Sebenza or other titanium folders?

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trashboss said:
No offence Crimson but this is difficult to believe as CR himself practically asked me to leave his table area at the CA Custom Knife Show a few years ago because i had questioned him about how hard that this particular Seb i was fondling was to open, he said that all of them were like that and that eventually the knife would ease up, i showed him the indent on my thumb as the thumb stud nearly punctured through my skin, then i showed him my titanium Brian Fellhoelter custom and how smooth and flickable can still be solid, easy and not have blade play. He started squinting at me and said that his knives were not for just anyone and that he prefers buyers who can apppreciate a well made knife. I agreed, the CR Seb is rock solid and perfect in f&f, no doubt but he was right, his knives were not ment for me. I walked away and never looked back. Knowing how he felt about flicking, I'm curious why he would flick it open 8000 times???

I flicked a Buck Cross lock back in late 90's, probably 100-200 times a day for at least a year, i still have that knife, i dont use it anymore but it still works fine.
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What do you mean difficult to believe?

Do you think I made it up? Venture into the CRK forum and watch the video Chris posted...... It's there in plain sight.
 
caseguy said:
Read all about it here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/946982-A-Simple-Statement
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Thanks, makes more sence now. I read the whole thread but could only find one CRK video showing 15 flicks, did i miss something?
And tho some commented on how hard the knife was flicked/whipped open, it didnt look very brutal to me. I mean there is no comparison to what i saw as compared to how much force my CQC14 takes each time i wave it out of my pocket, not even close.
 
I read a post where a guy sent his Seb in for repair and was told it was not covered becuase it was flicked alot and that was considered abuse of equipment.
 
I've found the better engineered the knife is, the easier it is to control the force with which it opens when you flick. I don't flick as a rule (sometimes I do) but on good knives, it's easier to flick "just enough" to obtain lockup and without undue force . . .
 
just buy a sage 2 and you can still get two or 3 other reallly good knives to go with it for the same money you spend on a sebenza.
 
I used a chunk of detcord and a blasting cap to deploy my small 21. If I ever find it I bet it is no worse for the wear! :D
 
ericvar101 said:
I read a post where a guy sent his Seb in for repair and was told it was not covered becuase it was flicked alot and that was considered abuse of equipment.
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Yep, that has been CRK's stance on the matter for years and years. A month or so ago Chris posted the video showing him wrist flick the hell out of a Sebenza with no damage, basically saying that it doesn't and cannot hurt the knife. Needless to say it's confusing.
 
trashboss said:
Thanks, makes more sence now. I read the whole thread but could only find one CRK video showing 15 flicks, did i miss something?
And tho some commented on how hard the knife was flicked/whipped open, it didnt look very brutal to me. I mean there is no comparison to what i saw as compared to how much force my CQC14 takes each time i wave it out of my pocket, not even close.
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You read the whole thread, and you missed the massive post complete with pictures by Crk on the second page? Your situational awareness needs honing. ;)

Pictures are missing from the post below. Look on page 2 of the thread you read the whole way through to see them....

The past few weeks have provided us with some really interesting information. Chris and four of our employees have spent [considerable!] time opening and closing a brand new Small Sebenza 21.





Lock before testing

In the video you can see here, Chris demonstrates the difference between conventional opening of the knife and aggressive wrist flicking opening. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hztV6...&feature=g-upl
The video also shows the surface of the lock face of this knife after it had been wrist flicked over 8,000 times.





Lock after 8,000 openings





Examples of locks that are typical where the customer complains of blade play.


What is causing this excessive wear?
We will show you on our next installment.
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I don't flick my (brand new!) small sebbie because, well, it's the most expensive knife i own and i'm basically going to have to stop eating for the next 3 months in order to keep it :) That said, the lock face is carberized (carbidized? carbonized? someone correct me here) and it will wear a lot more slowly than other titanium frame locks. I recently acquired a zt 0550 and though the lockup hasn't noticeably changed, i compared the lock face today to the way it looked the day i got it and there is some visible wear. If i sit at my desk flicking it open every day it will eventually wear out and develop lock problems. I think thats the big downside to titanium framelocks. Titanium on steel will wear a lot more quickly than steel on steel.

One thing that really surprised me when i touched my sebenza for the first time was how similar the geometry felt to to the sanrenmu 710. I know the knives look similar but they really feel very much alike when opening them. The sanernmu can be flicked open the same as the sebenza by putting your thumbnail under the stud and flicking it up (not out, up). It will absolutely fly open and is very satisfying. I highly recomend the SRM for the compulsive flicker. Mine has developed a bit of blade play but only after i flicked it a couple thousand times.
 
I'd also like to add that I don't think a wrist flick is any worse than a thumb or nail flick. Some people just flick way too hard with their wrists. Use the right amount of force and it will do far less damage.
 
No - i saw the pics but the video which is supposed to be the 8000 flick openings only has 15 or so in it. Im sorry if my questioning and remarks about CRK bother you, i like all knives and im not a hater, i havent made any rude or snide remarks, please dont be angry with me just because i dont think CR can walk on water. I said he made a quality product its just not my thing i guess.
 
I've always wondered why you would need or want to flick a Sebenza open? Perhaps I'm missing something, but my sebbie isn't some tacticool monstrosity to abuse and show off. Show it a bit of respect, after all, the price you pay warrants it. Just my opinion.
 
CRK s are not for me. If he doesnt take care of his own health ,walking around at 300+lbs in his advanced age why would he take care of his customers?
 
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jwolf90 said:
CRK is talking about using your wrist and thumb, flicking it normally with just your thumb will be fine, the lockbar face is heatreated so there is fine layer of very hard ti so that it won't wear out prematurely. Thats part of the reason they can last 20+ years:thumbup: I have many Ti folders and my Sebenza's are easily my favorite. If you can't justify the $ the Sage 2 is also a great knife. I am fond of the buttery hydraulic feeling that comes with opening a Seb so I prefer to open without flicking but to each there own
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That is false. They do not harden the titanium at the lock face past any other part of the titanium. They heat it so as to put an oxide layer on it.

fatherhudson said:
I don't flick my (brand new!) small sebbie because, well, it's the most expensive knife i own and i'm basically going to have to stop eating for the next 3 months in order to keep it :) That said, the lock face is carberized (carbidized? carbonized? someone correct me here) and it will wear a lot more slowly than other titanium frame locks. I recently acquired a zt 0550 and though the lockup hasn't noticeably changed, i compared the lock face today to the way it looked the day i got it and there is some visible wear. If i sit at my desk flicking it open every day it will eventually wear out and develop lock problems. I think thats the big downside to titanium framelocks. Titanium on steel will wear a lot more quickly than steel on steel.

One thing that really surprised me when i touched my sebenza for the first time was how similar the geometry felt to to the sanrenmu 710. I know the knives look similar but they really feel very much alike when opening them. The sanernmu can be flicked open the same as the sebenza by putting your thumbnail under the stud and flicking it up (not out, up). It will absolutely fly open and is very satisfying. I highly recomend the SRM for the compulsive flicker. Mine has developed a bit of blade play but only after i flicked it a couple thousand times.
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CRKs do *not* have a carbidized lock face. Carbidize = implanting a layer of carbides on top, and CRK does not do that.
 
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kreole said:
That is false. They do not harden the titanium at the lock face past any other part of the titanium. They heat it so as to put an oxide layer on it.



CRKs do *not* have a carbidized lock face. Carbidize = implanting a layer of carbides on top, and CRK does not do that.
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I'm not an expert by any means but i've heard different from other people. Maybe someone else can chime in and set it straight?
 
spydusse said:
CRK s are not for me. If he doesnt take care of his own health ,walking around at 300+lbs in his advanced age why would he take care of his customers?
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Don't forget to mention that the reason they are "not for you" is because he wouldn't replace a blade that you couldn't figure out how to sharpen.
 
spydusse said:
CRK s are not for me. If he doesnt take care of his own health ,walking around at 300+lbs in his advanced age why would he take care of his customers?
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Why the personal shot? Do you feel better now?
Tripton said:
Don't forget to mention that the reason they are "not for you" is because he wouldn't replace a blade that you couldn't figure out how to sharpen.
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But of course.
 
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