Centering blade after cleaning?

D

Davor

Joined
Mar 10, 2010
Messages
669
I own a mnandi and small sebenza. Last month I decided the sebenza needed a cleaning. Easy right? I searched this forum and Utube for videos on how to clean and assemble like before. One video in particular states you can do it under 3 minutes.
After about 20 times in the last few weeks of taking it apart I can't get the blade to center properly. I followed all the instructions from actually measuring how far the blade should be angled as you slowly slide it into the frame with your thumb and finger keeping the washers in place and than and on and on and flicking it only once easy.....
The only thing I didn't do is use the Chris Reeve grease but rather super lube synthetic grease.
Any ideas? Its a small gripe, but you know how important it is to have that blade centered correctly. I 'm not experiencing blade play and its still smooth. The blade is off setting to the nonclip side of the frame. :grumpy:
 
You mighta pinched a washer in your assembly! Try to reassemble, everything thightened down and then inserting you blade, bushing&washers! Bit fiddly, but the only way to be sure no washers are pinched.

Good luck,

NvG
 
I don't do any of that measuring business and haven't had any trouble with centering, but I have a specific way of assembling all frame and liner lock knives.

The first time I take it apart, I swap the hardware so that the female side of the pivot and body screws to the non-locking side.

Once everything is cleaned, you thread the pivot through the non locking side, put the pivot bushing on it, put a washer on, put the blade on, and put the other washer on. It's important to start with the pivot bushing because then it is impossible to pinch either washer during assembly. Since it's all on the non-locking side, you don't have to fight the lock trying to push everything out of place. Finally, put the screw spacers on, throw the locking side on top, and tighten everything down. Easy and simple!
 
Was the blade definitely centered to start with ? There is really not that much to go wrong with a Sebenza that could just take the off center and show no other problems.
 
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If you reassemble it properly, the blade should be centered. There is no adjustment to be done. If the blade was centered before you dis-assembled it, it can only be centered when you reassemble it - as long as you don't pinch the washers as previously mentioned.
 
I don't think it's a pinched washer, that always gooses up the action to one degree or another and the OP says it's still smoothe to open. If the lock bar tension hasn't been played with and all the parts are original and unaltered then I'm at a bit of a loss as to how it could suddenly be off center having been fine previously.
 
Ive experienced this too, and for whatever reason, I found that loosening all 3 screws (enough that no real force is being applied to the handles) then re-tightening the screws starting at the tail working towards the pivot resulted in a perfectly centered blade, Ive done this twice on different sebenzas with the same result. could very much be a coincidence, but everyone must realize that on a knife like the sebenza with such high tolerances even the slightest tweak has an effect.
 
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