New Sebenza 21 -- very difficult to open

A

alpine0000

Joined
Jan 8, 2005
Messages
144
Hey guys,

Just got my sebenza 21 in the mail today. this is my first CRK.

I was just wondering if it is normal for these to be really difficult to open one-handed? I know that they have a pivot bushing so that you can -- theoretically -- tighten the pivot screw down all the way and it doesnt effect the smoothness of the blade opening at all. But with this knife, I almost cannot even open it one-handed. And it sure as heck won't flip open fast (I know that these arent supposed to be flicked open, just saying that its VERY TIGHT). It is very sticky throughout the entire blade movement, and is difficult to get going. After a few minutes of struggling with it with one hand, I just have a deep welt in my right thumb :o I tried pushing up, pushing out in an arching motion, pushing to the side, etc.

For reference, I have been collecting folders for over 15 years, and have had spyderco, benchmade, CRKT, leatherman, gerber, emerson, and even an automatic OTF microtech that has a VERY difficult-to-actuate switch, which is no problem for me.

So is this normal, or should I drop some lube in there and maybe loosen the pivot screw about 1/16th of a turn? Or maybe it just needs to be broken in?

Very impressed with the quality though! cant wait to carry this thing for many years to come!


EDIT: photos here -- http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=779900
 
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i know this may sound odd but i dont think you are opening it right, you thumb shouldnt be getting a welt.

here is a good video on how to open it,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HcXu6dVRCOE

if you cant watch it here is a synopsis ;)

you dont want to come down on top of the stud, you want to use it from the side, also make sure you arent pushing down on the lockbar.
 
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Thanks for the reply gundude :)

I watched video. I may have been a bit guilty of putting a little bit of pressure on the lockbar (but not much), but I see that I am using the thumbstud correctly. I still find it painful/difficult to open though :(

Do you guys find that they get a little easier after being broken in, or no? I think another problem is how small/sharp/pointy the thumbstud is. That doesn't make it any easier. Haha.

My take so far is that this is the best knife I've ever owned with the worst thumbstud I've ever seen. LOL. Still my new fav knife though. Haha. I think either the knife needs to be broken in, or my thumb needs to be broken in and trained :p
 
I guess since I have been lurking at you guys CRK pictures and drooling the last few years, I owe some back. Let me get my camera and snap a few photos while it's still sunny outside. I will probably start a new thread with some photos for you guys.
 
It's probably the ball detent wearing against the tang of the blade. Over time (many openings) the ball will wear a shiny path into the tang, and then it will be consistently smooth and easy to open.
 
Sebenza's open more stiffly than other knives, and they definitely aren't easy to flick. There are probably ways to lubricate them to be a bit more nimble, but the flourinated grease that CRK uses on their knives creates a lot of tension. I personally like the feel of this, and while the 21's don't open as smooth IMO as the classics do, they still feel pretty good (albeit not quite as evenly smooth during the entire opening process). You aren't going to get the feel of a William Henry, or a Benchmade with a Sebenza.
 
Fluorinated grease sounds like a synthetic. If you use mineral or petroleum based grease or oils on synthetic grease it is probable the synthetic greases bonding agents break down, and your grease looses effect.

Just something to consider.
 
I haven't done anything yet, but what would you guys think of putting one or two drops of RemOil in there? Would that play badly with the grease?
 
freq18hz said:
Sebenza's open more stiffly than other knives, and they definitely aren't easy to flick. There are probably ways to lubricate them to be a bit more nimble, but the flourinated grease that CRK uses on their knives creates a lot of tension. I personally like the feel of this, and while the 21's don't open as smooth IMO as the classics do, they still feel pretty good (albeit not quite as evenly smooth during the entire opening process). You aren't going to get the feel of a William Henry, or a Benchmade with a Sebenza.
Click to expand...

Right on--they aren't as easy to flick open with certain lubes, but they can be made easy with others. My small Insigno is super easy to flick with Hoppe's #9 but wasn't very easy with the first two lubes I tried (3-in-1 and Boeshield T9, though both of those give good results with other knives).

Someone told me in another thread CRK grease is similar in terms of slickness to Hoppe's, so freq18hz you may want to try putting less on, as what you describe sounds like what mine felt like when I put too much Hoppe's on. I ended up using a toothpick and "painting" each side of the washer with a very thin coat.
 
My small 21 was a bit stubborn at first, but using it a little more and after this past month or two of EDC (and making sure to push out and not down on the stud) it works like a dream.
 
TBH, I dont really care if i can flick it open easily, i just want to be able to loosen it from its starting point easily. The hard part for me is getting it moving off of the ball retention part. Once it's freed from there, I dont mind the bit of extra friction. I can live with that. It seems like the ball retention has the blade gripped so tight though that I sometimes have to use two hands to open it.
 
First: Congrats on your knife.

Now some technical stuff:

When you recieve the Sebenza new the knife will need to cycle a few hundred times in order for the stone wash finish under the washers to become polished. This holds the same for the travel area under the ceramic ball. So you will feel resistance due to the stone washed finish until it becomes polished like a mirror under the pivot washers. This takes TIME!

My Insingo was hard (compared to my old small), I handled a polished blade from CR and the difference was HUGE! That is how I realised the stone wash finish gives resistance and just kept on using it and it smoothed out dramatically.

If you have taken your knife apart just a word of advice, look at some vids and the sticky to make sure you do not pinch a washer!

Other then that, just use the knife. Everyone has their own lube that works for them. Mine is a machine oil designed for the fine gears in a sowing machine.
 
makes perfect sense, mathrinus.

i havent taken it apart yet. i am going to give it some time and break it in a bit (and maybe train myself to open it in a slightly more favorable way?).

i have no doubt that things will get better with time!

thanks.
 
It shouldn't be "hard" to open though, that's the bottom line. When they're new, they have a slow, deliberate opening, not hard at all though. It could be possible that there is something on the detent ball or jamming it. A disassembly and cleaning should cure it.

I got a carpet hair in the detent ball of my RJ Martin havoc, a quick squirt n wipe with WD40 did it. NO disassembly required.
 
Recent Sebenzas have a deeper detent — in fact, it's now a hole straight through the blade.

The small 21 I bought a few weeks ago is ridiculously hard to open compared to the large Regular I carry. A little practice at avoiding pressure on the lock bar helped a lot, and I'm hoping that it will smooth out with time.

marthinus: my Seb has a polished blade, but the flats are still stonewashed. Are you referring to one where the entire blade is polished? I'd love to see pics if you have them!
 
Something doesn't seem quite right though. Unless the OP has lil chicken fingers :D I have a hard time using the thumb stud to open my DDR Trigger Maze but the detent ball on that thing is huge.
 
holygoat said:
Recent Sebenzas have a deeper detent — in fact, it's now a hole straight through the blade.
Click to expand...

this is exactly it.

i took it apart to remove the lanyard stuff, and make sure that there were no issues, as two of my knife buddies also tried to open it and said "holy $**t, that is near impossible to open with one hand!". the pivot/grease/etc is fine, and once the blade is moved out of the detent, its easily movable. the entire issue is getting the blade going, and getting the detent out of the hole in the blade. the lockbar detent is pressed very firmy into the hole in the blade. almost to a ridiculous level. it literally takes two hands to get it out. im hoping that maybe the detent will wear down the edges of the hole in the blade a little bit so that it can get going easier. hmm. :( i really love the knife, but this part is depressing.
 
I wonder if you took a very small needle file or even a pointed dremel bit and created a bit of a "ramp" on the blade near the detent hole if that would help. Kinda risky to my mind, but might do the trick.
 
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