Washers on frame lock folders.

sjhong

sjhong

Joined
Jan 28, 2010
Messages
299
Quick question on frame lock folders like the Sebenza, Umnumzaan, XM-18 and Strider: to which part do the washers on those knives "attach" to, to the blade or to the frame?

Or, maybe better formulated, to which side of the washers should I apply lubricant (should I want to use one), between the washer and the blade or between the washer and the frame?

Thanks.
 
sjhong said:
I was under the impression that the washer was supposed to spin with one side, either the blade or the frame.
Click to expand...

The washers may or may not move from time to time. Its no big deal either way. The washers are simply a smoother surface to allow the blade to rotate on. Titanium has a tendency to feel gritty and stick to dissimilar metals and itself. While many knives today whether made of stainless or titanium sport washers, many others of stainless steel that has been polished up do not. I have many knives from the old days that were brass or stainless and no washers were used at all. This is due to the fact that the knives are smooth and the surfaces they rub against wore in and smoothed out over time just like washers do. Lube both sides sparingly. You don't want to create a lint trap. You just want to let the blade glide on a thin film and it will spread it out in time on its own.

If the washers spin or not doesn't make any diff. The blade is the part that will be moving the most and as long as the washers are there to space that gap between the blade and the ti sides thats all that matters. Well, other than the fact that the washers have to be installed correctly. On the Sebenza they fit precisely and many times people get that pivot bushing situated where its sitting on top of a washer instead of the washer stradling the bushing on each side of the blade.

So put the bushing on first and then put the smaller washer down so its flat. Then place the blade down over the bushing holding the blade flat up against that washer so the blade does not lift back up. With some grease on that washer it will stick to the blade if you lift up the blade at all and that can dislodge your washer bushing connection and make it incorrect. So while holding that blade down stick the other washer on so its correctly stradling the bushing and when done the washer and bushing should look flush. Now once you know thats correctly done for the bushing in the pivot and the washers you can place the non lock side of the sides on and tighten the pivot. Once that is tight, install the other two screws and its done and should be good to go if you did your work right. IF there is side to side play or the blade feels other than the way it did when new you may have allowed the washer to unseat from proper position.

STR
 
STR said:
The washers may or may not move from time to time. Its no big deal either way. The washers are simply a smoother surface to allow the blade to rotate on. Titanium has a tendency to feel gritty and stick to dissimilar metals and itself. While many knives today whether made of stainless or titanium sport washers, many others of stainless steel that has been polished up do not. I have many knives from the old days that were brass or stainless and no washers were used at all. This is due to the fact that the knives are smooth and the surfaces they rub against wore in and smoothed out over time just like washers do. Lube both sides sparingly. You don't want to create a lint trap. You just want to let the blade glide on a thin film and it will spread it out in time on its own.

If the washers spin or not doesn't make any diff. The blade is the part that will be moving the most and as long as the washers are there to space that gap between the blade and the ti sides thats all that matters. Well, other than the fact that the washers have to be installed correctly. On the Sebenza they fit precisely and many times people get that pivot bushing situated where its sitting on top of a washer instead of the washer stradling the bushing on each side of the blade.

So put the bushing on first and then put the smaller washer down so its flat. Then place the blade down over the bushing holding the blade flat up against that washer so the blade does not lift back up. With some grease on that washer it will stick to the blade if you lift up the blade at all and that can dislodge your washer bushing connection and make it incorrect. So while holding that blade down stick the other washer on so its correctly stradling the bushing and when done the washer and bushing should look flush. Now once you know thats correctly done for the bushing in the pivot and the washers you can place the non lock side of the sides on and tighten the pivot. Once that is tight, install the other two screws and its done and should be good to go if you did your work right. IF there is side to side play or the blade feels other than the way it did when new you may have allowed the washer to unseat from proper position.

STR
Click to expand...

Great! Thanks a bunch!
 
temp9 said:
Why not lubricate both sides of the washer?
Click to expand...

That's how I do it. I don't think it makes a difference whether the washers "stick" to the frame and rub against the blade or "stick" to the blade and rub against the frame. And either way, the washers are going to end up "choosing" one or the other to stick to (unless by some miracle, it sticks to neither and stays in place when opening and closing a la ball-on-hill metastable situation).
 
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