new sebenza. . .stiff

T

thollis

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Feb 13, 2005
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new to cr knives. my new small classic sebenza is beautiful and perfectly executed; however, it is a little stiff and difficulty to open. is this normal for a new cr knife? will it loosen with time? also, are there any tricks to the lock release? it seems under a little tension, and upon release, i fear it might snap close on my thumb. is it used just like a liner-lock or am i missing something? thanks for any input
 
it's not unusual fo new sebenzas to be stiff. Some peole immediately disasemble, clean and relub. Otherwise it will likely smooht out on it's own after a few weeks.

I don't understand what you mean by being under tension.
 
Mine was a bit stiff too, I flicked it open hardly with a wrist snap about 5 or 10 times to smooth it. After 2 weeks of normal use it's smooth as glass.
 
Just carry and use it like you normally would. It will get smoother with use. I hate to use the term 'loose' as it seems to imply shoddy fit and finish. Maybe 'broken in' would be a better term. Not sure 'flicking' it would be something CRK would approve of. Just put it thorough normal use.

As far as the frame lock, I think it is natural for it to be a little 'stiffer' than a liner lock. Much more steel you are pushing to release the blade. Makes for a more solid lock-up and something you will get used to I think.
 
When you're used to liner locks, etc., the Sebenza can be cumbersome at first. You just need to work that whimpy thumb a little. I went through the same thing.

:)

Professor.
 
The small Sebs are a lot harder to unlock than the large ones in my experience.

I think the spring tension is a lot stronger on the small ones. Maybe I'm wrong.

They do, however, get looser and smoother over time and with a few break down and lube sessions.

Removing the clip decreases some of the tension if you can do without it.
 
I agree with DaveH's advice. Take it apart, lube it, put it together. This will familiarize you with the parts of the knife, which is another way of appreciating the simplicity and strength of the design.

Be careful putting it back together, to get the washers in place correctly. If they aren't lined up properly, they will pinch, and make opening almost impossible (and damage the washers).

More important than disassembly is lubricating the contact between the lockbar and the blade tang. Titanium on steel galls, and that's a lot of what makes it hard to release. Take an ordinary pencil, and rub the lead on the end of the lockbar. This will reduce the metal-on-metal friction.

Ya got a great knife there -- enjoy it! :D
 
The action on the small sebbie does get smoother with use. If you hold the lockbar back while the knife is closed and the blade swings pretty freely, the lockbar tension is what makes the action stiff, and this will ease up some. If it is the washers - phosphor bronze seems to wear in over use.
 
thanks for all the insights. after reading the thread and experimenting some, i've determined the lock bar tension is what makes the knife feel stiff. i've edc'd an axis lock for quite a while, and it just seemed stiff by comparison. however, the knife does feel rock-solid and i'm very pleased with it. the titanium really looks different in real-life than in photos. . .much prettier i think. thanks again for the input.

thollis
 
That stiffness you feel is a sign of QUALITY, get used to it. Either that or your thumb is really weak. It will only seem less stiff in time because your thumb will get stronger.
 
You know, my large Micarta Classic was really stiff to begin with, but after fiddling with it constantly, you know, just opening and closing it all the time, for a few days it bot a lot less stiff.
 
I just got my first Sebenza as well. The overall quality and fit and finish are extraordinary.

I do have some gripes though. Mine wasn't shave sharp out of the box and that shocked the sh*t out of me. There was no allen wrench with the knife. My small Sebenza is uncomfortable to use partly because it uses a pointy thumbstud (theres no space to get my thumb the leverage to push on the side) and mainly because the lockbar requires so much tension to disengage the lock.

Blaming the issue on weak thumbs seems backward (especially on a 400.00 knife). The only thing that makes sense is that the lock is either poorly designed or that it wasn't bent/heated correctly.

Also, why is there a hole in the handle?
 
I got brave a couple of days ago and took my new (and first) small Sebenza apart. I cleaned it and lubed the pivot with a light oil. Turned it into a different knife. Opens much easier. Very nice knife!

Steve
 
Juremonblanco. If you are able, send the knife back and ask them to put a real sharp edge on it. The turn around time is quick and I bet you would be surprised by the difference. About openning and closing, the thumb movement is more parralell to the handle rather than vertical or out ward movement. Your thumb just slides up the frame to open the blade.
 
I guess my hands have 'learned' the knife and it has loosened up a bit because it is much smoother now and not difficult to open or close. It's now 'like butta'.

The sharpness issue was taken care of with just a few swipes on the sharpmaker. The grind is beautiful and uniform along the entire edge. This is a very nice knife that I plan on using for a long time.

Does anyone know why there is a hole in the handle?
 
juremablanco said:
I guess my hands have 'learned' the knife and it has loosened up a bit because it is much smoother now and not difficult to open or close. It's now 'like butta'.

The sharpness issue was taken care of with just a few swipes on the sharpmaker. The grind is beautiful and uniform along the entire edge. This is a very nice knife that I plan on using for a long time.

Does anyone know why there is a hole in the handle?
Click to expand...

I think you are referring to the "extra" hole. If that is your question, it is purely for manufacturing purposes. Need some way to hold the knife to the fixture to machine it. Double sided sticky tape doesn't work in this case.


Bill
 
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