Sebenza pocket clip screws always strip!

chadridv

chadridv

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Joined
Dec 7, 2009
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If you know me at all here on the forum, you know that I am a huge fan of CRK and specifically the Sebenza. It's my favorite all time knife. I've owned easily more than a dozen.

Here's the thing. Why does the pocket clip screw always suck!? Every single pocket clip screw I've ever tried to remove just gets mangled. They strip so easily. They seem to be nothing like the stand off screws.

Anyone have any advice or insight?

btw - this is what my EDC looks like after stripping out the screw and having no back ups around! lol :) (Lg Reg on the left of the frame)
31520E53-7F51-4060-BE96-1EC4702EECBB-9741-00000B7AC5A5E192_zps86c27fa5.jpg
 
Only crk screw i stripped was a small pivot, i have only also removed 1 of the pocket clips but it didnt strip so idk.
 
VVilliam said:
My pocket clip screw n my large regular is also stripped:( how do I get it out?
Click to expand...

Use a dremel with a small cut off wheel and cut a straight line in the top of the screw like the pic in the OP thread above. Simply use a flathead screw driver to remove. Been there, done that.
 
Why are you guys talking your clips off so often ?

Outside of a spate of clip mods a while back I just don't have any need to remove the clip. The one exception is for a good, deep clean when the knife is bloody or dirty in some unsavory way. Using quality tools and driver bits does make a difference when removing screws and I have yet to strip the heads of any CRK hardwear. :)

The best way to get a stripped hex screw out is to use a torx bit, they grip the corners and will more often than not get the screw moving.
 
It's not that I take the clip off 'that often', but every once and a while I'll take the entire knife down to a serious cleaning, including the clip. As you mentioned for the serious dirty days ;)

Also, in the past I've bought some pretty gnarly second hand users. It's kind of my ritual to take those down immediately and clean them.

Anyhow, i've always used the tool CRK provides which has a pretty damn good (or bad) track record of stripping the pocket clip screw only (not the others).

I've used torx bits to get them out, but if you use a torx bit right off the bat, it'll work but it will chew up the nicely shaped hex screw. Not a huge deal if it's a user, but mostly I like to keep em nice and clean, and as they were meant to be. Otherwise, this thread would be called "Hey CRK, switch to torx screws please!"

Haze said:
Why are you guys talking your clips off so often ?

Outside of a spate of clip mods a while back I just don't have any need to remove the clip. The one exception is for a good, deep clean when the knife is bloody or dirty in some unsavory way. Using quality tools and driver bits does make a difference when removing screws and I have yet to strip the heads of any CRK hardwear. :)

The best way to get a stripped hex screw out is to use a torx bit, they grip the corners and will more often than not get the screw moving.
Click to expand...
 
Just to confirm, you are saying the hex socket in the screw head strips........not the threads in the slab? Is that right?
 
Grab yourself a set of Wiha torx, T9, T8, and T6 will work on just about everything. I haven't stripped a screw since I got them. :)
 
What brand of torx drivers are you using? Use a good one like Wiha if you aren't already.
 
chadridv said:
I've used torx bits to get them out, but if you use a torx bit right off the bat, it'll work but it will chew up the nicely shaped hex screw. Not a huge deal if it's a user, but mostly I like to keep em nice and clean, and as they were meant to be. Otherwise, this thread would be called "Hey CRK, switch to torx screws please!"
Click to expand...

9blades said:
Grab yourself a set of Wiha torx, T9, T8, and T6 will work on just about everything. I haven't stripped a screw since I got them. :)
Click to expand...

This is actually what I've done numerous times in jam just to get them out, but it torx will chew em up a bit and then they looked stripped, which is just me being anal about my knives.
 
Fanglekai said:
What brand of torx drivers are you using? Use a good one like Wiha if you aren't already.
Click to expand...

So you're saying that a good brand of torx driver will leave the hex shape perfect without affecting it? I have a small husky torx kit which seems to be pretty nice. I will look into Wiha, if that's what you're getting at. Thanks.
 
'Tolerances' is a common term in this forum and the same applies to tools. The less play in the size of the hex tool, and the less likely it will round out the inside of the screw, as it can't start to twist, which begins the process of stripping the screw.

Cheap hex tools are made with looser tolerances, so the budget makers err on the side of caution by setting their process to make all the hex tools slightly smaller than the correct spec. This way the tool that are too big for spec, coming out of the factory, still fit, and the ones that are at spec or smaller fit as well and no one returns the tools or complains. You can imagine if 50% of your output was slightly too big for the hex hole, the problems you would have, so the cheap hex tools are typically mostly undersized. People who use them end up thinking the scews are bad. Wiha makes high tolerance tools that are the right size, and are less likely to start the process of the inside getting rounded out of your screws
 
For the record, I just realized the Sebbie uses hex screws - I feel like a noob haha. :o in general though, Wiha tools are great!
 
chadridv said:
So you're saying that a good brand of torx driver will leave the hex shape perfect without affecting it? I have a small husky torx kit which seems to be pretty nice. I will look into Wiha, if that's what you're getting at. Thanks.
Click to expand...

Sorry I meant hex. Was thinking torx. Use a good brand.
 
first thing i do is send it back to chris, let him fix. I do not deal with any knife over $150.00 as i feel i paid to have every pcs of that knife flawless. I will add that Chris and Ann if i spell correct her name, will always go beyond the call. I have purchased many " edc/used/worn crk knives, knowing that crk will repair them. Or ship you what you need mostly free if you ask. Only one other brand does service this way. Crk is unreal, you call them and you can get ann or chris on the phone, or they will be talking in the background. Never, Never have I had issues. I once sold one to a person in tx. when they got the knife I had failed to include the wrenches. They called Chris and he shipped tools. for free to them. That is why when anyone talks neg. about them, I call B/S. I am a very hard customer to pls, and even looking deep, they will fix and answer your question. I use a small desk vise i got from northern tool ,< $30 it has rubber teeth, i wrap knife in a pc of leather off old belt, then use the T handle type hex tool. I got 2 sizes from snap on tools . that way zero movement is allowed, apply lots of down pressure while turning. The screws they use will strip the edges of a cheap tool just enough to cause problems. why use $ 5 junk on a $450 > knife ? I learned this the hard way.
 
A drop of oil, before you remove the screw, can help.
You have to give the oil some time to work.
hope this helps.
red mag
 
Obviously at this point if you've read through the thread, we've established a few things.

1- There are a few ways to get the screw out if the provided tool isn't cutting it
2- Higher quality tools seem to work better because they're frankly just made better with higher tolerances (thank you kidcongo, well said)
3- CRKs customer service will always make things right!

The only thing left up in the air (for me at least), why do the pocket clip screws compared to all the other screws seem to be so much softer? Are they not the same material as all the others. Maybe they're shorter and therefore are not capable of generating enough energy. Maybe the threading on the Ti, as opposed to the bushing plays a roll?
 
They have a higher dome on them than the other screws. I suppose there is just less supportive material surrounding the part of the screw head that sees most of the force. That with the galling one sees on the clip screw into the handle rather than the snap fit of the other hardwear could well be why there is more instances deformation on those particular screws. Again, this is where quality tools that are properly fitted and seated into the screw head are going to help alot. :)
 
chadridv said:
I have a small husky torx kit which seems to be pretty nice.
Click to expand...

I went through 3 of those sets, and finally ended up with Wiha. The Husky set is pretty soft steel - at least that was my experience. I was never hard on them, but they started to deform and then the tip would snap off. A while back I asked around, and everyone recommended Wiha. If you look around, they aren't that spendy.
 
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