Bull pivot?

[Jeff M.]

STR, Im looking for a pivot bolt for my BUCK/STRIDER. I thought you would be the best or most informed person to ask. Looking for one that is round, without the flat side. Possibly with a larger head on both sides. Would really like something similar to the ones STRIDER uses.

shank length: .389
shank dia: .227

Looking for a source. Any ideas? Thanks for your time!

 

[STR]

Well, at that weird proprietary diameter which I was already aware of from running into it with that folder before and others the easiest way would probably be to go a different route.

A while back I bought some Chris Reeve Sebenza blades and these did not have the pivots or the bushing. They were blade only purchases and I ran into the same type of deal. I looked everywhere and could not find a pivot the correct size. What I ended up doing was casually bringing it up with my friend Reese Weiland in conversation and he said he thought he could make me two bushings to fit that and put a standard 3/16" pivot size in the bushing which would be easier and cheaper than making or finding a special pivot barrel threaded through the inside with screws to match those inside threads. 3/16 barrels are all over the place made in several configurations and readily available so thats probably what I would recommend. Contact Reese and tell him you spoke with me about it and I recommended the same treatment I got if he can help you with it.

I'll add this also. I would have him make that bushing so its actually just shy of the thickness of the blade so its not sticking out on each side like a normal bushing. Here is why. You'll have equal trouble finding washers to stradle that weird size bushing like you will anything else in a proprietary sizing and would have to buy a sheet of washer material and make your own somehow. Then of course they'd have to be the correct thickness also so they matched up with the rest of your folder so the spacing has to be exactly the same as the stand offs or spacers which are very similar barrels on the particular knife you are asking about.

So, I'd suggest giving Reese an accurate measurement of the thickness of your blade and let him make that bushing just thin enough to sit inside the hole in the blade only without overhang. Do this so your regular washers to fit a 3/16 barrel will just sit over both the bushing fitting on your barrel running through the bushing covering and sitting on both the blade and blocking travel from the bushing side to side. This way the bushing can't come out and also you won't have to mess with finding a special fitting washer or the problems others run into with the washers sitting up on the bushing causing funky action for the blade and messing up things by putting a bind on the barrel in the pivot.

Bushings are fine until end line users take their knives apart and then often times guys like me get contacted about them asking what the heck is wrong with their folder because ever since they took it apart the action is stiff. 99.9% of the time its an unseated washer sitting wrong on the top of the bushing instead of sitting down around it as it should. This is the primary reason I won't use them in my customs. In my opinion bushings in general are higher maintenance for lay people that don't understand them and not eveyrone is a knife nut that gets much into why or how things work. For the average user I think keeping it simple is better personally.

Anyway, enough about that. Thats what I'd do. Type in Reese Weiland knives on Google and see if he'll make you a bushing to fit that hole size with a 3/16 center hole. :thumbup:


STR

 

[Jeff M.]

Thanks for the insight. Your the man:thumbup: Ill look him up.
You have inspired me to mod my Buck/Strider Tarani. I have learned a heck of a lot from your posts. I am a machinist but this will test me! Ill post some pics when its finished (if thats ok) and with a little luck, I wont be having you fix my mess.

Thanks again for you time and thought.

 

[STR]

Thanks for the insight. Your the man:thumbup: Ill look him up.
You have inspired me to mod my Buck/Strider Tarani. I have learned a heck of a lot from your posts. I am a machinist but this will test me! Ill post some pics when its finished (if thats ok) and with a little luck, I wont be having you fix my mess.

Thanks again for you time and thought.

Thank you. Its nice to know that some of what I've gotten myself into and then conveyed in my writings had an impact on someone in a good way. Nice to hear now and then.

STR