Small Sebenza question

M

Marc9910

Joined
Apr 25, 2007
Messages
201
Hi guys,

Can anyone with a small seb please answer this question for me?

Can you flick the blade open using centrifugal force? If you can is it possible to tighten the pivot screw down to prevent this?

The reason I ask is that customs here apply a flick test to all folders to see if they can be flicked open using centrifugal force. If they can then it is deemed a flick knife and I would hate to donate a seb to customs. I am sure they have enough knives :)

Thanks for your help...
 
Mine is not a 'flicker' though it could probably be made into one with enough work. Like all my Sebenzas it is smooth but not loose enough to flick.

I would be pretty careful about taking any fine knife like a Sebenza through Customs these days though. Most knives are confiscated in the U.S. and international airports and I would not risk one on a border crossing anymore.

T.
 
I don't think that you can flick it open with only centrifugal force. It is, however, very easy to flick the knife open using your thumb.

There is no way to tighten or loosen the pivot tension. The pivot has a bushing/spacer, which means that the screw can be tightened down as tight as you want, and the pivot tension will always remain constant.
 
Hey do you live in Canada? if so and that is why you are worried order from True North Knvies they are based in Canada. on a side note i had a Seb shipped to me from the states, it made it through cutoms but it took a WHILE.
 
No,
I am in Australia, but from what I can gather our Customs sound very much like yours...if you know what I mean.

DucS2R - I should have been clearer in my post, I don't plan on carrying it on my person through customs, I want to purchase over the net and have it shipped to me.

Thanks for your answers so far - can any one else flick theirs open?
 
Marc9910 said:
can any one else flick theirs open?
Click to expand...

I can, it just needed to be broken in over the course of a couple weeks and constantly opening and closing it while watching tv. Once broken in, keep it lubricated and it'll flick open easy enough. Once you get the hang of it you can flick it just enough for it to open so as not to bash the blade stop and cause play over time. By the way, I mean flicking by the thumbstud not by the wrist flick.
 
Dave,
nice bit of lateral thinking...it might work.

But I have imported a folder kit before and they seized it, only because they did not know what it was. I went and saw them with a completed folder from the same kit that had come through customs earier and that I had made and they still tried to flick the blade open. Luckily for me I had tightened down the pivot screw and they looked pretty silly trying to flick it open and eventually released the kit to me.

I would be worried they would see the Seb in parts and then think I am trying to smuggle something in because they do not understand what it is.
 
Mine is impossible to flick open by wrist flicking (not touching the blade). I'm not sure what people mean when they say they can flick it open with the thumbstud, do you open it partially with the thumbstud and then flick it the rest of the way or what?
 
OK, next thing, have the seller put some kind of sticky but easily cleanable goo on the pivot. A dab of cosmoline or better drip some melted parrafin into the pivot. Probably still openable, but way to stiff for flicking.
 
Somewhere in this forum or the Chris Reeve website is the official comment that the Sebenza IS NOT DESIGNED TO BE FLICKED.Get a copy of that and show it to customs.Other than that ask the dealer to tighten down the pivot screw.
 
Mine is not new, and I have smoothed the washers. Even with that, I have to flick pretty hard with just the right action to get it to open without using the thumb stud. So to answer your question, possible, yes, but you have to work at it.

If they say the Sebenza is a flickable knife, then they would rule out virtually all folding (non-slip joint) knives.
 
also i have heard of people takeing apart the Seb and shipping with blade and handle in different boxes. :)
 
Got a brand new small Sebenza last week and I even have trouble opening it
with the thumd stud. Impossible to open mine with a flick of the wrist. You
should be ok getting through customs IMO. Enjoy your new knife! - D.T.
 
I have several sebes and I can tell you will 99.99% certainty that customs will not be able to flick a sebe open with a wrist flick. If that is the only concern you have regarding customs, don't hesitate to order one.
 
I agree with the other guy`s here. I`ve owned my Sebenza for about 6-7 month`s now, and have cycled it quite a bit. I`ve also polished the washer`s slightly and relubed it. After reading this thread, I`ve just given it a try, and you can`t flick it open from the closed position. If you open it slightly, then you may be able to flick it open. Since the tolerances are so tight though, it`s still not to easy to do. I`d say (or well, hope) that customs wouldn`t classify it as a "flickable knife".

Good luck and have fun with the Sebenza, mate! :)
 
I have only had my small Sebenza for a couple months, and it is nowhere near flicking. I may take it apart and polish the washers. But as it came, you would have to be superman to be able to flick it open by wrist action.
 
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