My Sebenza get's stiff when tightened!

M

mantzao

Joined
Jun 16, 2011
Messages
1,522
Hello guys,

Yesterday this large 21 arrived.

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I was very happy with and still am, however, i noticed that when i tighten the pivot screw it get's very stiff!
This isn't the original blade. The original was in damascus.
Is this the problem?
I disassembled it and all seems right:confused:
I also own a small plain 21 and works fine tightened.

All help much appreciated.
 
worse comes to worse the blade is thicker than the bushing and it needs a new bushing because of it. Thats all I can think of thats doing it.
 
If I were replacing one blade for another I would definitely send it back to the mother ship (CRK) to get it done right. Once you change anything on a sebbie, (I feel) it needs to go back to CRK for an alignment (for it to be right).
 
Take a caliper and measure all the parts....its simple...i doubt the bushing is short.....your probably pinching a washer.
 
Pinched washer could also be the culprit like he said. make sure they aligned perfectly when tightening ! Happened to me before and that was the problem !
 
umm... the bushing should be thicker than the blade since it needs to accommodate the washers... but what I do sometimes to relieve some of that stiffness is take some miracle cloth (smells like coconut) and just lie it down on a smooth surface place the washer on the clother and do a few passes in a circular motion to sort of evenly polish both surfaces on each washer. not too much then put it together and test repeat as necessary.

if that doesnt fix it for you then send it in. But that should definately work just fine and since your "polishing the washers" it will only make the action smoother as well.
 
sent an email to Chris Reeve but they don't seem to work on Friday's.
i think i have to send i back:(
 
Yes, New to CRK's but not new to knives OR tools/toys with exacting tolerances. This particular knife (beautiful, BTW) has had an integral structural alteration from original design and form - the Blade has been swapped and when the pivot is tightened (an act that is not supposed to matter on a Sebenza) the blade binds in what is now, basically a vise.
Send her back and for a nominal fee you will have both a great looking knife AND one that functions correctly.
 
Honestly, all of my sebenza's get *extremely* hard to manipulate when I tighten the pivot all the way down. I just thought that was normal.

I tighten mine all the way down, then back off about 1/4 turn. That has worked for me for every single one of mine.

I think everyone's definition of "tight" differs though. Tight to me may be loose to you, and vice versa.
 
CrimsonTideShooter said:
Honestly, all of my sebenza's get *extremely* hard to manipulate when I tighten the pivot all the way down. I just thought that was normal.

I tighten mine all the way down, then back off about 1/4 turn. That has worked for me for every single one of mine.

I think everyone's definition of "tight" differs though. Tight to me may be loose to you, and vice versa.
Click to expand...

Backing off just a bit worked for me on my edc Small Sebenza. I have a bad habit of overtightening everything and I have to watch myself.
I just tried CTS's little "trick" and it worked great! Thanks for the tip. :)
The pivot screw is not loose by any means, just not my usual "overtightened".

I know it shouldn't make a difference because of the bushing. But in this case it worked.
 
The pivot bushing is the spacer from Ti side to Ti side as the blade stop and the rear spacer... the control on the blade is the washers.

If the washers are not pinched and the "stacking" is not correct... the washers can be massaged with some fine sand paper.

Keep in mind that the lock bar tension is also a resistance factor so hold it back while testing the freedom of the blade.
 
Of the 20 or so sebenzas that I have owned I could tighten the pivot screw down until it was ready to strip out and the blade still was
Silky smooth.

Id send it in.
 
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