How bad is a new Sebenza suppose to stick when opening the blade?

[The Logical One]

I just got my new large sebenza in the mail and it is literally impossible to open with just my thumb. I have fairly strong fingers so I know it's not because I'm weaksauce. In order to open it I had to hold the handles with my right hand and use my left hand's fingers to open it up.

This can't be normal right?

 

[Davor]

Its not normal. I had the same issue with my new small Sebenza. The lock blade had to be reheated dute to the age of the handle, 1998. Send it back to CR and they will fix it.

 

[mrbear]

Remember when you try to open to "push up" on the stud not out sideways.

 

[The Logical One]

The Sebenza I got was made over a year ago, so I'm not sure if it has anything to do with it having been sitting around untouched for that long. But I tried every angle with my thumb, and I nearly separated my nail from the flesh and gave up.

I also have a large insingo (used) and it is definitely not like the new one I got. I figured the insingo was just broken in, and perhaps the new one I got just needed to be broken in too. I even loosened the screw a tad and it didn't help at all. That definitely can't be normal.

I already packed it back up and I'm going to send it back to the online vendor for an exchange Monday morning.

 

[paraclete]

Mine was fairly hard as well to open, but it got slick within a couple days.

As others have pointed out above, the opening motion takes some getting used to. For me, its a slight outwards movement, followed by a VERY pronounced upwards motion. Most other knives I own/use (Strider, Emerson, Onion, Hinderer) are more of the traditional push-outwards type movement.

I would just toy around with it for a couple days and if its still sticky/hard to open after a week, then send it back to Chris and he'll make it right as rain.

 

[Bluesummers]

Weaksauce you are, assisted knife you need.

Send it back and if it returns the same way then you will indeed know where you stand. You may need one of those older Sebenza's that people said opened up while in their pockets.

 

[The Logical One]

Weaksauce you are, assisted knife you need.

Send it back and if it returns the same way then you will indeed know where you stand. You may need one of those older Sebenza's that people said opened up while in their pockets.

hahaha we'll see. I didn't buy directly from CR so I'm going to have to exchange through the online vendor I bought it from. Lets hope this is just in fact a fluke and not me being a weaksauce. I can open the Insingo with ease, and it's smooth as butter. The only way I can describe the new one I got is a refrigerator where you open it briefly and close it back up, it creates a really strong temporary suction. When you try to open it you're yanking and pulling and the whole fridge just starts scooting out, but the door won't open. That's what it feels like with the knife right now. Once I get that half an inch out with my other hand, I can thumb it to lock up without any problem.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

Is the problem in just getting started or all the way through opening? If it is in getting started it could be the detent.Make sure you are not putting preasure on the lock bar as you try to open(actually just happened to me with another makers knife. I had two one opened easily the other was hard as hell to open. The second one must have just been more sensitive to the touch of the lock bar). I also just read a post that said when a Sebenza is being a problem-just taking it apart and re assebling it can often fix it.

 

[Cynic2701]

hahaha we'll see. I didn't buy directly from CR so I'm going to have to exchange through the online vendor I bought it from. Lets hope this is just in fact a fluke and not me being a weaksauce. I can open the Insingo with ease, and it's smooth as butter. The only way I can describe the new one I got is a refrigerator where you open it briefly and close it back up, it creates a really strong temporary suction. When you try to open it you're yanking and pulling and the whole fridge just starts scooting out, but the door won't open. That's what it feels like with the knife right now. Once I get that half an inch out with my other hand, I can thumb it to lock up without any problem.

It sounds like you are putting pressure on the lock bar, which is in turn making it more difficult for the detent ball to move up and out of the hole. Try re-positioning your fingers off of the lock bar and see if you have the same problem.

 

[김원진]

how old is it? you made need to break it down and clean it up. i had a hard time the first time i got mine, but after cleaning it up and re lubing it, it was perfect.

 

[Paradiggum]

how old is it? you made need to break it down and clean it up. i had a hard time the first time i got mine, but after cleaning it up and re lubing it, it was perfect.

+1
I've bought several Sebbies over the last 7 months or so but the last one I received was really hard to open. I took it apart and it looked like the lube had turned to paste. I cleaned it up and lubed it with fresh and now it works like it should. I'm glad it wasn't the first one I bought because I might have assumed they were just hard to open and concluded it was not the folder for me.

 

[snowreaper1]

Sebenzas are kind of like cars. Every once in a while you need to start the engine up and let it run a little. If you sebbies been sitting idle for long
while then build up and dried up grease can cause a tough opening. Moving parts in the pivot can be bone dry and cause a lot of friction.
I would break it down and lube it up and see if that helps at all.

 

[The Logical One]

I took it apart and cleaned everything, and lubed it up. Still the same. I even tried not torquing the screws down at all to where they're bordering on feeling resistance. Still really really sticky. Oh well I tried, looks like it will be going back.