Are bearings the next big thing?

I have been making folders with roller bearings in them for about 10 years now. You can remove the blade from one of my knives, remove and replace the bearings and re-assemble the knife in under 2 minutes. I do it every day when I build them. And, that take-down procedure does not require disassembling the frames or liners. those are pinned and screwed together. With roller thrust bearings, wear is not a factor because the bearings are actually cylindrical, and they are captured in durable plastic races so they come out like washers, but self locate in pockets in the frame during re-assembly. For me, it is already a "big thing"-
 
RJ Martin said:
With roller thrust bearings, wear is not a factor because the bearings are actually cylindrical, and they are captured in durable plastic races so they come out like washers, but self locate in pockets in the frame during re-assembly.
Click to expand...

Sorry about getting a little sidetracked, but how do you like thrust bearings when compared to caged ball bearings?
 
Dang, Ray and now RJ chiming in. Some heavy hitters right there imo. :thumbup:

I've called it next because they aren't really commonplace in production folders. Yet. ;) But I think that what you guys (the custom makers) do is always a good indication of where the trends are going. Especially when it's a feature that is relatively inexpensive and just plain makes sense.

Thanks for the offer Ray. My wife would kill me if I so much as looked at another custom right now, but I'll certainly remember that for the future. :)
 
Completely off topic but, RJ, thank you for your collab with ZT on making the 0600. A Q36 is my grail but it's also a little out of my price range and I will likely never be able to own one. The 0600 is a fine homage to the Q36 and I can't wait to own one.
 
evanPGH said:
Completely off topic but, RJ, thank you for your collab with ZT on making the 0600. A Q36 is my grail but it's also a little out of my price range and I will likely never be able to own one. The 0600 is a fine homage to the Q36 and I can't wait to own one.
Click to expand...

I'm a huge fan too. I can't say if I'll ever own one or not, but I sure hope so! Especially one of his super funky (Rampage?) tantos.
 
Last edited:
bpeezer said:
Sorry about getting a little sidetracked, but how do you like thrust bearings when compared to caged ball bearings?
Click to expand...

In order of preference: Roller thrust bearings, caged ball bearings, loose bearings. Many of the factory knives are using the caged ball bearings-Plastic housing, low friction and non corrosive. I am not a fan of bearings between the pivot shaft and the blade.....
 
As for the ZT 0600, thanks for the positive comments. The folks at ZT are doing a great job on this design, and I too am looking forward to the finished product.
 
How complicated are they really?
If you think about it Kershaw makes assisted knives for cheap. I think more milling is involved in assist than bearings, and I'm pretty sure that steel plate and torsion bar cost more than a pair of bearings
 
This is just my two cents but I don't feel that IKBS is a necessity. I own knives with both washers & IKBS. I personally feel that IKBS is a plus in some cases but keep in mind that theres a lot more to factor in when you are talking about how smooth a knife is. I feel that a well built knife can be butter smooth without bearings. A Chris Reeve knife is butter smooth because his tolerances are tighter than most knife makers out there. Sometimes simple is better. I like that I can tear down a Reeve knife and only think I have to do during assembly is make sure to tighten all screws down the whole way. The knife works as well as the day I bought it.
 
Darkstar156m said:
This is just my two cents but I don't feel that IKBS is a necessity. I own knives with both washers & IKBS. I personally feel that IKBS is a plus in some cases but keep in mind that theres a lot more to factor in when you are talking about how smooth a knife is. I feel that a well built knife can be butter smooth without bearings. A Chris Reeve knife is butter smooth because his tolerances are tighter than most knife makers out there. Sometimes simple is better. I like that I can tear down a Reeve knife and only think I have to do during assembly is make sure to tighten all screws down the whole way. The knife works as well as the day I bought it.
Click to expand...

Yea, but a CRK, is 300-350+
Tighter tolerances cost more money, thana set of bearings, which is why I think production companies can benefit from it. But if I'm paying around 300, I prefer the simpler design, if it can match the smoothness.
 
Manual opening vs. flipper isn't a true comparison. A manual opener can feel very smooth because you can squeeze up on the washers and it will open fine. Same case for flippers that require wrist action to open. However, when you are shooting for an auto-fast (or faster!) flipper that opens in any position with zero wrist action, then bearings come in pretty handy.
 
If we are talking auto fast or faster I have to give it to Emerson. Emerson's with the wave feature are the fastest opening out of the pocket knives I've ever owned. They are washers.
 
Darkstar156m said:
If we are talking auto fast or faster I have to give it to Emerson. Emerson's with the wave feature are the fastest opening out of the pocket knives I've ever owned. They are washers.
Click to expand...

Yeah but we're not talking about how fast you can open it from the pocket. Emersons aren't really good for flicking open in my limited experience (Thumb flicking without any wrist) They're smooth but not bearing smooth.
 
Im actually a bearing addict. So much so that I wont buy a folder if it lacks bearings and a flipper. They are both a must for me. But im always liked autos and used to like assisted openers. Hell I wouldnt even buy an automatic OTF if they could make a manual one with bearings. I simply find it to the most efficient and simple way to open a knife that also is faster than ALL the autos ive owned if the detent is done well. It sucks because production companies have only recently adopted their use and some makers refuse to make bearing pivot knives. I guess its easier to adjust a washers thickness than it is to make sure you cut a bearing race properly. As for people saying a bearing system is too complicated they really arent. Especially if using bearings in washers.





RJ Martin said:
In order of preference: Roller thrust bearings, caged ball bearings, loose bearings. Many of the factory knives are using the caged ball bearings-Plastic housing, low friction and non corrosive. I am not a fan of bearings between the pivot shaft and the blade.....
Click to expand...

Rj how many needle bearings are in the washers you use? And do you notice an improved smoothness with having more or less? the reason i ask is that while i prefer the washer bearings for ease of service my smoothest knives actually have IKBS with bearings at every point around the pivot. And it has me wondering if its the amount of bearings that is contributing to this.
 
Last edited:
When it comes to more modern folders I've become partial to bearings. It seems to me that if a set of bearings can be had in inexpensive CRKTs and expensive customs then they should become commonplace in more expensive production folders. I'd love to see them become more mainstream, bearings just seem long overdue to me. My Ripples are the smoothest folders I own, and by no means the most expensive.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top