First CRK! A new (to me) Small Sebenza 2,, a couple questions for reassurance

S

Saint 3:16

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Mar 1, 2015
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I recently picked up a used small 21, and being my first CRK, I have some questions for the masters on here as well as thoughts and first impressions. Note: I'm paranoid of getting clones from the secondary market

1. It came pretty stiff, and slightly off centered. I aleady opened, cleaned and re-lubed it up. It's centered now but still hard to initially break the detent, though it's improving. I wonder how long it will take to break in.
> note: when I crank the pivot and body screws down, not only does it cause the blade to be off centered, but makes it impossible for the knife to be open. I thought this wasn't an issue with the bushing system.

2. When closed, the blade/edge is very close to the top of the ti scales, so much that I feel the edge if I turn my index finger. Is this common, is this supposed to be like that?

That's it for now, I'm sure I'll have a lot more questions.
 
It's fairly easy to put it back together with the bushing pinching the washer, which will cause centering issues, as well as grittiness and hard to open. Every new sebenza usually has a fairly strong detent and fairly tight opening, but it'll smooth out after a few months on constant opening. An easy fix is to lap and/or polish the washers (at your own risk).
 
Pics would be good. Check for the date stamp on the inside of the scales as that's a good indicator of real vs fake. Watch a couple videos on disassembly/reassembly. If you're not 100% sure you got it back together without pinching a washer then pull the blade/washers/pivot assembly back out and try again. You'll get the hang of it. What's the bday? I've found that the older ones I've bought are pretty smoothed out already. But even newer ones shouldn't be super difficult to open. That's been my experience but there are others on BF with way more experience.
 
I've only owned CRKs for a few months and never had this happens but the previous owner, or you could have pinched the washer, especially if you say you got it off-centered. Regarding the blade I've heard of people being able to touch it when the knife is closed on a few but it's worse on fakes.

Also for what it's worth I have one CRK where if I crank the screws all the way down and it's assembled right it's very hard to open. People will say it's not possible but it happens. I don't understand the physics but it's related to the lockbar tension/detent. If I relieve the tension the blade swings. I just turn the screw back a tiny bit and it's perfect.
 
The word crank bothers me a bit. You should be able to fully tighten the screws and pivot, but that doesn't mean torque them with pressure.
Photos would help
 
Peter Hartwig said:
The word crank bothers me a bit. You should be able to fully tighten the screws and pivot, but that doesn't mean torque them with pressure.
Photos would help
Click to expand...

I did mean tighten, and not twisting the Allen wrench until it bends.

Edit: not sure if you were talking to me or OP.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
OP-but he may have meant the same also
Click to expand...

I meant the same, if I tighten it like I usually do with other knives using torx, it becomes way harder to open, just like other knives with just pivot and washer systems. If tighten up all three points to the point when I feel resistance, and then back off on the pivot, it's perfectly centered and even flickable.

The blade almost touching the top of the back bothers me because it's noticeable even when I closing the knife, I feel it on the back of the fingers or palm like it's pinching me, even though it's not really if that makes sense.

I'll post pictures later today.
 
Saint 3:16 said:
The blade almost touching the top of the back bothers me because it's noticeable even when I closing the knife, I feel it on the back of the fingers or palm like it's pinching me, even though it's not really if that makes sense.

I'll post pictures later today.
Click to expand...

If it really bothers you , I think they would take care of it, with a trip back to the mother ship. Some are pretty close. If you don't get a solution to your other problems a trip back may be in order anyway.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
If it really bothers you , I think they would take care of it, with a trip back to the mother ship. Some are pretty close. If you don't get a solution to your other problems a trip back may be in order anyway.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I've read that some have these issues and read threads that people have even cut themselves. Which I don't understand considering CRKs legendary reputation for consistency and tolerances. This is my first time ever handling a CRK, so it makes me wish I had another Sebenza to compare this knife with. Unfortunately, there's no knife store's around me that carries crk.
 
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