Problem with my Sebenza!

[sticf]

do you mean the pivot when the knife is unassembled? Or with the blade attached?

Assembled please. If you like with blade deployed and closed. Pics of a disassembled knife might not be as useful as lots of detail gets missed with lighting.

Thanks.

 

[Thalestin]

aight, Ill snap you a few pics after some dinner. Thanks agai for trying to help

 

[ExMachina]

i think by this point the odds are probably against this solution...but have you tried assembling the knife with the blade pivot bushing flipped the other way 'round?

(shouldn't make a difference i know)

 

[nyefmaker]

I just remembered when I had my issue with my small vines sebenza and it being assembled wrong by previous owner, I remember there being a gap between the blade and the handle (This gap was really noticeable when the knife was closed ). Meaning one side was normal, the other side almost looked like the handle was twisted out. This was up by the finger grooves on the lock side.

 

[Thalestin]

Heres the pics requested:

Thanks again for all the help guys

 

[Thalestin]

i think by this point the odds are probably against this solution...but have you tried assembling the knife with the blade pivot bushing flipped the other way 'round?

(shouldn't make a difference i know)

Yeah, I tried it, no luck =(

 

[Thalestin]

I just remembered when I had my issue with my small vines sebenza and it being assembled wrong by previous owner, I remember there being a gap between the blade and the handle (This gap was really noticeable when the knife was closed ). Meaning one side was normal, the other side almost looked like the handle was twisted out. This was up by the finger grooves on the lock side.

Can't see any gap

 

[fionafa]

Hey Thalestin, is that rust in the last photo above there? On the stop pin? Looks red and slightly corroded to me. If it is, and there's also some on the side of the blade tang it could offset one side against a washer....

 

[sticf]

I am officially stumped. I do not see anything from the pics. I would call CRK on Monday and see what they say. I am sure that they will make it right. Sorry I could not help.

 

[nyefmaker]

Heres the pics requested:

Thanks again for all the help guys

The second pic is how mine looked. It looks like the blade is hugging the right side, but the other pics seem to disprove this.

Everything was OK Before you took it apart right ???

 

[Thalestin]

Hey Thalestin, is that rust in the last photo above there? On the stop pin? Looks red and slightly corroded to me. If it is, and there's also some on the side of the blade tang it could offset one side against a washer....

Nah, it is not rust, just a really crappy picture The flash made it look that way

Anyways, I sent CR an email.

Thanks again for all the help today guys. I really appreciate it. Ill keep you all posted on what pans out

 

[nyefmaker]

Everything was OK Before you took it apart right ???

 

[RobME]

Off centered blades on a Sebenza are almost always because one of the washers has slipped off of the pivot bushing upon reassembly, but you're certain this isn't the case. I wouldn't know what else to volunteer... other than something being compromised, i.e., a worn or damaged part.

I'm not certain how to interpret this photo of yours. I cleaned it up a bit. It (almost) appears as if there's a crack in the blade and maybe... it's off a degree because of this... causing the off-centeredness when closed. Without seeing it up close I can only guess, and maybe ... mine is a bad guess. That's all I got.

 

[Thalestin]

I'm not certain how to interpret this photo of yours. I cleaned it up a bit. It (almost) appears as if there's a crack in the blade and maybe... it's off a degree because of this... causing the off-centeredness when closed. Without seeing it up close I can only guess, and maybe ... mine is a bad guess. That's all I got.

heh, very interesting because I agree with you and must admit it looks like a little crack. In real though, it just has some oil on there and the flash made it look that way Just goes to show you cant trust pics much

 

[Thalestin]

Everything was OK Before you took it apart right ???

As far as I know, but considering none of this work, im thinking maybe it was not. Bt I dont se how I wouldnt notice it being off center for a long period of time because I am anal when it comes to this kind of stuff

 

[Adamar]

Nah, it is not rust, just a really crappy picture The flash made it look that way

Anyways, I sent CR an email.

Thanks again for all the help today guys. I really appreciate it. Ill keep you all posted on what pans out

Let us know what CR says.

I just got a new small sebenza 21 this week and noticed a similar issue as you. Mine is also slightly off center to the right. If this was a normal knife, I would think nothing of it, but at $400, I expect perfection.

I am probably going to use my knife until it needs to be resharpened. Then send it in to get resharpened and at the same time have them look at the centering issue.

I have discovered one of the negatives of Sebenza's. The tolerances are almost too tight. I have had Benchmades and Spyderco's that have been off center, but in almost all cases, I have been about to adjust the scales and/or blade to bring them to center. Because of the Sebenza's high fit tolerances, I am unable to make any adjustments to the blade.

 

[AV8R]

Take it apart, all the way down, keeping track of where the pins were and which way the bushing was inserted into the blade hole. When assembling, put the bushing in the other way. Put the pins in different places than originally. Put everything in a different spot. It shouldn't matter, but I've seen where it does. I even had a bad bushing once, had Scott cook (at CRK) fix it. When you assemble the knife according to the "cleaning my Sebenza" post, make this minor change. Don't tighten the handle slabs up real tight. Just make them snug, but not all the way tight like a fully assembled knife would be. Same with pivot pin. When you put blade in and snug it up, don't let the lockbar touch it. Snug it up before releasing lockbar. Assemble knife and work it a couple times. No need at all to flick it at all. Once it's all together, pretty snug and that blade is swinging freely, tighten up all the screws a little at a time, alternating screws (like putting a wheel on a car) and keep that lockbar from interfering with how the knife tightens down. Tighten everything up securely. Work the action a few times. Test it be pushing lockbar out of the way (don't push it too far) and make sure blade swings freely and has no lateral play.

If your knife had gone together a little screwy previously, this will fix it and you'll notice the lockup / geometry will be slightly different now. If there's no difference, send it to CRK. Sebenza blades should be centered. Blades should swing free with no play with pivot pin tightened snugly (NOT overly tight), just very snug. The other screws should be just a little more tight than the pivot pin.

Everything mechanical is built to certain tolerances and your knife might well be within spec. Might not be out of spec or defective, even with a blade that's not centered. That said, I'd still send it in and ask CRK to swap out hardware to try to get it to come together better. If you have to pay for new hardware, it won't cost much. I've always found that CRK wants you to be happy and they will work to make that happen. Let us know how this works,

Pete

 

[madman44]

I recently purchased a new small 21 (born less than month ago) and seem to be having the same problem. I disassembled the knife, and when I put it back together, I noticed my blade was slightly off-centered. I also noticed that my washers were unlike any other washers I've seen on youtube or BF, they have holes in them.

 

[JNewell]

Those are the current washers - they were introduced by CRK a couple of years ago.

 

[madman44]

thanks JNewell, I disassembled the knife again and the problem was corrected. I believe one of the washers had come slightly out of place while I was sliding the blade/pivot into the frame.