Bronze vs. Teflon washer.

Q

Quy4n8

Joined
Nov 27, 2002
Messages
659
Gentlemen,

I would like to have a discussion about which your prefer and why. I personally don’t have a favorite yet. I have knives with both, but have never had a problem with either. Teflon might have a problem in taking a “set” over time, but I have two BM Leopards with Teflon which are over 5 years old and they are as tight as when they were new. I also have an Axis lock 940 with bronze, extremely smooth, but in practical terms, I can’t tell if it is better or worse than Teflon. Let me know what your thoughts or experience are. Thanks.
 
I think in knives that have an adjustable pivot screw, the bronze is preferable. Nylon will evenutally squish as you take up the slack.

For knives that a riveted together, I don't think it matters.
 
I really don't like "plastic" anythings on my pistols or my knives.

I prefer a somewhat tight pivot tension, and I have seen some deformation of teflon (and other synthetic) bearings when I snug-up the pivot.
 
Bronze all the way. In time it'll turn out to be the more dusable and smoother opening choice.
 
The upside of nylon and nylotron, they generally offer a very smooth pivot and can hide small defects in the pivot area if the blade isn't flat. Cheaper and easier to produce. Down side has already been mentioned about them.

Bronze - fitted properly will last longer and give you a very slick opening. Down side, if the blade isn't flat or fitted properly, bronze will drag and wear quickly and the knife will not function well.
 
My preference has always been Nylatron. Teflon, as noted above is compressable and not very strong, though it is slick.
Bronze or any metal to metal requires lubrcant and this can attract and hold grit. I use a bit of dry lubricant crayon but with nylatron, even this is superfluous. Knives I send to the mid-east war zone go out bone dry to prevent grit attraction and they work just as slick as all my other knives.
I have adjusted and repaired folders of mine that are 10 or 12 years old ( real antiques) and even after rough duty, the washers are virtually unmarked with no measurable wear to them. Nylatron is a "filled"nylon with molybdenum di-sulphide, the black grease used when assembling gun barrels to receivers and designed for extreme lubrication applications.
A drawback to nylatron is that it only comes in a limited number of thicknesses. I have always used.020 to allow for easy cleanout of the pivot area.
 
Bronze, all the way. Naval bronze even better. oil impregnated Bronze never needs Lube, it is self lubricating.
 
If you don't know what is better, you should buy DeltaZ Osprey - it has one of each kind.;)
OspreyS.gif
 
I have a knife I want to experiment with. Where is a good place to purchase Nylatron/Teflon/bronze washers?

Thanks,
--SAK
 
I have a Benchmade Forum knife that came with nylon washers that I later sent back to Benchmade to be upgraded to bronze washers. After using both, I prefer the bronze washers. After lubing them with some Militec grease they allow my knife to open smother with almost no side to side play.
 
KennyC,

Thanks for the link! Just what I was looking for.

You asked "what kind are you using" - what kind of what?

--SAK
 
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