Originally Posted by
anixi
That said, I wonder what you people all think:
Is the French (with the flat) washer better than the JIS/Tange type with the tab? I'm not sure if either one will stand the test of time....
The French version typically had a thicker washer that fit against the flat on the steerer.
The thickness of this washer would seem to be the most important factor in terms of how much torque that the washer can resist before twisting on the steerer.
As oldskoolwrench mentioned, there is also a good bit of variability in the tab/slot engagement.