Overheard a guy in Portland say he never lubes focus helicoids, is that a real school of thought?

I was at a bench swap meet last Saturday and this older repair guy told a customer he'd never put grease on a focus helicoid because it collects dust, but 25 years of cleaning and relubing those same threads says otherwise, anyone else run into that approach and stick with it or switch back?

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charlesanderson22d ago

Wait, he actually said that with a straight face? Dry helicoids feel like sandpaper after a year, let alone twenty five. Grease keeps the grit out by giving it somewhere to sit instead of grinding into the threads. I've pulled apart lenses where the previous owner ran them dry and the brass was literally shedding flakes. That Portland guy must only work on lenses that live in a clean room or get sold before they wear out. Metal on metal with no lube is just asking for a stiff spot that'll cost more to fix than a tube of proper grease. I'd love to see his repair bill after a beach wedding shoot, that'd change his mind fast.