[stumpstalker]

For what it is worth:

The late Jim Sargent, author of the AMERICAN PREMIUM GUIDE[S] TO KNIVES AND RAZORS -- Identification and Value Guide[s]) --, and one of the king-pins of vintage knife dealing and collecting for several decades said the following:

” CLEANING.....

.....Vaseline should never be used because it allows moisture to seep beneath its coat and cause rust.” –Jim Sargent, PREMIUM GUIDE 5th Edition, page 10.

That said, applying grease on metal-to-metal contact working surfaces is not the same as applying it onto exposed surfaces for protection. (And that appears to be agreed upon while we maintain our Aiming Fluid-free discussion mode.)