Lightweight Native 5

[Coastal]

I've never considered lubing a linerless FRN knife, since none of mine are sticky. Just lucky I guess, but I have a dozen or so. You may have gotten unlucky with that particular knife. Hope you get it straightened out.

No other without bushing to compare it too. Just might be the nature of the beast

TTFulltimer, I think I'm saying exactly the opposite: it's not the nature of the beast. I just checked 16 of them, and not one was sticky or gritty. I think your issue is either that lubing it caused it to attract grit or lint, or that you had the bad luck of receiving a poor example of the knife.

Your next one has a great chance of being awesome. All of mine are.

[z1r]

I've never considered lubing a linerless FRN knife, since none of mine are sticky. Just lucky I guess, but I have a dozen or so. You may have gotten unlucky with that particular knife. Hope you get it straightened out.

No other without bushing to compare it too. Just might be the nature of the beast

TTFulltimer, I think I'm saying exactly the opposite: it's not the nature of the beast. I just checked 16 of them, and not one was sticky or gritty. I think your issue is either that lubing it caused it to attract grit or lint, or that you had the bad luck of receiving a poor example of the knife.

Your next one has a great chance of being awesome. All of mine are.

Well said Coastal. There is always the possibility that a "bad" one got through. But, as with you, my experience with LW N5's has been great.

[Sharp Guy]

You sure it's not the tang that the lock bar rides on?

My thoughts exactly. The pivot doesn’t need lube, the tang however…

^ Yep this!

On the contrary to the OP. I find the Native 5 LWs are actually really smooth to open. Once locked open I can push the lock bar and the blade drops down 90° and I close it the rest of the way with my thumb. I have like 6 or 7 N5LWs and I've never lubricated the pivot on any of them because they don't need it. Maybe a tiny drop of oil on the tang but I usually don't even worry about that

[billdoier72]

The N5LW doesn't require lube as others here have stated. It really causes more problems than it cures on this knife.

Add to that, many people over lube their knives anyway. Less really is more. And in this case, none seems to be the key.

[zhyla]

I’ve oiled FRN natives. I only had a 5 for a little while but my 4’s are fine, rivets and all.

You could try a tiny amount of lithium grease. But I suspect you’re just tightening it too much.

[z1r]

I’ve oiled FRN natives. I only had a 5 for a little while but my 4’s are fine, rivets and all.

You could try a tiny amount of lithium grease. But I suspect you’re just tightening it too much.

That's another likely possibility.

Came home with this LW today, and it's smooth as silk.

[dsm]

I’ve oiled FRN natives. I only had a 5 for a little while but my 4’s are fine, rivets and all.

You could try a tiny amount of lithium grease. But I suspect you’re just tightening it too much.

That's another likely possibility.

Came home with this LW today, and it's smooth as silk.

Nice! Where did you find a PE MagnaCut in stock? I've not had luck so far.

[z1r]

I’ve oiled FRN natives. I only had a 5 for a little while but my 4’s are fine, rivets and all.

You could try a tiny amount of lithium grease. But I suspect you’re just tightening it too much.

That's another likely possibility.

Came home with this LW today, and it's smooth as silk.

Nice! Where did you find a PE MagnaCut in stock? I've not had luck so far.

I got it straight from the source, couldn't wait so I stopped by the SFO.

[hereiamu1]

I got it straight from the source, couldn't wait so I stopped by the SFO.

Was it ever put on the webpage? I check almost everyday and haven't seen a PE

[z1r]

I think it was offered for sale on the site for a VERY brief time. Some folks commented about that on another thread which is what motivated me to pay them a visit in person. The SE's trickled in at first too, so I suspect they'll have more PE's again soon.

[petz462]

I got it straight from the source, couldn't wait so I stopped by the SFO.

Was it ever put on the webpage? I check almost everyday and haven't seen a PE

PEs were listed for a very short time on Friday. Sold out quick.

[z1r]

Just dyed my GPKnives Rex45 LW. It's just as easy to operate after as it was before. Yeah, what the OP is experiencing is certainly not the norm.

[jmj3esq]

Any chance the blade can be swapped to the G10 linerless version?

[Coastal]

Just dyed my GPKnives Rex45 LW. It's just as easy to operate after as it was before. Yeah, what the OP is experiencing is certainly not the norm.

I love fades! That's a beautiful dye job. Kudos!

[tcarltonw]

GP knives has PE Native 5's in stock. Just ordered one this morning when I saw the email.

[SG89]

Just dyed my GPKnives Rex45 LW. It's just as easy to operate after as it was before. Yeah, what the OP is experiencing is certainly not the norm.

That looks great

[z1r]

Just dyed my GPKnives Rex45 LW. It's just as easy to operate after as it was before. Yeah, what the OP is experiencing is certainly not the norm.

That looks great

Thanks, I was quite pleased and still loving this knife.

[aicolainen]

FRN Fiber Reinforced Nylon. Nylon is not much of a bearing surface. And the glass fiber does not help. Delrin (homopolymer) or Celcon (copolymer) are decent light duty bearing materials, but not with glass reinforcing. But what do I know? I was only working on the original formulations of FRN on the Rubber and Plastics bench in Body Material Department of the Ford Motor Company in 1964.

I know the Spyderco site now lists the Native LW's handle material as FRN, but it used to say FRCP (fiber reinforced co-polymer), and it still did when I bought my N5 Salt. I don't know the reason for this change in the specs, but I'm tempted to think they're actually still using FRCP in the Golden factory, and that this change is just a way to simplify their marketing language. Please correct me if anyone knows better.

90% of my LW's are Salts, and the basically non-existent need for maintenance is one of the main attractions of the Salt line to me.

My N5 Salt is one of my most used folding knives, or knives even. I don't use my folding knives hard in a mechanical sense, but from a chemical point of view, this thing gets a beating. Sweat, salt water, blood, entrails, food remains, just about everything. If it's not too messy I scrub it with soap and hot water and leave it to dry. If it's really covered in sticky goo, I leave it in hot soap water for a few hours and finish off with the normal routine. Never lubed or cared for in any other way (except sharpening), works like a charm.

I'm not sure that non-Salt LW's (even if linerless) would appreciate the same treatment, but there is nothing from my anecdotal experience to suggest that lubrication is necessary for these knives.

[vivi]

Fortunately for me, I have purchased 4 Native 5 knives. Unfortunately for me one is a Lightweight. The scales of FRN are used as the bearing surface for the knife tang. I took the knife apart when new, cleaned and lubricated it with tsubaki oil. Carried it for two weeks and noticed yesterday it was not closing well. Took it apart and the bearing area around the pivot was nasty dirty. Cleaned it all up and lubricated again and it is back to working properly. I cannot imagine a riveted lightweight knife in use. Either I have to find some version at low cost that is not lightweight to swap the blade into, or McGuyvor some sort of bearings, or this goes on eBay.

I carry a Pacific Salt 1 every day of the year without issue. Linerless FRN knives have been used for decades, my Pacific Salts among them. There is nothing wrong with the Native LW, it doesn't need bearings. It's just a pocket knife, not a race car or mountain bike.

[dsvirsky]

I took the knife apart when new, cleaned and lubricated it with tsubaki oil. Carried it for two weeks and noticed yesterday it was not closing well. Took it apart and the bearing area around the pivot was nasty dirty.

And there, I think is the problem. Not only do linerless FRN folders not require pivot lubrication, everything I read about tsubaki oil, in an admittedly quick internet search, suggested this viscous oil for coating blades (i..e., rust protection), not lubrication.