Flicking a Sebenza?

My apologies for taking a while to get to make this request - the week flashed by too quickly.

Biogon - because it appears that the customer service that you received from us was below our standard, we would like to talk to you about it. Since you indicate that you wrote (emailed?), please let us know your name and when you wrote so that we can retrieve the correspondence. Chris would like to talk these issues through with you and to clear up any misunderstanding or confusion. Will you please email us at crkinfo@chrisreeve.com giving us a telephone number at which Chris can call you.

Early next week, Chris and I will post his comments about flicking Sebenzas or any other knives.

Have a great weekend -
Anne
 
Chris Reeve Knives said:
My apologies for taking a while to get to make this request - the week flashed by too quickly.

Biogon - because it appears that the customer service that you received from us was below our standard, we would like to talk to you about it. Since you indicate that you wrote (emailed?), please let us know your name and when you wrote so that we can retrieve the correspondence. Chris would like to talk these issues through with you and to clear up any misunderstanding or confusion. Will you please email us at crkinfo@chrisreeve.com giving us a telephone number at which Chris can call you.

Early next week, Chris and I will post his comments about flicking Sebenzas or any other knives.

Have a great weekend -
Anne
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This is exactly why a Sebbie or any other CRK knife is worth every penny.
 
Garageboy , I don't own a Sebenza but a friend does . We came to the conclusion that instead of a 150 years of flawless function , flicking would knock it down to a 125 years ;) :) .
 
The whole issue of flicking knives has gotten a little away from reality! No, it is not a sin to flick a Sebenza but it is not something we recommend.

Flicking a knife is an activity that has the potential to damage the whole lock mechanism. It causes the parts to slam together, creating unnecessary wear. Flicking the blade open once in a while it is not a problem – in fact, we recommend it as part of the assembly process. It is the compulsive, continuous snapping open of the blade that is a problem; the spending an afternoon in front of the television and flicking-your-knife-open-breaking-the-lock-closing-it-flicking-it-open-again for the duration of a football game, or movie or whatever, and doing it every week.

This is as true for Sebenzas as it is for any other knife – or any hinged mechanism with a stop and a lock. Of all the knives on the market, the Sebenza is best able to withstand flicking because the size of the stop pin/sleeve, and the configuration of the pivot bearing and bearing surface, cause the energy to disperse over a large area.

Here is an analogy that illustrates what we are trying to say:
A man owns a Porsche – it is a well-built car and the whole vehicle has a “bank vault” feel to it. He particularly likes the sound of the doors closing – thunk. To work off his obsessive frustrations about life at large, this man spends hours and hours just opening and closing the door. Eventually the hinges wobble and the doors whistle when he is driving because they don’t close securely any longer. Do you suppose Porsche will replace the doors happily and at no charge?

So in summary, we do not advocate flicking knives at all – it is not in the best interest of the knife – any knife.

Anne
 
Thanks Anne,

But...uhh....this is only for flicking right? Not for 'controlled' opening and closing?

It is the compulsive, continuous snapping open of the blade that is a problem; the spending an afternoon in front of the television and flicking-your-knife-open-breaking-the-lock-closing-it-flicking-it-open-again for the duration of a football game, or movie or whatever, and doing it every week.
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Otherwise you might need to start some group sessions ' Sebenza Anonymous ' cos a couple here might be doing that a bit more often then just once a week.... ;)


Ted
 
Hi,

I emailed CRK on the morning of Monday the 12th; did you receive it? I haven't heard back yet.

I sometimes find that my incoming mail has been sorted into the "Bulk" folder, so I was concerned.

Thanks.

-jon
 
When speaking of "Flicking" most responses seem concurned with the mechanics of the knife. The only point, IMHO, is "Flicking" is not the designed method of opening, PERIOD. Flicking a knife open is poor handling and dangerous. Case in point, my personal experence, 23 years ago as a young Marine while cleaning weapons at the armory another Marine pulled out his Buck (110?) to cut a rag. He attempted to flick the blade open, which it did, but as it locked open it slipped out of his hand and into my leg.

So, IMHO, if it's not made to flick, DONT FLICK period.

You wouldn't play with a loaded gun? Why play with knives.
 
Jon (Biogon)- thank you, yes, we did receive your email. Since the customer service problem your referred to is over three years old, there is not much we can do to rectify or follow up now. Also, you didn't give us your phone number, so I assumed you did not want to take the issue any further either. Sorry I didn't acknowledge your email.

Anne
 
Anne,

Ahh, ok. Gotcha. I just don't have easy access to a phone while I'm at work for most of the day. I work in an RF shielded area (no mobile phone reception) with no personal landline access and I get home pretty late.

For those reasons, it is much more convenient for me to hold a conversation over email.

Thanks, and I understand.

-jon
 
JoHnYKwSt said:
In my experience, CRK is incrediably courteous and polite when it comes to my questions and worries. Judging from what others on this forum have said, your experience seems to be the exception rather than the rule.

Yes, the lock on the sebenzas have a lot of tension. They are designed this way. But if you need a screwdriver to release the lock then obviously there is something wrong. Very sticky locks do happen on occasion. It happened to one of my sebenzas years ago. I needed 2 hands to release the lock. I emailed CRK about it, they politely said there's something wrong, send it back. They rehardened the face of the lock bar so that it would stick less. It came back 2 weeks later perfect and is still perfect now, 5 years later.

How many Integral locks do you know of that even have the titanium lock bar face hardened? Instead they have to compensate by changing the angles on the blade tang so that less titanium makes contact with the steel. Otherwise it would be too sticky.

Some people do have issues with the pointy thumbstud but you are not supposed to put your thumb on top of the stud, but rather behind it. That is why it is in the shape of a cone.

Its fine that you feel this way about CRK and that your experience was not what you expected, but I think if you give them another chance (especially concerning the lock if it actually is that hard to disengage) then you may be plesantly surprised.
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Sometimes it's not the way you open the Sebenza, sometimes people have big fat thumbs you know. You can't just assume people aren't using the proper technique man. :rolleyes:
I'm not saying I'm a big person, actually I'm asian, so by default, I'm pretty skinny. IMO, the sebbie is the finest production knife in the freakin world but it does have its flaws. Have a nice day, punk.
 
TKD said:
Sometimes it's not the way you open the Sebenza, sometimes people have big fat thumbs you know. You can't just assume people aren't using the proper technique man. :rolleyes:
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More often that not, people aren't using the proper techinque. I've let a lot of people have a look at my Sebenza and they always put their thumbs on top of the stud and have trouble getting it open and complain about how pointy it is. I tell them to try pushing the blade out by putting the thumb behind the stud and they manage to get it open without a problem, even the ones with the "big fat thumbs."

I'm not saying I'm a big person, actually I'm asian, so by default, I'm pretty skinny. IMO, the sebbie is the finest production knife in the freakin world but it does have its flaws.
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Of course the Sebenza has its flaws, everything does. Judging by the first part of your post, I assume you think the thumbstud is a flaw, which is fine. Just keep in mind that while most knives can be opened by putting your thumb on top of the thumbstud, the Sebenza's thumbstud was designed to be used with your thumb behind it, not on top of it. It's not better, but it's not any worse. It's just, different.

Have a nice day, punk.
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You take martial arts, yes? If so, might I suggest asking for a refund for the classes you've taken? Based on the attitude you've shown in this post, and MANY of your others, you obviously haven't learned a thing about respect.
 
No, I tried it by putting my thumb behind the stud and pushing forward. It's like the studs on the Benchmade.

It was the sharpness on the sides of the ridges (i.e. the milled grooves) in the stud itself that blistered my thumb, not the sharpness of the tip.

-j
 
Anne,

I guess what I'm looking for is this:

Why does flicking a knife cause it to get gritty? What's being damaged such that it becomes gritty, and why is it that some knives do and some don't?

Thanks,

-jon
 
Jon, I had a seb that was gritty b/c the detent had an issue...it was gritty when in contact with the blade. When you moved the bar away, it was ok...do you remember if this was the same as yours?
 
Oh yea sure man, I'm asian right so I must study the martial arts right? :rolleyes:
Yea man, Jackie Chan's my uncle and I've been doing martial arts for like forever man.
I have little tolerance for incompetent people. :barf:
 
I need to get with Chris to get the exact answer to your question, Jon. He is over at the knife show in Eugene, OR so it will be next week before I can answer!
Have a great weekend, everyone!

Anne
 
TKD said:
Oh yea sure man, I'm asian right so I must study the martial arts right? :rolleyes:
Yea man, Jackie Chan's my uncle and I've been doing martial arts for like forever man.
I have little tolerance for incompetent people. :barf:
Click to expand...
I have better things to do than to waste my time with you. Others can search for your posts and come to the same conclusion as myself: that you are nothing more than an immature, ignorant fool who needs to grow up. That having been said, have a nice day.
 
Geoff in Philly said:
Jon, I had a seb that was gritty b/c the detent had an issue...it was gritty when in contact with the blade. When you moved the bar away, it was ok...do you remember if this was the same as yours?
Click to expand...

Geoff,

Interesting... no, mine wasn't gritty, I just had problems with a stiff and overly sticky lock and sharp studs. I had an Emerson with the exact same grittiness problem -- when the lock's detent ball was on the race it got very rough -- so that's particularly interesting. Now I'm curious as to how that part would get damaged such that it got gritty. Maybe the ball somehow got fractured?

Anne,

Thanks for the help! I'm definitely curious about this now. I look forward to hearing from Chris when the Oregon show is over.

Take care.

-jon
 
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