IKBS, "thrust bearings", etc.. worth it?

[monger4142]

I've never had my hands on a knife with IKBS or something similar, and the good old phosphorous bronze washer can make a knife super smooth. Also the simplicity of the bronze washer means it has to be the more reliable choice in the long run.

so what do you guys think? IKBS worth the extra money? less reliable or the same?

 

[motts]

IKBS can make a knife open super quick and fire like a rocket. I, however, do not like it. I had one flipper with an IKBS system. Sometimes it opened great, and other times, it would not open completely. Sometimes it just felt "gritty" to me when opening it. So, I guess in my mind, it seems less reliable. Also, using the flipper was the only way to open the knife. If you have a spyder or strider hole, or even a thumb stud, it just seems a bit more versatile to me.

 

[neuron]

For me, it depends on the opening mechanism. For a flipper, yes, I'm a big fan of bearing pivots. For a knife with a thumb stud/hole/etc., I don't really care.

Also depends on the particular bearing system. Even though IKBS has quite a few fans and is the most well-known, I'd take something like Darrel Ralph's Maxx Glide system or Kershaw's KVT over IKBS in a heartbeat.