Small Sebenza 21 - Blade Too Tight?

dtmbinb said:
Take the washers out and rub them flat and lightly on some 600 or 800 grit sandpaper. Lube and reassemble. Should help the break in period. Cheers!
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Just be advised that if you do that, you'll void the warranty.
 
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hsc3_90293 said:
I too was surprised at how tight the blade motion is, and a bit disappointed. It is in fact the stiffest opening of all my folding knives. Every other folder I have is significantly smoother like glass right out of the box.
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If you think a new Sebenza is tight, you should try a LionSteel TiSpine. ;)
 
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bld522 said:
Just be advised that if you do that, you'll void the warranty.
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Lightly polishing the washers as part of an initial clean and lube shouldn't void the warranty. I did say 600-800 grit, not take them to a grinder. It will not even removed much, if any, material. It merely smooths them a bit and removes any burs along the edges. You are not altering the knife. Cheers!
 
I will say that my Insingo is a great slicer and quite possibly the sharpest blade out of the box i've experienced. :-)

archieblue said:
I would first respond that this is not aerospace machining. It's knife making. Second, Chris Reeve is known for doing things "his way" ...that is, different from "the rest." Paying $400+ for a knife is more than believing some (potential) jackasses opinion on a forum or YouTube. It's a leap of hope and of faith. CRK does not state or pretend to make liquid fast opening knives. They state that their knives are "the best." What a given person is used to vs. what is made more or less "ideally" = one person's opinion/ideas vs. tested, proven, tried and true. I've owned maybe 80 higher end folders, not including around 15 Sebenzas. ALL my Sebs have had a certain, buttery "resistance" in the pivot (which does lessen over the years). I've had smoother/looser. Ive had tighter/stouter. I still definitely consider the Sebenza to be the best overall folding knife.
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dtmbinb said:
Lightly polishing the washers as part of an initial clean and lube shouldn't void the warranty.
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"This knife is guaranteed for life. It is designed for a specific purpose. Should this knife fail after purchase by original user, due to faulty workmanship or materials, such defects will be made good free of cost. The right is reserved to make good such defects either by repair or replacement.

This guarantee does not cover natural materials, incorrect applications, neglect or abuse. Any modifications that are made to the knife after it has left our workshop will void this guarantee." [Emphasis added.]

Source: http://www.chrisreeve.com/warranty.htm

If you want to test the theory that polishing the washers does not constitute a modification that is made to the knife after it has left the CRK workshop, be my guest.
 
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In the cleaning thread, CRK specifically states to not polish the washers or they can get too thin.
 
Lightly polishing a washer is not a modification. If I polish the blue off the thumbstud, think CRK will still warranty the knife? What if I lightly "scotchbrite" it? CRK doesn't approve of altering the integrity of the knife. They have top notch customer service and stand behind their product.
 
dtmbinb said:
What if I lightly "scotchbrite" it?
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Just a word of caution--I purchased a small Reg off the exchange that had received the "scotchbrite" treatment. I sent it in for a spa treatment and was told by CRK CS that they will not work on scales (meaning they will not re-blast) that have been "modified" due to rounding the chamfering on the edges.
 
I have owned well over 30 sebenzas and have never once had to use the warranty service. They are just that good. I also serious doubt that rubbing a washer with metal polish or a few strokes on 800 grit will prevent a knife from being repaired. Enjoy your knives all!
 
I've had my first small Sebenza for about a month. It was tight at first and is really starting to loosen up and get smooth. I'd just give it time and some use. It will smooth out and you really don't need to to any thing to it other than use it.
 
dtmbinb said:
Lightly polishing a washer is not a modification. If I polish the blue off the thumbstud, think CRK will still warranty the knife? What if I lightly "scotchbrite" it? CRK doesn't approve of altering the integrity of the knife. They have top notch customer service and stand behind their product.
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So changing something from the factory is no longer considered a modification? News to me.

He has flat out said he won't rewash blades that have been modified, he won't reblast scales that have been modified. I would assume if he found washers obviously sanded and polished he would say the same thing. They stand by their knives, but they don't stand by modified knives... many have found that out.
 
I posted this in another thread, but it may bear repeating . . .

Four things I've learned about Sebenzas:

1. Chris knows what he's doing.
2. New Sebenzas require a break-in period.
3. Sebenzas are built to such tight tolerances that it's best not to mess with them. (See number 1.)
4. Messing with a Sebenza's tolerances voids the warranty.

Last but not least, denial isn't just a river in Africa. ;)
 
My Small Sebenza is not as smooth as my large.
My Large has been used EVERY DAY for 8 months though.

It's still smooth, but the tolerances are tight.
I don't over-tighten any of the screws on either of them.

However, when I release the lockbar while the knives are open and tilted, the blade swings freely to be closed. However, if I let go of the lock bar, they stop in their tracks. It's the tolerances of the lock bar that makes it a bit tight in my opinion, but I like that. They're smooth but tight.

Oh, smooth as butter may I add.
 
Can't you buy new perforated washers if you send your CRK in??? They are listed on parts list for sale but they have to be installed by the factory....
 
I've never sanded my washers but I have polished them up on a strop for my main user and I will tell you that knife opens effortlessly. I don't flick or fly open my knives but it's much easier on my thumb than some of my others. Like most of you I think they break in beautifully over some time and as a new user the OP will probably break it in the first day as they open and close the knife countless times listening and feeling that lock engage. If you have little patience though like me, I didnt see the problem in polishing the washers up so i did. It probably voids the warranty but I don't care, the knife is perfect. Albeit, probably the same as someone thats had theirs in use for a few years.
 
Man, is that the truth! I had to return my LionSteel because it was too hard to open. My Sebbie is stiff compared to XM-18's, etc, but I don't mind. A squirt of Nano 10w around the pivot helped mine noticeably.

bld522 said:
If you think a new Sebenza is tight, you should try a LionSteel TiSpine. ;)
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i just got my first sebenza21, same story here "too tight"
if i take the blade and scales in separate hands and exadgerate and rapidly work the knife it will be silky smoothe for a while and back to sticky. but i have faith and eben more hope that it breaks in to be the best folder ever made!
 
Rhettis1 said:
i just got my first sebenza21, same story here "too tight"
if i take the blade and scales in separate hands and exadgerate and rapidly work the knife it will be silky smoothe for a while and back to sticky. but i have faith and eben more hope that it breaks in to be the best folder ever made!
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Take apart, clean, lube with fluorinated grease and then reassemble. If you haven't already done so.
 
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