Lubricaton on a Native FRN?

[SharpShooter901]

I have old fingers and hands, and cannot open any of my Spyderco models without some amount of "flick". Normally that is not a problem at all.

I have two Natives, both bought in the last couple of months. My serrated blade model opens easily with just a small "flick" of the wrist. However, my plain edged Native requires more than a small flick.....enough so that it's irritating. I'm wondering if I ought to lubricate at least the one that's difficult to open, if not all my Spyderco models? If so, I am unsure where I'd put the oil (something like Nano Oil) on the Native? Since the Native has no removable bolt at the pivot point, I'd have to drop a tiny bit of lube somewhere, but I am not sure where.

Thanks for the help, ya'll.

[JD Spydo]

I've been having some decent luck using more dry lubricants on certain models of folders I have. Sentry Solutions has a product called "BP 2000" which is a graphite based dry lubricant but I think it also has some Teflon and/or PTFE in it as well because it works really good on some folders.

I also have a FRN Golden USA made Native 440V, SE and I'm finding that I'm having a bit better luck with the dry lubes. Now don't think that BP 2000 is the only good dry lube because there are a lot of good quality dry lubes on the market and many can be found in your local hardware store. Any of the ACE or TRUE VALUE hardware stores usually have a great selection. If you know of a good locksmith they have a great knowledge of dry lubes and wet lubes both.

Now with a wet lube I've yet to find anything that beats out my old dependable MILITEC. Militec also has a synthetic grease that is awesome. But I've used Militec for the past 8 years or so and I only have good things to say about it. If anyone knows of a wet lube better than Militec I would sure like to try it out. Hey keep us posted and let us know what works for you :)

[araneae]

Nano oil will work as will plain old mineral oil. Just a small drop at the pivot will do.

[jackknifeh]

Regarding the "where" to put the oil you need a drop or two between the blade tang and each liner. So at the pivot on both sides of the blade tang. I like to look at the pivot end of the handle and find a place on the tang that is closest to the pivot pin. On lockbacks the place where the lockbar drops down into the tang to lock the blade open is a good spot. Also I like to make sure the round part of the tang that the lockbar slides on is lubricated. The lockbar applying pressure on the tang also makes lockbacks a little more resistant to very smooth opening/closing. More resistant compared to liner locks for example.

Jack

[SharpShooter901]

Thanks for the good information above. I ordered a small (but expensive!) bottle of Nano 10 wt oil, but I am also going to pick up some mineral or Teflon oil to use for other applications which I'll try also. My biggest concern was where to apply the lube, and that has been answered. I have also been trying to open and close the Native that's "stiffer" several times a day in the hopes it will loosen up a bit on its own. Probably only done that 3 dozen times so far........ :cool:

[jackknifeh]

Thanks for the good information above. I ordered a small (but expensive!) bottle of Nano 10 wt oil, but I am also going to pick up some mineral or Teflon oil to use for other applications which I'll try also. My biggest concern was where to apply the lube, and that has been answered. I have also been trying to open and close the Native that's "stiffer" several times a day in the hopes it will loosen up a bit on its own. Probably only done that 3 dozen times so far........ :cool:

Nano-oil is the most expensive oil I've ever used. I also believe it is the best quality oil I've used. Right now I like my pocket knife pivot tension such that the blade will not move by itself pulled down by gravity. For a long while I wanted my knife pivot to be as loose and free swinging as possible but when they were open and locked I wanted them tight enough that there was no blade play. On a couple of knives this didn't work. To eliminate any blade play when open I'd have to have the pivot tight enough that the blade didn't just fall down when I released the lock. Then when I used Nano-oil instead of something else I could tighten the pivot enough to eliminate blade play AND when I released the lock the lubrication was such that the blade would fall down. The blade moved easier even when under more pressure from the pivot screw. Nano-oil is a better oil when there is MORE pressure between two moving parts. It's really better when used on heavy machinery. This is the claim anyway. I don't have any heavy machinery. :) But when more pressure is required for any reason Nano-oil will provide better lubrication. This is my experience only on a couple of Spyderco knives. On some of my pliers it performs better than 3-in-one or any of the oils I've seen in hardware stores all my life. But for most tools I don't normally use Nano-oil. I can get away with the less expensive lubricants. But when the demand is higher Nano-oil is my preference. Another thing I've done is get the 5w, 10w and 85w thichnesses. I like a 50/50 mixture of 85w and 10w for most things including folders. The 85w is much thicker but it words well also. A tiny tiny bit stays in the pivot and far less is wasted by running down the blade or other places, getting wiped off and thrown away. FYI, the 5w is GREAT for breaking free rusted nuts and bolts. I've used it and was able to break the nut free in just a few seconds. 10 seconds or less. By the appearance of the nut and bolt one time I'm pretty sure it would have taken WD-40 soaking for hours or over night for the nut to come loose. Nano-oil is great when you need that level of lubrication.

Jack

[SharpShooter901]

Thanks for that feedback on Nano oil. I got a small (8cc?) applicator of the 10 wt, mainly just to use on my Native, as I think it will be the trickiest to lube as it doesn't have a pivot bolt to remove. But of course I will use it on my other folding knives as needed. I also need a good lube for the pistols I carry.....something that will stick around for awhile and not run off when it gets hot. I THINK the 10 wt Nano oil might be a bit thin, but I will give it a try, although I'm more inclined to go with one of the CLP oils generally used on firearms just because it costs a fraction as much as Nano, and I'm not convinced my firearms need Nano oil.

PS - I live near Memphis, TN, but spend a LOT of time at NAS Pensacola at the RV park on base. I'm retired USN. We keep our 40 ft fifth wheel trailer in the area as our second home. We both love the Florida Panhandle! Hoping to get down there in June this year......it'd be earlier, but we're building a house and will be pretty busy until early summer. At least my wife tells me I will be......Where are you located?

[jackknifeh]

Thanks for that feedback on Nano oil. I got a small (8cc?) applicator of the 10 wt, mainly just to use on my Native, as I think it will be the trickiest to lube as it doesn't have a pivot bolt to remove. But of course I will use it on my other folding knives as needed. I also need a good lube for the pistols I carry.....something that will stick around for awhile and not run off when it gets hot. I THINK the 10 wt Nano oil might be a bit thin, but I will give it a try, although I'm more inclined to go with one of the CLP oils generally used on firearms just because it costs a fraction as much as Nano, and I'm not convinced my firearms need Nano oil.

PS - I live near Memphis, TN, but spend a LOT of time at NAS Pensacola at the RV park on base. I'm retired USN. We keep our 40 ft fifth wheel trailer in the area as our second home. We both love the Florida Panhandle! Hoping to get down there in June this year......it'd be earlier, but we're building a house and will be pretty busy until early summer. At least my wife tells me I will be......Where are you located?

I'm in Crestview. About 45-50 miles east of Pensacola. Bought the house after being assigned to Eglin AFB. We've had the house here for 30 years or so.

Jack

[timlara]

I've had good results with Nano-Oil as well on my folders. It's helpful that a little bit goes a long way so that you're not drawing in too much gunk as can happen with excessive oil. The best thing about the small vials of Nano-Oil is actually the very precise needle tip that they come with. Makes it easy to just put a tiny drop right where you want it to go.

[Knutty]

I use these oilers with 25-gauge needles to dispense mineral oil. The drop that comes out is truly tiny, but it works fine. I use mineral oil because I don't want anything overtly toxic touching my skin during routine use, and contact is inevitable. I emailed the Nano-Oil people, asking for toxicity info, but was ignored.

I have a Native5 FRN, and it's not hard to open. I also rarely notice a difference after lubricating my knives.

[timlara]

Thanks for the link, Knutty. Those bottles are cool!

I'm not sure about the toxicity of Nano-Oil when it comes to skin contact, but at the very least I think you can count on it not being food safe if you use your knives on food. Mineral oil is a good choice all around for that reason.

[Joris Mo]

Very cool bottles!

[Knutty]

I've been having an alarming number of "Duh" moments lately. Just had another when I realized I could have simply searched for the Nano-Oil MSDS. I just looked it over and it seems pretty safe. No worries here.

[JD Spydo]

No one else has ever tried dry lubricants on their Spyderco folders :confused: " I tend to like trying them first over wet lubes because many wet lubes tend to attract pocket lint, dirt and grime of all types.

I've heard of Nano Oil and I would love to try a sample but I've yet to this day have anyone turn me on to any synthetic oil that has superior lubricity over MILITEC. And the synthetic grease that MILITEC makes is phenomenal.

[Knutty]

No one else has ever tried dry lubricants on their Spyderco folders :confused: " I tend to like trying them first over wet lubes because many wet lubes tend to attract pocket lint, dirt and grime of all types.

I've heard of Nano Oil and I would love to try a sample but I've yet to this day have anyone turn me on to any synthetic oil that has superior lubricity over MILITEC. And the synthetic grease that MILITEC makes is phenomenal.

I've used DuPont Teflon Non-Stick Dry-Film Lubricant, and the results were terrible. It actually made the knife bind. And I'm also concerned about the toxicity of PTFE. So now I just use a small amount of mineral oil. I've considered trying a graphite-based dry lube.

I'm sure Nano-Oil works well, but I can't see spending that much for something that probably won't really benefit me. I'm wondering if it's just mineral oil with Buckeyballs in it. (Which should not be construed as a complaint or insult.)

[paladin]

No one else has ever tried dry lubricants on their Spyderco folders :confused: " I tend to like trying them first over wet lubes because many wet lubes tend to attract pocket lint, dirt and grime of all types.

I put Frog Lube on my LW N5 blade, lockbar, & spring when I disassembled it...works for me*! :D

*voided warranty aside :eek:

[Knutty]

No one else has ever tried dry lubricants on their Spyderco folders :confused: " I tend to like trying them first over wet lubes because many wet lubes tend to attract pocket lint, dirt and grime of all types.

I put Frog Lube on my LW N5 blade, lockbar, & spring when I disassembled it...works for me*! :D

FrogLube is not a dry lube. Just making sure we're all on the same page. :)

[timlara]

I'm sure Nano-Oil works well, but I can't see spending that much for something that probably won't really benefit me. I'm wondering if it's just mineral oil with Buckeyballs in it. (Which should not be construed as a complaint or insult.)

I think that's essentially exactly what it is, especially since you found that toxicity data sheet. It does work well for me, though, and since the tiny 8cc bottle has lasted me a couple years now with a barely noticeable amount used up, the cost doesn't really bother me for the convenience of having the applicator bottle and the product shipped right to my door. But no question it's very expensive for what it is.

[mattman]

I use these oilers with 25-gauge needles to dispense mineral oil. The drop that comes out is truly tiny, but it works fine. I use mineral oil because I don't want anything overtly toxic touching my skin during routine use, and contact is inevitable. I emailed the Nano-Oil people, asking for toxicity info, but was ignored.

I have a Native5 FRN, and it's not hard to open. I also rarely notice a difference after lubricating my knives.

I found similar bottles at my local glass shop that had a selection of these for applying cyanoacrylate to acrylic panels. They had a couple different needle gauges... I think I am using a size smaller than that 25, and there are a few knives I've used it on that the needle fits in the washer gap... I think they were around $2.50 ea, so I grabbed a couple.

I've been using the Nano-Oil with great success lately, though... (Had Ballistol in the bottle I bought from the glass shop)

I also have an Endura that I applied molybdenum powder to the lockbar ramp, and burnished it in a bit, and it was MUCH improved, and continues to improve with time. (The Endura was what I would consider a normal specimen prior to the application, I wanted to try it on that one as a "point of reference" experiment with the moly...)

I'm going to search "acrylic glue applicator" and see what results return...

[mattman]

After a brief search, I think these "Plasticator" brand are the ones I bought... 27 gauge?

http://www.amazon.com/gp/aw/s/ref=is_bo ... lasticator" target="_blank