Abuse and how to spot it?

R

russ25

Joined
Jun 19, 2012
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249
I have seen several post about people "Flicking" there knives open and this being considered abuse. This concerns me to say the least.

So how would one spot this type of abuse when buying on the used market? Is this something you will notice right away? What damage is caused? Is it just the locking bar that will be damaged?
Lastly would anyone have any images of said abuse?
Oh and one more thing, how is this corrected? A trip back to CRK for a price if they determine abuse?

Thanks everyone in advance. :)
 
CRK has said they can tell if the knife was abused ( they did not elaborate)through flipping( really constant worry bead like flipping), but I have not seen any photos and my knives have not been flipped. The obvious areas to look for damage would be the lock faces and stop pin
 
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Thanks Peter, I see some mention of it here and there looking through older post but never anything specific. lots of people have see this this post but your the only one to respond.
Sounds like unless the knife is sloppy you would be good go.
Hopefully more will chime in. If flicking is so bad then there must be damage somewhere I would think.
 
I've never seen any pics of damage done by flicking a CRK. No doubt, damage can occur to any knife that is opened differently than the intended method. I understand it as when someone constantly flicks their knife. I believe that any knife when used as a knife and not a fidget toy will last as the maker intended. It's when someone flicks/flips a knife open/close through hundreds of cycles most days that normal wear life is shortened. I just have a hard time believing any knife is designed for that. Sadly, that's what a lot of people do. When I read about complaints that a lock bar has 100% lock up or lock rock or excessive blade play, it makes me wonder if the knife is being used in a normal manner or as a fidget toy, because some of the complaints that are posted are about the same knife I've got and I haven't had any of the issues that are discussed.
As far as wondering if a knife on the secondary market has been abused, I do not have issues asking the seller if they have flicked the knife. You really won't know unless you ask and then have it in hand. That's why I buy from the sales forums here. There is some recourse and always use PayPal goods/services.
 
Here is a post I found that explains it some:
#25





mrpinkbullets


mrpinkbullets


121Dec 3, 2009





Flicking your knife WILL NOT void your warranty. There are, of course, some qualifications:
- Thumb flicking is PERMITTED in almost every case. Of course, it is preferable for you to flick gently, but even harder thumb flicking is unlikely to cause significant or even noticeably increased wear on the blade tang or stop pin bushing. Then again, many people find it difficult or impossible to thumb flick their Seb because of its tight action, so this is often a moot point. If you can flick yours, then go ahead.
- A gentle wrist flick is RECOMMENDED after every cleaning, oiling, or other disassembly. Chris himself suggests it, to "bump" all the parts into their proper place after the knife has been reassembled, and to ensure a good lockup.
- Frequent wrist flicking is NOT RECOMMENDED, as the Sebenza is a very carefully constructed and finely fitted knife that depends on its precision and close tolerances to deliver reliability and smoothness. Hard wrist flicking WILL eventually cause significant wear to the tang and stop pin, and it WILL be detectable by CRK if the knife is submitted for warranty service. It's not likely that your lock will fail in any dangerous way, but you will lose the smoothness and precise fit that I'm sure you've come to know and love.

Most of the information here comes firsthand from Heather at CRK, so you may feel free to treat it as gospel. I thumb-flick my Small 21 as a matter of course, and I have yet to see any negative effects on the knife as a result. In an emergency situation, if I am wearing gloves, if my life is in danger- whatever- of course I will not hesitate to slam the blade out with an aggressive wrist-flick if necessary. In that situation, the warranty service on my Seb will naturally be the last thing on my mind. In every other situation, though, it is NOT advisable to wrist-flick as a habit
 
Good thread. I’ve noticed on some sales posts that the seller will add a short video to demonstrate the knife’s action. I have actually passed on some that show - what appears to me - incorrect and/or violent flipping of a Sebenza or Umnumzaan.
 
CRK's feel so good opening and closing I can't imagine why anyone would want to deprive themselves of that feeling by slamming their knife open with a wrist flick in the first place.

A close look at the lock bar surface or the tang of the blade where it meets with the lock bar may show use/abuse and it's a good spot to check if concerned.
 
When purchasing a “new” 21, removing the clip shows how much it has been opened & closed...not an abuse indicator, but still...:cool:
 
416isToronto said:
When purchasing a “new” 21, removing the clip shows how much it has been opened & closed...not an abuse indicator, but still...:cool:
Click to expand...

Could you please elaborate on this? Im not sure i completely understand what you mean when you talk about removing the clip to see how much it's been opened and closed.
Sorry for the hardheadedness.
 
russ25 said:
Could you please elaborate on this? Im not sure i completely understand what you mean when you talk about removing the clip to see how much it's been opened and closed.
Sorry for the hardheadedness.
Click to expand...

No worries! Perhaps I should have been more clear! The clip leaves a mark on the lockbar of the 21. Since the point where the two touch moves when the blade is locked & unlocked, it creates a little wear mark...
 
416isToronto said:
No worries! Perhaps I should have been more clear! The clip leaves a mark on the lockbar of the 21. Since the point where the two touch moves when the blade is locked & unlocked, it creates a little wear mark...
Click to expand...

Fantastic, never thought about looking at it that way. Thanks for the heads up.
 
416isToronto said:
No worries! Perhaps I should have been more clear! The clip leaves a mark on the lockbar of the 21. Since the point where the two touch moves when the blade is locked & unlocked, it creates a little wear mark...[/QUO

That mark is often present even on BNIB
Click to expand...
 
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