Shamwari - phospher washers - what lube?

[kilogolf65]

I've picked up a 3" Shamwari recently and eventually took it a part to clean and lube it. I used my CRK grease sparingly when I reassembled it. I also found that I needed to tighten it pretty good so that it had no blade play and was centered better. But it's hard to flip it open with my thumb. Actually wore my thumb out. I know there's a bit of a learning curve to get the front flip to work, but it just seems a bit stiffer than it should be and that makes it hard to front flip open.

So, I'm wondering if there'd be a better or perhaps thinner lube to use rather than the CRK stuff. I've got some CRKs and only use it on them. Works fine but I typically don't flip them open or expect flipping action out of them like I would the Shamwari.

Lastly, this Shamwari has 3 washers. One each side of the blade and there was another under the colored pivot on the lock side. I assume that's normal.

Thoughts, suggestions?

 

[hookahhabib]

Nano oil works great on my knives, and almost all run on PB washers. 10 weight is the standard, but with the situation you're describing, I'd be interested to see how the 5 weight works out.

Probably wouldn't recommend the CRK grease as that must be pretty viscous stuff...

 

[Mo2]

Nano oil is snake oil. It's just mineral oil that's super expensive.
You also don't need to put more than a very thin film of whatever lube you choose.
And lastly the action is typically dictated by the detent. So as long as the pivot isn't too tight and lockbar tension not too tight action should be good. The lube in the pivot is primarily to keep out dust (oil attracts dust) and protect the steel from corrosion.
For oil in pivots I always take the knife apart and apply the oil with a cotton q tip. It gives it a very light film. Then I follow the detent line with it too, make a thin layer for the detent to glide on. In any case this thin layer provides better lubricity and doesn't matter what weight oil you pick. It also attracts less dust.

Crk lube is Teflon, it's slick the blade glides on it. You may have applied too much? Could be the pivot is too tight regardless of lube. Maybe it was built with blade play in it or needs new washers.

 

[Wowbagger]

Mineral oil = machine oil = motor oil
but same as this Starrett instrument oil (it is just super light) = just the thing for my knives.


For your perusal the main bearings in your automobile are basically the same kind of stuff as your washers in your knife. They are plated when new but you can see in the illustration and in the photo of the worn bearings the copper alloy.



In this photo the round holes in the smooth barrel shaped areas is where the crescent shaped bearing halves fit. From there mineral oil is pumped through the round holes and shoots out between the crescent shaped parts that fit very closely. (this is called an "oil wedge bearing"). Not in your knife just in the engine shown.


Use just a fraction of a drop to keep the attraction to dirt low.

 

[kilogolf65]

Repair by disassembly !!! So I took it apart, wiped everything down and made sure it was clean. I don't have any nano oil but I did have some Break Free cleaner lube I use for guns. I put a light film of that on the pivot and between the washers and blade. Tried to go light on the oil. I think that did the trick. Got it back together, tightened just enough to make sure there is no blade play and voila, blade is centered and I can flip it open. My technique may be getting better as well but I think the lighter weight oil helps. CRK grease is good but perhaps a bit to viscous for this application.

 

[Lapedog]

I've picked up a 3" Shamwari recently and eventually took it a part to clean and lube it. I used my CRK grease sparingly when I reassembled it. I also found that I needed to tighten it pretty good so that it had no blade play and was centered better. But it's hard to flip it open with my thumb. Actually wore my thumb out. I know there's a bit of a learning curve to get the front flip to work, but it just seems a bit stiffer than it should be and that makes it hard to front flip open.

So, I'm wondering if there'd be a better or perhaps thinner lube to use rather than the CRK stuff. I've got some CRKs and only use it on them. Works fine but I typically don't flip them open or expect flipping action out of them like I would the Shamwari.

Lastly, this Shamwari has 3 washers. One each side of the blade and there was another under the colored pivot on the lock side. I assume that's normal.

Thoughts, suggestions?

The shamwari has been made in several different versions. Mine doesn’t have a washer under the pivot collar but that doesn’t mean yours isn’t supposed to.

I find 10 weight nano oil works best for flipping mine (also a pb washer model) and if possible to get it centred with yours I leave the screw not completely tightened down. On mine I leave the pivot screw just a hair from fully tightened.

Not sure if yours is like mine with the stop pin screw screws you can see on either side of the scale but if it is loosening this screw on the presentation (opposite of lock) side just a tiny hair can make the action way freer.

Also as the jimping is quite sharp the knife will shred your thumb abit until you get your flipping technique down and develop some calluses.

Here is the three techniques I find work the best. You can alternate between them because that jimping will cheese grater one surface so sometimes its nice to switch to another, especially while you are developing calluses.

Using the pad of your thumb just put it on the very corner of the flipper and kind of go straight horizontally over the top of the pivot.

Using the side of your thumb you kind of go up and over the pivot diagonally. It is way easier if you make sure you are applying pressure on the side of the pivot closer to the front side (blade side) of the scale rather than just in line with the pivot or worse starting from below the pivot (closer to the butt of the knife)

Finally i actually find it easiest with the shamwari to use the side of your index finger to flick it open. Once again make sure you are applying pressure on the side of the pivot opposite the butt of the knife.

 

[kilogolf65]

Here is mine. I didn't think about using my forefinger. I was able to open it that way but it'll take some practice to get it down.