Riddle me this: lock bar play and blade lubricants

T

Tseg

Joined
Aug 25, 2018
Messages
265
I recently got a new ball bearing flipper. The blade locks fine with no play but if I have little to no bearing lubricant in the knife the lock bar is “micro-loose”, ie, if I gently tap it, it will make noise and I can push it in slightly further with pressure. But if I put in bearing grease the knife locks up solidly like a tank. It’s the darndest thing and I can’t splain it. Long boring story how I uncovered all the above. Needless to say, I’m using it with bearing grease and it is working fine.

Anyone seen anything like it? Shirogorov NeOn Zero.
 
Maybe it's got a small burr its catching on when dry and the addition of any lubricant is enough to let it slip over it? Beats me
 
Sounds like your carbide insert is wearing in a little bit. I’m kind of mirroring what Kaibab270 said, you may have a small burr or rough spot the lock bar is hanging on.
 
Perhaps when the lubricant is in it cusions the hard materials so there is no tap sound. You described very little play without the lubricant. Sounds like the lube is the perfect consistency to tighten the already negligable play.
 
Not too surprising. Normally if you get lube on the lock face of a liner or frame lock knife it can cause some major lock stick. So if you start with a lock that isn't engaging properly, it might make it work more "normally" when lubed.

Either way you should send it in for warranty.
 
It sounds like the grease is just letting the lockbar travel slightly further on the lockface. There's no need to send it back. If it's a new/unused knife, just let it break in and it should fix itself. Most knives have a break in period.
 
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