How often do you clean your sebenza?

S

SuzukiGS750EZ

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Hey guys. I have a carbon fiber large 21 with the perforated washers. I carried it a few weeks after I cleaned it and went to use it this morning and it was binding. Cleaned it all up, regreased and now its fine. If I'm going to have to clean it all the time, I'm carrying it minimally. That little tube of grease was expensive! I don't even use it in a harsh environment. Mainly to open mail and cut tape on boxes, but nothing can get into the pivot.
 
I've carried a large Sebenza Classic on and off for 10 years, and never cleaned or lubed it even once. So there is probably a lot of variance in terms of which knives will need cleaning and which will not. Granted, it is just one of many knives that I rotate through, but after a decade it opens as smoothly as ever. Just my mileage. I suggest you give it another try and see how long you can go without feeling the need to clean it. I might very well be a long, long time.
 
I may never clean it if I was guaranteed not to damage it. Phosphor bronze washers I believe are self lubricating. I just don't want to damage it and have to send it out and part with it.
 
Rinse in warm water. Open and close a few times under water. Put back in pocket and continue with work. Works for me and I use my knives a lot.

Don't sweat the small stuff.
 
marthinus said:
Rinse in warm water. Open and close a few times under water. Put back in pocket and continue with work. Works for me and I use my knives a lot.
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This is what works for me as well and I carry and use my Large Sebenza daily for everything from opening the mail, kitchen duty, and everything in between. I do a disassembly cleaning and relubricate with CRK Florinated Grease about every couple of months, mostly because I enjoy doing it rather than any actual need to. Sometimes I will do the cleaning in conjunction with a touch up sharpening as sort of a periodic overall tune up, again just for the enjoyment of keeping my knife in top working condition. But the warm water rinse has proven to be good basic maintenance for me.
 
Running dry is fine, in most instances. After all, oil and grease, even though they do deuce wear and tear slightly, can and do attract dust and dirt. Sometimes even to the point where lubricating actually does more damage than running dry. I use a product called T-9 (a Boeing Aircraft proprietary lubricant) which is a wax that's held in suspension in a cleaner until used on a wear point that needs to be lubricated. After applying, the dispersant evaporates leaving behind a clean, heavy duty wax which hardens and stays in place after hundreds, perhaps thousands, of opening and closing. The perfect product for products such as folding knives and guns....cya

JW
 
I use to do it every week, but that's overkill. Once a month if that, warm water and soap every now and then in the meantime :thumbup:
 
I don't usually disassemble, I will drip some mineral oil in the pivot and the ball detent on the lockbar. Work it a few times and wipe it down. Sometimes I think that detent can get cruddy.
 
Not very often as I carry an Umnumzaan :p but, when ever it needs it basically, if it gets muddy or there is metal shavings from the shop in about it then I will clean it. I don't have a ritual of cleaning it weekly, monthly or anything like that. It hardly ever needs dismantled for cleaning, as others have mentioned a quick wash, blast of air or a small tube brush to get into those tight spots is usually enough. :thumbup:
 
I stopped using it on food and I found i can lube it much less often. I only do it 2 or 3 times a year now. If some peach juice or whatever gets stuck in there it can gunk it up real fast.
 
Good question.
The ones I use to cut that daily apple are rinsed in warm water and then dried with a paper towel.
When I feel it needs lubrication I put some Tuff Glide in the pivot area. Works fine for me.
I even rinse my Mnandi, who sure gets full of "apple juice".
red mag

@ColtM1911A1: Using a stuff that's called "T-9" makes me envious. ;)
 
I asked CRK about lubing and cleaning. They said to clean it with soap and water and blow dry. For lubing/disassembly, they indicated that it should be done at least once a year. Per CRK, there are two reasons. First is to reduce wear on the knife. Lubricated metal surfaces have less wear. Second is to inhibit corrosion. The grease protects the pivot and the blade from corrosion. You should use their lube, since it is the best for their design. It's not expensive (2% of the cost of the knife) and you are only supposed to use a small amount.
 
I rinse mine in warm water, sometimes with a little liquid soap, but I try and keep it out of the pivot. They don't seem to change much unless I really gum them up, like if I field dress a deer, and the fat gets in the pivot. That often requires a full take down and cleaning. Still I've probably cleaned more deer with a large Sebenza than with any other knife, because it's what I almost always have on me.
 
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