Knife Newbie... Question re: Sebenzas

Can someone explain to me what "Flicking" is? Do you mean you can't start the opening with the thumb stud and finish with a snap of the wrist? I love cr knives 100% but I was always confused by this. It's a disappointment to me if this is true, I always do this with my knives and maybe I should stop :confused: I thought flicking was to completely open the blade with the wrist w/o using the thumb stud....But I'm just a big idiot :D
 
A few years ago, Terzula himself posted on this forum, and he indicated the Starmate was designed to be opened by flicking. I believe the custom version of the Starmate (Starfighter?) is tip up with a thumb disc. Terzula was asked why tip down for the Starmate, and he indicated that it was to have a more effective "spydie-drop" his preferred method of opening a thumb-hole knife

I am sorry, I did not mean "authorized" in the same manner as Architect. To be more precise, I meant that the Spyderco drop, how to do the drop, hard openings and stop pins have been discussed on the Spyderco forum (both here and at the Spyderco website), on threads with participation by Spyderco's authorized representatives, and there has never been any indication that flicking a Spyderco was not allowed. There also have been threads on how to do the Spyderco drop and some, not me, have indicated that this is the method some Spyderco employees have been seen using for lightening fast deployment.
 
OK, here is my answer.

Flicking open a Sebenza will not harm the knife any more than flicking open any other similar knife, but what im guessing is that Mr. Reeve is a somewhat stubborn man and according to his personal understanding of a fine folding knife, flicking is not appropriate and thus he refuses to allow it, not because it will hurt the knife so much as he's just a stubborn man and it goes against his principles. It also strikes me this stubbornness is the reason he wont offer a different clip position. It may also be his stubbornness that allows him to produce the highest quality production knife available with knife to knife consistancy that most custom makers can only dream of.

If youre like me and crave ultimate precision and attention to detail, the Sebenza is an excellent value, if you want a knife to cut stuff and dont care a whole lot about workmanship, detail, and extreme precision then i agree, there are cheaper knives that will work just fine. I realize that youre paying a lot for that last little bit of refinement in a Sebenza, to me its worth it, it isnt to others, as always, its a personal choice.

Quick example, im into high-end automatic watches, i enjoy wearing a mechanical marvel on my wrist, a high quality automatic movement is truly a miracle of design and execution and i love them for their complexity and precision, however, i freely admit that my Casio G-Shock will keep better time, and do everything a nice auto watch will and then some, but its still the autos i come back to because again, i love any device thats made with extreme precision and quality materials, even if, as is the case with watches, there is not any advantage in utility. Its quality and precision i crave and that costs money, whether its watches, guns, knives etc.

Even Manischewitz wine will get you drunk...:)
 
"Flicking" any knife will cause damage over an extended period of time. I don't care who makes it or what they claim. At least Mr. Reeve is honest enough to say so. It is his choice not to cover "flicking" in his warranty. If the product/warranty/workmanship/price or whatever is not to your liking, find something else. Good luck in your search.

Oh yeah, the Sebenza is a lot of things, fragile is not one of them.

Paul
 
I finally found the old post from Bob Terzuola on the Spyderco drop, he states:

"About my clip placement. The original pocket clips, designed by Sal Glesser for his Clipit knives, were placed and are still placed at the pivot end of the handle. This affords a point down carry but, the draw of the knife from the pocket was intended to be with the fingers grasping the hole in the blade, drawing the knife out and, while still grasping the blade, using the mass of the handle, in a downward flick, to open the knife."

I found a similar post from Glesser. So despite what some think, the Spyderco drop, which is a flick open method, is part of the design of the knives, not an abberation that will ruin the knife.
 
This is a "newbie" explanation. Over time I learned to inspect knives I bought for blade play, centered blade, etc. because I bought knives previously without doing so and learned how these things were problems later.

Often the pivot bolt must be adjusted and played with (and loctited) to find the right place for where the blade is loose or tight enough. Scales need to be retightened, etc.

I found Microtech seemed to be about the best "adjusted" knives I bought.

I bought my first Chris Reeve large Sebenza. You just make sure everything is tightened all the way down, and it works perfectly. I have never seen anything like it in my Benchmades, SOGS, Spydercos, Kershaw, Camillus, etc.

What a revelation, it is perfectly put together, especially for a framelock.

You have to try one to see what the other people here are talking about.
 
Originally posted by brownshoe
Some answers:

My information comes from about 4 years of reading this and other forums. It comes from first hand knowledge of the sebenza. Most of what I said has been backed up by other posters.
Click to expand...

Brownshoe, one question, have you owned a sebbie yourself and carried one for a prolonged lenght of time?
 
Brownshoe, you don´t get off that easy, answer the question above: HAVE YOU EVER OWNED A SEBBIE OR ANY OTHER HIGH END KNIFE YOU ARE SO FOND OF BASHING.

ANSWER UP OR SHUT UP:rolleyes:
 
Hold on a bit. I don't know about the specifics in this thread, but I've found Brownshoe's posts on a variety of topics to be rather good myself. There can't be anything SO wrong in providing another point of view either surely? If the points are objective, they can be determined. If they are subjective, he's entitled to his opinion, save perhaps if its clearly provocative, which doesn't strike me as being the case here.

I was (still am I think) on the verge of obtaining a Large Native American. Some aspects of the pro-Sebbie posts worry me a bit. Not entirely, but it does seem hard to explain, why they are held in such high regard. I do prefer the Axis lock also - have handled a Classic and the lock is pretty stiff.

If Chris Reeve has the view he is supposed to regarding flicking, what would be the problem in him just saying so? To avoid answering altogether wouldn't be just stubborn. It would be very unhelpful, at the least.
 
switched,
I just want to know if brownshoe has owned and carried any of the knifes he finds so much at fault with.
 
Well, I just could'nt resist this thread any longer...
Although it has all been said before, I'll chip in my two cents worth.

First let me say that I have never owned a Sebenza, but I have handled more than one on more than one occasion (a good friend even parted with his for a couple of days in an attempt to bring me over to "the dark side").
I certainly don't buy the statement "you have to use one for awhile to really appreciate it".
Any self respecting knife-nut can determine in just seconds if a knife is of high quality, with good ergos, and constucted of top notch materials.
And the Sebenza is all of those things without a doubt.

However, some of the claims heaped upon it are simple a matter of faulty opinion.
For example, some folks think it has the strongest lock of any folder.
Looking at it from a design standpoint, I think the Bali-Song latch-lock is stronger, and probably the Axis-lock as well.

Given that it is a production piece and not a one-of-a-kind custom, I simply cannot justify the price Chris is asking for them.

The simple truth: NO KNIFE, including the Sebenza, can live up to the hype surrounding it.
If you buy one believing all the things you've read about it here on the forums, I'm sure you will be disappointed.

Allen.
 
Originally posted by switched
If Chris Reeve has the view he is supposed to regarding flicking, what would be the problem in him just saying so? To avoid answering altogether wouldn't be just stubborn. It would be very unhelpful, at the least.
Click to expand...
Why would you think CRK has avoided answering this Frequently Asked Question? :) From the website:

What causes the action of the blade to become rough?

Dirt, sand, pocket lint, etc. can cause the action of the blade to become rough. To allow you to correct this, each Sebenza and Umfaan is supplied with an Allen wrench so that you can dismantle the knife, clean the hinge area and apply lubrication. Please note that flicking of the blade will also produce a rough action. Continuous wrist flicking will damage the lock and give it a gritty feel. Not to mention that the stop pin and back of the blade are not designed for that sort of continual shock. Flicking the blade out is very hard on any knife and is not recommended.

If you want more chatter on the question, do a Search for "flicking" on the Chris Reeve Knives Forum to find a thread like this one.

Seek, and you shall find.
 
Oh well thanks Esav.

Yes lazy of me I guess, but was just going on what had been said to this point really - not concluded either way.

I guess the question then is whether CR's assertion re flicking with any knife is accepted or not, whether Sebenza's are more of a worry in this respect than others, etc. No idea myself.

Edited to add:

Brownshoe on the basis of Esav's thread there, it doesn't appear that CR and crew avoid the subject, does it?

Further edit:

Okay .45, no worries. I think allenC has a point about how much exposure is really required though.
 
switched. No problem. Some of us do research as an obsession :eek: and others ask questions, which is what the forums are for. :)

Like many a Sebenzanista, I came to avoid threads like this. Who needs controversy? -- I've got my knives! But I would like to say, as many others have before me, that CRK makes excellent tools for cutting. That's it. If you want the best, even that little bit better than the second-best, you generally have to pay a steep premium. Over time, the money seems less important. "Life is too short to drink cheap wine."

The Sebenza will probably hold up under abusive behavior better than most knives, but why should it? If regular flicking is ultimately damaging, and operationally unnecessary, give it up.

You will find people pointing to other knives that the manufacturer insists can take it. How many of those knives were built to last a lifetime, even without flicking?
 
Many people claim many things about the sebenza.

I agree it's smooth, good action, cuts well, excelent if not perfect fit and finish. I do not agree that it is a perfect knife and the answer to everone's needs or wants in a knife. In past threads people have expressed problems and dissatisfaction with their sebenzas. I summarized this as a public service in a past thread. I like to combat hype that is not supported. The data comes from multiple people, thus it should have more credence, than my direct experience with the sebenza, of which I have had. Most the information was summarized from one thread where someone else wanted to hear about sebenza problems. It went on for about 3-4 pages.

Per CRK addressing flicking, there have been "hot" posts on this topic before, CRK has not responded. At the same time this thread was running (in April) there was a thread on the CRK forum where the subject was neatly sidestepped. To my knowledge nobody knows why you can flick a Darrell Ralph Camillus product, a benchmade, a spyderco, etc. but not a sebenza. On another thread on flicking, someone postulated that it was the action of titanium on steel, but until CRK tells us, who knows. Recently Darrell Ralph and Kit Carson have both stepped up and said that damage upon flicking is not a problem with their knives. The implication is that it is a design flaw.
 
I suggest you shell out some more $$ and buy Lochsa ;)
Beautiful knife and a very good cutter. Sure, it won't outcut 5 polices, but looks a lot better then a dozen of those. I think it is better cutter than 2 polices or something like that though.
 
The Lochsa should be good. Scott Cook learned from the best! :) I like my Darrel Ralph folders a lot, too. They are also titanium handled framelocks.
 
I'm anxiously awaiting the small Lochsa. It will make a damn fine companion for my small Sebenzas.:)

Paul
 
Thanks for the reality check Mr. Benyamin, it always helps keep me humble. However, I am not young, and as for my sex, I'll let you guess...but let me assure you it's often :)
 
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