Can you open your 25 with your thumb?

neverdie36 said:
I can't say the same for a 25 though because you can flick the Zaan
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You're able to flick the Zaan because it does not have a backspacer and the thumb studs are acting as the blade stop, so flicking will cause no damage. The damage in the 21 design from flicking is to the blade stop, which is why you're told not to flick it. The 25 does have the blade stop in the handle, so it should fall under the same category as the 21.

OP, also keep in mind that the 25 is not designed with a pivot bushing, so if it is tighter, it may require a slight adjustment to the pivot, unlike the 21 design. There is a sweet spot I had to find in with my Zaan where the blade was still centered, there was no blade play and the action was as smooth as my 21's.
 
evancamp13 said:
You're able to flick the Zaan because it does not have a backspacer and the thumb studs are acting as the blade stop, so flicking will cause no damage. The damage in the 21 design from flicking is to the blade stop, which is why you're told not to flick it. The 25 does have the blade stop in the handle, so it should fall under the same category as the 21.

OP, also keep in mind that the 25 is not designed with a pivot bushing, so if it is tighter, it may require a slight adjustment to the pivot, unlike the 21 design. There is a sweet spot I had to find in with my Zaan where the blade was still centered, there was no blade play and the action was as smooth as my 21's.
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Personally, I wouldn't wrist flick an Umnu either, but with the bumpers and dual lug/stop arrangement it's probably ok - but note that the Umnu does not have a bushing either, so if you want to flick it, you may (like the 25) have to back off the pivot screw a bit.
 
I'm sure when Chris designed the Sebenza , some 25 years ago or so, the whole " flicking" or "flipping" knives thing open wasn't even a thought. Now jump ahead 20 years or so, and everyone who can't open their Sebenza in a fraction of a second thinks it sucks, or its hard to open(NOT pointing fingers at anyone, just the masses).

I like flicking knives open myself, and I had trouble at first opening CRK's. I flick ALL my CRK's but I DO NOT abuse them. I flick it open with just thumb power. I also enjoy opening them the way they were intended to be open..slowly, or rather a normal NON ninja tacticool way.

"think twice, cut once"....in other words, Slow the f$&* down!
 
lemonslush said:
I will never understand the attraction to the Sebenza
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Its kind of a "don't knock it til you tried it" situation. If you can afford it, I would suggest you buy a sebenza, commit to carrying in for a couple months so you have a chance learn to love what is great about them, and then sell it on the exchange if you don't like it. They hold their value, so at most you'll be out 50 bucks for the experience, or you might 'get it' and then the rest is history (including your bank account). Without risk in life, there is no reward, so take a chance on one of these knives.
 
For me, it took a lot of looking at the ergonomics of the opening and ultimately realizing that my index finger and middle finger were resisting the lock from opening to allow the ball detent to get out of the hole. With time, a "ramp" as worn in the blade and it's easier, but the real key was figuring out how to wedge my thumb into the space between the thumb-stud and the handle such that it puts the force vector more toward opening the blade and less toward clamping down on the ball detent. I thought about taking the dremmel and building a little ramp on the ball detent hole in the blade, but figured I just wait and see what happened. (It's smoothed out, with no dremmel work)
 
lemonslush said:
I will never understand the attraction to the Sebenza
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So you understand the attraction to more expensive folders like Hinderers etc etc? Just curious.


For me, I've always been intrigued by the differences in quality of engineering. Be it a $3k Les Baer 1911 or a custom Works shock on a race quad and so on. I have a close friend who used to be a CRK dealer and he swore up and down I would not like the Sebenza after my latest love for the KVT equipped ZT's. Well I had to break it to him that he was dead wrong after I got mine.......and I'm not just "defending my purchase" like so many do. I get total enjoyment out of slowly opening and closing the Sebenza like Chris claims it should be. I've carried it daily and used it accordingly. Mine is no safe queen and will see tons of actual use in my EDC rotation.
 
Here's my experience, and I've owned two 25's..

I can flick mine open just with the movement of my thumb, or, I seat the stud right in my first joint from the tip, and with a circular motion, open the knife. Works perfect both ways every time. It DID require a break in period. The first 25 I broke in by cycling the knife open and closed til my thumb was sore. My second one, I told myself I ain't doing that again. So I disassembled it, and polished the washers (only the sides that contacted the blade) with polishing/rubbing compound and a piece of leather (taken from an old Redwing boot). I put a dab of compound on the leather (rough side) and worked it around to the size of a silver dollar. Using my fingertip or thumb, I worked the washer into the leather using a steady circular motion. After about a minute of this, the washer will be polished to a nice mirror finish. Reassemble the knife, and adjust the pivot to it's "sweet spot" just to where there's no side to side play of the pivot. Then I hold the knife parallel to the ground while open, and depress the lockbar. If the blade freely swings downward due to gravity, I'm happy. Believe me, polishing the washers will immediately give the knife a different feel. VERY smooth! That was my break in period for my second one. I also use Nano Oil for lube, as grease tends to feel as if it creates more friction than oil.

Everyone has their own way, and I'm sure folks will say mine is wrong, or voids warranty, or whatever. But I honestly could NOT be happier with what I have done. In my opinion, this should be done at the factory, but to each his own, right?

It might be worth noting, polishing doesn't remove any metal like sanding does. If it does, it's negligible. So I never worry about the knife no longer being within factory tolerances. If anything, they're even tighter :)
 
Yes. It was as easy to open with my thumb as a new Sebenza 21 out of the box.

What the others have said is correct: "wrist slamming" your Sebenza open voids your warranty. This isn't just flipping the knife open with the tip of your thumb, it involves putting your wrist into it to snap it open. To me, wrist slamming is the equivalent of throwing your car into park while you are still in motion. It is completely unnecessary and creates premature wear of the knife's locking mechanism. I really, really cringe when I see someone throw their wrist into it to snap a knife open.
 
Funny I just found this thread. Just got my '25' in the mail today, and couldn't open it with just my thumb.

Will try the "forward" technique.
 
It gets easier... I posted on this thread when mine came in the other day. I have opened it until my thumb just couldn't take it anymore. Loosened the pivot screw a little and quit squeezing the the lock bar while trying to open. Works well now but can't compare to a 21 since I don't own one.

I was a little disappointed about the sharpness of this knife. It struggled to cut heavy paper let alone phone book paper or hair on my arm. Ran it on my Edge Pro and NOW it is sharp!

Overall I'm very happy with this knife but there is a slight learning curve compared to a Spyderco or ZT but it is quickly becoming my favorite.
 
Put your 3 fingers on the pocket clip, middle finger in the dip the pocket clip makes.(Or your ring finger) Pointer(pad) finger off of the knife or wherever is comfortable for you without adding pressure. Thumb open the blade. Try some variation of this and you should get the hang of it. The trick is to be conscious about not adding pressure with your index finger.
 
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Taonari said:
To me, wrist slamming is the equivalent of throwing your car into park while you are still in motion. It is completely unnecessary and creates premature wear of the knife's locking mechanism.
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Great analogy.

The 25 I had was stiff at first but got to the point where I could wrist flick it open.
I think technique may be part of it, even when I could flick it open with my thumb others had trouble opening it at all.
 
"Please note that excessive flicking of the blade will also produce a rough action. Continuous wrist flicking will eventually damage the lock because the stop pin and back of the blade are not designed for that sort of continual shock."
This is the only thing I could find on the Chris Reeve website related to flicking. Nothing on the warranty page says the warranty will be voided specifically due to flicking. I have heard that you will be charged the cost of a replacement stop pin if the lockup loosens due to flicking which won't be much. Maybe a sticky from Chris will dispel all rumors?
 

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