My very 1st CRK Sm Sabenza 21 ordered!!!

J

J2S2M

Gold Member
Joined
Jun 21, 2020
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89
Alright guys,

First post here, so please go easy on me since I am fairly new to this "knife world". Anyway I just placed an order of a sm sabenza 21 from an AD. However the one I purchased is a new old stock which dob goes back to late 2014. Is there anything I should specifically look for during initial inspection other than the usual fit/finish list (centering, smooth action, solid lock up, no vertical/horizontal blade play, etc)? Been on the fence since this is an older stock but I'd figure due to their tight tolerance, there shouldn't be any issues as long as it's new and not used/returned item.

FYI this is for the PJ sm sabenza 21 with optional ASU lanyard and bead spacer with the stonewash tanto blade.

So stoked about my first CRK purchase! My heart is literally pumping with butterflies as I'm typing away. hehe

Any feedback/advice would be appreciated. Thanks in advance! :)
 
Congratulations and there should be no quality issues. The one thing you may need to do with a knife that has been sitting that long is take it apart, clean and lube. The old lube may have hardened.
 
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Congratulations! You've got yourself a real gem. Don't be afraid to use it. CRK's are the BEST work knife made and age really well. Enjoy
 
Peter Hartwig said:
Congratulations and there should be no quality issues. The one thing you may need to do with a knife that has been sitting that long is take it apart, clean and lube. The old lube may have hardened.
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Thanks! Not sure how I feel about having to clean a brand new CRK. We'll see how the action feels and take it from there. Hopefully it will be like glass so that I won't have to take it apart. Feel anxious to get this baby in my hands to see how it feels. :)

jascolli said:
Congratulations! You've got yourself a real gem. Don't be afraid to use it. CRK's are the BEST work knife made and age really well. Enjoy
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Thank you, sir. Can't make up my mind whether to just keep it as a safe queen or to really put it to use. Recently got into this knife game and have picked up 20+ Spydercos, BM's, etc. within the last 2-3 months. This is my gate way knife into some high end production knives and hoping it doesn't lead to splurging on more of these luxury pocket accessories. But I already know it will. lol
 
bravo to you, use it like you mean it and its always nice to see another CRK fan on hear, enjoy brother .
 
J2S2M said:
Thanks! Not sure how I feel about having to clean a brand new CRK. We'll see how the action feels and take it from there. Hopefully it will be like glass so that I won't have to take it apart. Feel anxious to get this baby in my hands to see how it feels. :)



Thank you, sir. Can't make up my mind whether to just keep it as a safe queen or to really put it to use. Recently got into this knife game and have picked up 20+ Spydercos, BM's, etc. within the last 2-3 months. This is my gate way knife into some high end production knives and hoping it doesn't lead to splurging on more of these luxury pocket accessories. But I already know it will. lol
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Congrats, It won't be your last, but please, sharpen it, put it in your pocket and work the heck out of it, don't make the finest and most workable knife in the world a safe queen, use it the way it was ment to be,
 
The small Sebenza seems to take longer to break in. Make sure you don’t wear your thumb out during the break in period. Try putting your thumb behind the lug, and push straight out and then rotate up. You have to overcome the detent tension while opening the knife. If you push straight up, you’ll have a sore thumb in no time.
Once the detent ball is realer from the detent hold, the knife should have a smooth action until it locks up. If there’s and hesitation or feels like it’s dragging, then you’ll probably need to clean it and apply fresh grease. Don’t be stressed about taking it apart. That why he tools are included. Just be mindful when you tear it down. Don’t be surprised if you have to do a little prying when you take it apart.
You’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of the knife if you use it and not just admire it.
 
blanex1 said:
bravo to you, use it like you mean it and its always nice to see another CRK fan on hear, enjoy brother .
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Thnx. All the knowledge I've gained in a short time spending hrs on the boards has taken me to the next level to some of the higher productions out there. Glad to be part of the CRK owners here! Will get some pics up once I receive it.

KrisNZ said:
Congrats, It won't be your last, but please, sharpen it, put it in your pocket and work the heck out of it, don't make the finest and most workable knife in the world a safe queen, use it the way it was ment to be,
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Def won't be my last from what I've acquired within the last couple of months of splurging on knifes. Wife ain't 100% on board with it cuz she's scared of sharp objects. However she still supports that I have a new hobby to help me deal with this crazy time we're living through. Picked up a sharpmaker to main my own until my knives need a real sharpening. I see that sharpening is another hobby of its own. Scared to peep into this other rabbit hole. For I just edc's some random spydercos which is more than enough. So we'll see how much pocket time the CRK will get.

sailfish said:
To get full enjoyment from a CRK, you must use that bad boy.

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Those images gave me a cringe initially. But it's impressive what a small piece metal is capable of if you use/maintain it properly.

Ajack60 said:
The small Sebenza seems to take longer to break in. Make sure you don’t wear your thumb out during the break in period. Try putting your thumb behind the lug, and push straight out and then rotate up. You have to overcome the detent tension while opening the knife. If you push straight up, you’ll have a sore thumb in no time.
Once the detent ball is realer from the detent hold, the knife should have a smooth action until it locks up. If there’s and hesitation or feels like it’s dragging, then you’ll probably need to clean it and apply fresh grease. Don’t be stressed about taking it apart. That why he tools are included. Just be mindful when you tear it down. Don’t be surprised if you have to do a little prying when you take it apart.
You’ll get a lot more enjoyment out of the knife if you use it and not just admire it.
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Thanks for the heads up. I will definitely keep that in mind during the initial break in. Almost sounds like the way my Techno 2 deploys. I hear the action can be comparable if I dare to say from some of the reviews I've read online. Can't wait to get this sabenza in the hands. *drool*
 
If it feels fine then you don't need to clean and lube right now, but if you feel it could use it, it is not hard to do. While in some ways it is a new knife, it is also a 6 year old knife with 6 year old grease.
Enjoy
 
Just use it ! I always use a new CRK for a month or so then break it down for a cleaning and 1st lub. Both the small and large Sebenza will take anything you can throw at them and look damn good doing it ! ☺
 
I recently purchased a NOS large 21 from 2015. It was pretty smooth in spite of having sat in the box for 5 years, but after I took it down, cleaned and lubed it (CRK grease) it got quite a bit better feeling.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
If it feels fine then you don't need to clean and lube right now, but if you feel it could use it, it is not hard to do. While in some ways it is a new knife, it is also a 6 year old knife with 6 year old grease.
Enjoy
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Yeah, I felt pretty apprehensive about break down an expensive knife but I like that CRK will stand behind their products. They actually encourage you to crack it open and properly maintain it without voiding the warranty.

Sluggy said:
Just use it ! I always use a new CRK for a month or so then break it down for a cleaning and 1st lub. Both the small and large Sebenza will take anything you can throw at them and look damn good doing it ! ☺
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Yessir! After hearing everyone's testaments of how much of a workhorse a CRK is. I guess my 21 definitely won't be a safe queen. Just got shipping confirmation today so should be here in 3-5 days. *evil grin*

Evany said:
I recently purchased a NOS large 21 from 2015. It was pretty smooth in spite of having sat in the box for 5 years, but after I took it down, cleaned and lubed it (CRK grease) it got quite a bit better feeling.
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Thanks for the heads up. Seems pretty simple to take apart. So I'll definitely clean her up when I get it.
 
There are several instructional videos you can watch, but I think the best is probably the one by Tim Reeve, I think it's a sticky here on this forum. It's very straight forward and easy, just don't do it when you are in a rush.
 
One of the nice things about these knives is their ease of being taken down and put back together again, but I certainly understand your apprehension if you haven't done it before. You will soon get over that.
but do it when you are ready
I only mentioned cleaning and lubing, since there was a possibility that the old grease dried and could affect performance. Some clean and lube very often. There are others with decades old knives that have never taken them down. I do it when I feel the need.
 
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She's finally here! It was rough when it arrived. So took everything apart to clean her up and she truly shines. Action is glass smooth as expected. Blade is close to centered but not perfect. Overall VERY happy with it! Thanks all who gave me some good advice about the initial break in and the maintenance on this guy. Happy to be part of the CRK club!

EDE35FB4-18B3-404B-9063-A4E90307FDF2 by Jason S Min, on Flickr

D6A626ED-08A8-4A21-8E2C-BE19AD1B01C4 by Jason S Min, on Flickr

D5C444D5-D736-4137-8D92-18A73A1FFC29 by Jason S Min, on Flickr
 
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J2S2M said:
She's finally here! It was rough when it arrived. So took everything apart to clean her up and she truly shines. Action is glass smooth as expected. Blade is close to centered but not perfect. Overall VERY happy with it! Thanks all who gave me some good advice about the initial break in and the maintenance on this guy. Happy to be part of the CRK club!

EDE35FB4-18B3-404B-9063-A4E90307FDF2 by Jason S Min, on Flickr

D6A626ED-08A8-4A21-8E2C-BE19AD1B01C4 by Jason S Min, on Flickr

D5C444D5-D736-4137-8D92-18A73A1FFC29 by Jason S Min, on Flickr
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Well done! Soooo whats the next one going to be,
 
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