Help me understand the new Inkosi stop pin.....

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d.weglarz13

Joined
Jun 4, 2008
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1,944
Okay guys, this is going to sound weird so let me know if I am missing something here. Got my Inkosi in the mail yesterday, and noticed first thing that the stop pin design is something I haven't seen before.

First off let me say I really love this little knife. But one thing has me scratching my head with this new stop pin.
The lanyard pin gets screwed down solid.
Like the 25, the pivot can be adjusted to user preference.
BUT, the stop pin.......Here is where it gets confusing for me. The stop pin passes completely through the presentation side handle slab. It gets screwed down on the lock side, though.

So, this means that the only "real" solid point holding the knife together, is the lanyard pin. The pivot can be adjusted, and the presentation side handle slab is kind of just free floating on the stop pin....albeit with tight tolerances.

But, this also means that when the knife is together, if you squeeze the handles together a bit, the blade is no longer able to open or close freely. Again, the only part of the knife that is solid and doesn't change, is the lanyard pin. I'm sure there is a reason for this, but why not have some sort of "step" on the stop pin, so that if you squeeze handles together, the slabs cannot move? I'm having a hard time explaining, but the gap between the handle slabs, is what I mean by "doesn't change."

The way the knives are designed now, if you squeeze the slabs together, the blade doesn't move like if you were to tighten the pivot down all the way.

Now, when opening or closing the knife, there is no real reason to squeeze the handle slabs together, but it seems like an odd design move, to have a knife that can be "squished", forcing the blade to be not able to move freely. Again, there is no problems or anything using the knife, but why take away the strong design of past sebenzas, where once the body screws are all tight, you can not budge the frame of the knife, except for the pivot that can adjust how tight or loose the blade swings.

Right now, its just really the lanyard pin holding the knife together. Please don't get me wrong, its a pretty cool design, and makes for an easier disassemble/cleaning. But, seeing the tight tolerances CRK has always stuck by, why make a knife that can be "flexed" or squished?

I hope I am explaining this all right, but it seems like CRK should have perhaps but a "step" on the lanyard pin, so that the handle slab cannot slide inwards toward the other slab. Maybe I'm just crazy, I know CRK has reasons for what they do, just kinda baffled by this one.

Again, I must admit I was skeptical at first with the finger grooves and all, and I just love this little knife. Very cool, stays in the hand nicely even though its so tiny. I just want to understand why they went with this design.

Tell me your thoughts......

Dave
 
Yes the stop pin is floating. CRK said that is so the the pivot tension is more adjustable. I can't bend the grips together on my Inkosi, but maybe I am not trying hard enough. When you were doing your squeezing you were not also pushing on the lock bar right? Pressure on the lock bar can make the blade hard to move.

I was wondering the same as you before I bought my Inkosi and then looked in my collection. I have other knives that are built the same way just supported at the pivot and tail spacer. For example the ZT0900. That is one massive small knife. I expect CRK knew what they were doing when they went this way.
 
Okay, that is good to know. I have handled 2 different Inkosi so far, and both were the same.

And yes, I am making sure not to put any pressure on the lock bar. Just the frame, and I can do it with only my index and thumb, squeezing pretty gently. I wouldn't go and put crazy force on my new knife, just an easy squeeze. Not bending anything by any means, just a bit of finger pressure. Again, it was the same on both the Inkosi's I tried.

Makes sense that it could be so the pivot tension is more adjustable. I just found it odd, and I don't have other knives like this, so great to know others are like this too.

Again, I don't consider this a bad thing really, just wondering why not mill a step on the stop pin? And of course, again there is no real reason anyone would exert a lateral force really.

Just from a design perspective, I believe one of the cool features of the Chris Reeve integral lock (frame lock) is the fact that when the knife is open, the harder you squeeze your hand, the more secure the lock is and a less chance of the knife closing. Just seems weird that with the Inkosi, just squeezing my index and thumb pretty lightly, would stop the blade from being able to move and affect the action.

Perhaps, when squeezing the frame and NOT the lock bar, this force is causing the lock bar to squeeze the blade also, even if my fingers are not touching the lock bar? That kinda makes sense too.

Just to reiterate, its something that can be felt and seen if opening or closing the blade and squeezing just a tad, but in no way is the force I am using anything like enough to actually see or feel the handle slab move on the stop pin or anything like that. There is no bending or flexing of the titanium handles. The force I'm using is probably the same force as you would use to pinch your own arm, or squeeze a bug or something...:eek: I don't know, just trying to understand it better I guess, since I haven't had any knives with this design before.

Also.........I really love this knife. Did I say that already? :D

Thanks again for any thoughts. I just can't put this thing down!

dave
 
Ive never held an Inkosi, so this is just my opinion, but if the stop pin(being so close to the pivot) was made to be tightened down, it would prob throw off the adjustment at the knifes main adjustment area...the pivot.
 
lemmuhj said:
Ive never held an Inkosi, so this is just my opinion, but if the stop pin(being so close to the pivot) was made to be tightened down, it would prob throw off the adjustment at the knifes main adjustment area...the pivot.
Click to expand...

Okay. I can definitely see this now. Yes, the stop pin is very close to the pivot, and if it was screwed down I could see that changing things at the pivot. Wow, I kinda feel silly now.

My next question was going to be then, why not the same with the 25? Well, I'm gonna go ahead and ASSume its because even though the Inkosi is just a scaled down version of the 25, the pivot is not scaled down.

Am I right to think that the pivot being large with everything else being smaller, is the reason why it seems like the stop pin is closer to the pivot? And, that means the pivot needed more room for adjustability?

Okay, maybe I'm confusing myself more now. What you guys said so far makes sense so thanks.

dave
 
The umnumzaan has no stop pin (other than the thumb studs), if that's any indication that it's a proven idea. However, I happen to be EDC-ing my Umnum right now, and lo and behold, you are right!! If I squish hard enough on the slabs I can lock the blade. I never noticed this before, so I suspect it's a non-issue.
 
Cool, I just tried it and it happens to mine, too.

Just thinking about it mechanically, it makes sense. I can't imagine that there are any positive or negative consequences, so I guess it is just one of those things about the knife.

Cool trick, weglarz.
 
Haha, thanks guys. I never got to hold an Umnum yet, didn't even realize it doesn't have a stop pin. Not sure why this is so intriguing to me, but I do love the simplicity of it especially for disassembly. Very cool little knife.
 
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