I just like how it feels with the nylon on the blade side. It may simply be me but I think they open smoother and hold tighter with the nylon washer between the stainless washer and blade. They are thin so it adds no real width to the setup. Down side, the nylon washers are smaller in diameter, so if you have an old razor that the pivot hole has rounded out on, it may be too large for the nylon. I keep a few large brass washers around for those.