Bottles and tubes of various lubes stand in rows on a counter, color-coded according to their properties: water-based or silicone-based, gloppy like hair gel, slick like saliva, or silky like lotion.

Note: Not all “dry” lubes are PTFE. Some are silicone, which is a different ball game. Shop on Amazon Shop on Amazon Synthetic grease is the best choice for gears, axles and bearings that ...