Upgrade Teflon to PB?

Hindererererer's default was always teflon until he went tri-way. They work. I will say though, that my best Hinderererers were an older gen xm-18and eklipse that i swapped aftermarket PBs into. After the break in, best actions of any hindererererers I've owned.
 
353 said:
Isn't this a knife only designed by Ray? Or is it a full on custom made knife?

I just don't get why he would use teflon.
Click to expand...
It’s a custom made by hand for sure and the model is designed by Ray. So yes!
 
  • Like
Reactions: 353
353 said:
Isn't this a knife only designed by Ray? Or is it a full on custom made knife?

I just don't get why he would use teflon.
Click to expand...
He also has production jasmine produced bu kizer and another company I believe. Those may be on PB or even Bearings
 
  • Like
Reactions: 353
Li Cai said:
He also has production jasmine produced bu kizer and another company I believe. Those may be on PB or even Bearings
Click to expand...

Still think it's a little weird that he put teflon in there, or was it built by another custom maker?
 
David Mary said:
I had a Cold Steel Voyager XL which had PB and teflon. I got it used, and noticed after owning if for a bit that the teflon washers had literally shredded inside. I had to make up the extra thickness with PB that I bought from a third party on the electronicBay. I had to grind them down a bit on the diamond plates first to get the thickness right.
Click to expand...
This right here. Shredding synthetic washers is why I don't like them on my knives. I think people don't realize that there is more to washer design than the coefficient of friction alone.

Side note: from what I can tell on the half dozen CS models I've replaced washers on, they seem to use a standard thickness (IIRC .005" thick each for Teflon and PB), so anyone wanting to do the swap can buy inexpensive sets of washers in a variety of sizes to do nearly any CS knife.
 
Hackenslash said:
Your first step should probably be to talk to the maker. There may be a reason for Ray's choice of materials.

I replaced some teflon caged bearings in an AD20.5 with some PB caged bearing washers from Skiff Made Blades. If you have some calipers you could make some very precise measurements and see if they have a direct replacement. As a heads-up, I didn't really notice much change in the action with the PB caged bearings.

Also, without a bearing race milled into the titanium with a SS insert, PB may wear more severely on the Titanium than teflon will.

Good luck!
Click to expand...
I think OP is referring to nylon washers and not nylon caged bearings. PB washers won't wear titanium in any appreciable way here.
 
marrenmiller said:
I think OP is referring to nylon washers and not nylon caged bearings. PB washers won't wear titanium in any appreciable way here.
Click to expand...
Correct they were on nylon/Teflon washers against frames, no washer grooves. Just friction. Like Sebenza.
 
Bronze phosphorous washers? I keep a few around ;).

Actually, I keep a wide assortment on hand (all BP washers below), various sizes and thicknesses (thicknesses from .005 to .020).

But here's something I recently discovered- I took apart my Cold Steel T-iLite 4 for a thorough cleaning, and even though the white (nylon) washers were still in good shape, I decided to replace them with BP washers, assuming it would be an improvement. It was not. To my surprise I found that the knife opened much smoother and easier with the nylon washers. So I put the nylon washers back in. This was the first time replacing non BP washers with BP didn't work out, and I've done several such replacements. Oddly, the Ti-Lite 6 comes with BP washers, and they work great.

On a side/related note, none of my inner diameter sized BP washers would work in the Ti-Lite 4. And I have 4 different inner diameters. I had to enlarge the inner diameters of a pair of BP washers to make them fit, 3/16" ID was a tad too small, and the next size up, 1/4" was way too big.

Sometimes the washers that come with a knife might be the ones that perform best.


Oi5jtPB.jpg
 
Thanks so much for the input!!! I will probably try some measuring next time I take it apart and see. I definitely will have no desire to upgrade if I need to change or customize a PB washer, unless there is a washer of the same size on mine available and ready to go.
 
Teflon washers work fine, just use a normal, thin oil on them. I had nothing but bad experience with “dry” lubricants as Tuf Glide, it literally locked one of my knives closed without being able to open the blade and I had to disassemble it, clean everything well and lube it with just some light gun oil… I personally prefer PB washers for number of reasons, well cleaned and polished, they’ll go a long way and the blade adjusts better IMO than if I have bearings. Also washers are less prone to dirt.
 
Knackered pivot bushings on a Boker Vox F3 I have in for sharpening. Had not planned disassembly, but when the pivot screw was only finger tight, could not resist a peek inside and a color change.

Any first hand experiences with this line/model switch from poly-bushings to PB-bushings ?

The existing are in such poor condition, no accurate measure of existing bushings.
4.9mm between scales at stop pin
3.9mm blade thickness
1.0mm gaps )both side of blade)
~0.5mm each bushing thickness


IMG_20220216_202400~2.jpg
 
Spey said:
Knackered pivot bushings on a Boker Vox F3 I have in for sharpening. Had not planned disassembly, but when the pivot screw was only finger tight, could not resist a peek inside and a color change.

Any first hand experiences with this line/model switch from poly-bushings to PB-bushings ?

The existing are in such poor condition, no accurate measure of existing bushings.
4.9mm between scales at stop pin
3.9mm blade thickness
1.0mm gaps )both side of blade)
~0.5mm each bushing thickness


View attachment 1752258
Click to expand...
dang! looking at your washers, no wonder why everyone including myself dont like teflon washers haha
 
  • Like
Reactions: 353
Bob Terzuola says PB washers attract dirt, that's why, at the time, he used nylatron on my ACTF. No need for lube.

How do you know it's Teflon? Not all white synthetic materials are teflon. There are difeerent kinds of teflon too. Teflon is not a specific product or chemical name.

If Ray Lacocino designed and built the knife, why not trust his decisions on the best materials? Are you a better cutler than Ray?

Plus you open it up and replace parts, you lower the value of your custom knife, unless you don't tell when you sell it.
 
brownshoe said:
Lubricant.
Click to expand...
Well, I’m not opposing what Bob Terzuola stating, but I run my PB washers almost dry and so tight that not only can’t imagine something will get between them and blade or liner, I just never seen my washers very dirty…
Maybe on a long run ? I’ve seen those developing oxidation but not really getting dirty.
 
  • Like
Reactions: 353
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top