Need to find brands that have knives without ball bearings

A

Alan0354

Member
Hi

The only brand that I know that has knives with no ball bearings and have the index finger tap to deploy the blade is Steel Will. The index finger tap I refer to is shown in the picture:


Index finger tap.jpg
I cannot use the thumb tap or the hole to deploy the blade, so it has to have the index finger tap. That rules out Cold Steel. Any suggestion of brands in the price range of $40 to $80 is appreciated.

Thanks



Top
 
So you're looking for flippers that use washers instead of ball bearings? Can't you just get any flipper and change out the bearings for brass washers yourself on almost anything? I can't recall if Keizer does anything on washers any more. I feel like they used to for sure, but honestly haven't paid attention to this ever. Always been fine with both.

Curious, why no bearings?

Sent from my SM-F926U using Tapatalk
 
You can swap the bearings for phosphorus bronze washers as long as they are the same thickness. Most times they counterbore either the blade or the liners to account for the thickness (usually .0625"), so as long as the washers (or stack of washers) are that thickness, it would work.
 
I have a couple of crkt m16 that run on brass and Teflon washers. They are flippers. I had them from big-5 for less than $20 each.


BTW, what's wrong with ball bearings? I wish mine have those. They are not quite drop-close however I adjust them.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
 
Last edited:
tangolima said:
I have a couple of crkt m16 that run on brass and Teflon washers. They are flippers. I had them from big-5 for less than $20 each.


BTW, what's wrong with ball bearings? I wish mine have those. They are not quite drop-close however I adjust them.

-TL

Sent from my SM-N960U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
Ball bearings is a lot thicker than washers. To avoid making the knife thicker, they have to thin out either the black at the joint or the frame to accommodate the bearing. That creates a weak point.

I bought quite a few knives with ball bearings, they really cut into the blade at the joint and make it very thin.

Washer eliminate this problem as it's very thin. I work on my knives that they flip just as good as those with ball bearings.
 
JayDeepp said:
So you're looking for flippers that use washers instead of ball bearings? Can't you just get any flipper and change out the bearings for brass washers yourself on almost anything? I can't recall if Keizer does anything on washers any more. I feel like they used to for sure, but honestly haven't paid attention to this ever. Always been fine with both.

Curious, why no bearings?

Sent from my SM-F926U using Tapatalk
Click to expand...
You can do it on some, but most won't work. One think about using washers is to use larger diameter washers to spread the stress in the pivot area to bigger area. A lot of knives don't have the room when they design for ball bearings. I did it on a few with good result, but no guaranty.
 
Last edited:
Kershaw: Kershaw offers a wide range of knives with flipper tabs at various price points, including many under $80. They are known for their good quality and value.

CRKT (Columbia River Knife & Tool): Similar to Kershaw, CRKT offers many flipper knives within your budget. They are known for their innovative designs and functionality. Your needs and preferences matter most. If smoothness and speed are paramount, a well-designed ball bearings knife might be worth the potential trade-off. If durability and ease of maintenance are your priorities, washers are a great choice. You can check more ball bearings at https://www.tradebearings.com/ball-bearings-catalogue.html
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top