Why Excess Oil and Your Folding Utility Knife Don’t Mix

Unlike most knives, your folding utility knife has a pivot point. Since this is a moving part, it means you should oil your knife, right?

Not really. In fact, if you can get away without using oil, you should. Here are a few things you should know about this quandary.

The Problem of Oil

First off, oil is a good lubricant. That’s not the problem here. The problem is that oil is also sticky, and therein lies the rub.

If you over-oil your folding utility knife’s pivot point, oil will attract dirt and dust which will then ironically make the action stiffer and grittier.

Worse, trapped dust, dirt, hair and other debris can cause premature wear to the bearing or pivot.

So then – if you don’t oil the pivot – what do you do?

Better Alternatives

There’s more than one serviceable alternative to oiling your knife’s pivot point. These are some of the better ones.

Compressed Air

Compressed air is not a lubricant, but it can be used to blast all of the dust and dirt out of the action of a folding utility knife.

This is even more beneficial if you take the knife fully apart, eliminating all the crevices in which dirt and dust can hide in the first place.

Blast all of that stuff out, then make sure the knife’s components are clean and completely dry before reassembly. Do this every few weeks and you’ll forget you even wanted to use oil.

Graphite Powder

Graphite powder is a dry lubricant and one that serves as an excellent alternative to oil. This dry lubricant is used in locks for the same reason that it makes a good choice for a knife – it doesn’t attract dust, dirt, and other debris.

Applying a small amount of graphite powder to your folding utility knife’s lock or bearing will lubricate it and smooth out the action, too. The best part is that unlike liquid lubricants, graphite will not attract more of the bad stuff.

There’s one caveat with graphite. It makes a grand mess. Be very sparing with application because graphite will stain anything it touches dark gray or black, and those stains can be very difficult, verging on impossible, to get out.

The One Exception

There is one huge exception to this soft “moratorium” on the use of liquid lubricants, and it comes into focus anytime we’re working with a knife that is made with a steel alloy that is not corrosion resistant.

If your folding utility knife, or any other pocket knife, is made with an alloy that fits this bill, such as 1095 or D2, then the notes about oil are off the table. You can and should add a little to the pivot and action, as well as a light coating to the blade.

There is just one caveat that remains. Less oil is more. Remember that.

A light coating is all you need, not just for the action but for the blade. The more that’s there, the higher the chances that it will attract dirt and debris.

As for the coating on the blade, the purpose of that application is to help prevent surface oxidation and rust. You only need a very little here as well.

Here for a Folding Utility Knife?

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