How well do 31’s break in?

S

SuzukiGS750EZ

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Dec 30, 2008
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I’ve always heard of sebenzas needing break in but I’ve never had to do it. My new large 31 is pretty tight. I’ve backed off the pivot and went just past finger tight. It’s not locked up pivot or two hands opening tight but certainly not easy. Do they actually loosen with time and wear enough to notice?
 
Wild Willie said:
It took a few months for mine to attain the smoothness that I'd always read about.
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Damn. I’d like to run my pivot screw a bit looser but if they’re putting loctite in with the knives now… I don’t know how smart that is. My 21’s never needed loctite.
 
SuzukiGS750EZ said:
Damn. I’d like to run my pivot screw a bit looser but if they’re putting loctite in with the knives now… I don’t know how smart that is. My 21’s never needed loctite.
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I wound up using a dab of it. More for peace of mind than anything else. I'd be ticked if a screw wound up AWOL out on the job. Not that I don't keep extra knives in my bag, but I'd then fail the one year challenge.
 
the 31s are a little bit different then Sebenzas , in that they don't need a brake in time, just a just the pivot screw , I own two Inkosis witch are about the same as 31s both run smoothly but not drop shut like 21s are, like said you may need to add a little lock-tite to the pivot so it douse not come undone .
 
blanex1 said:
the 31s are a little bit different then Sebenzas , in that they don't need a brake in time, just a just the pivot screw , I own two Inkosis witch are about the same as 31s both run smoothly but not drop shut like 21s are, like said you may need to add a little lock-tite to the pivot so it douse not come undone .
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Why do they still run a pivot bushing then? My inkosi I don’t use loctite on and it’s been fine but my buddies inkosi loosens. But the sebenza Line is supposed to be the bushing that “sets” the tension.
 
Your 31 will break in. They always do. I have five 31's, all of which were snug from the factory. Now they drop free. I tighten the pivot screws normally and I have never made any modifications. I have a small 31 that was gritty and especially stiff. It took longer to break in that the others, but it is a smooth operator now.

Some 31s need thread locker, but not to set the pivot tension. The thread locker is necessary because they've hardened the steel of the stop pin, which can create vibration if the knife is opened forcefully.
 
Modernflame said:
Your 31 will break in. They always do. I have five 31's, all of which were snug from the factory. Now they drop free. I tighten the pivot screws normally and I have never made any modifications. I have a small 31 that was gritty and especially stiff. It took longer to break in that the others, but it is a smooth operator now.

Some 31s need thread locker, but not to set the pivot tension. The thread locker is necessary because they've hardened the steel of the stop pin, which can create vibration if the knife is opened forcefully.
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Ah. I come from the “don’t flick the sebenza open” era lol. So I’m good on that!
 
Needs to be stated here that any object that moves against another surface, whether it be metal on metal, water in a canyon, whatever, wears. There will always be some form of break in with a knife. How noticeable the results are will of course vary. If I had to guess I’d say my small 31 started feeling perfect around 300-500 openings. I used loctite on every screw
 
Try adjusting the stop pin screw
Take it apart and check the washer shiny side faces the blade
 
FL23833 said:
Try adjusting the stop pin screw
Take it apart and check the washer shiny side faces the blade
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The knife is brand new. I took it apart on the first day I owned it and cleaned the grease out and regreased. Both sides of the washers were in the same condition, sanded. I took it back apart today and did keep the more smooth side in, now that I’ve worked on it a bit. I don’t think the blade is totally flat around the pivot, the washer had a semi circle around it (not pinched, it’s larger than the bushing). I don’t want to go remove any material off of them and smooth them out though, I’d like to do it through use just to say I did it and see the changes, though instant gratification would be nice too. My carbon fiber 21 was tight as well which I wasn’t crazy about. The knife gave me difficulty in sharpening as well (I wasn’t well versed at the time) and ultimately with the sharpening issue and the tightness along with at the time, CRK having ugly screws (they weren’t broached well) I let it go. I wish I hadn’t… I still miss it. But I never got to wear that one in. My inkosi obviously has pivot adjustment built into it which I like so breaking it in is a moot point to me. My large 21 had a pivot bushing that was too large so I took it down a bit. It’s got no blade play but is very smooth and I haven’t broken that one in really.
 
I find the 31 PJs have a tighter action and detent, which I actually much prefer. The inlayed versions are much smoother in my experience, which i think most other people prefer.
 
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