If You Were Buying a New Umnumzaan: Double Lug or Single Lug?

[JNewell]

First, I've read every post here since the Umnumzaan was first discussed that mentions this issue, so I think I've got a reasonable grasp on the facts (at the cost of a lot of reading and trying to filter a signal:noise ratio that is sometimes extremely high).

The question is whether, "knowing" (as far as it is possible to use that word) what is known now, you would buy one of the later double lug knives or scout around and find a single lug Umnumzaan?

I'm not asking about whether CRK stands behind its knives - I know they do. I'm asking whether the degree of confidence in the hardware is enough higher with the single lug design to make it worth finding a single lug knife, bearing in mind that the lugs serve not only as thumb lugs but also as the stop pin.

 

[bearcut]

the lugs serve not only as thumb lugs but also as the stop pin.

I think you want a Sebenza.....

 

[din]

umnums only have two thumb lugs. double lugs are optional on the sebenza only.

 

[bhyde]

I believe he is talking about a one piece thumb lug that goes thru the blade (umnumzaan) as opposed to the early two piece design. I am not sure that CRK has gone to a single piece.

 

[JNewell]

I believe he is talking about a one piece thumb lug that goes thru the blade (umnumzaan) as opposed to the early two piece design. I am not sure that CRK has gone to a single piece.

You're right about my question. There are some posts here about how they switched to a single-piece, double-lug design.

Hey guys – I am sorry it has taken so long to get back to you. Please believe me when I say I have started on this several times over and something always gets in the way!

The issue of the thumb lug problem of the very first batch of Umnumzaans is rather complex and the technicalities of it are difficult to describe so I am not going to go into detail. It revolves around an error on the handle fixture, and the way the lugs connect. Immediately we realized there was a problem, we altered the fixture and changed the tolerance of the connecting sections of the lugs so that they fit much closer. We do not know exactly how many knives we produced like this but our best estimate is well under 100. We have received fewer than 10 knives returned for this problem, and every Umnumzaan sent in for sharpening, refurbish etc. is checked. With these changes, the thumb lugs have been rock solid.

Since we always work to upgrade our engineering, Chris sought to improve the thumb lug which was already performing to all expectations. He designed the single bar thumb lug and we made them in-house during the first part of June. We do not have a day marked on the calendar as to when we started using them but estimate early July. There would have been a period of cross-over since the blades are slightly different for the two styles and the guys fitting would use whichever lug was appropriate as they worked through a batch of prepared blades.

And I say again – if you have a problem with one of our knives, you know we will make it good!

Anne

 

[clockman]

I remember the thread you are referring to.Your would would probably have to

go to the Achhives to find it. The bottom line is if I remember correctly is...

umnuns made after july of 09 have a 1 pc. thumb lug....before that date they

had a 2 pc.

This all started because of a post by soldier that had half of his 2 pc. thumb

blown of in an explostion in Afganistan.

I think this is what your looking for.

Craig

 

[misterjuiceman]

The half of the thumb lug that got blown off should have never come off. it was a manufacturing flaw that was corrected very early in the production of the Umnumzaan. the corrected version still had two piece thumb lugs, but production was eventually switched over to a single piece for the thumb lugs. I wouldn't worry about it at all, I doubt the thumbstud would ever come off, two-piece or one-piece

 

[bigmark408]

I have more than one of each and there both fine.

 

[JNewell]

Thanks, I had pretty much come to the conclusion that the two-piece stud is, after CRK fixed the tooling problem they themselves mentioned, not a problem. In the back of my mind, I wonder why CRK used a press-fit rather than a screw fit. I'm willing to take a guess that another knife company that is much more zealous about filing patents (but not so generous about giving credit to others when they use un-patented innovations invented by others) has got a patent out on screw-together studs. I could certainly be wrong, btw...

 

[misterjuiceman]

Thanks, I had pretty much come to the conclusion that the two-piece stud is, after CRK fixed the tooling problem they themselves mentioned, not a problem. In the back of my mind, I wonder why CRK used a press-fit rather than a screw fit. I'm willing to take a guess that another knife company that is much more zealous about filing patents (but not so generous about giving credit to others when they use un-patented innovations invented by others) has got a patent out on screw-together studs. I could certainly be wrong, btw...

I think CRK still uses loctite when fitting the two thumb stud pieces together. press fitting is a much tighter fit than screwing two pieces together. I can't imagine a company patented threads