Quality Issue

C

cmichael

Joined
Feb 20, 2011
Messages
96
I have my first Sebenza on Feb 23, Its new and born on Feb 2, My blade is hard to open, I knows need to broken in, In pass week I have open and close over thousand time still stiff, My thumb is sore, And also the blade is a 2 hair of center, I had take it apart clean and lube, still no luck.

Call up CRK, Talk to Heather, She tell me to send it with note, and they will fix it, Do any one here with the New Sebenza with S35VN have Quality Issue?
 
Three things

1. Have you taken the knife apart?
2. Are you careful not to apply to much pressure on the lock bar when trying to open and
3. are you using the thumbstuds as they were designed? (not plasing your thumb on the stud like many other manufactures)
[youtube]HcXu6dVRCOE[/youtube]

As you use the knife over years the washers and ceramic ball will polish the areas they are in contact with that will create a mirror polished area (my new Insingo has been going for a year and it is still not completely polished) that will make opening and closing the knife easier.

The Sebenza is not as quick and easy to open as many other knives (Axis of Benchmade, BB lock, backlock etc.) but it is more of a type of a good quality safe door. That smooth.

If you have not taken the knife apart and the blade is off center (easily spotted by the naked eye) then send it in. A note is that it is difficult for the naked eye to mach the scales precisely and even a bit off can cause the blade to look off center.

Either way if you send it to CRK they will fix it for you. It does happen that a lockbar has a lot of spring to it causing a bit more force to be applied to the detent and blade. This can also cause the slightly off center blade. This happens sometimes, but are few and FAR between.
 
marthinus said:
Three things

1. Have you taken the knife apart?
2. Are you careful not to apply to much pressure on the lock bar when trying to open and
3. are you using the thumbstuds as they were designed? (not plasing your thumb on the stud like many other manufactures)
[youtube]HcXu6dVRCOE[/youtube]

As you use the knife over years the washers and ceramic ball will polish the areas they are in contact with that will create a mirror polished area (my new Insingo has been going for a year and it is still not completely polished) that will make opening and closing the knife easier.

The Sebenza is not as quick and easy to open as many other knives (Axis of Benchmade, BB lock, backlock etc.) but it is more of a type of a good quality safe door. That smooth.

If you have not taken the knife apart and the blade is off center (easily spotted by the naked eye) then send it in. A note is that it is difficult for the naked eye to mach the scales precisely and even a bit off can cause the blade to look off center.

Either way if you send it to CRK they will fix it for you. It does happen that a lock bar has a lot of spring to it causing a bit more force to be applied to the detent and blade. This can also cause the slightly off center blade. This happens sometimes, but are few and FAR between.
Click to expand...

I had been watching all the stuff about Sebenza on youtube, and I did take apart the knife and clean and lube with weapon shield, I think the lock bar cause all the tension for opening, I don't want to stretch the lock bar, may cause void the warranty.

As I see the top of the blade, the ground is little off a angle on near tip of the blade. I had send my knife to CRK, Do you guys knows what is the turn around time on CRK?

Thanks..
 
cmichael said:
I had been watching all the stuff about Sebenza on youtube, and I did take apart the knife and clean and lube with weapon shield, I think the lock bar cause all the tension for opening, I don't want to stretch the lock bar, may cause void the warranty.

As I see the top of the blade, the ground is little off a angle on near tip of the blade. I had send my knife to CRK, Do you guys knows what is the turn around time on CRK?

Thanks..
Click to expand...

It depends on where you live, USA or another place in the world. Taking the knife apart one sometimes pinch a washer. Just make sure you did not do this, other then that CRK will fix it for you no doubt, write a letter with the knife asking the questions you are asking here so that they know what is troubling you.
 
marthinus said:
It depends on where you live, USA or another place in the world. Taking the knife apart one sometimes pinch a washer. Just make sure you did not do this, other then that CRK will fix it for you no doubt, write a letter with the knife asking the questions you are asking here so that they know what is troubling you.
Click to expand...

I live in Vegas, you maybe right..I did clean the washer and buff it off with 1000 grid sand paper for speed the process for broken in, How can you avoid the pinch on the washer, I did laid on the flat surface when I buff the washer.
 
cmichael said:
I had been watching all the stuff about Sebenza on youtube, and I did take apart the knife and clean and lube with weapon shield, I think the lock bar cause all the tension for opening, I don't want to stretch the lock bar, may cause void the warranty.

As I see the top of the blade, the ground is little off a angle on near tip of the blade. I had send my knife to CRK, Do you guys knows what is the turn around time on CRK?

Thanks..
Click to expand...

One note on this - I have tried several different lubes and find that the CRK grease is the best lube for smooth and consistent operation of the Sebs.
 
I think you need to send it in for repair. I also got one that was very difficult to open. Cleaned it and put it back together several times and nothing changed. Sent it in and it got fixed and they paid for return shipping.
 
mongomondo said:
I think you need to send it in for repair. I also got one that was very difficult to open. Cleaned it and put it back together several times and nothing changed. Sent it in and it got fixed and they paid for return shipping.
Click to expand...

You guys is wonderful and helpful, Im glad to join in this bladeforums, Its cost me more down the road :D, Now Im looking to get a small Sebenza diamond plate :D, I think Im a addict to knife porn.

By the way you have a good video on opening the Sebenza, I had try..my thumb still sore.
 
cmichael said:
I live in Vegas, you maybe right..I did clean the washer and buff it off with 1000 grid sand paper for speed the process for broken in, How can you avoid the pinch on the washer, I did laid on the flat surface when I buff the washer.
Click to expand...

Here are the instructions.

http://www.chrisreeve.com/sebenzaclean.htm

I found this to be the best advice to stop any pinched washer. If this is not the issue then send it in.
 
Mine opens perfectly, has zero blade play and is just overall the wonderful knife you always hear about around hear. My blade is not centered when close and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. The blade doesnt touch the scale and I won't send it in until it does. I don't see why a blade off center is a quality issue unless it affects function.
 
I would consider a blade being off center a quality issue. Same thing with blades that aren't ground evenly.

I have a half dozen Sebenzas and I haven't seen one with QC issues but I suppose it happens. If I were concerned I would return it for inspection and repair.

I guess I need to track down some CRK Grease. I'm not happy with the things that I use but every one seems to be in love with the CRK Stuff. It seems to be out of stock anytime I try to place an order anywhere.

But if I had a CRK knife that I was unhappy with I would send it back.
 
yes the grind on mine was all jacked up, and the tip was rounded off. I was really dissapointed. Compared to my older sebenza it looked pretty bush league.
 
cmichael said:
..I did clean the washer and buff it off with 1000 grid sand paper for speed the process for broken in, How can you avoid the pinch on the washer, I did laid on the flat surface when I buff the washer.
Click to expand...

don't do that. there's no need to sand paper the washers. you could potentially affect the tolerances that makes the knife great in the first place.

make sure your hand(usually ring and pinky fingers) isn't pushing down on the lockbar making it difficult to open or close. dont put your thumb on top of the thumbstud, put it beside and push up.

Most knives don't really care what lube you use, but CR knives seem to perform best with their own grease.
 
100eyes said:
don't do that. there's no need to sand paper the washers. you could potentially affect the tolerances that makes the knife great in the first place.

make sure your hand(usually ring and pinky fingers) isn't pushing down on the lockbar making it difficult to open or close. dont put your thumb on top of the thumbstud, put it beside and push up.

Most knives don't really care what lube you use, but CR knives seem to perform best with their own grease.
Click to expand...

You are probably right about sand paper,Try to speed the process for broken in, I do watch the video on how to open Sebenza, my finger did not touch the lockbar, I'm using the inner side of the thumb.

I send my knife to CRK yesterday with note, Hopefully get back end of next week.
 
sand paper is the wrong tool if you were going to try and do it use an ultra-fine buffing compound and an dead flat surface. But there is no need to do that just use the knife and it will be fine I have been using my Sebenza 7 days a week for 5 years and the washers and the side of the blade are mirror polished just from use. in fact its almost time to send it back in to get new washers because mine are about wore slam out and the blade is now a little loose.
 
kaosu04 said:
Mine opens perfectly, has zero blade play and is just overall the wonderful knife you always hear about around hear. My blade is not centered when close and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. The blade doesnt touch the scale and I won't send it in until it does. I don't see why a blade off center is a quality issue unless it affects function.
Click to expand...

I'm glad it doesn't bother you. When I buy a Benchmade or a Spyderco, I can let go of something like an off-center blade. But I would not feel the same with a CRK. I'd send it back--they will likely not only fix it but pay shipping costs. If Heather is still there, she will take care of the whole process. Just call CRK: 208-375-0367
 
KeithAM said:
I'm glad it doesn't bother you. When I buy a Benchmade or a Spyderco, I can let go of something like an off-center blade. But I would not feel the same with a CRK. I'd send it back--they will likely not only fix it but pay shipping costs. If Heather is still there, she will take care of the whole process. Just call CRK: 208-375-0367
Click to expand...

Its does bother me..CRK is the best of the best, second to non.

Hope I will get it back next week..Now I miss that. I will keep it update when I get it back.
 
My Small 21 (LH, born in Dec 2010) had slightly off-centered blade. As KeithAM said, I wouldn't mind this much of shift on my Spydies or other knifes I've got, but it did bother me on CRK because I guess I expect a lot from them, and my Mnandi indeed has a perfectly centered blade.

Heather took care of mine, even covered the return shipping. Now the blade is perfectly centered, even smoother action, they even threw a new lanyard laced up nicely (I didn't even ask).

I'm extremely happy with their service and my now-perfect Seb, and I hope you'll get yours back soon...
 
Call up CRK, They got my Sebenza today March 14, Do you guys knows, what is the turn around time to get my knife back?
 
It seems like there has been a plethora of posts lately about new sebenzas being extremely hard to open (including mine from months ago, with results of the problem and the fix). I don't know why everybody here STILL keeps insisting that you take the knife apart and clean it, or polish the washers or whatever. That is *not* the problem.

I see you already sent it back to CRK. Good luck. They should take care of it. ;) But if they don't, and you still find it hard to open, do some searching and you will find the answer...
 
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