Rolling detent balls

CPP

CPP

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Sep 8, 2014
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My question is, does the detent ball roll on most production knives roll as it moves along the blade while opening and closing? The Hoback Roller Detent System does, of course, roll which leads me to assume most other knives do not. Jake Hoback addresses this surface friction on his website.

I have taken apart most of my knives for the purpose of maintenance. Recently, I took apart ZT0562 after noticing some drag apparently from the detent ball causing friction against the blade while opening. I took apart the the internal lockbar stabilizer/detent construction to remove the gunk I noticed having accumulated there. I did not remove the ball itself but I did lubricate it after cleaning the area. Now it flips beautifully without any friction sensation. In this case, cleaning and lubing the detent ball apparently worked, but I also cleaned and lubed the pivot. Does that mean the detent ball rolls?

The Lionsteel G10 TRE has a reputation of needing a wrist flick to make flip open, although this is not necessarily a significant detractor from an otherwise stellar knife. It began exhibiting the same drag sensation and I took it apart including the lockbar stabilizer–again, without even trying to remove the ball itself. I cleaned and lubed it and reassembled it. The same problem persists, although if I continue to fidget with the pivot perhaps it will improve. Could this be at all related to detent ball being a rolling one and being obstructed from doing so?
 
Most detent balls are pressed in bearings, steel or ceramic. They drill a small hole and a ball bearing is pressed into the hole to a specific depth.
If you ever need to clean around the detent ball again, just take a paper towel, fold it up, and run it back and forth in between the handle of the open knife aiming the paper towel towards the detent. Or use a air compressor and a blow gun. Sometimes the bearings around the pivot can get gunked up too, they make freeze/lock up. If a compressor blow gun doesn't fix that, you may have to take the knife apart. I have had to do that a few times. That is the one downside to bearing pivots, they will freeze up if they get real dirty. if they do freeze up, as you run the knife back and forth, through its open and closed position two handed, back and forth, you can feel it, kind of bumpy feeling, or just difficult resistance. If you oil the pivot, use very thin lubricant.
 
The bearing pivot problem is usually caged bearings. The TRE it says has IKBS bearings, which are uncaged. I guess they could get gunked up too, not sure. Oh, and the TRE does not have a rolling detent.
 
Roll where?

I know ball bearings spin in place, either on its little cubby slot, or in the cage.
 
Roll on the floor if you drop them !!
Ball bearings and roller bearings -- the balls and rollers will be damaged if they do not roll !!
 
As far as I understand, the detent ball is simply press fit into a hole slightly smaller than the ball. If it were able to roll, it would simply fall out. Furthermore, you would have the wear distributed much more evenly and likely wouldn't ever have a worn out detent ball. So no, it does not roll. Supposedly the HRD rectifies this "problem", although I personally don't like how it feels and functions.
 
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