I’ve had good luck with this on locks, hinges, and knives. A couple bucks and you can get it at Wal-Mart & Lowes.
+1 for Ballistol.
One thing I found out about Ballistol is that it reacts to brass so if you decant it into an oil can the can should not have brass innards.
Presumably also applies to brass flashlights.
Having enough expensive Japanese kitchen knives,the best protective oil for them is KUROBARA 100% Pure Tsubaki Japanese Knife Maintenance Camellia Oil (8.6 oz) from Amazon.
I use a $3 8oz bottle of mineral oil for my knives and it works great. Doesn’t seem to attract gunk as some of the “gun oil” I tried, but it is pretty thick. I ordered a KPL to try it out, it is supposed to be even lighter than nano oil 10 weight. Should work better on the free fall shut knives.
i use small victorinox knife oil.
TRIFLOW as a wet lube.
BoeShild T-9 a most excellent dry lube developed by Boeing Aircraft.
Check reviews if interested.
Saved the Lubri-Kit link, thanks.
Torch threads. I’ve always used INOX NSF Prem Machinery Grease. With PTFE.
High Temp. Food grade. EP.
Keeps threads real nice. NOT messy and slick.
I also use Lubriplate FMO 350-AW. It’s non-toxic. It gets to where it needs to be and does a nice job staying there. I’ve been using it for a few years and I’ve been very pleased with its performance. You can get it from Lubrikit.com.
For surfaces, I’ll often use regular mineral oil from the pharmacy.
My EDC is a decades-old Victorinox Swiss Army Tinker. A drop of Mobil-1 on the pivots once a year or so when I'm changing the oil in a bike or cage keeps it smooth.
Mineral oil for the blades of my collectible Damascus steel folders & fixed-blade collectibles. Mobil-1 on the pivots.
slmjim
I used to make my own to rebuild code locks in a salt air, humid, hot, blowing sand atmosphere.
I also put them in the freezer to test how they would work in the cold. Did fine.
1/4 tsp WD40
2 tsp lighter fluid
1/2 tsp graphite.
Shake well before each use.
This also words great on regular door locks and handles.
Can be made in larger quantities.
Use a syringe to apply.
I switched over to this a couple months ago. So far I’ve really enjoying it. Haven’t had to clean out my spyderco since switching! And this includes a couple sand dune hikes.
Okay folks. I’ve got some experience with this topic in particular as well as a background in science. Please:
1. DO NOT USE MOTOR OIL, TRANSMISSION FLUID, ETC. for pocket knives, guns, etc. Sure, it can work. So can a lot of things. These particular products are not made for the intended purpose. They are not good for you. Why put toxic stuff on or in an intimate EDC item that you carry and use?
2. DO NOT USE WD40 AS A LUBRICANT OR RUST PROTECTANT. Again, it can work. It does penetrate well. However, its efficacy as a lubricant or rust protectant is relatively poor. It is definitely toxic.
A word on toxins: yes, dose matters. No, a drop of these things won’t kill you. However, they are CERTAINLY not good for you. They can be biologically persistent. Taken in context with all the other toxic stuff you get exposed to, they can contribute to poor health in a cumulative fashion. As a good friend of mine likes to put it: “why lean into the punch?”
Unless you are stuck in a jungle somewhere or living in a third world country, you have plenty of better options. Several products mentioned in this thread will work MUCH better. Some are still toxic but that depends on the product. I wasn’t the first to recommend a high-quality and non-toxic option. Whether good ol’ fashioned Ballistol or the excellent Lubriplate FMO 350-AW; do yourself and your knives a favor!
I agree with copperheaded— Nano oil 10w is the best there is. Expensive, yes. Very. But I bought their micro-oiler over ten years ago, and it’s not empty yet. Use one drop per application. It has improved the action on several of my knives.
As others have said, avoid WD40 and most oils you can buy at wallyworld… They aren’t meant for knife pivots and similar.
Good luck.
I use silicone spray on my chinese swiss knives
They seemed to hold up well without collecting too much gunk or dirt.
Sewing machine oil. Works as good as anything else I tried.
Used to use Nano, but as of late using KPL and am very pleased.