My First Sebenza!

bd51

bd51

Joined
Jun 15, 2010
Messages
487
Hi guys, my first CRK, Large Sebenza 21 Left Handed, arrived on Wednesday. This is the first time I have been able to post pictures.

I am really liking this knife, its nearly perfect in every single way. Only one problem; the stop pin screw came loose for some reason, I have no idea why, but it has been fine since.

Here are some pics...
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Nice pics. My Large 21 dated December 2, 2010 has lockup at almost exactly 75%. Yours looks to be about 90%. I was expecting mine to be around 40%-50% to allow for some break in. Guess that's just how they're coming now!
 
Thanks! I have heard that most sebenzas have late lockups so I am not going to worry about it.
 
I also have a quick question, when you tighten the pivot screw all the way, are you supposed to be able to open it the same? Mine becomes extremely hard to open when the pivot is tightened all the way down.
 
bd51 said:
I also have a quick question, when you tighten the pivot screw all the way, are you supposed to be able to open it the same? Mine becomes extremely hard to open when the pivot is tightened all the way down.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't make any difference as long as the bushings aren't pinched. You might pull the blade out and try reassembly. If the washers or bushing is pinched at all there will be issues with the centering, opening, etc.
 
I took it apart and reassembled it and it is still really hard to open when the screw is tightened down.:confused:

The blade is a little bit more centered and there is an earlier lockup now...
 
When you take the knife down, assemble the handles first, leaving the blade-bushing-washers out, tighten all the handle screws tight, and then slide the blade in with your fingers pinching the bushing and washers together, then insert the pivot screw and tighten down tight, then give it a quick flick open to seat everything, check the screws make sure they are still tight.

If you follow that method there is about a zero percent chance of pinching the washers.
 
I tried it again... no luck, still really hard to open when the pivot is tightened down. Maybe the bushing isn't big enough? I did exactly what TyFrameLock said and it still does not work...
 
Congrats on the new Seb. Hope you enjoy yours as much as I have enjoyed mine.
 
Are you sure you're using the right parts in the right places?

The smaller washer goes on the lockbar side, the larger washers goes on the non locking side.

The Largest ring is the backspacer which goes on the bottom.

The Smallest ring is the locksleeve which goes in the middle.

The Medium ring is the pivot bushing which goes on the top.

Pictures for reference where they go.

DSC_0268-1.jpg
 
Get some good lube in there and then see if it's still stiff. Also, allow ~1 week of break-in period. When I got mine, the lube had already dried up and it was very stiff. I thought I had gotten a bad knife. I just played with it constantly for ~1 week, applied some good grease, and now the blade is smooth as silk.
 
Yes, I have them in the right places. I see your washers do not have holes, mine do with 8 holes per washer. I still do not see what I am doing wrong or if it is a defect...
 
I put some TUF-Glide on it the first time after reassemble. It is not that it isnt smooth, it is that it is VERY hard to open when tightened down all the way.
 
bd51 said:
I put some TUF-Glide on it the first time after reassemble. It is not that it isnt smooth, it is that it is VERY hard to open when tightened down all the way.
Click to expand...

Take down the knife again and thoroughly clean it (clean all lube off). Double check that each part is in the correct place and then check to make sure you aren't pinching the washers. Do it like this:

With the blade out of the knife, put the handles together, tighten all the screws, then back off on the stop-bar screw like 1/2 turn. Put a tiny bit of lube on both sides of the blade where the washers go. This should allow the washers to stick to the blade. Then take your blade and washers and line them up properly. There should be just enough lip on the pivot bushing such that it will lock in the washers on both sides of the blade and prevent them from sliding. Then carefully slide the blade in between the handles making sure not to disturb the washers. Put the pivot and pivot screw in and tighten it down.

I noticed that the tiniest bit of extra lube can really bind up the knife. You really don't need a lot. The perforations in the washers help keep the lube in place.

P.S. Do not get discouraged. I had the same exact problems you are having now. Your first instinct is probably to get pissed that the very expensive knife isn't working right. That's what mine was!
The three steps to being Sebenza happy are:
1. Apply a decent lube.
2. Make sure the washers aren't pinched.
3. Play with it (open/close) like crazy for a week.
 
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Thanks for the help, I will be trying to open/close it for a week and if it is not better by next wednesday, I will send it in to CRK. I will also try to email CRK to see what they say on Monday.

It is fine with the pivot screw backed off a bit, but after about 15 open/ closes, the screw becomes really loose.
 
bd51 said:
Thanks for the help, I will be trying to open/close it for a week and if it is not better by next wednesday, I will send it in to CRK. I will also try to email CRK to see what they say on Monday.

It is fine with the pivot screw backed off a bit, but after about 15 open/ closes, the screw becomes really loose.
Click to expand...

You should be able to tighten the screw all the way down without noticing any change in stiffness
 
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