Bearings or washers

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Gary W. Graley

Gary W. Graley

“Imagination is more important than knowledge"
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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So, I've gotten to where I'm not sure about knives with bearings, sure they might be 'fast' but that isn't always a good thing, phosphor bronze washers can be pretty smooth, ok maybe NOT as smooth as some bearings but they still work.

I've wondered if the bearing craze will some day take a turn and we go back to the PB washers or some fancy smooth material that is similar.

I haven't had any real issue with a knife that has bearings, so I may be worried for naught, but my old brain just isn't that keen on them, simple minded likes simple things I guess.

There are some knives that haven't made that move to bearings, such as Chris Reeve knives, they seem to be doing pretty well.

And GEC folders, no bearings there yet, I know some makers are putting bearings into slip joint folders but that seems like overkill.

Just a Monday evening rambling but I think there may be a few that might agree and of course a lot that will not and that's perfectly fine, everyone has their own opinion and feelings about it I'm sure.

Ok, back to sharpening things that are already sharp, ugh lol need to get another knife to sharpen up!
G2
 
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Another vote for "it's environmental". I tend towards bearings because I prefer the action and it works for my situation.

I'm often in an office-type environment, around the house, or outside without a lot of particulates. So sand and grit aren't a big deal. I've always done a little wrap or tape before sharpening just to control mess, so that's never an issue. Dust and pocket lint are a fact of life but despite carrying knives on bearings for years, I've never had a problem. If a knife looks visibly funky, I'll clean it. That can range from a quick spritz from a can of Dust Off to a disassembled deep cleaning.

For dirtier or grittier stuff, I might switch up for a knife on washers but usually, I'll just go right to a fixed blade. For washers, I prefer thumb studs or a Spydie hole to flippers. I really want bearings in my flipper knives. Speaking of...

Gary W. Graley said:
As figured lots of support for both, I've not tried Skiff or any other than what came with the knife, but I would guess those would be a step up...
Click to expand...

I recently took the plunge on Skiff's Rocket Glide Rings. The idea made sense to me: more balls for greater stability and a solid phosphor-bronze ring instead of polymer or the usual folded brass cage. (At least theoretically, there should be less chance of trapping particulates versus the latter.) So I got a bunch in the most common size and started trying them out in different knives.

The amount of difference it makes depends on the knife. The biggest place I notice them is in the range of proper pivot tension. Usually, going one way means better action but possible blade play while going the other way means better lock-up but stiffer action. For many knives, there is a point or range of balance that is "just right". Some knives are more forgiving than others (and some never get there). The Skiff bearings seem to either increase that range or at least make it easier to find. Sometimes, they can mean finding a better "just right" position than previously possible.

Overall, the Skiff bearings have generally been an improvement. The only knife where I noticed no change at all was the Civivi Riffle. Budget knives like the Civivi Naja and Petrified Fish 818 that had been running on steel bearings in brass cages went from "good" to "great". They helped to promote my Beacon to "excellent". Just know that physics will still apply. For instance, tension from the detent ball will still be a factor. In most cases though, it's totally worth the $12 or whatever to try them in a knife you love.
 
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I was was team bearings for a good bit when I first got into knives in the ZT pricepoint. They offer really smooth deployment on a flipper, and I have never had an issue with any of them gunking up in the dirt, and a decent part of my job is literally standing/working in a waist deep hole.

That said, I have come around to washers if given the choice. I like how simple they are. When I bought my first CRK, I learned just how silky smooth they can be.

That said, I'm fine with either.
 
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Definitely washers on slipjoints.

However, I do like the smooth, gliding, automatic-like opening provided by bearings on an one hand opening knife.

The vast majority of my knives have washers though, as they were bought before bearings became popular
 
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At this point I have a Spyderco Southard, and a Ruike 801 that I keep to loan out, everything else on bearings and/or flipper I have sold. Unless my Canis counts as a bearing? In which case that’s a keeper as well. Non flipper with pb washers from here on.
 
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;) indeed they are, just more surface area to the tang of the blade. I have a mixture of both bearing and washers, but I do tend to like the washers more.

One of the points of this thread is to just discuss and raise the issue to manufacturers/makers to think outside the ring, so to speak, and improve this pivotal area (see what I did there :) )

With all the great minds out there, I am sure that something new is on the horizon that we haven't even thought about yet.
G2
 
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Well Gary,

I’m definitely a washer guy all the way. Washers can be incredibly smooth. Also, a knife with no bladeplay (or micro bladeplay) that is centered and on washers is a sign of great tolerances in the build.

I like that there are fewer parts, so less to go wrong.

There is also a lot less of a chance that the washer is going to cut a “race channel” into your ti slabs.

I only have a couple of bearing knives left in my collection…any knives that I really liked on bearings got swapped over to PB washers. 👍🏼

All that being said. Bearings are a deal breaker for me. However, I won’t slight anyone who prefers bearings over washers. 😁
 
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It depends. Done correctly, a knife on washers can be incredibly smooth and quick, like my Matt Bailey Model 2. However, most manufacturers are not going to spend the time to make the knife so, and therefore just slap them on. Conversely, in the event a company wants a fast and smooth pivot, bearings are probably cheaper to manufacture as its less labor intensive as polishing the washers as well as making sure they are perfectly formed.
 
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Sharp & Fiery Sharp & Fiery agree sir!

K.O.D. K.O.D. there in lies the Rub, boy I'm full of them this morning! ;)

But yes I agree, bearings can be the quick and easy way out and still have a knife that appears to operate effortlessly, using PB's would take time to get things just right I bet.

G2
 
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I won't buy another knife unless it falls into the "gentleman's pretty knife" category that has bearings. I have a fair assortment of working man knives ( I are one ) and they have to do their duty as a tool only. On another venue, it was mentioned that someone's ZT 0909 had bearings that rusted and corroded in the knife. Started out feeling like some kind of dirt got in the knife, then it got a little gritty so he took the knife apart to clean and oil the pivot/washer area.

But there were no washers. It was bearings... he didn't know. He took some really nasty pics of the pivot/bearing corrosion and explained the fact that he had to order and install new bearings. On a ZT no less, a knife that rode in his pocket for only a year or so. Tougher than nails; overbuilt; USA tough. I really loved my ZT 0909 and when they discontinued them, I liked it so much I bought another (first time for that).

I took my ZT apart to look at the scene of the crime that there was a bit of rust (very tiny) forming on the bearings. I was pissed. I saw nothing when I purchased the knife that mentioned bearings, maybe I missed it. I put a dot of 3in1 on the knife and put it back together, but don't carry it anymore. Unlike so many here, I don't have time to maintain a knife by taking it apart and meticulously cleaning lint, removing a small stain on the blade, cleaning out the holes in the frame drilled to make it lighter, etc. They go in my pocket and the go to work.

During their day they have my grimy, sweaty hands on them, clipped on my pocket they get a good dose of sawdust or sandy dust from time to time, and when working if dropped in my tool bags they get a lot more of all of it. After that experience with my ZT, I switched over to Cold Steel and if looking at another brand I make sure they don't have bearings. I will admit, I am a bit of a dinosaur; I buy knives to put to work and expect them to hold up their end of the bargain. If I buy a peanut, then it gets "peanut" sized work. If I buy an 0909, I expect it to be a construction grade duty knife. What if I took the ZT on a hike/camp for a few days and it was rainy all the time (hiking in the rain is ZERO fun, but it happens) or the ZT is called to service to help dismantle an animal on a hunting trip? I can't imagine how you would get blood out of a bearing.

So, back to Cold Steel. The SR1 with a tanto point is an excellent work knife, but a little on the ugly side. OK, maybe more than a little, but it cleans up with a bottle of cleaning spray and a dot of oil on the pivot and it is good for a month. NEVER opened that knife up in three years.

No bearings unless on a light duty knife.
 
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Bearings are nice unless you actually intend to use your knife. Bearings wear down over time and are more susceptible to being clogged with dust and grit, which will accelerate their deterioration. If your knife is mostly for show or for fidgeting, then bearings are fine.

There is nothing wrong with having an expensive knife for fidgeting!
 
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I have equal numbers of both in my small collection. I tend to better appreciate a properly functioning PB washer pivot. Thinking longer term, bearings are just another moving part in a not too complex machine called a knife. Moving parts wear out. PB tends to wear well, not too sure about rolling bearings in a race of bearings. Time will tell. My oldest bearing knife is less than a year old.
 
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