Polishing cream to improve action on washers?

mitchnola

mitchnola

Gold Member
Joined
Feb 14, 2023
Messages
3,058
This may be a dumb question/idea but just something I’ve been thinking about. And maybe it’s even been done before or discussed but if you were to use polishing cream instead of lube on a pb washer knife and then fidget with it for a while would it polish/smooth out the washers and contact area with the scales resulting in a ultra smooth action once reassembled with lube?
 
That “polishing” cream is also gonna polish the blade, scales and possibly pivot hole if it gets in there. Just a thought.
 
mitchnola said:
So would removing to much material potentially cause problems like blade play?
Click to expand...
I doubt you could take any significant amount off in a lifetime to make much noticeable difference, short of making it your full time job and life's work to work that action.

The thing to remember with bronze washers is they will QUICKLY wear to whatever finish the mating surface is....probably in just a few opening/closing cycles.

You could probably, in theory, do it enough to improve the finish on standard mating surfaces but you'd need to keep replacing the washers (and possibly pivot pin) until you got the finish you desired. Then use new washers and pivot pin.

But you might find out it was only marginally better after all that, if at all. Probably the juice isn't worth the squeeze.
 
What got me thinking this was I’ve seen it discussed before regarding crks of not breaking them down and cleaning because dust/dirt particles that find their way into the pivot/washers assist with breaking the knife in. It may take years but supposedly you end up with a smoother knife long term than if it’s being cleaned regularly.

Don’t know if true but I have gotten a v1 vecp that was never broken down and cleaned for more than 10 years. I took it apart, cleaned and lubed and it’s probably the smoothest knife I have. Feels better than bearings.

So that lead me to thinking about breaking a knife in with polishing or even buffing cream. Just something I’ve been thinking about not necessarily actually doing.
 
Not a bad idea. I could see how it could wear the softer washers more. I've been considering pulling washer knives apart and using a dremel with felt cylinder tip and Flitz polish to polish the blades pivot area to a mirror polish then maybe polish the washers a little on a strop then clean and reassemble
 
elevator man said:
Not a bad idea. I could see how it could wear the softer washers more. I've been considering pulling washer knives apart and using a dremel with felt cylinder tip and Flitz polish to polish the blades pivot area to a mirror polish then maybe polish the washers a little on a strop then clean and reassemble
Click to expand...
I really don’t have any knives that need it. I do have one that could be better but it’s not like it’s terrible and not sure I want to try it and end up screwing it up.
 
That's kinda where I am. I'd been thinking about it but the knife i was thinking about has really smoothed out in the last month or so. Not sure it's worth my time. Now the next knife i get, maybe I'll just tear it open on day one and do it while I can justify my time invested
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top