In the precision machine world, gibs (ways), or in laymen's terms, slides on a machine are often hand ground with a pattern of small, shallow oil grooves, either random or in a cross-pattern.
The grooves aren't ground to the point where they touch each other, only so that they create low spots for oil and debris to collect.
Not only do they serve the purpose of improving lubrication, they also reduce the surface area of the bearing surface, while not reducing its dimensional area. This means for a given size, you get less friction. This means you can tighten the action of the slides more while still maintaining easy movement.
I feel the same would work for the bronze washers found in knives. One could grind a small oil groove pattern with a dremel or a file, and most likely drastically improve the action of the knife, both in ease of opening, and tightness of joint.
Additionally, the grooves would catch debris that normally could become stuck between the blade/frame and bearing, causing friction and possibly even damaging the surfaces. This means you are much less likely to get a gritty feeling action if your knife is exposed to particulates.
The grooves trap oil as well, and so for a given oiling, allow the joint to maintain lubrication for a longer period.
Has anyone seen this implemented in knives? I feel that it could be a huge improvement in the function of the bronze washers that are currently being used.
The grooves aren't ground to the point where they touch each other, only so that they create low spots for oil and debris to collect.
Not only do they serve the purpose of improving lubrication, they also reduce the surface area of the bearing surface, while not reducing its dimensional area. This means for a given size, you get less friction. This means you can tighten the action of the slides more while still maintaining easy movement.
I feel the same would work for the bronze washers found in knives. One could grind a small oil groove pattern with a dremel or a file, and most likely drastically improve the action of the knife, both in ease of opening, and tightness of joint.
Additionally, the grooves would catch debris that normally could become stuck between the blade/frame and bearing, causing friction and possibly even damaging the surfaces. This means you are much less likely to get a gritty feeling action if your knife is exposed to particulates.
The grooves trap oil as well, and so for a given oiling, allow the joint to maintain lubrication for a longer period.
Has anyone seen this implemented in knives? I feel that it could be a huge improvement in the function of the bronze washers that are currently being used.
