Downsides to Pivot Bushings? Why don't all knives use them?

So, on a rather high end, non adjustable knife they add a degree of smoothness not available with even high priced productions (I'm sure people like Mr. Bose also have other special qualities in their knives). Makes sense. :cool: Still, why in production knives? :confused: (NO, I am not being deliberetly obtuse, I just don't get it in the general knife world and I consider sebenzas, I missed other production knives using them (PM2=different), as fine as they may be, to be in the "general" knife world) And, by the way, have you priced a corvette vs a camry lately? I've had corvettes and better, so I get what you are saying I just don't think the analogy fits. ;)
 
What about the DDR "No Loctite™" pivot system?

I have a sebenza and it's pivot is great. My pm2 I had to take it apart and re assemble to get good action but it's really great now. Interesting pivot to say the least.

My Reate horizon d has a different type of pivot but the blade goes center every single time without issues. I can crank it all the way down and it's good to go. Whatever they are using is great.
 
THANK YOU! You have completely cleared it up for me. :cool: I now understand that I clearly "just don't get it". :eek: Thanks to all for the attempts to enlighten. It has definitely been interesting. :thumbsup:
 
Being significantly older, my Corvette/Ferrari cruising fav was Yes-fragile. :cool: Ahh, the memories. :D To stay on topic, I didn't need any bushings in order to listen. ;)
 
I appreciate the precision and elegant engineering of my Sebbie, but as others have observed here, on other designs a bushing is not necessary. Some composite handles provide a natural lubricity, so adding a bushing would add little. Emerson uses a plastic or teflon bushing, probably a less expensive way to achieve a similar result with a bronze bushing.
 
Well... In a galaxy farrr, farrr away there was a guy named George Teflon (aka Rocco). He was slick as slick can be....

 
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lieferung said:
Ah I see. So it's that tube with a head that only goes in one way, and a screw goes in the other end. Then, the only two knives I've dared to disassemble have had these.
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Just to clear things up for you...what you described is called a pivot post and pivot screw. A bushing is a different piece. The way it works is the bushing is slightly thicker than the blade, the washers fit around the outside of the bushing, and the pivot post fits through the inside of the bushing. When you put the knife together and tighten the pivot screw, you're pinching the scales against the bushing. On a knife with just a pivot post and pivot screw, when you tighten the screw, you're pinching the scales against the washers, which then pinch against the blade, so the more you tighten, the harder it is to open and close the blade. With the bushing, you can tighten as much as you want and it doesn't affect how much force it takes to open and close the blade.

Here's a pivot screw, pivot post, and pivot bushing...
SAM_7616.JPG SAM_7617.JPG
 
New to modern knives so I have to say that is an excellent post/explanation, and I THINK I know that blade.
The dyed thumbstud?
 
Thanks for the clarification Corey, it helped a lot. I think I see what the OP was getting at now, I imagine I'd like a consistent pivot tension from a bushing more than variable tension without.
 
Zombie411 said:
New to modern knives so I have to say that is an excellent post/explanation, and I THINK I know that blade.
The dyed thumbstud?
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It's a Sebenza. I've only been doing this knife thing for a few years, one of the designs you will learn to recognize the Sebenza :D never bought one, probably never will until I handle it first.
 
lieferung said:
Thanks for the clarification Corey, it helped a lot. I think I see what the OP was getting at now, I imagine I'd like a consistent pivot tension from a bushing more than variable tension without.
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So, in summary, it seems like the pivot bushing has little to no major drawbacks aside from cost, although it also seems that many knives seem to work perfectly well without the need of a pivot bushing. I, for one, have had a few folders without a pivot bushing that were essentially just as nice as my sebenza in terms of action, smoothness, brainless reassembly, and consistent centering.
The sebenza still feels a bit more solid and less finicky, however, and other companies that make production blades that have a lot of what a CRK has still do not feel quite as solid/reliable/bulletproof/insert term here.
Never spent a lot of time with a PM2--but I've heard they're inconsistent.
 
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