Factory folders with the best action on washers?

Ones I have that are super smooth...

Les George VECP

Spyderco PM2

Certain Spyderco Military models (204P/Green G10)
 
Every CRK I've owned. However the older ones I've purchased used are smoother - probably because they've been opened/closed a thousand times. Others are Slysz Bowie, Three Sisters Forge Beast, Grayman Dua.
 
Some of the best I've had:

Les George VECP
Sebenza 21 (after being tuned)
Large Inkosi
Hinderer 3.5" XM18 (bronze washers added)
Slysz Bowie
Para 2 & 3

And yeah, basically all Benchmades. The axis lock changes the game.
 
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So far the smoothest action of all my knives is my Spyderco Gayle Bradley 2. That knife feels wondrous when opening, and after I relieved the access opening to close the knife it feels just as nice when closing. Since I have two GB2's (and 3 GB1's :), I made one of the GB2's into a shortened 3" Gentleman's folder with a sort of Sheepsfoot shaped tip and forward finger choil. (a GB3, perhaps?)

I opened up access to release the blade easier, and also around the Spydie Hole to give full access to the already smaller hole than on other Spydies.

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An uncoated clip I bought on ebay was shortened a little, and adjusted to a little lower profile because I needed to use the clip mounting holes near the pivot, since in shortening the grip to match the new blade length the back clip holes were removed. Here's the shorter clip next to the black stock one:
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Lately it's my most used knife, and most every day for lunch it cuts me grub like a razor! Cardboard feels like it's just paper! It cut really well with the factory hollow grind before I later thinned the blade thickness a little, and removed the hump behind the hollow grind area. Now it's a better "slicer" which was the plan, and very near a flat grind in profile with just a "hint" of the hollow grind remaining when I put a business card across the blade. Starting to get a nice patina on it now too! :)
 
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+1 For BM Griptillian. My wife makes me cringe when she not so carefully flicks it open and closed after I just put a dangerously sharp edge on it for her. I guess I have some PTSD from all the cuts I gave myself. Oddly enough, she has all her fingers, go figure.
 
Kershaw RAM
Spyderco Manix 2
ZT 0550
My de-assisted BDZ-1 Blur

All have phenomenal action!
 
A few Hinderer's I own have very smooth action, having washers. Even the Half-Track, as small as it is, flips quick and smooth.
 
colin.p said:
You'd better patent that, before Spyderco see's it.
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I'm 61 now,....with a lot on the table already,...so I'd love for Sal and Co. to see it, COPY it,....and offer it to all of you guys! (at a good price to boot! :-)

It just works so well at my day to day tasks,.....like cutting down boxes to fit it's I make and ship,.....and well,...slices through meat and veggies like crazy with little effort,....all the while looking great and feeling wonderful in hand.

The GB2 "action" in a 3" Sheepsfoot M4 blade ground thin in a flatter grind is a BIG Win!

Sal,...serve it up for all! :-)

cheers,
Joe T
 
Previous posters are quite right about use begetting smoothness in any washer knife. I like to polish pb washers too and find that greatly improves action. There's also, to my way of thinking, a difference between smoothness and freeness. To wit:

CRKs are wicked smooth but not very free. I take my Seb 21 washers down just a taste and change the lube making them free while maintaining their inherent smoothness.

On the other side of the equation are BMKs which, by nature of the AXIS lock, are extremely free while being hard to read for smoothness as they move so damn easily. My 550/555 pair are notably both, but most all my BMKs have great action. Most of them have been tuned up a little, but those bought just to have that don't much get used could use some love to elicit better action.

Most of my Teflon washered knives are very smooth with my Hinderers especially so. My XM24 used to free drop until I got the regrind from Josh at REK, lightening up the former giant Spanto considerably. My new lionSTEEL SR1 is incredibly smooth, having broken in after only a few openings. A tiny taste of TriFlow goes a long way for Teflon smoothness.

Almost all my Spydies were smooth right out of the box and broke in easily and quickly. My Para2s and Para3 are notably so and my fluted Ti Millie is ridiculous. Sage 1 is exceptional and my 2 Sage 3s may be the smoothest in my collection.

Two more to note are my Shiros on washers. My Hati took a lot of work to get it's action smooth and right and it nowhere near free drops. The Tabargan, with it's axis-like lock, is spectacularly smooth and free.
 
Dadpool said:
My ZT0350TS has lovely action. No free-drop, of course, but it has a crisp enough detent that I may try removing the torsion bar at some point.
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You should try that, @Dadpool . I de-assisted mine and changed out the backspacer for standoffs. It flipped really nicely and closed even better without that damn spring. It was a great little knife that I unfortunately sold in a purge of blades that weren't getting pocket time. I miss it now, but at least it went to a young guy that really wanted and appreciates it. There's probably another one of those in my future that I'll re-mod the same way.
 
CRKs, Hinderers & Golden Spydies are my faves. I did have a Shirogorov Hati on washers that was probably the smoothest, but I could not get myself to use it.
 
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