Thoughts on bearings and washers

thank you everyone for your feedback. The reason I tend to ask alot if questions on here is because I'm a new maker and I'm wanting as much input as possible. Knowledge is power after all
 
valknut said:
thank you everyone for your feedback. The reason I tend to ask alot if questions on here is because I'm a new maker and I'm wanting as much input as possible. Knowledge is power after all
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Go to a library and see if they can get you Bob Terzuola's book. "Tactical Folding Knife: A Study of the Anatomy and Construction of the Liner-Locked Folder". Knowledge is power, but reading a book that coves considerable amount of detail with regards to design and construction will give you a great base to work from.
 
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marthinus said:
Go to a library and see if they can get you Bob Terzuola's book. "Tactical Folding Knife: A Study of the Anatomy and Construction of the Liner-Locked Folder". Knowledge is power, but reading a book that coves considerable amount of detail with regards to design and construction will give you a great base to work from.
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I've heard of that book I'll definitely have to check it out. Thank you. I really like getting feedback from the users to get what they want kinda thing
 
jpm2 said:
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.
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I would believe washers would be still fine as is the nylon. Teflon tends to deform quite easily. No doubt bearings would probably be in pretty rough shape unless maintained. my personal experience with bearings, is they don't like pocket lint, sand, any other small grit such as metal filings. Had to clean that knife every month or two it was still smooth but gritty. I stick to pb washers because they work for me no matter how nasty my knife may get in use.
 
I prefer washers because they work fine for me and tolerate contamination better than ball/roller bearings. Washers also present fewer hiding places for grit, therefore easier to keep clean.
 
valknut said:
I've heard of that book I'll definitely have to check it out. Thank you. I really like getting feedback from the users to get what they want kinda thing
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You will get as many opinions as there are people in the world. There is no final consensus on anything related to knives as people have personal preferences. As Sal Glesser says, "All good, just different".
 
wilsonj1018 said:
I would believe washers would be still fine as is the nylon. Teflon tends to deform quite easily. No doubt bearings would probably be in pretty rough shape unless maintained. my personal experience with bearings, is they don't like pocket lint, sand, any other small grit such as metal filings. Had to clean that knife every month or two it was still smooth but gritty. I stick to pb washers because they work for me no matter how nasty my knife may get in use.
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I guess nylon is mostly impervious to corrosive materials. The knife above has had stuff on it that eats leather gloves and chemically burns your skin.
I think bearings would also limit width of the pivot/tang area.
Are there and knives that use sealed bearings?
 
jpm2 said:
Are there and knives that use sealed bearings?
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ZT 500Mudd does.
I think G&G Hawk have a moder that does as well. Fwiw, the 500 is a G&G design iirc.
 
jpm2 said:
I guess nylon is mostly impervious to corrosive materials. The knife above has had stuff on it that eats leather gloves and chemically burns your skin.
I think bearings would also limit width of the pivot/tang area.
Are there and knives that use sealed bearings?
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Brian Tighe used sealed thrust bearings on some of his customs, Mike Vagnino ABS MS uses sealed bearings, there are quite a few others. A properly designed IKBS bearing system is relatively easy to keep clean. I carried a Tom Mayo Dr Death Jr IKBS (Ikoma Korth Bearing System) flipper for six years and all I ever did was shoot some WD-40 in it and give it a good shot of compressed air. Try this link for more info http://ikbsknifetech.com they torture test the system pretty well. There are many others that use bearings but some seem to stray from the IKBS for some reason or another.

Sometimes more complicated is not better. Of course if a person works in very dirty environments I'm not sure any bearing system will be the best choice. The Nylatron washers are pretty tough, about the only time I've seen any real issues is when folks are disassembling and re-assembling their folders and pinching the washers.
 
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jpm2 said:
I guess nylon is mostly impervious to corrosive materials. The knife above has had stuff on it that eats leather gloves and chemically burns your skin.
I think bearings would also limit width of the pivot/tang area.
Are there and knives that use sealed bearings?
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That's the type of bearing system.I'm talking about is sealed bearings not ikbs not a fan of loose bearings. I really need to learn to clarify what I'm asking lol PB washers or SEALED bearings. My bad
 
It sounds like sealed bearings aren't very common.
I wonder if the total width of the pivot area can be kept under 0.5" with say, .1-.125" blade thickness.

Another thought, I have several blades that are capable of swinging freely unlocked with no play when locked or folded. I know a lot of people like this, but not me. I prefer just enough resistance for the blade to stay put unlocked with just a slight shake to move it. Can knives with bearings be adjusted this way?
 
For washers I have found the ones Emerson uses to be the smoothest (Nytralon, I believe), followed by Teflon, then PB, and nylon in last. Flickability, however, runs a different order in my experience, with PB and Teflon being the best to flip/flick open, followed by Nytralon then nylon. Oil thickness doesn't matter quite as much as friction coefficient. I have had equal performance from thick and thin oil, but most washers have to be ran with oil.

With bearings, ceramic is smoother than steel, and more bearings seems to up smoothness. Caged is easier to maintain, but loose can better performance if made just right. Thin oil is best for bearings, but depending on the design some can be ran dry. I prefer a thin oil to dry, but that is personal preference.
 
jpm2 said:
It sounds like sealed bearings aren't very common.
I wonder if the total width of the pivot area can be kept under 0.5" with say, .1-.125" blade thickness.

Another thought, I have several blades that are capable of swinging freely unlocked with no play when locked or folded. I know a lot of people like this, but not me. I prefer just enough resistance for the blade to stay put unlocked with just a slight shake to move it. Can knives with bearings be adjusted this way?
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Alpha knife supply which has the greatest supply of folder parts specifically made for them says their bearings for a .187 pivot are .384 know Dia. So yeah you can keep it under. 5 width it would just be tight with not alot of meat
 
valknut said:
Alpha knife supply which has the greatest supply of folder parts specifically made for them says their bearings for a .187 pivot are .384 know Dia. So yeah you can keep it under. 5 width it would just be tight with not alot of meat
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Just to make sure we're on the same page, I mean side to side width, nothing to do with diameter.
Example: Blade width+(bearing widthx2)+(liner widthx2)+(handle scale widthx2)=total width.
 
Terzuola uses nylatron. Says they do not need lubrication, thus they do not attract dust and dirt.
 
Also not a fan of bearings. My knives get used pretty hard and my bearing knives seem to loose there smoothness real fast compared to others. I gave my farmer cousin a ZT 0562 and was checking it out and it too was gritty feeling. Granted he doesn't pamper his knives or even maintain them other than rinse off every now and then. Not a fault of bearings but they need more maintanence than others it seems.
 
cut it out said:
Also not a fan of bearings. My knives get used pretty hard and my bearing knives seem to loose there smoothness real fast compared to others. I gave my farmer cousin a ZT 0562 and was checking it out and it too was gritty feeling. Granted he doesn't pamper his knives or even maintain them other than rinse off every now and then. Not a fault of bearings but they need more maintanence than others it seems.
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Sounds like he does not need a folder. Unless you have a MUDD, the folder will require maintenance in the form of cleaning and lubing. Fixed blades simply need wiped down, not be left wet, and be sharpened as needed.
 
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