Small Sebenza: Life expectancy of lock before first adjustment?

Professor

Professor

Gold Member
Joined
Apr 6, 1999
Messages
3,426
About to make a move on a small Sebenza, and was curious about a few details:

I know that one can adjust the stop pin on Sebenzas to account for lock wear. What's the average length of time before you might be required to do this with daily use of the knife? Has anyone worn one out completely and had to send it back for lock replacement? What's involved with this? Thanks.

Professor.
 
Prof, I have the bad habit of cleaning my Sebenzas regularly, so the stop pin gets rotated quite often just by happenstance. I have a small that has been my weekend carry going on two years and it is no where near needing to be sent back to the factory for adjustment (about 50% travel). I have a large that is my daily work carry and the lock bar seems to have settled at the 80% point with no sign going any farther in the last year or so.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
Thanks a bunch for the info, Stjames. The adjustable stop pin is fascinating to me. Good to hear yours have stood up well under daily use.

Scott Dog from another post has me thinking now about a small Sebenza as opposed to a large for every day carry. What would your thoughts on this be? Sounds like you carry both regularly. Thanks.

Professor.
 
Hey Professor, if you dont mind me chiming in.....I carry a large Sebenza as a daily carry. I think it is the perfect size.......for me. I have never had a situation where it was too much knife, but I can see where it might have been too small at times for my tastes. The answer, of course, is to buy both. Then get a Graley sheath!
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Good Luck.

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"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13

Mike
 
I think the large is a little heavy for pocket carry, but is a great tool to hang on your belt. The small is good for just about any environment, including casual carry or dress carry, but can still handle most jobs that the large can.

If I had to choose just one it would be the small, as I would never hesitate to carry it.

Hope that helps! And have a Happy New Year!

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
Professor:
I carry the small daily and prefer it to the large. I also have a large tanto Sebenza that I really never carry. For me it is just too much knife to carry around. The small has never let me down. I'm a city dweller and I work in a hospital in Los Angeles. Most of my cutting consists of opening mail, packages and eating fruit. My daily carry is a small wood inlay in Curly Maple. Not an inexpensive knife but they only make 60 small and 60 large each year and the year is marked on the knife so it is I would say a very limited model. I got one for the year 2000. I'm left handed so I had to wait eight months for the knife but I carry it everywhere and I really like it. The BG 42 steel holds an edge well. The thumb ramp and the spearpoint blade fit in your hand like it was made for it. Lock up is tight. If you look in the CRK threads, I doubt that you will find a bad comment about the knife or the company. Any problems will be handled to your complete satisfaction. It is not a cheap knife and part of what you pay for is fantastic customer service. Even though they are considered production, I think that is an injustice to CRK. I have a couple of customs and the Sebenza will hold its own with any of them. An additional benefit of the small is that it will go on an airplane with no problem. At first I thought that the lanyard was corny, but it helps pull out the knife. No fumbling around for this baby. Tip up carry allows you to pull out the knife and open it in one movement. If you like the 705, you will love the small Sebenza. It is so durable that you will have it the rest of your life! The small gets a big two thumbs up from me.
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And here she is!
View

The frame lock makes for a secure lockup.

[This message has been edited by Scott Dog (edited 12-27-2000).]

[This message has been edited by Scott Dog (edited 12-27-2000).]
 
Scott Dog.. that's one nice looking Woody!

I am also left handed and carry a LARGE lefty in my front jeans pocket, daily. I am awaiting delivery of my "spare" full size as we speak! I do not want to ever be without a large left hander. I also have a small right handed for my extra pocket. I rarely use the small though. I wear Levi's 99% of the time though with a pair or two of Dockers thrown in now and then. Even in the Dockers, the large rides ok. I removed the clip on the large and then i ran the pocket (from inside the pants of course) through the sewing machine and made a special pocket so to speak, and it then rides vertically in the pocket. If not for this "built in sheath" it would fall down and ride horizontal in the bottom of the pocket and look foolish.

I prefer the large because it fits my hand a little better. The small is also a very nice knife!

Jon
 
From a sales standpoint, I sell a lot more large Sebenzs than small ones. (Unless we're talking about the wood inlays. The small ones sell better than the large, in that category.)

I have also noticed that the folks who buy the small one first usually purchase a large one later. Not always, but more frequently than not.

On the other hand, most of the users who start with the large model tend to stay with that size. Some go ahead and buy the small one later but they almost always keep the large one too. Those who start with the small one tend to sell it or trade it in to buy the large.

Like I said, that doesn't go for everybody, and it may be different in other parts of the country, but it seems to be the trend with my customers and folks out here.

My personal preference is for the large size. It rides on my belt in a horizontal carry ballistic pouch. (Some day, a G2..sigh.) As with Jon's, the clip is removed.

As far as the lock is concerned, I wouldn't worry about that. As long as the blade lockup is tight, you're fine. If it gets loose, then it needs adjustment. In other words, if it isn't broke, don't fix it.

My large Sebenza is over three years old and has seen some hard use and, yes, even some abuse. The lock has never needed adjustment and it doesn't appear that it will need it in the near future.

I wouldn't worry about it. That is a large chunk of titanium, precision fitted to a larger piece of properly hardened BG42 steel. I doubt that it would wear out in your lifetime.

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Dennis Wright
Wright Knife & Sporting Goods
La Mesa, CA
1-800-400-1980
wrightknife@ixpres.com
("Have a knife day!")
 
It's a moot point here in Michigan. The Large is too large for legal carry. We have a 3" blade length limit on pocket knives.
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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
I've been using a large for almost 3 years. Locks up tight as the day I got it. In that time I've had it apart maybe twice for a little cleaning. Goes back together again and still locks tight. Don't think wear is a problem on these...
 
The Large seems better value.

W.A.

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"To strive to seek to find and not to yield"
Tennyson
Ranger motto
 
Interesting comment on the happenstance positioning of the eccentric bushing.

Is there a way to "position" the bushing properly when reassembling or does it just fall into place?

I have taken apart and reassembled my large and small without consideration to the eccentric's position.
 
The stop pin sleeve is not eccentric.
When one place on the sleeve shows wear, roll it around to another point.

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John 3:16
 
Rooler has it right. The sleeve isn't eccentric. I don't know where that came from but it really doesn't matter how you position it on the stud unless, as he said, there is some wear on it. The fit comes from precision assembly and is maintained by proper hardning of all the parts. No adjustment is necessary.

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Dennis Wright
Wright Knife & Sporting Goods
La Mesa, CA
1-800-400-1980
wrightknife@ixpres.com
("Have a knife day!")

[This message has been edited by Dennis Wright (edited 01-03-2001).]
 
Gentlemen, Thank you. Up until about a minute ago I thought I knew ALMOST everything ... now, I think I DO know everything!

BTW, makes sense that it would not be eccentric but only offer new contact points when wear occurs.

Thanks again.
 
4" concealed is the limit here f/b or folding.
As a practical matter, this is not enforced here. We have farmers and hunters/fishermen who need a knife. It gets cold. You wear a jacket. This does put you in violation, but a jury would laugh you out of the court room.
The usual suspects are exempt.including me.
From what I gather, the small would not be good for someone with large hands.
Or serious cutting.
 
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