Bearings, Bronze, or Teflon...?

norcalAF said:
Good luck, they are getting rare as hens teeth! Took me minute to find this one and it's a no box "user" though it's near pristine with a super sharp factory edge still.
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Geez, you're not kidding. I did a brief search tonight and all I could find was a $600 eBay knife. When did old ZTs suddenly become so expensive?
 
Stringjam7 said:
Geez, you're not kidding. I did a brief search tonight and all I could find was a $600 eBay knife. When did old ZTs suddenly become so expensive?
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😂 Yeah that’s definitely a “I don’t want to sell it” price. I sold my 0620 recently for ~ $250. They’re out there. They were only $200 new.
Given how popular they are, I wouldn’t be surprised if they bring them back at some point.
 
tony281sc2 said:
😂 Yeah that’s definitely a “I don’t want to sell it” price. I sold my 0620 recently for ~ $250. They’re out there. They were only $200 new.
Given how popular they are, I wouldn’t be surprised if they bring them back at some point.
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Dang you didn't hit me up first for the 0620? I guess I see how it is 😂
 
I am partial to bronze washers.
For me bronze washers is the best balance between smooth action and durability

That being said, in my experience it is less about the choice of the pivot system than:
- the coherence with the intended use of the knife
- how well the pivot and detente are set

I have some Emerson that have a fantastic action with Teflon and I am not interested in any other pivot system

I have Koenig, Herman, and Shirogorov on bearings and I like them with the bearings

To each is own ;)

But phosphorous bronze washers is really something to try
I like my CRK, Les George, and Spartan blades so much 🥰
 
I don't know.

I open every knife like it's a tool that can hurt me if I'm not careful: slowly.

I guess it's why I CRK's thumbstuds.

I like them all.

I also like how Hinderer gives you the options with every purchase. Disassemble and reassemble your knife to your taste.

(Actually, don't try to eat your knife!)
 
In general, in a vacuum, I'd go with PB washers. Strength, stability, smoothness, ease of replacement..

Bearings done well are certainly a joy- Especially on knives who's primary or secondary function is to fidget with.
The detent plays a big role in washers vs bearings too. Either option can deliver fast deployment and drop shut action when the detent is set up correctly.

I've had only one knife with nylon washers (a Farid Mehr K2), and for that particular knife they worked just fine. They're definitely durable and easy to replace, but not the best choice if speed of deployment is a concern.
 
I went from not really caring as long as the knife functioned, to loving bearings, to having to disassemble and clean bearings, to I'm currently preferring any washers that work. PB seem more upscale than nylon but I have an old Gerber that is still fine after twenty something years of nylon washers opening and closing. And I've done fine my whole life so far with just about any type of 3in1 type oil. And use a needle oiler so you aren't just creating a pocket lint sludge collection point.
 
PB or Teflon, on Hinderers teflon goes really well. With PB I use 10W Nano Oil, on the CRKs I use Krytox 205g0 (high end PTFE), and on Hinderers I smudge a bit of that Krytox as well. Teflon washers don't really need any additional lubrication or benefit from it. They make a really good seal around the pivot and prevent lint from getting in there too. Only downside is they require a bit of finessing to get the action right, once you set them up, they'll compress very slightly after which they'll need a second adjustment, and that's all. Another benefit is ease of replacement, damaged/wore out the washers? They literally sell sheets of the stuff. If you pinch a PB washer or smash it, it's not as easy, and even then, PB/Bearings have zero give and might damage the blade/liners, whereas Teflon will give in way before any metal gets damaged. I believe this is why Hinderer stuck to teflon washers for so long, his XM and Eklipse models also use external stop pins, which reduce the pressure on the pivot greatly, so it takes a LOT of abuse wear 'em out.

Bearings are cool and all, till they get gummed up with lint/debris. They can also dig tracks into steel over time, which is not ideal.
 
Kryme said:
PB or Teflon, on Hinderers teflon goes really well. With PB I use 10W Nano Oil, on the CRKs I use Krytox 205g0 (high end PTFE), and on Hinderers I smudge a bit of that Krytox as well. Teflon washers don't really need any additional lubrication or benefit from it. They make a really good seal around the pivot and prevent lint from getting in there too. Only downside is they require a bit of finessing to get the action right, once you set them up, they'll compress very slightly after which they'll need a second adjustment, and that's all. Another benefit is ease of replacement, damaged/wore out the washers? They literally sell sheets of the stuff. If you pinch a PB washer or smash it, it's not as easy, and even then, PB/Bearings have zero give and might damage the blade/liners, whereas Teflon will give in way before any metal gets damaged. I believe this is why Hinderer stuck to teflon washers for so long, his XM and Eklipse models also use external stop pins, which reduce the pressure on the pivot greatly, so it takes a LOT of abuse wear 'em out.

Bearings are cool and all, till they get gummed up with lint/debris. They can also dig tra
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Yeah this is what actually got me to post this thread... Since I did get my first RH Eklipse tri-way I changed out the bearings for PB Washers... I used a little grease as below and it is very smooth and just feels tighter and stronger then the bearings...

I guess only time will tell but so far I am not going back to bearings at least on this folder...

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Bearings for me only because it's much easier to achieve drop shut smooth action without side to side blade play If the knife has ball bearings.
 
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