small Sebenza, first impressions

H

Hoodoo

Joined
Aug 18, 1999
Messages
2,355
Got my first Sebenza, a small one. Overall, the fit and finish live up to the reputation. I love the blade geometry and the finish on the blade and the frame lock is solid. Clearly much more solid than a liner lock. There is no wobble in the blade under any conditions and the movement of the blade is silky smooth.

Now for the bad part. I find the knife hard to open and close. I'm not sure why the thumbstud is pyramid shaped. I guess it's because your thumb is curved, but I usually open a thumb stud blade with my thumbnail held parallel to the stud. It's a challenge to do this with the small sebenza. I originally ordered a classic but since the wait was extended, I settled for the regular. I think the classic would give me more room for my thumb for opening but I don't really know.

Anyway, just about the only way I can get the blade moving open is to turn my thumb sideways and wedge it between the scale and stud. I think the pressure of the frame lock on the blade is significant so it needs a good nudge to open. If I place my thumb on top of the stud and push, it's somewhat painful due to the pyramid shape of the stud. I can get the blade open this way but it's no fun.

Closing the blade is even more difficult. The frame lock is very solid but my thumbnail is so mashed down now from trying to push the framelock sideways that I have to use my left hand to move the framelock over.

Eventually I'm sure I will adjust to the knife (my thuumbnail will grow back
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)and the close tolerances will wear and opening and closing will become easier.

Overall impression is that it really is an outstanding knife. Fit and finish I imagine are about as good as it gets. Not as easy to open or close as my small wegner or axis lock but I will just have to give it more time. Both the wegner and axis have some play around the pivot so I'm sure that contributes to the ease of opening although I still think you can't beat the spydie hole for ease of opening. And I prefer the axis lock to the frame lock. But clearly this frame lock is solid and dependable and this is one heckuva knife.

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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
The two reasons mentioned are why I do not own a Sebenza. I absolutely had to check one out after reading all the praise here on the forums. The sample I examined was also a small, and I had the same initial impression-that it was extremely well crafted. However, that thumbstud was awful. It felt "sharp" to my finger. I also expected the blade to open quickly and smoothly, but the opening felt "sluggish," which I didn't expect at all. As far as I knew it was a NIB example of recent manufacture and as it was the only one I have handled I don't know if my experience was atypical or not.
 
I own a large Sebbie and mine also takes a determined effort to open. I believe this is in part due to the Sebenza's being designed for tip-up carry. A solid detent when closed is necessary to ensure that the blade does not accidently open in ones pocket which when withdrawn would have the chance of inflicting a serious wound. I like this security in knives designed to be carried this way (tip-up). Don't worry about the thumbstud design, if you carry it enough your thumb will feel fine.

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It's only a mistake if you fail to learn from it!
 
Hoodoo,Take it apart and grease it up.CRK recommends and sells their own brand which I will buy and try someday but the texclad I buy by the case works wonders.My well used small will open with a light thumb flick and lock up with zero play in any direction.I use the ball of my thumb and I like the grippy thumbstud when my hands are cold,wet and tired.I think the knife will grow on you,it did on me and it is now my favorite knife.
 
Walt, IMHO you should post this in the CRK Forum. You would have more response.
I felt the same way at first, but once you get use to it I think you will like it.
My thumb was sore too.
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RICK - Left Handers Unite
 
I haven't had any trouble opening my Sebenza, it is the Large NICA tanto. However, closing it is definiately a two handed chore. However, this does not bother me one bit. I think making sure you can open it one handed is much important in case you ever need to open it in an emergency situation, and I'm not taking about just tactical. ie. one arm pinned, rockclimbing, etc.

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EdRozen-On the cutting edge of finding out what the cutting edge is....
 
HooDoo, I had a similar experience with the opening of a small Sebenza once, I had the toughest time ever trying to thumb it open, exasperated, I called up Chris Reeve Knives and asked what am I doing wrong? They said that it might be the detent bearing wasn't pressed in deep enough and was REALLY locking up when the blade was closed, so I sent it to them and when it came back, voila! No problem, so it MIGHT be that condition is causing the problem with your knife.

As far as closing, there were some knives that snuck past security without having the lockbar heat treated, and that Titanium can reall gall up against the blade tang and become extremely hard to unlock, I mean extremely hard.

So you might want to send it in to CRK for a look see?

G2

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"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...


G2 LeatherWorks
 
Hoodoo: I too just got a small Sebenza, but mine is easy to open. My problem is I don't think the knife s worth the money. I think it is $100 over-priced (IMHO).

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"Fear God and keep His commandments for that is the full duty of man"
 
Smoke, the blade definitely falls into the category of scary sharp.

Gary, I'll live with it for awhile and see how it goes. As near as I can tell, everything is very smooth and opening the knife is becoming easier as I adjust to it. Its just that I would prefer a smooth, straight-sided stud (like the one on my BM 705) and a little more room for my thumb. And I don't really have big hands.

As far as the cost of the knife, I'd say it's probably worth the asking price but that's just my opinion. It's a beautiful knife, well designed with incredible tolerances. If I jam the liner lock open, the blade swings free and easy with absolutely zero detectable play. And no plastic bushing or shims here.

In all honesty, the amount of pressure required to open the knife is no greater than my miniAFCK, but the mini has a spydie hole and that makes all the difference.

As for closing, I think I'm willing to trade a little difficulty in closing for the strength that the frame lock provides. That is really one solid lock. This is one sharp knife and I would not want it closing on my fingers. I think the junction of the lock and blade will smooth a little and eventually be easier to open. But we will see..

Thanks for everyone's input. But please don't turn this thread into a flame war (as so often happens with sebenza threads). I gave my honest first blush opinion of the knife and I hope we can keep this civil. It's a great knife but not perfect, but what knife is? So far, all the posts have been constructive and I hope it stays that way.




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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
Hoodoo,
I'm sure that you will adjust to the sebenza because I did. When I first got it closing it was a two handed chore also. It took a while to get used to closing it but now it's perfect. Opening it I put my thumb between the stud and the handle. I also think you just need to develop a sebenza thumb (callus) which will happen in time.

Its just that I would prefer a smooth, straight-sided stud (like the one on my BM 705)
Click to expand...

Funny, I feel the exact opposite. My sebenza thumb stud is PERFECT and I hate my 705 studs. The 705 studs feel really insecure. In fact I was asking around to see who could change my 705's studs to sebenza type studs.

-Johnny
 
Originally posted by JoHnYKwSt:
Funny, I feel the exact opposite. My sebenza thumb stud is PERFECT and I hate my 705 studs. The 705 studs feel really insecure. In fact I was asking around to see who could change my 705's studs to sebenza type studs.

-Johnny
Click to expand...

That is weird. I like the 705 studs 'cause they are smooth and don't hang up on my thumb or thumbnail. Never did understand why people knurl those thumbstuds. If you don't want to "flick" the blade open, I guess knurling makes sense cause it gives you a good grip for pushing the blade open. But the pointy top on the sebenza stud no doubt will require a little callus formation.

What amazes me about the 705 is that the blade whips out there easier than my spydie holed jobs. I think this is partly due to less friction of the axis lock but also due to the smooth thumbstud and you can really "attack" the stud by flicking your thumb. Anyway, I don't doubt that I will adapt to the sebenza. I think it's worth adapting to.
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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
Hoodoo when I got my Sebenza the lock was very tight like you described.I pushed the liner very,very slightly out so it would'nt put so much pressure on the blade tang.CRK may not go along with the idea but it worked for me.The knife opened and closed a lot easier.Remember don't push the liner too much or it will be too loose and everything will be off center.Then you'll have to take the knife apart and and bend the liner back the other way and this could get complicated.
 
Here's an intersting development. With the knife closed, I tried to push a thin sheet of paper past the tip of the frame lock, down to the detent ball. Either the tolerances are mighty slim or the framelock is riding on the blade. And this "tightness" extends from the tip of the framelock down along the edge of it for 1/4".

Oooppps! False alarm! But talk about close tolerances. The paper I initially used was a postit which measured 0.004. Then I used an old sales receipt (=0.002)and it cleared all the way to the detent. But boy is that close!

One thing that comes from this, though is that I'm betting that the detent ball is well bottomed out.

Folks, I'm probably making too much of this. I can actually flick the blade open if I put a little wrist action into it and get my thumbnail in the right place. As I and others have said, it's just going to take a time for me to adjust and maybe form a little callus. And I can get the blade open now easy enough if I don't want to flick it open. But I still need a tougher thumbnail to consistently close it one handed.
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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
When I got my new Large Sebenze I opened and closed it enough to "break-it-in" then disassembled it and very thoroughly cleaned every surface, lubed and re-assembled. Every now and again the blade would "stick" when I tried to open it. I later found out that it was OPERATOR ERROR as my index and middle finger were ever so slightly pushing against the locking portion of the slab. Now, more educated, I make a point of holdong the knife with the fingers OFF the locking portion of the slab and it opens as smooth as silk. My experiences, for what it's worth.
 
Hoodoo,

One thing that I have used with all of my knives is Break Free LP. This is a firearm lubricant that is formulated for S/S. It is a nonpenetrating lubricant/preservative that can make a big difference. It doesn't take very much, but it needs to set for at least 2 hours. It bonds with the metal, so it's unlikely that you'll have to relube it. So far, it has been safe on all the bone, stag, plastics, and finishes that I have tried. My knives are not junk, but none are in the class of your Sebenza. But if it can help them, it should do the same for you. Good luck, and enjoy your Sebenza!

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Dave
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Attention: Some assembly may be required. Batteries not included.
 
Nimrod,
I haven't even thought about pressing against the lock. Good point.

Columbo,

First thing I did was lube the pivot with Break Free. I've been using the stuff for probably 20 years now and I'm a big fan. No need to convince me. My guns used to rust untill I switched to Break Free. Now I can wipe them down and a year later, no rust! The stuff is absolutely tenacious and doesn't gum up the works either.

Been flirting around with Rem Oil lately and feeling kinda guilty.
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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
I'd like to second the "getting used to" opening and closing Sebbie. The shape of the stud allows me for sticking my thumb between the stud and handle edge. Then I use my thumb to "kind of prey" on the stud using the frame as support. Almost no pushing needed to start opening. After I got used to it I don't even think about it.

The price issue, oh well, if something is not made in millions and additionally does have quality (nobody questions that) it's gotta cost...

Kris
 
I think the knife is designed for pushing the blade open with the fleshy part of the thumb, not flicking open with the thumbnail. I'm more used to flicking blades open rather than pushing them. Opening and closing is getting easier and easier, the more I play around with it.

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Hoodoo

The low, hoarse purr of the whirling stone—the light-press’d blade,
Diffusing, dropping, sideways-darting, in tiny showers of gold,
Sparkles from the wheel.

Walt Whitman
 
Walt, Sebenzas are made not to be flicked; it's bad for the knive.
I carried a BM 710 before I got the Sebenzas. That flicked out very easy, but it's a different knife.
Enjoy the slow smooth roll with the flesh of your thumb.

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RICK - Left Handers Unite
 
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