Ball lock: what steel is the ball?

well all i know is that spyderco uses AUS 6 steel in their parts! Not cheap 420 but AUS 6. So i guess AUS 6. But, i think they wisely made the decision to get commercially available bearing balls to be used on their knives. Those bearing balls are made to withstand enormous load, and dynamic forces. I guess that the ball is one of the last parts to be broken in the ball lock. If they used commercial bearing balls they have a very close toleration and are hardened.

Could you explain us why you need to have the steel properties of the ball? Are you planning on welding a thumbstud on it? :)
 
Mongo-man said:
Could you explain us why you need to have the steel properties of the ball? Are you planning on welding a thumbstud on it? :)
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No, I just "have to know," you know? :) Being that we have had knives with blades made from steel intended for ball bearings, I thought it was odd I had a knife with an actual ball bearing and had no idea what it was made of.
 
I'd say ball bearing steel.

What (if any) are the benifits of using AUS6 for other parts rather then 420?
 
Sorry Carlos , you are right! I have no clue what metal it is. If you need to know disasemble your knife, and take it to a metalurgy laboratory and get it tested. Then you will KNOW for shure :confused:
 
I'd guess commercially available ball bearings. For the relatively small quantites involved, "off the shelf" would make more sense than "roll your own". Have also seen a Dodo (at last years NYCKS) retrofitted with a ceramic ball bearing.
 
Carlos said:
Could be a trade secret. Spyderco's competiors read this forum.
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Not much of a trade secret once you start releasing the product. Competitors could purchase the knife, dissassemble it & get testing done on the ball bearing themselves.
 
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