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Washers
- Thread starter chocomoco
- Start date
- Joined
- Feb 2, 2005
- Messages
- 4,271
Nylon is used on some folders, but it's reported that they wear more quickly than PB bushings. Most people use a bit of lube if they have an issue with the action. A few have d/a the knives that can be d/a and polished the PB bushings. Then they lube them lightly before r/a the knife.
If you check some of the knife parts companies, I think you'll find that they offer both PB and nylon bushings in various sizes.
If you check some of the knife parts companies, I think you'll find that they offer both PB and nylon bushings in various sizes.
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2005
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- 1,993
First off, welcome to Bladeforums.
Eventually yes, but realistically, most people will lose/break/sell/retire the knife long before the washers wear out
. The nylon washers wear a little faster, depending on the material and quality of them.
Teflon or Nylon washers are the smoothest, but the wear the fastest. Stainless steel washers last the longest, but are typically the roughest(rough being a relative term here, SS washers are by no means rough). Phosphor bronze washers are in the middle in regards to both longevity and friction.
A second note, the more polished the washers, the smoother, and longer lasting, they will be.
A highly polished PB washer will last a LONG time, and be buttery smooth.
chocomoco said:
Eventually yes, but realistically, most people will lose/break/sell/retire the knife long before the washers wear out
. The nylon washers wear a little faster, depending on the material and quality of them.chocomoco said:
Teflon or Nylon washers are the smoothest, but the wear the fastest. Stainless steel washers last the longest, but are typically the roughest(rough being a relative term here, SS washers are by no means rough). Phosphor bronze washers are in the middle in regards to both longevity and friction.
A second note, the more polished the washers, the smoother, and longer lasting, they will be.
A highly polished PB washer will last a LONG time, and be buttery smooth.
- Joined
- Apr 27, 2003
- Messages
- 5,738
Scott, wouldn't the smoothness of the blade tang be equally, or even more, important since it is the harder of the two? It's always been my understanding that mirror polishing the tang is the most effective way to increase both the smoothness of the action and the life of the washers.
Great info guys thanks!
What grit do you go up to when polishing the tang -- 2000? 4000?
The PB washers are so small and thin -- how do you polish them? or do you replace them with new/ higher tolerance ones?
I'm going to open up my knife and do some experiments tonight...
chocomoco
What grit do you go up to when polishing the tang -- 2000? 4000?
The PB washers are so small and thin -- how do you polish them? or do you replace them with new/ higher tolerance ones?
I'm going to open up my knife and do some experiments tonight...
chocomoco
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2005
- Messages
- 1,993
The Deacon said:
Yes, absolutely, at least with regards to wear.
The harder material will wear the softer material down, a rougher finish will wear faster, but that wear can be minimized through a high polish. With fewer rough spots, there's less wear. Like the difference between 400 grit sandpaper and 4000 grit. You can rub one on a block of wood all day and get nowhere, and the other will reduce it to dust in an hour or so
As far as smoothness goes, I'm inclined to believe it's the washers that play the more important role. The blade rotates against the washers, which in turn rotate against the inside of the handle slabs. You can have a rough polished blade with high polished washers, and the action will be relatively smooth. However, with a high polished blade and rough washers, one side of the washers will be rubbing against the inside of the handle, and the action will feel grittier.
Which in turn brings up the third component, the inside of the handle at the pivot area. For optimal smoothness, all three locations should be polished as high as possible, in my inexpert opinion.
- Joined
- Aug 5, 2005
- Messages
- 1,993
chocomoco said:
For most knife companies, the default grit is more than sufficient. If you feel the need to polish the tang, have fun with it. A mirror polish will be very smooth, but is tough to do, and would look awfully strange against the default finish
chocomoco said:
You can get aftermarket washers in pretty much any material you want, it's just finding the right size for your knife, that's the challenge. You COULD polish them yourself, as you would polish anything else, but due to it's diminuitive size, I think it would more difficult than it's worth.
chocomoco said:
Good luck, and do post any results.:thumbup:
