Null Raikou with Skiff Thick Washers

Zboson

Zboson

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All of my favorite knives run on washers. Substituting the factory stamped brass cup bearings in the Null Raikou with phosphor bronze Skiff Thick Washers makes the knife so very nice. Deploying the blade with a rolling motion works wonderfully with washers. But, my favorite and very satisfying way to deploy the blade on my Raikou is to use the detent to pop open the blade. That is just intoxicating.

The Skiff Cage Bearing size for the Raikou is 5mm pivot, 1/16 inch balls. The washer size is, not surprisingly, 5mm pivot, 1/16 inch thick washers.

If a knife has a thumb stud, it should be running on washers. Period.


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What do you mean by using the detent to pop open the blade? Flicking it open with the thumb stud? Seems bearings would be superior for that...

My only thumb stud knife besides CRKs is a BBK Raptor V2. It is running on Skiff bearings and I can't imagine switching it to washers. I would never slow roll it when it flies open and drops shut so satisfyingly with the bearings.
 
Ilikesharpstuff said:
What do you mean by using the detent to pop open the blade? Flicking it open with the thumb stud? Seems bearings would be superior for that...

My only thumb stud knife besides CRKs is a BBK Raptor V2. It is running on Skiff bearings and I can't imagine switching it to washers. I would never slow roll it when it flies open and drops shut so satisfyingly with the bearings.
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Yup. pop open = flicking it open with the thumb stud.
 
After replacing the bearings on the Drift LC to Skiff thick washers, I got the action that I prefer. Not to mention that washers are just a better fit for most of my knife uses. Has switching from bearings to washers solved a problem for me, not really. However, it's a nice reminder that a little tinkering can improve a knife to one's specific likes and or needs.
 
When you say "rolling motion" do you mean flicking it with your wrist? As in, not using the thumb stud at all? I have the bronze washers on an mbk knife of mine and the action is a bit stiff compared to my knives with bearings. Seems to be slowly breaking in though.
 
SwissHeritageCo said:
When you say "rolling motion" do you mean flicking it with your wrist? As in, not using the thumb stud at all? I have the bronze washers on an mbk knife of mine and the action is a bit stiff compared to my knives with bearings. Seems to be slowly breaking in though.
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rolling motion = deploying the blade using the thumb stud with a smooth, deliberate motion of the thumb
 
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SwissHeritageCo said:
When you say "rolling motion" do you mean flicking it with your wrist? As in, not using the thumb stud at all? I have the bronze washers on an mbk knife of mine and the action is a bit stiff compared to my knives with bearings. Seems to be slowly breaking in though.
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One thing that I did was give a little polish on a strop with a little green compound. Smoothed mine out just right!
 
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Bearings and blood don't really mesh well or any other messy thing that needs a slashing......Washers are better for a work environment where anything around could gum up the worx!!! Washers will go for a good while before needing to DE-SCHMEGMA it....
 
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Bearings are definitely not a fad and are here to stay, and I can't imagine hating them so much that you wish everyone was backed into a corner by your preference. While they may be slightly more susceptible to contamination I find it extremely exaggerated by the general knife public. I have never had a bearing knife get so gummed up that it was unusable, worst case scenario is the action slows down. Mine rarely need cleaning or maintenance and my daily work environment has very fine dust in the air at almost all times and everything is covered in it by the end of the day. The great thing about it is that both bearing and washer knives are widely available and aftermarket replacements are available for both. I own both bearing and washer knives, enjoy both, and almost never decide what is going in my pocket based upon the pivot construction. It's generally a non-issue.
 
TheOne45 said:
Do you have a valid technical reason or is this just personal preference?



I hope not because I prefer bearings.
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If a data source is not cited, you should assume that the person is expressing a personal opinion. And, as we know, everyone is entitled to their opinion.
 
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It’s just my own preference, I like the way washers feel compared to bearings.
Much prefer a fluid action like a sebenza over the popular drop shut free fall feeling.

I also dislike how gritty bearings get in a dirty environment, I work in an auto shop and particulates abound, it’s a very dusty building on top of that I get rust and debris all over myself as well as inside every pocket, washers deal with it much better than bearings do.

To me it’s a novelty and an answer to a problem that didn’t exist whilst creating another, but to each his own. I don’t expect most agree or else washers would be considered the premium option instead of bearings.
 
BJE said:
It’s just my own preference, I like the way washers feel compared to bearings.
Much prefer a fluid action like a sebenza over the popular drop shut free fall feeling.

I also dislike how gritty bearings get in a dirty environment, I work in an auto shop and particulates abound, it’s a very dusty building on top of that I get rust and debris all over myself as well as inside every pocket, washers deal with it much better than bearings do.

To me it’s a novelty and an answer to a problem that didn’t exist whilst creating another, but to each his own. I don’t expect most agree or else washers would be considered the premium option instead of bearings.
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It's always nice to hear different opinions and experiences.
I for example don't like to mess with washers. If I tighten the pivot screw too much I compromise the open/close action and if I don't squeeze the pivot screw enough there is a blade play.
On the other hand, with bearings I squeeze the pivot screw just enough to eliminate any clearance ... no blade play and OK open/close action.

One of my EDC knife has ceramic ball bearings so I don't lubricate them. Once in a while I blow the knife with 8bars compressed air if there is some potential dust or lint.
Otherwise I never had a problem with steel bearings being stuck on my other knives despite lubrication.
 
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I can't remember who it was, but someone tested bearings versus washers in dirty environments. Common wisdom is that washers are better in these situations because they're less likely to become fouled. The tester found that bearings were superior, because the knife could be restored to good working order by rinsing in water, while the washer knife required full disassembly.

I generally prefer the feel of a well-done washer knife, but it's harder for manufacturers to get a washer knife right, IMO.
 
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