Help! My Large Sebenza is slow, gritty and blah in general

K

Kiltedshooter

Joined
Sep 3, 2006
Messages
37
I got my NIB large Sebenza in the mail today. Unlike my BM 610 Ruckus which was smooth to the point of greased lightning, my Sebenza is slow, impossible to open with any kind of flick (even with a healthy push on the stud) and all around ick.

I'm comfortable taking just about anything apart short of a nuclear weapon I just want to make sure I do this properly. What should I do to smooth this sucker out?
 
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Althought I don't have a Sebenza, i believe the action is supposed to be tight. It is not supposed to be flicked open.
 
Sebenzas aren't supposed to be gritty, but they can be slow and smooth. The mechanism isn't designed to flop around friction-free.

Go to our Chris Reeve Knives Forum and read the Stickies at the top, especially How I clean my Sebenza (with pictures) but also Unofficial Sebenza FAQ (Long).

They should get you up to speed. :D
 
It might simply need a touch of tuning. Get some good lube like Militec-1 and the appropriate bit driver (I think Sebenzas come with one). Loosen up the pivot just a bit, and maybe the handle screw closest the pivot, just enough so that you can push the handles open a bit. Lube the pivot, then tighten it up enough that there's no blade wiggle, but can still move freely.

When it was my turn in the Sebenza Passaround, it was pretty tight. Smooth, but tight. A bit of lube and adjustment as I described above, and it was smooth as silk.
 
Prying and lubing may get'er done but a complete cleaning as per the Chris Reeve forum sticky will do magic for it. It did on mine.
 
GronK said:
... a complete cleaning as per the Chris Reeve forum sticky will do magic for it.
Click to expand...

It's an especially good idea with the Sebenza because even though it's supposed to be NIB, someone may have taken it apart just to check it out, but when they put it back together, didn't align the washers properly. This would jam the action noticeably and give it a gritty feel.
 
My Sebenzas came stiff but smooth. After about a year of use, my small regular is "broken in" it's still smooth but easier to open. And there is no play whatsoever in the blade in any direction..

Some of the folks on the CRK forum say it helps to polish the washers with fine steel wool. Go to the forum and do a search to find out how fine to go. The directions for taking it apart and reassembling it are there too.
 
When I disassemble mine, I polish everything with a Tuff Cloth, including the washers and the inside of the handle slabs. It removes all the surface gunk. (And I like the smell :) )
 
It can be tricky to get the washers back on right. If they come off the pivot on you right before getting the final handle over them you can still get the pivot in but it can have all the symptoms you describe. I think if it were mine I'd make use of the tool and check that the washers are seated properly.

STR
 
Ditto to everything said above.

Could use taken apart and cleaned out. CR uses grease which can be slow.
Mine respond well with Breakfree CLP as a lube. People disagree on lubes, but I like that one for my Sebenzas. I use a Tuffglide on some of my more difficult to take apart knives because oils attract lint and dirt, but a Sebenza is designed to be easliy taken apart and cleaned so I always perfer oil on those.

Whatever you do, don't try to POLISH anything. That's likely not the issue and might void your warranty.

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Just give it a blast of WD-40, soak up the excess with a paper towel -and that's the smoothest it's ever going to be. The axis lock is a much smoother mechanism in design.
 
flatgrinder said:
Just give it a blast of WD-40, soak up the excess with a paper towel -and that's the smoothest it's ever going to be. The axis lock is a much smoother mechanism in design.
Click to expand...


I don't know. WD40 leaves a film behind. Ever seen a door hinge that's been treated with WD40 for a while. It looks like it's been varnished.

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WD-40 will clear away water or gunk, but wipe it off and lubricate the knife with a real lubricant before reassembling it.

The axis lock is no smoother than a Sebenza. It is looser. When you hold the axis bar back, the blade swings freely back and forth. It may even be loose enough to be classified as a gravity knife in some jurisdictions.
 
I have a similar problem with my large Sebenza. I took it apart and found thet the bushing was forced into the pivot hole and was extremely tight. Heather at CR suggested I send it back to them, which I did. Hope This helps.
 
I get that you're having trouble flicking it open. Aside from the fact it's not a flicking knife, what does the "blah" descriptor refer to?

Don't get me wrong, I can understand it. The large Sebenzas I have are decidely "blah." Wouldn't have it any other way. CR is actively inviting you to become involved in your knife. You're welcome to beat the shit out of it, tear it down, clean and lube it, and put it back together again. And always have the manufacturer back you up, provided you use it for work, as opposed to vanity, ninja stupidness. It's crazy good, the customer service. Need it sharpened? Send it in. Etc. ...
 
take it apart and clean it. DONT use wd-40!!!!!!

then reassemble using CRK grease if you can!

I use it sparingly because it *does the trick*

I love tlaking about Sebenzas, Esav!

and tuf cloth does smell good, too!

Ron~>:rolleyes:
 
I had the same problem with my small Sebbie. I polished the washers with MAAS and cleaned and assembled the parts as instructed by the Sebbie thread here. Works perfectly now.
 
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