it interferes with the tolerance or too thin and it dissipates too quickly. It isn’t necessary to use much because a little drop goes a long way. "

Nothing in that statement indicates that they performed an exhaustive study of every lubricant available to consumers. Neither do they actually assert that there is nothing better than the Fluroinated Grease they sell. They definitely don't say that there is a wrong kind of lubricant. All they're really saying is "hey, this stuff works pretty well, better than a bunch of other stuff we've tried".
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Just go look up the properties of Krytox. (I believe that is what the CRK grease is.)
We have already spent $400+ on our knives, I see no reason to skimp on the quality of the lubricant, but, just like our $400 knives vs $100 knives, the functional differences between lithium grease and Krytox is probably negligible.
 
frontline29 said:
If your willing to order that you might as well get the CRK grease.
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I disagree. The Finishline tube has 20g of grease where as the CRK rebranded grease has a 5g quantity. Sure 5g is more than enough to last a couple years even if you own a dozen Sebenzas. But I use my Flouro grease on all my knives that I don't "flick" out. I find this grease works very well where there is a tight pivot tension. If the pivot needs a looser action because it's a flipper, uses bearings, or a "flickable" knife (like Axis) then I'll use a synthetic oil. When my Sebenza came back from the spa treatment I wasn't all too impressed with the smoothness. I cleaned out the minimal amount of factory grease and added mine, I use a generous amount without being excessive, and I immediately noticed it was smoother.
Here is a size com to illustrate how much you get from the Finishline tube. I use it on everything and It's not even one quarter empty.

 
I use the same stuff as Moxy. Tube is huge and will last forever, plus just cost $12 on Amazon. Zero problems.

I can't believe some people think you should ONLY use CRK grease. What's this subforum coming to? Use what works for you and don't worry what other people do. CRK has the best customer service around and you worry that using the wrong lubricant will somehow damage your expensive knife? I think the Sebenza can withstand the incredible rigors of an off brand lube and survive unscathed.
 
Moxy said:
I disagree. The Finishline tube has 20g of grease where as the CRK rebranded grease has a 5g quantity. Sure 5g is more than enough to last a couple years even if you own a dozen Sebenzas. But I use my Flouro grease on all my knives that I don't "flick" out. I find this grease works very well where there is a tight pivot tension. If the pivot needs a looser action because it's a flipper, uses bearings, or a "flickable" knife (like Axis) then I'll use a synthetic oil. When my Sebenza came back from the spa treatment I wasn't all too impressed with the smoothness. I cleaned out the minimal amount of factory grease and added mine, I use a generous amount without being excessive, and I immediately noticed it was smoother.
Here is a size com to illustrate how much you get from the Finishline tube. I use it on everything and It's not even one quarter empty.

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Advantages or disadvantages? I'm thinking of ordering some up. When I ordered the CRK grease, I figured for 14$ I was getting something worth the money, but clearly Not. I mean I was already spending 455$, so what's an extra 14? But now that its all bought and paid for I'd rather not.
 
I don't mean to imply the Finishline is better or worse than the CRK grease. But since you get so much more for less money you're not reluctant to use a generous amount. I fill up every perforation on the washers, as well as allow a little squeeze out. The extra rim of grease buildup around the outside inhibits any foreign matter from going further under the washers.
Well worth the money, it will last a very long time!
 
It is really, really unlikely that any common lubricant will damage titanium, steel or even copper. CRK recommends their lube because of the three factors they mention, "very slippery but does not get sticky or attract lint very easily."

Some lubes contain volatiles that evaporate over time, leaving a more viscous/sticky residue. Others have such a low viscosity that they tend to "migrate" out from where they are applied . . . collecting lint and grunge.

Muaddib1116 made an excellent point that pocket folding knives are unlikely to challenge the properties of any lubricant. You cannot open them fast enough or often enough to make lubrication a critical part of the equation.
 
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