All About Pocket Knives

Obviously a noob here.
But... is there a best / worst oil to use to maintain my pocket knives with? Does the kind of steel matter?

Latama quick release oil is the best, period. I use it for guns too.

I use Quick Release also and I think you will find that lots of the members on this forum do too.

Steel doesn't matter and there are a ton of choices from plain old mineral oil to high tech lubes with Teflon to motor oil, etc. Go with something food safe if you use your knives to cut food.

Everybody has their favorite lube for pocket knives so just pick a few, do a little research, and make your choice. Quick Release works good for me but honestly, I'm happy with anything slippery for my pocket knives. After all, we aren't trying to protect high speed moving parts that generate a lot of heat. We just don't want the joints to wear out and dang near anything will work for that.

Welcome to the forum!

I’ll agree with the others that Quick Release is the end all be all for the joints. And it sure doesn’t take much. If you want oil for rust protection, ballistol (or most any gun oil) will work well. I lkke Ballistol the best.

.

I've always used TufOil with great results.

Quick Release is my favorite as well but I also have a container of the old standby 3-IN-ONE on my desk as well as one of Mill-Rose. Any light machine oil works. Don't use WD-40. It's not a lubricant, it's purpose is to chase moisture.

Plus 1 on Quick Release oil. I also recommend Tuf-glide and Tuf-cloth for lube and rust prevention on knives and firearms. Leaves a dry, invisible rust-preventative film that will not attract dirt or lint. And it works!

Ken

There's 2 different ones I use:

1. To oil joints-Latama Quick Release. (Amazon)
2. To oil blades for rust prevention-AG Russell Rust Free. (AG Russell only)

__________
Mike

Rem oil by Remington isn’t bad either

Ya know Royal, that's about as right as you can get about this subject.

I have always used gun oil, Rem oil or now I happen to have Outers on hand. Good enough for a gun, good enough for a knife.

While on vacation a drop off the dipstick worked for me

I have an almost-empty bottle of 30 weight auto oil. A drop on the pivot pin of my folders does the job.

Following the video by TripleF I began using Quick Release and, as he demonstrated, have been able to quickly restore the closing snap of some older knives. For long term storage of carbon blades I highly recommend Rust Free by AG Russell. Just apply a drop or two on the blade and with the tip of your little finger you can apply it to the blade. Let me stress, just a drop. You will see how easily this covers the blade.

I know two brothers with property in Mexico. They wrapped and then buried their long guns in the ground for several days. [It's a long story.]
One of them applied Rust Free to the metal parts of his firearms. The other did not. When the guns were retrieved after a few days, the Rust Free guns were indeed free of any rust. The negligent brother's guns were extensively rusted. You would not use this product on knives that are going to see frequent use.

This stuff is decent.

I was in the hobby shop the other day looking for some 3/32" brass pinstock and I happened to ask the guy about one drop oilers like they use on model railroad parts. He showed me this and I bought one to try. It is an oil that has PTFE (Teflon) in it, and is a very slippery lube that I am trying on folding knife hinges. I am using it on those knives I have with less that "thunderous" snap and it seems to help. It is about $9 for a bottle this size.

OLDE CUTLER wrote:I was in the hobby shop the other day looking for some 3/32" brass pinstock and I happened to ask the guy about one drop oilers like they use on model railroad parts. He showed me this and I bought one to try. It is an oil that has PTFE (Teflon) in it, and is a very slippery lube that I am trying on folding knife hinges. I am using it on those knives I have with less that "thunderous" snap and it seems to help. It is about $9 for a bottle this size.
IMG_2174.JPG

They say that's the best stuff you can get for model trains, and I'd say it's great for knives as well. Boker has an oil pen that I plan to get next trip to the knife store. Looks like the same stuff Marklin sells.

ScoutKnives wrote:While on vacation a drop off the dipstick worked for me

Used engine oil is a carcinogen.

Yep and so is the air we breathe and the water we drink lol .
BTW I’m a mechanic for over 31 years with no issues from used oil

eveled wrote:

ScoutKnives wrote:While on vacation a drop off the dipstick worked for me

Used engine oil is a carcinogen.

eveled wrote:

ScoutKnives wrote:While on vacation a drop off the dipstick worked for me

Used engine oil is a carcinogen.

Everything is a carcinogen. I saw signs that say so in Kalifornia.

Ken

You guys are funny.

Dad said that everything is illegal, in moral or fattening. Sometimes the second looked good to me.

As someone who repairs and restores old knives I have used a variety of oils over the years. 3 in 1 oil was the choice of Last Resort. I bought some one time at a knife show when I needed to lubricate some knives I just bought. It was basically useless as a lubricant for what I needed. Over the years I have used Slick 50 One Lube, Tri-Flow, Rem Oil, mineral oil, JB 80, Break Free, Hot Sauce, Lucas Gun oil, Nano-Oil and probably half a dozen others including motor oil (new).
(I got the names off of old bottles, cans and tubes of oils I no longer use, but for some reason of still kept them around the shop.)

Then I found Quick Release Oil, and it's absolutely the best oil I have used on knives! I have had knives without snap that begin to snap as soon as I added some Quick Release Oil, even without cleaning the knife.
I have used cheaper oil then Quick Release and I have used more expensive oil, but I have never used an oil that works as well as Quick Release on slip joints, switchblades and modern tactical knives.


For rust prevention I have yet to find anything that works as well as Eezox.

I'll second what Dale said about the Quick Release oil. Best stuff I've ever used on knives. I'll never be without it.