Thoughts on bearings and washers

[Justin Schmidt]

Just overall in a framelock or liner lock flipper which do you prefer and why. I see alot of rave about bearings but CRK uses phosfur bronze washers and the hinderer is teflon washers. So what are your thoughts I personally think the detent ball may have more to do with ease of opening. And go

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Too subjective, I'll pass...

 

[Justin Schmidt]

Too subjective, I'll pass...

What do you mean too subjective?

 

[The Aflac Duck]

What do you mean too subjective?

This subject is subjective and is subject to subjectivity.

 

[Justin Schmidt]

Unless it's a subject that is unsubjective due to non bias point of view of said subject in question.

 

[PuddleMonkey]

My solution is to buy all of them... repeatedly.

 

[the-swexan]

My solution is to buy all of them... repeatedly.

ill second that. i have many of the above and have washers that work well and bearings that work poorly.right now in my pocket is a washerless/ bearingless framelock that opens smooth as glass and locks up like a safe what iam saying is that good and bad exist in all configurations

 

[marthinus]

Properly made washers or bearing knives are difficult to make. Each comes with their own challenges. People think it is just dropping a washer or bearing/loose balls in a groove. Far from that. Making a perfectly flat washer or a bearing race that will not develop blade play over time takes skill.

 

[Justin Schmidt]

ill second that. i have many of the above and have washers that work well and bearings that work poorly.right now in my pocket is a washerless/ bearingless framelock that opens smooth as glass and locks up like a safe what iam saying is that good and bad exist in all configurations

What's in there??

Marthinus I completely understand that. It's alot of math and good machining to make knives function properly.

 

[wilsonj1018]

Personally I've had better experiences with washers than bearings, so in turn I prefer washers.

 

[Justin Schmidt]

Personally I've had better experiences with washers than bearings, so in turn I prefer washers.

Do you have a preference as to what kind of washers? Teflon or phosfur bronze? Type of bearings may be an issue with some knives though.

 

[wilsonj1018]

Pb, if a knife has teflon I either won't buy it, or I'll swap em before it goes in my pocket.

 

[HowAmI]

I'll take Ceramic IKBS in my knife over washers anyday!

 

[NJBillK]

I think bearings and washers are overkill. Make a choice and use one or the other, not both...


Washers are on more knives of mine than bearings.

 

[Jhansenak47]

I have used Teflon washers, bronze washers, switched Teflon for bronze, and you know what I found out, they both work. A lot of people claim bronze washers are better, but in real life it hasn't made much of a difference to me.

 

[Justin Schmidt]

I have used Teflon washers, bronze washers, switched Teflon for bronze, and you know what I found out, they both work. A lot of people claim bronze washers are better, but in real life it hasn't made much of a difference to me.

Really now? Alot of people claim the teflon won't hold up.

 

[jpm2]

Maybe it depends on the knife, how well it's made, quality of washers, etc.
I have one with teflon washers used every day for 15+ years in some very harsh, nasty environments (salt, sand, dust, acids, alkalis', oils, and who knows what else) .
Even though still all original, it remains one of the smoothest and tightest I own.

Every thread needs pictures.

I thought about replacing the teflons with bronze, but afraid they won't hold up.

 

[wilsonj1018]

Sorry to inform you jpm2, but those aren't teflon. They are indeed a very dense polymer in the nylon family. Benchmade has since went to phosphor bronze, if you were to send it in they would replace them for pb washers.

 

[mqqn]

I prefer a well designed bearing system because, in my experience, it makes for a smoother operating knife and I like a smooth operating knife.

Teflon washers are just fine and wear well in my experience. The main problem I have had with teflon washers was that they are easily damaged when re-assembling a knife, not the washer's fault of course.

Bronze washers were the norm before bearing systems started overtaking the market and they still do the job with little fanfare.

There are folks who prefer things the way they were in the good old days, and nothing wrong with that. I prefer what I consider to be the advancement in smooth operation that bearings bring to the table.

best

mqqn

 

[jpm2]

Sorry to inform you jpm2, but those aren't teflon. They are indeed a very dense polymer in the nylon family. Benchmade has since went to phosphor bronze, if you were to send it in they would replace them for pb washers.

No need for sorry, thanks for the info. So maybe teflon doesn't hold up as well as polymer?

Anyway, I wonder how bronze would have held up to what this knife has been exposed to.
I'm fairly positive bearings would get trashed in no time, unless they were completely sealed.