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Frame lock question
- Thread starter chad m
- Start date
Professor
Gold Member
- Joined
- Apr 6, 1999
- Messages
- 3,420
I asked Chris about this once, and he said that what's happening is that the ti is actually buckling at the pivot point cutout(s) area in the handle, allowing flexion at that point and thereby allowing the lockbar face to move all the way across when squeezed. It was reportedly by design.
Mine does it, yet returns to 60% lockup when disengaged and re-engaged without the added squeezing.
I used to worry all the time that I was gonna wear my Sebenza's lock out (an old friend actually used to make fun of me, always asking "you wear that Sebenza out yet?"), but here I am 7 years later with the same small Regular that's locked up at 60% for the past several years. The Seb's a long-wearing knife, no doubt.
Professor.
Mine does it, yet returns to 60% lockup when disengaged and re-engaged without the added squeezing.
I used to worry all the time that I was gonna wear my Sebenza's lock out (an old friend actually used to make fun of me, always asking "you wear that Sebenza out yet?"), but here I am 7 years later with the same small Regular that's locked up at 60% for the past several years. The Seb's a long-wearing knife, no doubt.
Professor.
- Joined
- Aug 27, 2004
- Messages
- 12,952
I would not worry about it until and unless the knife in question has a blade that develops up and down movement 'A/K/A vertical blade play. As I said earlier in another thread look at it from the stand point of reliability and security. Not that this is ever much of an issue at all with a Sebenza but if you consider that locked up at 60% or more for contact is very much a 'bank vault' lock up you have little to worry about unless the lock is sloppy and flying clear accross the tang contact with even a light flick opening and not supporting the blade rock solid anymore.
I'll give an example. I recently bought a CRKT S-2 from an owner of it that bought it new and thought it was faulty because the lock crossed the tang all the way for a full contact. This bothered him and I was unable to convince him that it was fine but believe me of all the knives I've looked over the S-2 is one of those (made in Taiwan or not) that has for all practical purposes a very large 'foot print' for lock contact because virtually all of the available lock contact exposed to the blade that you see is contacting the blade to support it for a nice evenly spread out wide and long foot print that is far better usually than anything else other than a Sebenza that you compare it to. Few knives these days come with as good a foot print of contact as either of these production folders.
What I'm saying is that when you have a wide, long evenly dispersed foot print for lock contact all over the lower third of the lock (something I strive for when I do lock conversions by the way, by adjusting the lock to the blade and not the blade to the lock to permanently modify the folder) you usually end up with a longer lock life, less lock sticking problems than when the lock just connects at the very bottom of the contact area for a smaller footprint and a lock that typically doesn't cross the tang quite as prematurely as one that has just a bottom contact only because less foot print equals less titanium or steel to wear. I try to emulate what Chris has pulled off in his Sebenza model and still to this day consider it the standard by which all others are judged for the best lock contact you can hope to get. The exceptions for when a bigger foot print lock contact is seen to move in deeper is when its forced across as you describe by hand and finger pressures during use or white knuckle grips.
For what its worth I've seen Sebenzas with full lock contact that still went for years with no need for adjustment or worry but that took years to get that deep for contact so I'd say just use it happily until it develops play and then worry about it. In contrast I've seen other equally expensive frame locks from competitors knives wear and move clear or nearly clear across the contact in less than a week. One quite recently in fact but that is another story. In the end though it is all about % of lock contact a/k/a, foot print and even well dispersed wear patterns. No one does it better than Chris in my experience and of course there is more to a good contact than just the lock part of it because you have to focus then on the blade and how that contact is done but that is another issue and one that Chris also excels at doing.
STR
I'll give an example. I recently bought a CRKT S-2 from an owner of it that bought it new and thought it was faulty because the lock crossed the tang all the way for a full contact. This bothered him and I was unable to convince him that it was fine but believe me of all the knives I've looked over the S-2 is one of those (made in Taiwan or not) that has for all practical purposes a very large 'foot print' for lock contact because virtually all of the available lock contact exposed to the blade that you see is contacting the blade to support it for a nice evenly spread out wide and long foot print that is far better usually than anything else other than a Sebenza that you compare it to. Few knives these days come with as good a foot print of contact as either of these production folders.
What I'm saying is that when you have a wide, long evenly dispersed foot print for lock contact all over the lower third of the lock (something I strive for when I do lock conversions by the way, by adjusting the lock to the blade and not the blade to the lock to permanently modify the folder) you usually end up with a longer lock life, less lock sticking problems than when the lock just connects at the very bottom of the contact area for a smaller footprint and a lock that typically doesn't cross the tang quite as prematurely as one that has just a bottom contact only because less foot print equals less titanium or steel to wear. I try to emulate what Chris has pulled off in his Sebenza model and still to this day consider it the standard by which all others are judged for the best lock contact you can hope to get. The exceptions for when a bigger foot print lock contact is seen to move in deeper is when its forced across as you describe by hand and finger pressures during use or white knuckle grips.
For what its worth I've seen Sebenzas with full lock contact that still went for years with no need for adjustment or worry but that took years to get that deep for contact so I'd say just use it happily until it develops play and then worry about it. In contrast I've seen other equally expensive frame locks from competitors knives wear and move clear or nearly clear across the contact in less than a week. One quite recently in fact but that is another story. In the end though it is all about % of lock contact a/k/a, foot print and even well dispersed wear patterns. No one does it better than Chris in my experience and of course there is more to a good contact than just the lock part of it because you have to focus then on the blade and how that contact is done but that is another issue and one that Chris also excels at doing.
STR
Last edited:
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- Nov 24, 2008
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I have three and 2 does that,as long as it has no blade play don't sweat it ..........