Is it normal for a lockbar to dent like this?

[kreole]

The lock bar on my three week old small 21 seems awfully dented, while my small Insingo's lock bar is nothing like this despite being around since May. I imagine it's not a real issue (it doesn't seem to affect the lock up negatively), but I can't get it off my mind, so I figured I'd ask you guys. It began to look like this right away, and I'm not sure if it's getting worse over time or is now "broken in" and staying the same.

I hope these pictures show it. I tried to take them on an angle to show the difference in height.

 

[Golddust]

Don't flick it open.

 

[kreole]

Don't flick it open.

The detent is so difficult it is basically impossible to flick. In fact, I open it two handed 95% of the time. It has only faced two flicks, neither involving any wrist movement. Besides, it started to show up well before either of those occurred.

 

[jiggyfly16]

the lock face might not have been heat treated right. Give CRK a call and they'll sort it out for you.

 

[giant1]

If ever there was knife that needs to go back to it's maker that one has to be it.

Let us know what happens :thumbup:

 

[Josh K]

Looks like the lock was forced to fail slipping off the tang of the blade.

Either that or something else was done to it. Send it to CRK and get a determination. None of my knives look like that regardless of use.

 

[krazichinaman]

Looks like a bad heat treat to me. I would call them on Monday and refer them to this page.

 

[Incahiker]

Send that sucker back.. it is definitely not suppose to look like that.

 

[frontline29]

My one week old large 21 has the exact same wear in the exact same spot. It's no where near as bad as that tho.

Can somebody please post a few pics of an older well use sebenza lock bar face just so I can see if mines wearing prematurely?

I have not wrist flicked it at all.

 

[STR]

I wouldn't worry about it. That part of the lock should not be coming into contact with the blade anyways. The rounded edges are all on the top of the lock which is the part of the lock the detent ball occupies on Reeve knives. The way we build the frame or RIL style of knives and liner locks only the bottom of the lock contacts the blade. On Reeve knives the bottom third plus or minus because Chris does spread out the contact a little better than other manufacturers. That part of the lock where all the rolled edge is showing is not supposed to be connecting to the blade anyways so it really can't affect how it locks up unless the lock up is incorrect. Unlikely to be the case with a Sebenza in my experience.

Look at this picture. This is the typical lock up on any folder of this type no matter who makes it and its correct. http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=135735&d=1245285445

Here is another knife showing the same contact. Note the light gap where you can see light coming through.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=135734&d=1245285404

The areas on your knife showing rounded off edges are all in these areas that should not be touching the blade anyways and perhaps thats why its the way it is to begin with. Unless your lock up is showing signs of up and down (vertical) movement in the blade or unless the blade kind of 'rolls' on the lock from an improper contact I suggest to you that its probably fine.

STR

 

[kreole]

Thanks everyone! I'll give them a call tomorrow.

Frontline21, does yours happen to be a Wilson Combat Starbenza? That's what this one is.

edit: I posted before seeing yours STR. Thanks for the reply. It definitely doesn't affect the function of the lock, so I'm not worried. I think I'll call he company to get their thoughts on it, though; if it's something that will get worse and eventually affect the lock up (like if it continues to dent further until part of the lock bar that makes contact with the blade is also dented), I imagine it'd be better to fix it sooner than later.

 

[frontline29]

Thanks everyone! I'll give them a call tomorrow.

Frontline21, does yours happen to be a Wilson Combat Starbenza? That's what this one is.

edit: I posted before seeing yours STR. Thanks for the reply. It definitely doesn't affect the function of the lock, so I'm not worried. I think I'll call he company to get their thoughts on it, though; if it's something that will get worse and eventually affect the lock up (like if it continues to dent further until part of the lock bar that makes contact with the blade is also dented), I imagine it'd be better to fix it sooner than later.

Nope,
It's just a plain Jane large 21.

Like I said, it's not as bad as that, it is only a week old after all.

Thanks STR I guess it's nothing to worry about then.

 

[STR]

It could be the result of the blade rubbing the liner there as it heads in rotation toward the detent ball, at which time the blade would be riding up on the ball instead of the lock itself. Keep in mind the blade is significantly harder so it could wear on the ti and even cause the corner to roll some. However, looking at the lock that looks purposeful to me as if someone has peen adjusted the lock contact to remove the part of the lock from position to prevent that area from contacting the blade. Regardless of how or why I don't think its anything to worry about at all though. But not seeing the knife and where the blade actually contacts on the lock its hard to tell if the bottom of the lock is actually going to be hitting the blade on this model or if the area of wear is where the blade connects. Some models of other knives have the tang of the blade recessed down some in the body so its possible that it is a concern if this is the case. Its never a waste of time to get the maker to look over anything you question.

STR

 

[link2derek]

If ever there was knife that needs to go back to it's maker that one has to be it.

+1. That lockbar is just plain wrong.

 

[kreole]

It could be the result of the blade rubbing the liner there as it heads in rotation toward the detent ball, at which time the blade would be riding up on the ball instead of the lock itself. Keep in mind the blade is significantly harder so it could wear on the ti and even cause the corner to roll some. However, looking at the lock that looks purposeful to me as if someone has peen adjusted the lock contact to remove the part of the lock from position to prevent that area from contacting the blade. Regardless of how or why I don't think its anything to worry about at all though. But not seeing the knife and where the blade actually contacts on the lock its hard to tell if the bottom of the lock is actually going to be hitting the blade on this model or if the area of wear is where the blade connects. Some models of other knives have the tang of the blade recessed down some in the body so its possible that it is a concern if this is the case. Its never a waste of time to get the maker to look over anything you question.

STR

I'm the first owner and haven't modified it in any way. Just now I shined a flashlight in there and watched as I opened it slowly. The bar doesn't ride on the blade until it drops off the detent ball. I noticed the dent in the lock bar is exactly where it contacts the blade when it drops off the detent ball, so that could be where the damage is coming from. Could the lock bar have too much tension, which is resulting in this damage? As I mentioned earlier, it is very difficult to overcome the detent, and that's a result of pressure from the lock bar, right? I know friction at the washers isn't to blame for the difficulty in opening it because the blade falls freely if I push the lock bar over to remove its pressure.

 

[STR]

This is hard to show but looking here at these two links you can see the tang of the blade on each. Note how in picture one in the first link the tang of the blade is not flush but down in some. I realize its not much on this but imagine that the tang was down in further like toward the middle of the width of the lock. Thats what I'm referring to. If your tang sits down and is not like the second link where the contact is at the bottom and at the very bottom flush with the lock as this one is then you should send it in. In other words if for your knife the bottom of the contact on the blade connects to where the first signs of damge to the lock appear then thats as far toward the bottom of the lock that your particular blade can reach. Its tang is cut too short to be flush with the lock as in link two.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=178785&d=1283725685

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/attachment.php?attachmentid=178784&d=1283725647



STR

 

[STR]

Here is some pictures to show what I mean about the contact and how there are differences from one to another.

Note the Boker Trance. See how the lock overhangs off the tang of the blade. You can see that the blade has to contact the lock not at the bottom per say but as far toward the bottom as it can based on how it was built. If yours is like this then those marks may be issues to have looked at.

If however its like this Strider and connecting just the opposite where the blade actually overhangs the lock instead of the other way around or even if both are flush at the point of contact then you have a lock connection at the very bottom of the lock but it would leave wear marks where it connects on the blade not at the bottom of the tang unless it was flush with the lock. The wear marks on the lock you show pics of seems to suggest something contacts there or did at one time. I hope this comes across for you. The lock may be contacting the tang at the damage area and since I don't have it in front of me I can't tell you if it does or not.

STR

 

[MORIMOTOM]

not long ago a member posted pics of his son's sebenza that had similar lock wear/damage.

what he figured, was his son was closing the blade before the lockface had completely cleared the tang. this created galling when the blade tang scraped against the lock.

 

[Incahiker]

not long ago a member posted pics of his son's sebenza that had similar lock wear/damage.

what he figured, was his son was closing the blade before the lockface had completely cleared the tang. this created galling when the blade tang scraped against the lock.

That's funny, because I was thinking of this exact thing today while driving. If you are pushing the blade like you want to close it before completely disengaging the lock bar its going to rub on the side of the lock bar while closing. I sometimes accidentally do this, and it almost spring loads the blade into your finger. I recommend not to do this... lol.

 

[kreole]

The top of the dent is about where the part of the tang touching the lock bar ends. It appears to sit right in the innermost part of the dent, but I can't really tell with the other scale in the way. I don't really see any gaps between the lock bar and tang, except at the corner where it's dented (because of the dent) and very slightly on the side where the lock bar is cut from rest of the handle (which is like the Boker pictured but the gap between tang and lock bar can't be more than .5 mm). Overall, the contact appears uniform between lock bar and tang.

I can tell it still contacts the dented area when the blade is traveling between the locked position and riding along the detent ball.

I've accidentally started to close it before the lock bar was completely out of the way (being in a rush and not thinking), but it's not my standard way to close it, and it hasn't happened more than a couple times. I don't think that can explain it; while it makes sense that the top and corner could dent because of that, the dent continues all the way to the detent ball, and that area would take sideways pressure, not the downward pressure of the tang, I think.

Anyway, I'll call tomorrow and see what they say.