Sebenza Maintenance

So after hundreds of cycles of opening and closing, the lock bar pressure has loosened up a bit defeated a bit and the lock stick is basically gone. My thumb was also defeated too though, haha.
 
I have a question that I'm sure has been answered. Please forgive me if I'm asking in the wrong place.

I disassembled my small 21 Insingo last night to clean it and relube everything. I think I may have mixed up some of the screws and spacers. When I reassembled it the blade is perfectly centered, but the action of opening and closing is not right. It works just fine, but it's uncomfortable to open/close.

What can I do?
 
#1 stop opening it and start over with assembly. You might have pinched a washer.
 
#1 stop opening it and start over with assembly. You might have pinched a washer.

Okay, will do. My biggest concern is mixing up the screws and the fasteners. Any issues with this?

Also, when I push out the lockbar the blade swings back and forth freely. It's perfectly smooth, so it appears that the issue is the pressure being applied by the lockbar.
 
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Okay, will do. My biggest concern is mixing up the screws and the fasteners. Any issues with this?

Also, when I push out the lockbar the blade swings back and forth freely. It's perfectly smooth, so it appears that the issue is the pressure being applied by the lockbar.
Just take it apart and start over. Something you did is amiss. Weve all been through that. There are videos you can watch to help you keep track of the steps and maybe you did switch something up. Or maybe take pictures of the knife now and try seeing if you swicthed something up because maybe you did put a spacer in the wrong place (though I have never done that myself and didn't know it was possible) . It should feel better than perfect after cleaning and assembly.
 
#1 stop opening it and start over with assembly. You might have pinched a washer.
Realize this is an old thread, but I keep hearing about pinched washers in relation to CRK knives. What does that even mean, and how do you know if you have one? Are the washers supposed to rotate with the tang, or does the tang rotate against the washers?

Sorry for the newb questions.
 
There is a risk of pinching a washer during reassembly of a Sebenza because of the pivot bushing. The bushing is designed to be exactly the same thickness as the blade plus the washers. It's possible that one of the washers could slide out of place, slightly overlapping the bushing. When tension is applied to the pivot screw, this can pinch and deform the edge of the washer. You'd know if your washer was pinched because the blade may be off center and the action could be excessively tight and sluggish. This is not really a concern with knives that have the other type of pivot, like the Inkosi.

I'll let someone else more knowledgeable answer your other question.
 
Realize this is an old thread, but I keep hearing about pinched washers in relation to CRK knives. What does that even mean, and how do you know if you have one? Are the washers supposed to rotate with the tang, or does the tang rotate against the washers?

Sorry for the newb questions.

As M Modernflame explained, the washer is deformed due to it not resting on the bushing. There’s not any room for error with reassembly. If you have too much grease between the blade and washer, it can prevent the washer from seating onto the bushing. The tang rotates against the washers, that’s why you’re not supposed to put grease between the washer and slab. The washer will bind to the Ti and should be stationary. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the orientation of the washers when it’s taken apart or if you polish the washer. The only time I’ve read where the washer rotates with the blade is on the carbon fiber slabs. The washer doesn’t bind on the carbon fiber.
 
If you are familiar with 1911's and the "idiot scratch" . same things with pinched washer. Some people aren't very mechanically inclined and are reckless
 
As M Modernflame explained, the washer is deformed due to it not resting on the bushing. There’s not any room for error with reassembly. If you have too much grease between the blade and washer, it can prevent the washer from seating onto the bushing. The tang rotates against the washers, that’s why you’re not supposed to put grease between the washer and slab. The washer will bind to the Ti and should be stationary. That’s why it’s important to pay attention to the orientation of the washers when it’s taken apart or if you polish the washer. The only time I’ve read where the washer rotates with the blade is on the carbon fiber slabs. The washer doesn’t bind on the carbon fiber.
Thanks for the explanation. The washers aren't rotating ... I just wanted to make sure that was right. The action is super stiff, but I guess that's just par for the course with CRKs. Blade is perfectly centered and there's no play when locked up. Surprisingly there's some pivot lash, but I suspect that's normal. I'm working with a large Sebenza 31, btw. It's new to me, but with a 2021 birth date. By all appearances it hasn't been carried much, if at all, so I'm sure some of it is lack of break in.
 
Almost makes me wonder if I happen to have a pinched washer. I sent in a small 21 Insigno for the spa service awhile back and it is way stiffer than when I sent it in. I figured it just needed to be broken in after the sandblast or something, but it hasn’t really loosened up or gotten smoother.
 
Almost makes me wonder if I happen to have a pinched washer. I sent in a small 21 Insigno for the spa service awhile back and it is way stiffer than when I sent it in. I figured it just needed to be broken in after the sandblast or something, but it hasn’t really loosened up or gotten smoother.

It won't hurt to tear it apart to check, they are known for being conservative on the grease.
 
It won't hurt to tear it apart to check, they are known for being conservative on the grease.
You ain't lyin. Less is more, but you still have to actually lubricate the entire pivot mechanism. They seem to hope optimistically that two molecules of grease will replicate.
 
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