Just slightly disappointed....noted some recent quality issues.. :-(

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JustinFournier said:
I just thought I would update. My small Sebenza micarta showed up today. Inlay and everything is perfect. There are a couple marks on the screws. They could be tool marks from someone missing the hole. Other than that, she is perfect. Definitely a keeper. It came from Edged Specialties, and they did an awesome job getting it to me packed well. I will definitely buy from them again.
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That's great! I love it when things work out:thumbup::)
 
cziv said:
Anyone else strip or break these new funky looking screws? I have a new Sebenza - just posted about it - and it's stiff so I thought I'd strop the washers a few passes and re-lube it, plus I'd like to remove the lanyard but I'm afraid of breaking one of these new screws off.
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only one out of all the screws was "soft" the others are fine
just take the time it needs and take it apart ;)

Maxx
 
The reason for the quality of a product to decline will usually be due to the company producing the product taking steps to increase their profit. I was thinking about the two quality issues that have been brought up by this thread:
1. The screws are blemished, unfinished, off center.
2. The inlays on recent models have a more loose fit into the recess.

The screws are low quality because of the supplier making them. While its possible that CRK should try to find a better supplier, Chris has stated that the one they are currently using is the best they have found thus far. I remember the screws being highly polished a few years back, and bead blasted further years back. Perhaps this should be done again or some other step should be taken to rectify the issue.

I find that the inlays fit looser in the 21 models as opposed to the mnandi. Some inlays also seem to have a more tight fit compared to others -- box elder being tighter than bark mammoth for example. I'm speculating here but this might be done on purpose to give bark mammoth more room to move. My point being that CRK may be making the inlays smaller in the recess on purpose for reasons other than to save time and money.

In any event, no company is perfect and problems can and do arise. I'm sure CRK is constantly trying their best to rectify issues.
 
JoHnYKwSt said:
I find that the inlays fit looser in the 21 models as opposed to the mnandi. Some inlays also seem to have a more tight fit compared to others -- box elder being tighter than bark mammoth for example. I'm speculating here but this might be done on purpose to give bark mammoth more room to move. My point being that CRK may be making the inlays smaller in the recess on purpose for reasons other than to save time and money.
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The wood and Mammoth are stabilized therefore there should be NO movement. The control (constant) in this analysis is the fact that the inlays weren't being cut short on models 1-6 years ago. Something is afoot ;)

Ironically, Box Elder is probably the least dimensionally stable of all the material they use. If anything was to be cut to allow for movement, it would be Box Elder.
 
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I don't believe the mammoth is stabilized. I'm pretty sure some of the hard woods like ebony and lignum also aren't stabilized. I thought that box elder was though.
 
2Dead said:
I don't believe the mammoth is stabilized. I'm pretty sure some of the hard woods like ebony and lignum also aren't stabilized. I thought that box elder was though.
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Actually, a correcttion to my previuos statement of "all". They do stabilize Mammoth bark in many cases (from CRK, to my ears, to this post). Especially if there are deeper cracks. The harder woods like you metioned are not, nor do they need to be. You could probably throw and Lignum Mnandi in the ocean and all that will eventually remain will be the inlays. Amazing wood!
 
Big_E said:
Actually, a correcttion to my previuos statement of "all". They do stabilize Mammoth bark in many cases (from CRK, to my ears, to this post). Especially if there are deeper cracks. The harder woods like you metioned are not, nor do they need to be. You could probably throw and Lignum Mnandi in the ocean and all that will eventually remain will be the inlays. Amazing wood!
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No. The mammoth is not "stabilized". The deep cracks may be filled if deemed necessary but the mammoth itself is not "stabilized" like some of the woods and as written on CRK website this is how its explained: Stabilizing the wood (a process that replaces the air and moisture in the wood with polyester resin, resulting in increased strength and durability) alleviated some of the problem.
 
Thirteen13 said:
No. The mammoth is not "stabilized". The deep cracks may be filled if deemed necessary but the mammoth itself is not "stabilized" like some of the woods and as written on CRK website this is how its explained: Stabilizing the wood (a process that replaces the air and moisture in the wood with polyester resin, resulting in increased strength and durability) alleviated some of the problem.
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For whatever it's worth, here's a post from another thread

nyefmaker said:
With all the talk about mammoth bark lately.......wether its stabilized, how its treated, how to care for it, etc. For my own personal knowkedge and of course to share with my fellow CRK friends, I emailed CRK and asked about durability, how its treated, cracks, etc.

Here is my email to them and their response. Definitely to get a mammoth ivory...when that right one comes alone ( and when I sell more....lol ).

CRK,

I have been looking into getting a CRK with Mammoth Ivory. The beauty on
some of these is unspeakable. I am considering the sebenza and the mnandi.

I would like to know how you stabilize them and how durable they are
overall. I see several that have cracks in them, is this a normal and it is
something I should be worried about...?

Are different colors more durable, or is it all equal with your stabilizing
process.

Looking forward to hearing from you and what you have to say about the
mammoth ivory.

Thanks,
Thomas
( nyefmaker )


I am sure this info will be more than helpful to my fellow CRK buds as it was to me. Many Thanks to Jessie from CRK for her quick reply.

Hello Thomas,

The mammoth that we use is not stabilized (like some wood inlays are)...the
main finish we use is a wax to polish/protect the inlay. The mammoth bark
does have cracks and crevices at times but if the inlay has deep crevices we
do try to make sure that they are resistant to getting anything stuck in
them that may cause them to erode or "crack".

The color variations you see are due to what that mammoth might have been
exposed to (or buried in) before it was found and that also varies greatly.
But the color doesn't have any significance to the strength.

To care for mammoth is easy, just use a damp cloth to clean it and it is
best if the knife is not exposed to extreme conditions over a long period of
time...i.e. heat, humidity, bleach, harsh soap etc. For example we say that
if you keep the knife in a pocket and it tends to be a sweaty, moist
environment then it should be kept in the pouch. That is why we provide one
with all our inlays and decorated knives...it just adds that extra
protection. But the way we make the inlay should keep it stable if cared for
well. Our inlays are a natural resource and are not sold as indestructible
but with proper care they will be fine. And of course if for some reason
something unusual happens like a crack we will look at it and determine if
it is a warranty issue.

The mammoth inlays are meant to be our top of the line, unique and beautiful
inlay and with anything of that sort you wouldn't want to subject it to hard
use like you would say with a regular Sebenza. It certainly will be
something to show off and be proud of.

Hope that helps you make your decision.

Jessie
Customer Service - Chris Reeve Knives
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I just checked my small sebenza born April 24, 2012 and the screws are perfect. Thank goodness...not that it would have been that big a deal but I'd probably have paid $1 each for CRK to find me some perfect replacements...
 
Well I just received a March 12 2012 Large, and I have a couple of concerns. First of all, 2 of my male handle screws have a small burr on the edge. Its kind of annoying since my older sebenzas are perfect...

Also, the screw hole on the pocket clip was not centered to the handle threads, so the screw kind of bound coming out. Are the pocket clips pressed in? I had a hard time getting the pocket clip out of the handle even with the screw removed. I opened the hole in the clip a little bit with a diamond rod so the screw won't bind going in or out.
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My screws worked okay for a large Sebenza marked March 22. They're a bit cheap looking - finish wise but they work. I'm kind of afraid of tightening them down real tight like models from previous years but that may be because of all of this talk about them (screws).

I wonder if in the future, if Mr. Reeve finds a better vendor or resolves this screw issue, if we'll have problems installing new, more robust, and better made screws? I'm not thinking of the screw now as much as the threads in the ti slabs.

Does it screw down flush? Is so, run it in and forget about it. :thumbup:
 
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Yeah it does tighten down flush. The threads in the handle look fine. No cross threading or galling of any kind.
 
clips are pressed in, you can buy a filler tab and ask to have that installed instead of the clip, and they'll include the clip in the pouch. That first time trying to pop the clip off can be a bit trying :p
 
I believe the clip screw is designed to gall to prevent it from loosening on its own. The clip being tight in the mating hole is normal.
 
"I believe the clip screw is designed to gall to prevent it from loosening on its own. The clip being tight in the mating hole is normal. "

Exactly what I thought. Another non-problem fixed. Another reason to beware of buying used sebenzas.

When it comes to screws, etc., I am so glad my eyesight isn't good enough to see the flaws in my knife w/o a magnifyer :)
 
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