Seb tuning secrets?

DaveH said:
Just another question. does anyone know if the bronze washers rotate against the blade or the handle or both?
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Good question. As far as I can tell they don't rotate at all. I think they're held in place against the handle by the pivot bushing. The blade rotates against them.
 
OK, so the friction surface is between the blade and the washer. I was think about experimenting with some 2000 grit paper and giving the washer a little polish.
 
If you're looking at smoothing the washers. . . .use 000 steel wool.


One of Mayo's secrets to his buttery smooth blade operation. . . .he mixes his own lube. And he won't release the details of his secret. :D
 
One of Mayo's secrets to his buttery smooth blade operation. . . .he mixes his own lube. And he won't release the details of his secret. :D[/QUOTE]


>>Aha!<< I knew there was some sort of witchcraft involved:)
 
DaveH. I gave the washer polishing a whirl last eve. using #0000 steel wool. A quick 10 minute polishing gave noticeable results-I'd say a 15-20% improvement in smoothness. I highly recommend.
Bill
 
I certainly wouldn't recommend steel wool on the washers--this will remove material for which the spacers will not accomodate. A very quick polish with a cloth (and if you must, a LITTLE Brasso) will slick up the surface without excessive material removal. I found a polish on a dry cloth worked well enough.
Greg
 
Unless you work it for a looooong time or apply excess pressure or both, steel wool isn't going to damage the washers.

Apply just enough pressure to remove the tarnished look / to obtain a luster finish.

I've been doing that for years (even on fresh, outta the factory Sebbies) and I have yet to have a problem with my Sebbies. All of my Sebbies are buttery smooth (no quite as smooth as Mayo can get them, but pretty stinkin' close). :D
 
I do-ed it today.

I polished the washers, the inner Ti sides where the pivot rides, and the tang of the blade itself, However I had a huge amount of trouble putting it back together. NEVER had that kind if trouble before.

So anyway I fanally got it back together, smoother yes but the lock barely engages. I probably hosed it up. Anyway back to CRK.
 
Oh Noes. . . .

The only thing that I've ever polished. . . .the washers.

What did you use (tools and or polish medium) to polish the inner Ti sides where the pivot rides and the tang ?

Have you tried to take it apart again (if you plan on sending it in anyway ~ it wouldn't hurt) ?
 
BTW I just got a large Website and it wasn't quite as smooth as my others.The washers were discolored so I applied a small amount of green polishing compound to a rag and lightly polished them,the differance is remarkable.
 
You don't need to sand or polish the bronze washers to remove the tarnish, and in fact you shouldn't as CRK points out themselves. The tarnish is caused by oxidation, and you can get it back to shiny new by washing it in a light acid, such as vinegar.
 
Well the morning it seems like it's better, maybe I was tired yesterday.

I have a question I think it has been brought up before.

If the blader tang is harder then the bronze washers, by are there hundreds/thousands of circular scratches where the pivot rubs?
 
i will never polish the washers.
my seb was not very smooth in the beginning but now with a little use it is PERFECTLY smooth.

something important is to place the washers every time on the same side, because one side will become smooth (blade side) and the other rugged (titanium side). The handles will actually maintain the washers and they will NOT rotate. the blade is the only moving element.
 
The grittyness could be in the detent ball as easily as the bushing. A couple of just light swipes on a silicon carbide 600 grit belt with the bushing would clean it on each side and then lube it. On the detent just add a drop and clean out the groove it has laid out in the blade where it travels as well as the hole it falls in.

Then I'd use a nice clean old tee shirt to clean out the insides of the scales with a shoe shine action and try to get that cleaned out some. If that doesn't fix it up the only other thing to do is send it in to Chris and his crew to check out for you because something else must be going on.

STR
 
After a couple of days of use, I've figured out that it is actually much smoother due to the work I'd done and that most of the remaining non smoothness is the detent ball.
 
What I do is take the washers and LIGHTLY swirl them on a Flat hard leather strop from hand American with .025 micron abrasive on it.

About 30 secounds of light swirling leaves the washers DEAD smooth and super shinny.

I have done it to dozens of Sebenzas and it causes no blade play.

What it did do was remove the High Spot ALL washers have since they are stamped out parts.

The effect is to make the opening of the blade smooth and even feeling all the way.

The thing to remember is less = More in this case.
 
So, I just polished the washers on my Small Seb and Strider PT. I've bone it on a few other knives. Kinda forgot about it, but once I was this thread I was reminded. Didn't hurt them in six years of use.

PT is a year old and edc'd 40%. The Seb is a sm that I just got back with a damascus blade. Seemed a bit gritty/dry, but ok .

Process: Slow and smooth is the key IMO

Cleaned & dryed.

Used a stiff strop w/ Boron Carbide gave the washer a quick polish.

Lubed with Mil-tech (what I got right now). Then blast it with heat.

I did not poilsh the blade or the handle on the Sebenza, under the impression that it could through off the pivot assembly. The Strider? I worked on the blade a bit, just to clean it up...

Not bad at all. Really helped the PT. But Striders are always finished rough, right down to washers. Once I fix the lock bar tenstion it will become a much smoother knife. But NOT even close to the Sebenza.

The Seb you ask? Well it's smoother than before, but not as smooth as my old one. Whatever caused the problem was gone. But it's my new knife with a good cleaning and a fresh Lube, just needs some wear in.

My opinion,
You can polish a turd, but only so far... Yes, it helped. The PT more than the Sebenza. But the Seb is finished far better than the PT.
 
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