Got my second CRK. Mixed feelings... :(

[RheaP]

So i received my second Sebenza this week. A Wilson 21.



I'm new to owning CRK so I don't have years of experience with them. That being said there are enough differences between the two (21\25) that would make me want both. BUT...... I can't say I'm completely happy with the/this 21. I like the way it feels, I like the size but there is just something about it. When I received it there was a very tiny bit of side play in the blade when open. Long story short, in the end all the screws were loose when i got it and I can't simply tighten down the pivot on the bushing w/o almost locking the blade down. I've now spent the better part of two days tweaking and tuning on a knife that I should not have to do this to. My 25 has been a awesome specimen since day one and runs so so smoothly.

The Wilson I could tell upon receiving it had very little, if any pocket time. Visually it was an excellent specimen. So why would someone, at sometime loosen everything and leave it?

I've read and heard so many things about possibly having to tune CRK to your personal liking that of course I don't know what to believe. I'm actually on board with everything that Chris Reeve has always said about the Sebenza and feel like they should not have to be tweaked.....not to this level anyway.

I'm just not liking the action on this 21. Would it be worth the wait to send it to the spa? Would these kind of pivot issues fall under spa/warranty work? How would I feel having to send a new to me knife off already?


Buyers remorse? I think so.

 

[Tripton]

First off, there is no "tuning" to a Sebenza, at home anyway. If you are fiddling with the pivot to adjust it, something is wrong.

The way I read it, you got it used? Is there any way that there is a pinched washer? Have you disassembled it and reassembed it the proper way?



At any rate, most of the time, CRK will do a cleaning/adjusting for free. If you are in doubt, send it in.

 

[RheaP]

Yes I've had the blade out w/o separating the scales. The washers appeared very dry so I lubed them with crk fluro and put them back in the "proper" way which they were when removed. No pinched washers or anything else appeared out of place. It looked as if it had rarely been opened.

 

[Locutus D'Borg]

The problem is, you bought a used knife and expect it to be out-of-the-box new. The previous owner may have misled you on its newness, but I recommend in the future to find out things like 1) is the blade factory edge, 2) has the knife been disassembled and cleaned, etc. Then you get a better idea of what you are buying.

Spa will probably fix your issues, but I would call to find out first.

 

[RheaP]

Oh and yes there is tuning on a sebenza 25\Umnom pivot IMO since neither have the bushing like the 21. I've always been under the impression that on the 21's bushing you simply tighten down and roll with it. Not the case on my 21.

 

[Tripton]

Yes I've had the blade out w/o separating the scales. The washers appeared very dry so I lubed them with crk fluro and put them back in the "proper" way which they were when removed. No pinched washers or anything else appeared out of place. It looked as if it had rarely been opened.

Well, that's good.

Can you reassemble it with all of the screws tightened down? Just how tight IS the blade when they are tight?

A new Sebenza's blade will not just drop when unlocked. There is a bit of resistance there. They will break in and smoothen up a tad.


If the blade action is stiff when it is all together correctly, your best option is to call CRK. I have no idea what their schedule is for the holidays, but normally they are open from Monday-Thursday.

 

[batosai117]

It sounds like a washer is wedging between the bushing. On the 21 you should be able to finger tighten the pivot all the way down without changing the action at all. Perhaps the knife parts being loose when it arrived gave room for a washer to get out of alignment. The only way to fix this is to completely pull out the blade with the bushing and washers and tighten down the knife. Then reinsert the blade, bushing, and washers all together.

Hope this helps, J.

 

[Tripton]

Oh and yes there is tuning on a sebenza 25\Umnom pivot IMO since neither have the bushing like the 21. I've always been under the impression that on the 21's bushing you simply tighten down and roll with it. Not the case on my 21.

That is correct.

The Sebenza 25 is adjustable. However, the Sebenza H/P/Regular/Classic/21 is as you thought. Tighten it down with no threadlocker.

 

[RheaP]

It sounds like a washer is wedging between the bushing. On the 21 you should be able to finger tighten the pivot all the way down without changing the action at all. Perhaps the knife parts being loose when it arrived gave room for a washer to get out of alignment. The only way to fix this is to completely pull out the blade with the bushing and washers and tighten down the knife. Then reinsert the blade, bushing, and washers all together.

Hope this helps, J.

That's exactly what I did one of the times. Tighten down the other two then installed blade with everything else tight. And another note, once everything is tight the blade ever so slightly favors the lock side. Something else I'm not 100% happy with.

I do understand there may be a break in period with the washers/bushing. The only comparison I personally have is handling a few over the years before my own recent purchase of my NIB 25. I've opened my 21 now so many times with nothing more than full thumb sweeps(no flicking what so ever) trying to break it in that I can not feel my thumb tip today .

I'm just a little torn that my high value purchase is giving me issues, minor as they may turn out to be but they are still issues.

Thanks for the replies.

 

[RheaP]

The problem is, you bought a used knife and expect it to be out-of-the-box new.

I never stated that. What I do expect is it to function like a CRK regardless of condition/age which this one was visually in pristine condition with factory edge when I received it. DOB 11/12.

 

[Cowboy1629]

WOW, I hope you get this worked out... I was thinking about buying the same knife for my second after my NIB 25. And when I say same I mean SAME. I saw that one pop up on the exchange and while I was trying to decide on posting, you beat me to it.

I've heard the same thing about how much smoother the 21 is over the 25 so I was planning on making a 21 my second purchase. I now have my 25 working really great after breaking it in and the learning curve for my thumb so I'm eager to see just how smooth a 21 can be. Really hate to hear you are having issues with this one.

 

[RheaP]

I've heard the same thing about how much smoother the 21 is over the 25 so I was planning on making a 21 my second purchase. I now have my 25 working really great after breaking it in and the learning curve for my thumb so I'm eager to see just how smooth a 21 can be. Really hate to hear you are having issues with this one.

As it is now, my 25 runs way smoother than the 21. The 21 is getting better but its not there yet. For the record I'm not faulting the seller in any means. I believe it was in the same condition when he received it.

Earlier when I stated it looked barely used, I even looked inside the scales when the blade was out...there were hardly any polish marks from the washers from where it had been opened up so little. There are more defined marks as of today from where i've opened it so much the last couple if days.

I'll give it a few more days since its very slowly getting better but it's still not beating my 25 in the overall feel department. The 25 w/o a doubt has more of that "hydraulic" feel to it that you hear as a description so much with the Sebenza.

 

[AKWILD]

In my experience owning 20-30 sebenza's of different sizes and blade steels everyone is a little different with how smooth they open. If your not happy with it just disclose how tight it is and sell it and try another. It has taken me many a blade to find the perfect specimen for me. I do love my 25 and my 21 and my mnandi

 

[JNewell]

I never stated that. What I do expect is it to function like a CRK regardless of condition/age which this one was visually in pristine condition with factory edge when I received it. DOB 11/12.

That's entirely fair. If it can't be resolved, I think CRK will fix it without charge.

In my experience owning 20-30 sebenza's of different sizes and blade steels everyone is a little different with how smooth they open. If your not happy with it just disclose how tight it is and sell it and try another. It has taken me many a blade to find the perfect specimen for me. I do love my 25 and my 21 and my mnandi

Why go to the expense and trouble of selling it and buying another when CRK will almost certainly fix it for free?

 

[Manoloiv]

JNewell trying to pm you but messages are full

 

[ToddM]

I'd send it in for a Spa treatment, even if it costs you a few bucks CRK will return it in perfect working order. I've seen some variation in the smoothness of various CRK's I've owned but all have been head and shoulders above most and very close to each other only noticeable when compared directly to another one back to back. Even if you decide it's not for you, having one new back from the Spa will bring top dollar and you know that whoever gets it is going to be pleased with it.

I really believe that some subpar examples of BM, Spyderco, ZT, CRK, etc. etc. get handed around to multiple unsuspecting owners on the for sale boards, ebay, etc. I doubt it's on purpose in most cases, perhaps the previous owner bought it as their first BM/Spyderco/ZT/CRK/etc. and wasn't impressed but had no idea it was subpar, so they resell it.

I've had pretty bad luck as of late on the forums with purchases, enough so that I'm starting to rethink the "savings" in doing so, especially for anything in current production.

 

[u812]

If you were a little closer you could stop by and we could take it down together. I had one a few years ago that was doing very close to what yours is. I still have no idea what was causing it but after several times taking it apart and putting it back together the problem was gone. I think it was just something simple that I was not seeing when I was putting it back together. That knife was always a little tricky putting back together compared to any other Sebenza I have ever had.

 

[LMT66]

Maybe a prior owner decided to mess with perfection and polish the washers and thinned them?

 

[u812]

Maybe a prior owner decided to mess with perfection and polish the washers and thinned them?

Yeah,that would be a bad idea. I have wiped washers with corrosion lightly with flitz to clean them with out problems but you still have to be very careful.

 

[TTTis]

If you were a little closer you could stop by and we could take it down together. I had one a few years ago that was doing very close to what yours is. I still have no idea what was causing it but after several times taking it apart and putting it back together the problem was gone. I think it was just something simple that I was not seeing when I was putting it back together. That knife was always a little tricky putting back together compared to any other Sebenza I have ever had.

This would be the ideal situation. Finding someone local to you that has owned multiple sebs for a while, knows what feels right and what doesn't. More importantly someone who regularly breaks them down. At times sending it in can be a solid wait or extremely short, total gamble. I had a knife come back in 5 days with shipping once, amazing. A month or so another time. Plus it may just be a small thing that breakdown and proper reassembly fixes.

Here is what I would evaluate before sending it in. It also does help handling a lot of different 21's (local knife store?), as someone else said they all feel slightly different. Maybe the way they hand finish the washers for each knife individually, this gives each one less or more resistance. Certainly not a con, but can throw you off if the resistance is really strong. I've grown to like a sebenza with smooth strong detent/resistance from the start because it will always get softer when the washers and detent ball/path wear and polish.

With all the screws hand tight.

Does the blade open smoothly? To me that means no grinding feel/sound or jerky movement (hard stops that you have to really press though). Open the blade as slow as possible, good way to tell.

When locked is there blade play? Personally I just wiggle the middle of the blade while it's locked. Should feel solid in all directions. You don't need to apply great pressure to test for this. If it's present, you can tell with a slight wiggle.

What is the lockup percentage?