New Sebenza 21 -- very difficult to open

[alpine0000]

Try taking the knife apart cleaning it , and use a thinner lube when you reassemble . When I got my small
Classic there was too much o the fluorinated grease in the pivot causing it to be tough to open! After the cleaning it was perfect !

Hey Soft,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did do that the other day. Cleaned it out and used some RemOil on it. Didn't help one bit. It's still the same as it was before cleaning.

I still love this knife though!

 

[Diamond Dog Dave]

Sounds like you have a mechanical issue. It doesn't seem right to have to deal with that when you're dropping three bills on a folder.

May I suggest lubing it with some Militec-1 synthetic metal lubricant? It actually bonds with the metal to protect and lubricate. Lube it up liberally, cycle it open and closed a bunch of times, then let it sit overnight before you wipe away the excess. I use this on all my knives and guns and its the very best oil IMO.

I wouldn't go messing around with trying to file anything and risk damaging it. I would just send it back to CRK and they'll sort it out. Good luck! :thumbup:

 

[softrockrenegade]

Hey Soft,

Thanks for the suggestion. I did do that the other day. Cleaned it out and used some RemOil on it. Didn't help one bit. It's still the same as it was before cleaning.

I still love this knife though!

Good luck with it ! It kinda sucks seeing someone have soo much trouble with one of these great knives! I have had nothing but great experiences with the 4 sebs iv purchased and hope things get worked out for you !

 

[salmanalk]

I would send it back, got the large and small new...the large is sooooo smooooth but the small is a bit tough (both just made lg aug 2010,sm july 2010). But not so tough as not to open, they are great knives and you should enjoy them. Send it back and you should be happy with the result!

 

[BBQ BOY]

Send it back to CRK. Simple as that. Things happen. I received a small 21 micarta 21 from CK's two weeks ago and it is one of the easiest, smoothest knives Iv'e owned of theirs.

 

[Mr. Clean]

Does it make any sound when you open it at all? It should be silent. If it isn't, I'm worried that the detent ball isn't rolling...

My knife doesn't do the 90 degree thing either but it is still the smootest knife, most well put together knife I've ever owned and if yours isn't up to snuff, it should go in.

i still love this knife, and dont want to send it in. i am going to give it another week or two and see how it breaks in. i have been opening/closing it a lot trying to get it smooth.

its not quite there yet. so yea, that test earlier about holding it with the blade facing down, and holding the lockbar all the way open so its totally out of the way, and seeing if the blade drops... my blade stays put, even when i shake the knife, it doesnt fall down.

i also did another little test: i opened the blade at a 90 degree angle to the handle (halfway opened, basically), and held the handle pinched between my fingers with NO finger on the lockbar to make sure there is no additional pressure on the blade from my grip, and if i shake the knife vigorously up and down, the blade doesnt budge a bit. hahaha. I have never seen that in a knife before. it is SO tight

I still dont want to "modify" it in any way yet, so Im not going to grind down the thumbstud or modify the hole in the blade. I want to leave this thing bone-stock for the time being and see how it breaks in.

Has anybody here used a polish and polished their blade on their own? If so, how did it turn out, and did it help the smoothness of opening/closing? i was thinking if i took it apart and polished the entire blade, that it could make a noticeable difference. or maybe just polishing the part inside the handle and leaving the rest stonewashed, since this is a user-knife and the stonewash helps hide scratches. Also, maybe trying to polish the ball detent on the lockbar a little bit.

I noticed that the ball detent is starting to put its own little ramp on the edge of the hole in the blade. its only SO SLIGHT right now, but i can tell that the hole isnt perfectly round with crisp, sharp edges anymore. The edge is rounding off a bit on the side where the ball goes in and out. This is exactly what I was hoping would happen

 

[alpine0000]

Does it make any sound when you open it at all? It should be silent. If it isn't, I'm worried that the detent ball isn't rolling...

My knife doesn't do the 90 degree thing either but it is still the smootest knife, most well put together knife I've ever owned and if yours isn't up to snuff, it should go in.

It does make a slight sound when you move the blade. you can really only hear it in a quiet room. i dont want to call it a grinding noise, because that sounds bad, but i guess it is a very slight grinding noise when opening or closing it. maybe its more a "sliding" noise? I might add that i only hear it in a quiet room when the knife is within 2-3 feet of my ear.

I have been carrying/using/opening/closing the knife all weekend. I must say that I CAN tell that it has gotten a bit smoother (not perfect yet), so I'm kind of hoping that it will just continue to get better and I wont need to send it in.

I agree that this knife is put together well, and is one of the best I've ever owned. Most likely, THE best I've owned.

 

[Ditch_Digger]

Ok, this is getting out of hand/ridiculous!


1st. You are getting MIS-information!

a.) A Sebenza is NOT SILENT when you open it!
It should make a very satisfying/distinctive "click" when the
lockbar slips into place and locks the blade.
Grease WILL mute/lessen this noise BUT you don't want grease
on the lockbar because it attracts
DIRT/GRIT and this will increases WEAR! You want it dry.

b.) "Extra" grease can in NO WAY cause tightness or difficulty in
opening.

c.) The detent ball does NOT roll! It is staked in place and simply "glides"
against the blade. That is why I suggested the extra lube to help it
"wear in".


What likely happened with the "extra grease" user was when he re-assembled the knife he did not tighten it as tight as it came from the factory OR possibly there was some binding that was corrected when he re-assembled the knife.

..speaking of which,

Have you dis-assembled this knife yet???

..if you haven't then YOU SHOULD!

Like I said previously, you can very likely eliminate/alleviate this entire "problem" by simply loosening the pivot screw. Try that FIRST and see what happens. Also, please re-read what I suggested previously. I have owned 9 Chris Reeve folders over a span of ~20+years and know a thing or two about knives. Regardless, you need to tear it down to see what the hell is going on. A good suggestion was the free hanging/no lockbar tension test. With your thumb on the lockbar to release the tension, the blade SHOULD SWING FREELY. If not, you definitely have a problem. If you're too scared to F*** with it yourself then absolutely send it back to CRK.


Later...

 

[alpine0000]

a.) A Sebenza is NOT SILENT when you open it!
It should make a very satisfying/distinctive "click" when the
lockbar slips into place and locks the blade.
Grease WILL mute/lessen this noise BUT you don't want grease
on the lockbar because it attracts
DIRT/GRIT and this will increases WEAR! You want it dry.

They weren't talking about the lockbar. They were talking about the blade rotating on the pivot

Have you dis-assembled this knife yet??? ..if you haven't then YOU SHOULD!

Did you read my other posts (post #19 and 41)?

A good suggestion was the free hanging/no lockbar tension test. With your thumb on the lockbar to release the tension, the blade SHOULD SWING FREELY. If not, you definitely have a problem.

I guess I definitely have a problem...


I will try loosening the pivot screw just a TAD BIT, and see what happens. Thanks for the suggestions!

 

[Ditch_Digger]

..sorry for missing a few pertinent details. Football + alcohol =

..nighty night. (before I get in trouble again!)

 

[mongomondo]

A good suggestion was the free hanging/no lockbar tension test. With your thumb on the lockbar to release the tension, the blade SHOULD SWING FREELY. If not, you definitely have a problem. If you're too scared to F*** with it yourself then absolutely send it back to CRK. Later...

This is false. My large Micarta 21 will not swing freely and it works fine. Chris Reeve inspected it himself and said it was perfect.

And these knives don't need any breaking in to open smoothly/easily. If you're really having this much trouble then send it in. CRK knives come perfect and ready to use.

 

[Ditch_Digger]

This is false. My large Micarta 21 will not swing freely and it works fine. Chris Reeve inspected it himself and said it was perfect....

Well all of mine have always swung freely under the weight of the blade. A few of my tightest ones needed only the slightest nudge/shake to fall and after a couple weeks use it didn't need even that, so unless Chris has tightened his tolerances with these newer models I wouldn't say that info was "false" just because yours doesn't. That reminds me that I have heard of others that liked to polish the washers to "loosen them up" but I've never seen one in person to compare a before/after. I personally consider a frame lock folder blade that doesn't fall under its own weight as too tight and would probably do something about it though this is arguably a very personal decision.

 

[marthinus]

I say just keep using it and see what happens over time. They seem to smooth out over time (give it a month at least). Not all Sebenzas are the same in their character. Maybe this one is a harder nut to crack but when she cracks you will be pleased with the reward.

 

[Davor]

I would send it back to CR so they can take a look at it.

 

[100eyes]

CRK has amazing customer service - don't ever think of modding it and send it in if you think there's a problem.

I haven't had a small yet, but the large 21 I had definitely made a slight noise as I opened the blade(like a ball bearing rolling over glass), the blade did not freely swing around without the lockbar(though very smooth), but it was not difficult at all to open out of the box. I did destroy my thumb using the thumbstud the wrong way for the first few days, but still didn't have difficulty opening it. Opening the blade is definitely more stiff if you have your fingers pressing against the lockbar or pocket clip.

I think mine was made in '08.

I also used various lubes with it and didn't have any problems, just try to use a minimal amount on the washers since the tolerances are so tight. I personally found CRK's own grease to be the best.

 

[mongomondo]

Well all of mine have always swung freely under the weight of the blade. A few of my tightest ones needed only the slightest nudge/shake to fall and after a couple weeks use it didn't need even that, so unless Chris has tightened his tolerances with these newer models I wouldn't say that info was "false" just because yours doesn't. That reminds me that I have heard of others that liked to polish the washers to "loosen them up" but I've never seen one in person to compare a before/after. I personally consider a frame lock folder blade that doesn't fall under its own weight as too tight and would probably do something about it though this is arguably a very personal decision.

That's the very reason I sent it in and he specifically told me it's working fine (and it was, it opened and closed smoothly and lock up just like my other Sebenza.)

 

[Mr. Clean]

This is false. My large Micarta 21 will not swing freely and it works fine. Chris Reeve inspected it himself and said it was perfect.

And these knives don't need any breaking in to open smoothly/easily. If you're really having this much trouble then send it in. CRK knives come perfect and ready to use.

Agreed and agreed.

 

[krazichinaman]

a.) BUT you don't want grease
on the lockbar because it attracts
DIRT/GRIT and this will increases WEAR! You want it dry.

Sorry but you are wrong again. This is taken directly from CRK site:

"Put oil on the areas where the washers go, and inside the pivot area. Also put some oil on the tang where the lock bar normally engages."

You can find that information here:
CRK site

Keep on working your Sebenza in. As you already noticed, it is getting smoother. The next time you take it apart, take a look at the washers and the tang of the blade. You should notice that they are starting to get polished from being opened and closed so many times. :thumbup:

 

[alpine0000]

Well, I just wanted to report back to you guys after my long weekend with the knife:

First off, Larry from knifeart.com called me and told me that he would give me a FULL refund for the knife if I wanted to send it back to him. No questions asked. I refused. Not because I felt bad, but because I do love this knife, and wanted to give it a fair chance.

Last week I took the knife apart and cleaned it out, oiled it up, and put it back together. Mainly, I did this to remove the lanyard and lanyard pin, but it was a good chance to make sure that everything looked good inside the knife as well.

Then, I spent the entire weekend in NY visiting the girlfriends parents. I pretty much played with the knife all weekend -- opening and closing it.

I got home last night, took the knife apart again to clean it out and lube it up (yes, again).

While it was apart, I bent the lock bar backwards about a half-inch past the handle in the opposite direction (sorry chris!), but I did this VERY CAREFULLY, hoping to ease 'some' of the pressure it was putting on the detent when the blade was closed. Again, I barely used any force. Even just a tad bit would be an improvement.

Next, I made sure to put a small drop of oil in the hole in the blade where the detent sits. This may help the ball detent roll out of the hole a bit easier.

Lastly, when putting it back together, I didnt tighten the screws down as tight as time. Last time, I didnt do it tight at all. Just finger tight. This time, maybe a quarter turn less, esp on the pivot.

For the first time, something seemed to actually help!!

Then, I played with it a lot today at work.

Tonight, I got home, and MY BLADE SWINGS FREELY DOWNWARDS NOW when I do the test where I hold the lockbar open with the blade faceing the ground!! :thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

Also, I can open it with one hand now fairly easily (not too easy yet, but HUGE improvement)!

It still isnt PERFECT yet, but this is such a big improvement since I got the knife 5 days ago. I have faith that within a month, this thing will be like butter!

Thanks for all of your ideas and conversation the last few days.

Tonight I had the sharpener and strop out to touch up some of my dull blades, and decided to take a pic of sebenza with some of the OLD beaters.

 

[marthinus]

5days......? Damn, it took me 2 months for my Insingo to start loosening up and after 3 is now as smooth as butter. No need to rush this, just take your time and enjoy the knife.