Black dots under Sebenza pocketclip

[Dullknivescut]

I’ve been attempting to clean up my Sebenza 21 plain and contemplating if I wanted to remove the pocket clip as I never use it ( sheath carry ) and I stumbled across these black dots shown above.

Obviously they are where the tension is with the clip on the lock bar but I never clip carried, checked another large Sebenza 21 inlay and it has the same thing, but the other is a safe queen never carried.

It feels kind of ridiculous asking it but what’s going on here? I’d imagine there should be some light marks there just from the tension alone, but I don’t get what I’m looking at, especially on knives never carried.

I expected to see something that looks like this below ( not my photo. ) Why black and is it removable / normal?

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Edit:
Here’s the “ black dots “ ( direct above and below photos are my knife, same one as originally pictured ) with the pocket clip removed and under different lighting.. I’m guessing it’s just an optical illusion based on how you turn the knife under the light and is a result of the tight clip pressuring down on the titanium frame lock. Kind of annoying and depending on the lighting they look pitch black, gray, or metallic.

 

[nyefmaker]

Its a mark from where the clip rests on the lock bar. It’s more noticeable with use. A safe queen may not have any, but carry it some and the marks appear. It’s normal and is Just strictly cosmetic.

 

[Dullknivescut]

Its a mark from where the clip rests on the lock bar. It’s more noticeable with use. A safe queen may not have any, but carry it some and the marks appear. It’s normal and is Just strictly cosmetic.

Yeah the more I thought about it the more it was quite obvious and I was overthinking.

The weird part for me though is I have never clip carried this knife, and I have a Sebenza safe queen large with the same mark that was never removed from the box.

I’m curious how many brand new knives appear with this titanium spot already worn by the clip, and if I sent them in for a spa without the clip could they remove the marks.

With this knife I don’t care, with the large safe queen with inlays I’d like to think it could be bead blasted away ( if they can do that with the inlays? ) or some other method.

I figured there would be a mark, its just common sense, I was just surprised by how noticeable it was on even some knives that have never seen use.

 

[nyefmaker]

Just opening and closing the knife will cause it over time, it doesn’t necessarily have to be carried. The lock bar flexes slightly when engaged. Add to it that both are blasted and you get mild rubbing which will make the marks.

 

[kniferbro]

May be a safe queen but if you open the knife, the lock bar springs over, changing the contact point of the clip by a millimeter or so. When you unlock the knife, the contact point slides back a mm to its original spot. Considering the factory fresh finish of the handle and clip, even a few openings/closings will wear a noticeable mark.

 

[Dullknivescut]

May be a safe queen but if you open the knife, the lock bar springs over, changing the contact point of the clip by a millimeter or so. When you unlock the knife, the contact point slides back a mm to its original spot. Considering the factory fresh finish of the handle and clip, even a few openings/closings will wear a noticeable mark.

Do you know if CRK bead blasts the lock bar on knives that have wooden inlays? I know they cannot treat the wooden inlays or the titanium around them, but I think I’ve heard them refurbishing the lock bar.

Thanks for the detailed answer I honestly never would have thought about this. I’ve had the store check for blade play and centering, so It seems even them opening it or taking a picture with it opened could cause something like this.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

Do you know if CRK bead blasts the lock bar on knives that have wooden inlays? I know they cannot treat the wooden inlays or the titanium around them, but I think I’ve heard them refurbishing the lock bar.

Thanks for the detailed answer I honestly never would have thought about this. I’ve had the store check for blade play and centering, so It seems even them opening it or taking a picture with it opened could cause something like this.

Best to ask them if they can do it, but I am guessing they could. One thing I am sure of is that you will be talking decent money shipping it back and forth for something you will likely mar again quickly by carrying. If it is going to be a safe queen, no reason not to just leave the clip on. If it was me, I'd ask them just to know it could be done then do nothing until I was sending it in anyway.

 

[kniferbro]

Do you know if CRK bead blasts the lock bar on knives that have wooden inlays? I know they cannot treat the wooden inlays or the titanium around them, but I think I’ve heard them refurbishing the lock bar.

Thanks for the detailed answer I honestly never would have thought about this. I’ve had the store check for blade play and centering, so It seems even them opening it or taking a picture with it opened could cause something like this.

I believe they also open them a few times at CRK when assembling/fitting/QCing.

 

[Dullknivescut]

Best to ask them if they can do it, but I am guessing they could. One thing I am sure of is that you will be talking decent money shipping it back and forth for something you will likely mar again quickly by carrying. If it is going to be a safe queen, no reason not to just leave the clip on. If it was me, I'd ask them just to know it could be done then do nothing until I was sending it in anyway.

Alright Peter thanks for your response, honestly wish I knew this sooner because the clips are so easily removable I would have just removed the clips when I got them and kept them on the users.

Oh well the more you know. I’ll give CRK a shout and would do just that.

 

[Dullknivescut]

I believe they also open them a few times at CRK when assembling/fitting/QCing.

Yeah its probably just one of those things that really is unavoidable, the lighting at different angles is what got me.. when I took off the clip and looked at it directly under the light it made more sense.

From the side view it almost looked like a dark sharpie color.

Give me enough time with anything and eventually I tend to find any imperfections, even ones that are impossible to avoid. As long as I understood what was going on and it was not specific to me I felt better about it.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

Alright Peter thanks for your response, honestly wish I knew this sooner because the clips are so easily removable I would have just removed the clips when I got them and kept them on the users.

Oh well the more you know. I’ll give CRK a shout and would do just that.

I think they sometimes are there by the time you get the knife, but obviously the sooner you address it the better your chances of avoiding the spot.

 

[kniferbro]

I'd think if you order from CRK direct, you could instruct them not to install a clip. I'm not sure though, have never ordered to my specs directly from CRK.

 

[Dullknivescut]

I think they sometimes are there by the time you get the knife, but obviously the sooner you address it the better your chances of avoiding the spot.

Yeah for some reason I was just thinking “ well if I never used the clip why would there be such a noticeable imprint from the clip “ and then the explanation of opening and closing the blade obviously moves the lock, and causes the friction between the clip.

Duh on my part, I should stick to collecting metal and just using and admiring knives. A lot of these blades will be passed down when I have kids, but sometimes I forget and treat them like numesmatics, lol.

 

[Dullknivescut]

I'd think if you order from CRK direct, you could instruct them not to install a clip. I'm not sure though, have never ordered to my specs directly from CRK.

Same here as well, I normally like to see the inlays first unless it’s just a plain and I am willing to wait, so normally I use KSF or DLT.

 

[jumpstat]

Some manufacturers avoid these issue by clipping a piece of card between the clip and handle. I still remember when I bought benchmade, they come with the blue axis tab sandwiched between the clip and handle.

 

[blanco112]

Unavoidable and will be on every knife. I just leave the clips on all my knives whether they go in a slip or not. I wished they'd ship them without the clip or with a paper between the clip and the scale but they don't and so likely every single CRK has them. Wait until you remove the clips from mnandis and inspect the inlays....


Edit: I do remove the clips from my mnandis. I just like to do that.

 

[Dullknivescut]

Some manufacturers avoid these issue by clipping a piece of card between the clip and handle. I still remember when I bought benchmade, they come with the blue axis tab sandwiched between the clip and handle.

Unavoidable and will be on every knife. I just leave the clips on all my knives whether they go in a slip or not. I wished they'd ship them without the clip or with a paper between the clip and the scale but they don't and so likely every single CRK has them. Wait until you remove the clips from mnandis and inspect the inlays....


Edit: I do remove the clips from my mnandis. I just like to do that.

You’d think with how methodical they are they could either ship them with the clips off or place something between the clip and scale as you guys mentioned, it’s not really a critique but I was very surprised with how easily I took off the clip and put it back on.

Would at least give those who want to keep the wear to a minimal an option.

 

[Dullknivescut]

Unavoidable and will be on every knife. I just leave the clips on all my knives whether they go in a slip or not. I wished they'd ship them without the clip or with a paper between the clip and the scale but they don't and so likely every single CRK has them. Wait until you remove the clips from mnandis and inspect the inlays....


Edit: I do remove the clips from my mnandis. I just like to do that.

Lol for some reason part of me thought the mnandis would be spared from the dreaded clip blemish, but I guessing depending on the wood color it may be more noticeable on some vs others.

 

[blanco112]

Lol for some reason part of me thought the mnandis would be spared from the dreaded clip blemish, but I guessing depending on the wood color it may be more noticeable on some vs others.

Yeah I think out of the box you're less likely to have an issue than a sebenza but if you use it the clip slapping the inlay can leave a dent.

 

[Dullknivescut]

Yeah I think out of the box you're less likely to have an issue than a sebenza but if you use it the clip slapping the inlay can leave a dent.

Thanks for info, just happened to grab a Mnandi the other day so less is more as far as I’m concerned. Those knives are beautiful