I used some Vaseline

[Doc Dan]

One of my Delicas is a knife my wife gave me. It was very stiff, not too stiff, but stiffer than I like. I use this knife on food so I wanted a lubricant that would not poison me. I tried some dry lube that made matters worse. Mineral oil was marginally helpful. WD40 worked, but there was still the food issue, and it did not last. I previously started using Vaseline to protect my carbon steel knives from this harsh environment. So, I grabbed a QTip, snipped off the end, used it to scoop up some Vaseline, and started applying it to the Delica. Low and behold, the knife became smooth as butter. That mineral oil jelly really is useful stuff.

[Sharp Guy]

I have to be honest, based on the title, I was a little afraid of what I might read when I clicked on this thread. I'm happy to read your Delica is now smooth as butter!

[Liquid Cobra]

:o

[ChrisinHove]

My Grandfather used to slather his BSA Golden Flash motorcycle in Vaseline over winter.... versatile stuff.

[Doc Dan]

HA! Now there is a use I never thought of. I use it for chapped hands. I use it for protecting my carbon steel knife blades that will come in contact with food. I just used it on the pivot of my Delica. But, I never thought of slathering my motorcycle with it to prevent rusting. I am sure it worked out great.

[SpyderNut]

I have to be honest, based on the title, I was a little afraid of what I might read when I clicked on this thread. I'm happy to read your Delica is now smooth as butter!

Lol, my thought too. :eek: :o :p

Glad to hear that it worked out well on your Delica, Dan. If you like Vaseline, I'd strongly suggest you try O'Keefes Working Hands for chapped hands. That stuff is simply amazing! Although, on a side note, I'm not sure you'd want to apply the O'Keefes to your knives.

[PayneTrain]

Interesting idea! Part of my reluctance to lube is because my knives often come in contact with food. For me it's been mineral oil or nothing, and mineral oil just doesn't last long enough to be worth the trouble on heavy users. I'm curious to see a longer term review. I may try this on my ailing Southard.

[curlyhairedboy]

Speaking of troubled Southard flippers, I've recently had some really great success with a tiny bit of mineral oil in the pivot bearings, and a bit of coconut oil on the detent ball. The detent governs how well it flips, and while mineral oil would lead to a short period of smooth operations, it wasn't as smooth as i knew it could be - plus, the mineral oil would migrate away from the detent ball. The coconut oil makes it fly out. :D

Good to hear about the vaseline, I might give that a try!

[Xplorer]

I used to work for a major oil company and a big part of my job was teaching users of specialty lubricants about lubricant chemistry and the by-products or deposits created due to factors such as heat, pressure, oxidation etc...as it related to their process.

I want to help those of you using Vaseline or various food oils with what I know about those products as lubricants. Mineral oil, coconut oil, petroleum jelly (Vaseline) are all good low-heat, low-pressure lubricants and each has a different viscosity. Petroleum jelly being the most viscus of course. For a knife user's purposes, the biggest difference between any of these products and high quality lubricants is oxidation stability. Meaning, resistance to mixing with oxygen. As lubricant begins to absorb oxygen at the molecular level it deteriorates. Effectively the oxygen burns the lubricant. The result in a knife pivot is an increase in viscosity. Eventually it becomes gummy sticky goo rather than light slippery oil. All lubricants can do this eventually. High quality lubricants are loaded with oxidation stabilizers that provide a barrier that can dramatically extend the oxygen absorption rate (or "thin film oxygen uptake"). Food safe products do not have any oxidation stabilizers (because you wouldn't want to eat them :-) ) so they will turn to "sludge" much more quickly. The great news is...that's really the only downside from a chemistry perspective..otherwise they work pretty darn well for knives, they're safe for knife materials and they're safe to use for cutting your steak.

It may save someone a little frustration in the future to know ahead of time that if you're using food oils for lubrication you just need to thoroughly clean out the old lube and replace it more often than you would with high quality industrial lubricants. Not a bad trade-off for food safety if you ask me.

IMO.. I prefer mineral oil and coconut oil for the lower viscosity and I only use about 1 drop split between both sides of the blade. If I use more I find all of these will attract too much dirt and lint.

[Doc Dan]

Interesting idea! Part of my reluctance to lube is because my knives often come in contact with food. For me it's been mineral oil or nothing, and mineral oil just doesn't last long enough to be worth the trouble on heavy users. I'm curious to see a longer term review. I may try this on my ailing Southard.

Try it out and let us know. I am still testing. As was pointed out below, it will not last as long as high tech stuff, but it is safe and lasts longer than plain mineral oil (Vaseline is basically a jelly form of mineral oil with a bit of natural wax, I think).

[Doc Dan]

Speaking of troubled Southard flippers, I've recently had some really great success with a tiny bit of mineral oil in the pivot bearings, and a bit of coconut oil on the detent ball. The detent governs how well it flips, and while mineral oil would lead to a short period of smooth operations, it wasn't as smooth as i knew it could be - plus, the mineral oil would migrate away from the detent ball. The coconut oil makes it fly out. :D

Good to hear about the vaseline, I might give that a try!

Coconut oil...I will have to try some instead of eating it.

[Doc Dan]

I used to work for a major oil company and a big part of my job was teaching users of specialty lubricants about lubricant chemistry and the by-products or deposits created due to factors such as heat, pressure, oxidation etc...as it related to their process.

I want to help those of you using Vaseline or various food oils with what I know about those products as lubricants. Mineral oil, coconut oil, petroleum jelly (Vaseline) are all good low-heat, low-pressure lubricants and each has a different viscosity. Petroleum jelly being the most viscus of course. For a knife user's purposes, the biggest difference between any of these products and high quality lubricants is oxidation stability. Meaning, resistance to mixing with oxygen. As lubricant begins to absorb oxygen at the molecular level it deteriorates. Effectively the oxygen burns the lubricant. The result in a knife pivot is an increase in viscosity. Eventually it becomes gummy sticky goo rather than light slippery oil. All lubricants can do this eventually. High quality lubricants are loaded with oxidation stabilizers that provide a barrier that can dramatically extend the oxygen absorption rate (or "thin film oxygen uptake"). Food safe products do not have any oxidation stabilizers (because you wouldn't want to eat them :-) ) so they will turn to "sludge" much more quickly. The great news is...that's really the only downside from a chemistry perspective..otherwise they work pretty darn well for knives, they're safe for knife materials and they're safe to use for cutting your steak.

It may save someone a little frustration in the future to know ahead of time that if you're using food oils for lubrication you just need to thoroughly clean out the old lube and replace it more often than you would with high quality industrial lubricants. Not a bad trade-off for food safety if you ask me.

IMO.. I prefer mineral oil and coconut oil for the lower viscosity and I only use about 1 drop split between both sides of the blade. If I use more I find all of these will attract too much dirt and lint.

Thanks for the information. So far, I have had good luck with Petroleum Jelly. Basically, what is old is new again.

[curlyhairedboy]

I used to work for a major oil company and a big part of my job was teaching users of specialty lubricants about lubricant chemistry and the by-products or deposits created due to factors such as heat, pressure, oxidation etc...as it related to their process.

I want to help those of you using Vaseline or various food oils with what I know about those products as lubricants. Mineral oil, coconut oil, petroleum jelly (Vaseline) are all good low-heat, low-pressure lubricants and each has a different viscosity. Petroleum jelly being the most viscus of course. For a knife user's purposes, the biggest difference between any of these products and high quality lubricants is oxidation stability. Meaning, resistance to mixing with oxygen. As lubricant begins to absorb oxygen at the molecular level it deteriorates. Effectively the oxygen burns the lubricant. The result in a knife pivot is an increase in viscosity. Eventually it becomes gummy sticky goo rather than light slippery oil. All lubricants can do this eventually. High quality lubricants are loaded with oxidation stabilizers that provide a barrier that can dramatically extend the oxygen absorption rate (or "thin film oxygen uptake"). Food safe products do not have any oxidation stabilizers (because you wouldn't want to eat them :-) ) so they will turn to "sludge" much more quickly. The great news is...that's really the only downside from a chemistry perspective..otherwise they work pretty darn well for knives, they're safe for knife materials and they're safe to use for cutting your steak.

It may save someone a little frustration in the future to know ahead of time that if you're using food oils for lubrication you just need to thoroughly clean out the old lube and replace it more often than you would with high quality industrial lubricants. Not a bad trade-off for food safety if you ask me.

IMO.. I prefer mineral oil and coconut oil for the lower viscosity and I only use about 1 drop split between both sides of the blade. If I use more I find all of these will attract too much dirt and lint.

always good to have an expert opinion! :D

[PayneTrain]

Thank you Xplorer, post of the month for sure! I guess that leaves me in the same situation I started in, and also further goes to show how amazing it is, when you really think about it, that we live in such a corrosive atmosphere. Nothing is safe from oxygen. Well, except H1, of course! :D