Replacing knife pivots

[mreeveshp]

I have been going back and forth on whether or not to change my non assisted.or non automatics and replace with ball bearing especially on my spyderco with the Emerson wave to make it easier to open when using the wave. And also replace the pivots on other knives.
Right now, I'm thinking just replace the pivots on my manual, but if you all think it would be a good idea to replace them on my assisted or automatic.
Right now, I have been using shooteds lube to keep the pivots as oiled as possible without taking them apart, just using the long needle tip
So I was wondering what websites might have then and are also reliable.

Thanks in advance,
Mreeveshp

 

[Swp321]

So depending on the Spyderco model you have , in which I believe a large portion come with washers and aren’t milled with bearing pockets.

You do not have to constantly lube the pivot, a little drop on the pivot should suffice.

And what are trying to achieve replacing pivots on autos or assisted?

 

[Vlade]

I don't think that I personally would attempt to change the bearing system on any of my knives. Especially my self-assisted and fully auto knives. I just oil pivot once in awhile. Depending on how much I used the knife in question, I'll tear it down and clean it usually every 3 months of use.

 

[Alberta Ed]

That would seem to require pretty advanced machining skills and equipment. You might try a different lube and see if that makes a difference first -- I have used BreakFree CLP for decades.

 

[mreeveshp]

My autos and assisted all fire fine, and out of my manual ones the spyderco is the only one that doesn't feel quite as smooth but I'm guessing it just needs to be taken apart and cleaned since it's the only one I carry every day. Using the shooters lube helped a lot but I started kind of wondering about changing pivots when I read a few posts on another forum, a few on reddit, and saw a video on "things to upgrade on your knife". So it just got me wondering what the people on here thought about it. Just from the other things I've read and the videos I saw I thought it was a normal upgrade but if it's not recommended I'll just stick to oiling them

 

[TheOne45]

I don't get it.
The title says ''replacing pivots'' but looks like you would like to replace washers with bearings.
It could be done. All you need is find a toolshop with a milling machine.

 

[mreeveshp]

I don't get it.
The title says ''replacing pivots'' but looks like you would like to replace washers with bearings.
It could be done. All you need is find a toolshop with a milling machine.

I was going by what people in videos, other forums, and reddit was saying but once I talked to people here I realized it's not something most people do so I will be sticking to shooters lube on the pivots and I definitely don't want anyone milling my knife

 

[TheOne45]

I realized it's not something most people do

Well; most people don't do anything because they don't know what can be done and how to do it.

so I will be sticking to shooters lube on the pivots and I definitely don't want anyone milling my knife

You can't make omelette without breaking eggs.
It can be done but if you don't want to do it it's fine. You asked and I answered. That's it.
I personally only buy EDC knives with bearings (besides Opinels). I don't like washers.
If there was a knife I would desperately want but with washers I would replaced them with bearings.

By the way, I would just use old fashion oil to lube my pivots.
I use special grease to lube ball bearings on my knives... the grease we use at work to lube linear guides.