Patience nearly all gone for the umnum.....

[Shadow213]

As posted in an earlier thread, I recently picked up a Zaan and have had nothing but trouble with it. I'm very close to just giving up on it and selling it off and just going back to my Sebenza. I don't understand why this CRK doesn't automatically come with the tool kit for maintenance and any tweaking that may have to be done. :grumpy: The lockbar is so stiff that just the simple act of opening the knife becomes a much more difficult task than it should be. :grumpy::grumpy: And somehow, while I was trying to fix the problem earlier of an off center blade by taking it apart again....and lubing it up again....and putting it back together again.....just to try and ease the job of opening the knife, it appears the screw for the pivot bushing is slightly crossthreaded now, making it impossible to unscrew and disassemble the knife.....AGAIN. All of this trouble, I believe, would not have come to pass if the tool kit had just been included with the knife!!

NEVER have I had even the slightest of trouble with my Sebenza in its' maintenance. I've had my Sebbie since '05, taken it apart so many times and become so proficient at it that I'm sure that I could do it blindfolded. But this one.....oh no, this one has to be a pain in the ass to simply take out of pocket and open!!

And yes, I am fully aware of the unique method needed to open the blade.

I am really trying to be patient with the zaan because I do believe it could be an awesome knife for me but at the moment, I'm ready to just throw it out the window as I'm going down the highway.

And now, I have to pay to send it back.....a $425 knife that I have not even had a week!!.....along with who knows how much it will cost to put in a new screw/pivot bushing because this one is screwed up now, on top of the other issues.

My patience is nearly all gone for dealing with this knife.

Sorry guys, but I'm not a happy camper right now.

 

[Bluesummers]

You've become spoiled by having a Sebenza.

"HULK SMASH"

Less than a week. Not that patient imo. You should get it fixed and then sell it off since you are not satisfied.

 

[ZippoThisKnifeThat]

I have to say that I enjoy the simplicity of the Sebenza much more than that of the Zaan.

Simplicity as in 1 tool to take down the knife and the luxury of the pivot bushing.
No hassle with finding the "sweet spot" for action.

 

[snowreaper1]

Well, I guess first you need to find out what is causing the problem you have. Then come up with a solution.
Yes, there is a slight break in period for a new knife but nothing that would make it super hard to open of close the blade.
You can wait for a few more weeks for it to get better but your probably just wasting your time. Best to send it in now
and CRK will take care of you. It will be under warrantee.

 

[batosai117]

Hey, you live in Corpus Christi?!!!

I'm from that area and if you want I can take a look at it as an avid Umnumzaan taker downer since I take mine apart on a regular basis for maintenance and switching the Ti scale with my G-10 one. I work until 8 am, let me know and I'll swing by in full uniform so you'll know it's me

 

[Shadow213]

Yeah, I know that it may seem as if I'm not giving the Zaan a chance, but like many have said, there shouldn't be any issues with a $400+ knife(breakin period aside). My Sebbie was, and still is, perfect right out of the box. And although the Zaan is simple in its' construction, the Seb is even more so because you just need that one little wrench.

I've calmed down now, Lol, and will be getting in touch with CRK later this morning and I'm sure that they will take care of the situation.

batosai117, thanks but I think it's to the point that CRK needs to take a look at the Zaan. Your offer is appreciated though...thanks.

 

[Slider817]

I don't mean to be critical, but why did you take apart your Umnumzaan without using the toolkit? It only costs like $12, i know it's nice to have it thrown in for free, but most knife makers don't supply any takedown tools.

 

[Shadow213]

I don't mean to be critical, but why did you take apart your Umnumzaan without using the toolkit? It only costs like $12, i know it's nice to have it thrown in for free, but most knife makers don't supply any takedown tools.

Good question. I WOULD have used the tool kit, if I had been able to find one at the gun show, but no one had what I needed. And where I live, there is a CRK dealer, but he didn't have any in stock either. I ordered one yesterday but it won't be here until tomorrow. Being the kind of guy I am, I took it upon myself to try and take care of the stiffness and such myself. I plan on trying it one more time once the kit gets here and if that doesn't work, the Zaan will be going back to get checked out.

 

[Shadow213]

I called CRK and talked to Jessie, who I ordered the tool kit and grease from yesterday, and explained my situation. I simply said I would try fixing the problem with the right tools this time and if that didn't work, I would throw in the towel and send it in.

I have full confidence in CRK that the problems will be fixed, it's just frustrating having a new car in the driveway and not being able to drive it.

 

[batosai117]

Which dealer in town is CRK dealer? I know of Modern Pawn off Airline but I haven't been in the store in a month or so and haven't seen any new offerings.

Again, it's nice to know I'm not the only knife knut in Corpus so if you want a second opinion before shipping it off let me know here or through PM and I'll stop by sometime.

 

[Shadow213]

Which dealer in town is CRK dealer? I know of Modern Pawn off Airline but I haven't been in the store in a month or so and haven't seen any new offerings.

Again, it's nice to know I'm not the only knife knut in Corpus so if you want a second opinion before shipping it off let me know here or through PM and I'll stop by sometime.

Yep, that's the one. I wasn't even aware of them until I saw they had a booth at the gun show at the borchard fairgrounds last weekend. Sadly, all they had at the show was a CRK Pacific and that was it. They assured me they had a wide selection at the store, but I'm not sure about that and when I called earlier this week to check if they had a tool kit for the Umnum, they told me that they had none in stock but were expecting a shipment in soon. I hope to stop by this weekend and check out the store myself. I am not sure how much of an inventory they keep in store, but I would imagine that it isn't that much. I haven't come across too many knifeknuts in Corpus that would spend more than $10 or $20 on a knife.

I should hopefully get the tool kit, that I ordered directly from CRK, in the mail today and will be getting to work again on the Zaan tonight. I'll PM you if I have any questions or if I run into any problems this afternoon. Thanks :thumbup:

 

[DallasSTB]

Shadow, I just read your thread and totally understand your frustration. I think that even Chris would agree that a $400 knife should be trouble free from the get go. I hope everything works out for you, bud. Though it may take more time that you want, I'm confident their customer service will ultimately take care of you.

BTW - I've sold off 2 Umnumzaan's in the past myself partly because of the disassembly process. I generally liked the knife, and it wasn't a huge deal, but Sebenzas spoil you.

 

[Shadow213]

I'm glad that I haven't been misunderstood because of this thread. I really do love the Zaan but have just had some problems with it. And yep, you're right Dallas, the simplicity of the Sebbie really is the yardstick that other knives are judged by and they spoil you rotten.

 

[Stainz]

I guess I was lucky - my first CRK was a StarTac 'zaan a year ago next month - and it still works like it did the day it arrived from Wilson Combat. I can one-hand open and close it - but it sure isn't a 'flipper' in speed. Neither is my only other CRK folder - a new plain small Sebbie I got last month (Build date 6/28/11 - S35VN), which is quite smooth - like the 'zaan - but certainly not super easy to deploy. I assumed that just wasn't their forte. While the Sebbie came with a small wrench, it was aggravating last year to see no 'special' tool(s) in the 'zaan's box. I called CRK and had the maintenance kit - which included two plastic 'tools' and Allen wrenches (for leverage) and a small tube of lube - ~$13 shipped. It is all still in the bag - I haven't 'needed' it yet. Good to have, of course.

None of my other knives came with tools - Torxx drivers. Benchmade and Kershaw do sell small kits for them, however.

I agree - a new knife shouldn't need service - doubtful whether it should need 'breakin'. I have seen - and fondled - a friend's LionSteel SR1 recently - it was my 'other' consideration last year. I made the right choice. When my local enabler had a 'zaan last year - and another one earlier this year - I noted the same open/close force requirements as mine - and same smoothness, too. I like my StarTac patten better, of course! A friend's older small Sebbie was a bit 'loose' in comparison - but who knows what has been done to it in it's life (He bought it used.). Other new small Sebbies were identical to mine in open/close effort and smoothness.

If you really think you've cross-threaded the 'zaan's pivot screw, I think I would return it to CRK for service. The plastic pins on the 'tools' don't look that strong. I'll bet you'll see it back sooner than you'd expect - and, likely, they'll do so gratis. I'd include a copy of the dated sales recept and a kind request too. Good luck!

Stainz

PS The small Sebbie is really nice - but that 'zaan was here first - and I love it - it will be here after the Sebbie is gone!

 

[marthinus]

I hope it gets sorted out Shadow213. Keep us updated.

 

[Shadow213]

I hope it gets sorted out Shadow213. Keep us updated.

Will do. But I'm not worried...I'm sure everything will be worked out, one way or another.

I was hoping for the kit today, but it looks like I'll have to wait one more day for it.

 

[Shadow213]

I received the tool kit and CRK grease today and, although I was anxious to get to work on my Zaan, I took my time setting everything up. After reading through the instructions thoroughly, I went to work. Thanks to the tools, the procedure went very smoothly and the only part that took a little tweaking was the adjustment of the pivot tension. As for the centering of the blade, I found that I needed to take care of that while tweaking the tension. After a little work, everything lined up and the knife is perfect for me now.

The action is not stiff anymore(the grease is awesome), the blade is centered, ZERO blade play and the opening is buttery smooth.

Except for the minor battle scars around the pivot, which I put there myself , I am very happy with my Zaan now....:thumbup: :thumbup: :thumbup:

My Sebbie is going on vacation.....

 

[BRO]

I'm glad your issues with the Umnumzaan worked out for you. Your frustration was high when you started this thread and for a moment I thought your were going to talk yourself out of using a really nice knife. I own both a newer one (StarZaan) and the older models. I prefer the feel of the older models even though is is a very small difference. I think because I started with the older models I can open and close them quicker, but I'm sure if I used my StarZaan more it would grow on me like the other's did. Very good knives, enjoy.

 

[CL01]

Glad you worked it out. I've had 3 different Umnums & never had an issue with them other than a slightly stiff lock-bar, but that's an easy fix. As for the taking it apart, we tend to get spoiled with the Sebenza & not just because of the tool that comes with it, but also because of the pivot-bushing which increases the ease of putting it together.

As for it needing a break-in period, many Ti frame-locks seem to.

 

[Tasmaniac]

Glad it worked out for you, man. Now that mine is fully broken in it never leaves my pocket.