Care and feeding of M4

[Fixmeister]

Hello everyone. 1st post... new member... long time reader. I wanted to ask a question about a new knife I just took delivery of.

I was able to snag a Para 3 from BHQ with the natural G10 scales and the DLC coated blade in M4. Fabulous knife. I think I like the size better than my Para 2 (S110V). But this is my first blade with M4 and I’d love to hear from anyone about how to maintain it.

The DLC will do the heavy lifting on the bulk of the blade but I’m sure there are favorite oils or polishes that help with potential pitting. I live in Florida where humidity is constant. So far I’ve kept to ZDP189, S30V, CPM 20CV, D2 & S110V. This is my 1st steel with low chromium. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Tom

[Cscottsss]

Mineral Oil

[Johnnie1801]

Don't take the dlc coating for granted, it can still rust underneath. Just don't do anything silly with it like take it to the beach or on a fishing trip and not clean it after. Wipe it with mineral oil once or twice a month and you should be ok. Make sure to inspect the rest of the knife once in a while also.

[RickC27]

Yep, just as the others have said. Clean it regularly after use and use some mineral oil and you should be all set. I've got 1 non DLC coated M4 (Gayle Bradley 2), as well as the same knife as you and the Manix 2 DLC/BHQ and have had problems thus far. I trust if you spend this kind of money on a knife, that you will take a couple minutes after a day of use to ensure it's in good order!

[curlyhairedboy]

beware of sweaty pockets. Fortunately, the DLC can hold on to a protective oil coating pretty well.

Wipe it down with mineral oil or Vaseline, and then keep an eye on it. Might need a reapplication once a week or so.

[Fixmeister]

Thanks guys. I’m pretty fussy about my blades and own a Wicked Edge and Spyderco Sharpmaker to keep my knives sharp. I’ll use some mineral oil and keep an eye out.

I have a William & Henry that has a DLC coated blade over ATS 34. More of a satin finish than the matte on my Para 3. Different steel but the DLC seems pretty tough on that one. This is my 1st EDC with either M4 or DLC. The W&H is more of a dress knife and doesn’t see a lot of action.

One last question if I may. What is the preferred pivot lubricant you guys use? Thanks

[dj moonbat]

Thanks guys. I’m pretty fussy about my blades and own a Wicked Edge and Spyderco Sharpmaker to keep my knives sharp. I’ll use some mineral oil and keep an eye out.

I have a William & Henry that has a DLC coated blade over ATS 34. More of a satin finish than the matte on my Para 3. Different steel but the DLC seems pretty tough on that one. This is my 1st EDC with either M4 or DLC. The W&H is more of a dress knife and doesn’t see a lot of action.

One last question if I may. What is the preferred pivot lubricant you guys use? Thanks

For pivot lube, it's tough to beat Nano Lube. But that stuff's weirdly expensive.

[PMBohol]

You can pretty much use any oil and it will work. The key is to use it sparingly.

I use Valvoline.

[RickC27]

For pivot lube I like to use the Benchmade Blue Lube...but be careful when applying it to a knife with natural G10 scales, and it will run a bit if you use even use too much. 1 small drop on each of the pivot should be ok, anymore than that and the lube can be seen through the scales. Cleans up easily when you take off the scales, just thought I'd let you know though ahead of time though.

[Fixmeister]

All good stuff to know. Thanks.