normal lock engagement on my sebenza?

P

pascal.abi

Joined
Jul 6, 2008
Messages
322
i've just received my first sebenza 2 days ago and i'm a bit worried because of the frame engagement ... it goes pretty far and nearly tuch the washer ...
is it normal ? how will go with use and time ?
i've bought this one new from a forumer
here is a pic
DSC08570.jpg
 
If I remember correctly, the lock should be around 60-75%. Your knife seems to be almost 100%. Did the seller advertise the knife as new?

Well you have two options.

1) Send it back to CRK for a spa treatment. Let them fix it.
2) SLIGHTY push the lockbar the other way when the knife is taken apart to adjust the engagement.

I would suggest option 1.
 
If there is no bladeplay or lock up problems, I would just keep using it until it goes over all the way. You probably have years before it develops any problems.
 
If you have no play it should be fine for a long time. Not a problem really. I got my seby new and it is at about 75%. Works fine :D
 
I got a brand new Small 21 a few months back and it is probably the same as Thalestin's seb, about 75%. No bladeplay at all, it is rock solid, yet it is still easy to unlock. Over the past few months through constant use it has not changed its lockup point.

It does not bother me and if anything I am more confident in the frame lock due to the engagement level.
 
I called CRK last week on lock-bar engagement, A lot of thinks affect the lock-bar engagement, By removing the pocket clip & or bending the pocket clip for a snugger fit will change lock-bar engagement. Just time its self can affect lock-bar engagement. When I talked to CRK I talked to the shop foreman "Clay", He said this is a problem that they deal with all day long and every day. On all the new knives made every day they have to Tweek the lock-bar to get them were they want them. Sometimes he said they can spend 2 hours on one knife getting were they want it. To repair the condition all they due is disassemble the knife & bend (Tweek) the lock-bar a little at a time. He said that Titanium has a tendency to over travel & then fall back when it locks up.
IMO your knife looks fine & probability works fine, If it bothers you, you can fix it your self. If it was mine when I took it apart to clean & lube it I mite (Tweek) it a little if it goes any further than it is going now.
Hope this helps............

:D:D:D Mr-Rickster :D:D:D
 
I would try taking it apart and putting it back together. You should learn to do it anyway. It's done the trick for me in the past. There's an outstanding tutorial in a sticky in this forum. Follow it to the letter. Even if it doesn't work, you will have learned something valuable.
 
KeithAM said:
I would try taking it apart and putting it back together. You should learn to do it anyway. It's done the trick for me in the past. There's an outstanding tutorial in a sticky in this forum. Follow it to the letter. Even if it doesn't work, you will have learned something valuable.
Click to expand...

Same here.
I have taken several apart and put back together and it moved the bar from 75% to 25%.
 
RICKSTER said:
bend (Tweek) the lock-bar a little at a time
Click to expand...

1911 guys - among whom I count myself - use the curious euphemism of "tuning" the extractor, which in most cases simply means "bending" it.

So if you want to sound like a real CRK afficionado, just say that you are "tuning" the lock bar. It sounds more upper crust, and less barbarian. :)

My beater large Sebenza, which has never been "tuned" :), has about a 45% lock bar engagement.

:thumbup:
 
pascal.abi said:
many thanks all for your advices
Click to expand...

pascal... you'll easily be able to bend it back (a bit) yourself. It will take somewhat more strength than you'd first imagine. Don't be afraid of it, you can't break it or hurt it, and you will eventually get it right, to your liking.

Rob
 
krazichinaman said:
If I remember correctly, the lock should be around 60-75%. Your knife seems to be almost 100%. Did the seller advertise the knife as new?

Well you have two options.

1) Send it back to CRK for a spa treatment. Let them fix it.
2) SLIGHTY push the lockbar the other way when the knife is taken apart to adjust the engagement.

I would suggest option 1.
Click to expand...

I would highly advice against option 2. If you push the lockbar back you might get vertical blade play because that is where the lock has naturally worn to a stop. It works the other way around though, when you have to bend it in to stop vertical blade play. If you start getting play then send it in to CRK and have them mess with it for a couple of hours...
 
This thread was brought to my notice so I thought I would make a couple of comments. We do not recommend that anyone adjusts the tension on the lock bar - i.e. pushes it one way or the other. The result of doing this will probably be blade play. When Clay told Rickster "...To repair the condition all they due is disassemble the knife & bend (Tweek) the lock-bar a little at a time..." you have to bear in mind that Clay and Thomas, who are our two assembly guys, do this all the time and they are trained to recognize a variety of other factors that go in to perfecting the lockup. The tolerances around the lock/pivot area are sufficiently close that if you move one thing, another is going go out of whack!

No doubt some of you have "tweeked" your Sebenza locks with no resulting blade play - that's been fortunate! We still would prefer you send the knife back to us if you are not happy with the lock. Our recommended tolerance is 50-75% - if it goes over further, and there is no galling or blade play, that is even better!

BTW - a technicality: as much as we enjoy having Clay on our staff and how great a worker he is, he is not the Shop Foreman!:)

Anne
 
Hi Anne, I have a question.

You mentioned it is even better to have it engage further than 75%. However, doesn't that mean it has too much wear already?

I am only assuming because when the Sebenza is dissembled the lockbar goes to touch the other slab.
 
Chris Reeve Knives said:
This thread was brought to my notice so I thought I would make a couple of comments. We do not recommend that anyone adjusts the tension on the lock bar - i.e. pushes it one way or the other. The result of doing this will probably be blade play. When Clay told Rickster "...To repair the condition all they due is disassemble the knife & bend (Tweek) the lock-bar a little at a time..." you have to bear in mind that Clay and Thomas, who are our two assembly guys, do this all the time and they are trained to recognize a variety of other factors that go in to perfecting the lockup. The tolerances around the lock/pivot area are sufficiently close that if you move one thing, another is going go out of whack!

No doubt some of you have "tweeked" your Sebenza locks with no resulting blade play - that's been fortunate! We still would prefer you send the knife back to us if you are not happy with the lock. Our recommended tolerance is 50-75% - if it goes over further, and there is no galling or blade play, that is even better!

BTW - a technicality: as much as we enjoy having Clay on our staff and how great a worker he is, he is not the Shop Foreman!:)

Anne
Click to expand...

Thank you!!!
 
RICKSTER said:
I called CRK last week on lock-bar engagement, A lot of thinks affect the lock-bar engagement, By removing the pocket clip & or bending the pocket clip for a snugger fit will change lock-bar engagement. Just time its self can affect lock-bar engagement. When I talked to CRK I talked to the shop foreman "Clay", He said this is a problem that they deal with all day long and every day. On all the new knives made every day they have to Tweek the lock-bar to get them were they want them. Sometimes he said they can spend 2 hours on one knife getting were they want it. To repair the condition all they due is disassemble the knife & bend (Tweek) the lock-bar a little at a time. He said that Titanium has a tendency to over travel & then fall back when it locks up.
IMO your knife looks fine & probability works fine, If it bothers you, you can fix it your self. If it was mine when I took it apart to clean & lube it I mite (Tweek) it a little if it goes any further than it is going now.
Hope this helps............

:D:D:D Mr-Rickster :D:D:D
Click to expand...

Chris Reeve Knives said:
This thread was brought to my notice so I thought I would make a couple of comments. We do not recommend that anyone adjusts the tension on the lock bar - i.e. pushes it one way or the other. The result of doing this will probably be blade play. When Clay told Rickster "...To repair the condition all they due is disassemble the knife & bend (Tweek) the lock-bar a little at a time..." you have to bear in mind that Clay and Thomas, who are our two assembly guys, do this all the time and they are trained to recognize a variety of other factors that go in to perfecting the lockup. The tolerances around the lock/pivot area are sufficiently close that if you move one thing, another is going go out of whack!

No doubt some of you have "tweeked" your Sebenza locks with no resulting blade play - that's been fortunate! We still would prefer you send the knife back to us if you are not happy with the lock. Our recommended tolerance is 50-75% - if it goes over further, and there is no galling or blade play, that is even better!

BTW - a technicality: as much as we enjoy having Clay on our staff and how great a worker he is, he is not the Shop Foreman!:)

Anne
Click to expand...

Thanks Anne For the up-date, Really helps a lot...........
:D Rickster :D
 
BlazenGem said:
Hi Anne, I have a question.

You mentioned it is even better to have it engage further than 75%. However, doesn't that mean it has too much wear already?
Click to expand...


+1 on this question. I have often wondered the same thing.
 
colubrid said:
+1 on this question. I have often wondered the same thing.
Click to expand...


If I understand it correctly, its not wear that causes the engagement to be at 75% it just happens to be where the face of the lockbar and the tang of the blade meet. If you take apart you sebenza and put it back together, you will notice that the lockup is different from what it was before. I believe watching the Sebenza video they mention that when you GENTLY flick the knife, it "sets" everything where it should be. Thus allowing the lockbar to seat where it usually does.

So long story short, when you get a new CRK and the lock is at say 75% it isn't worn in to 75%, the blade just happens to lock up at 75%.

IMO, I also believe that when Anne says its better to be more then 75% because well thats more lock behind the blade and in retro spec, it makes it "stronger."
 
I see your point chinaman, but you must note that the more the lockbar wears, the further engaged it will be. Therefore, if it is already engaged to the other side, then after prolonged use it should start developing blade play.
 
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