Detents are notch-groove partner systems to help keep a folding knife in the closed and/or open position. They are usually made using a ball bearing pressed into the lock bar that reciprocate with a hole in the blade. Their application can also be found in non-locking knives for the same reasons. The strength of the detent is determined by the profile of the bearing and the ammount of the bearing allowed to enter its reciprocating cavity. The shallower the bearing lies in the engaged position, the weaker the retention will be. Conversely, flattening the ball bearing's engaged face will increase the stiffness of the detent. A flattened ball bearing will also allow for the engagement of the blade quickly by releasing the force necessary to open the blade all at one, making for more effective single handed opening methods.