So far I'm not impressed...

James,

I've found that if I wedge the tip of my thumb between the thumb screw and the cut out and give a big push outward that it will open much easier. You can actually flick it open if you want. However, that being said you still can NOT just put the flat of your thumb on the screw and push the blade open. Way to much detent in there. I understand tight tolerances and all but when some come out of the factory buttery smooth and some don't then I do start to question quality control a bit. With a normal manufacturer I wouldn't, but for someone who has won the Manufacturing Quality Control award for something like 14 out of the last 15 years, then I do wonder how it slipped through the cracks. Maybe I'm being too critical, but for me $560 for a knife is huge and I expect perfection! That is exactly what Chris Reeve himself said he delivers, Perfection. I don't expect a break in period, PERIOD! That should be done at the factory if needed. I had to save money for far too long to be able to get what I consider my Grail Knife. So yes I will contact Chris Reeve on Monday and see what they say. And Ajack60 asked about the Birthday, well that card isn't in the box. Another quality control item missed.
 
I completely understand your frustrations. I had a large 21 once that would almost lock the blade when I tightened the pivot down all the way.

My understanding was and still is, that the pivot bush in is supposed to be machined so well that you just set and forget. Well that wasn't the case and it's not the case with my new large Insingo. My blade does not fall free.

The last seb would only not do that after I polished the Washers on some 1500-2000 grit and finished off with a strop. Then and only then I could tighten it all the way down and have buttery smooth action.

I have made mention of this in other threads on the forum, and there are others that have experienced the same thing. I will agree with you that I think they should not need anything to operate the way they are supposed to. I also read that a few members said that after a few years of use it was buttery smooth.



I honestly think that you need to contact CRK to see what they say especially if you like the knife. I have no doubt in my mind that you will fall in love with it once you get this all worked out and start using the knife.

Trust me......I am the furthest thing from a fan boy.
 
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James Longstreet said:
I am reading this statement frequently: "your knife needs to break in". Can somebody explain what is exactly meant? I mean saying "you just need to open and to close the blade a few hundred times" is what people explaining if you ask them what "breaking in" means. But that is of course an unsatisfying answer. It explains WHAT you have to do. It doesn't explain what is technically happening and therefore it is not explaining WHY you should do it. So am very interested to learn more.

Having said this, let me add that my large 21 insingo KnifeArt exclusive, which is my edc, has been smooth right from the 1st moment I took it out of the box. That is probably the reason why I am still waiting for the "break in" effect, not knowing what to expect :-)

I have never been able to flick the blade open via my thumb, as seen in some videos. But I always thought that this is not the opening way the Sebenza has been designed for. Otherwise Chris may have added a flipper guard to the blade :-) So I am fine with that. But still wondering why some Sebenza are obviously having such low resistance for the thumb, that you can flick them open. I like this "hydraulic" feeling of opening a Sebenza blade, which is not changing in the way how much force you have to apply during its way from out of the handle until its final opening position.
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Simply put, it is the wearing in of parts. With a little use they get smoother than they come from the manufacturer, just like in a car engine . This applies especially to the lockface(sometimes a little sticky at first), washers and detent.

OP-you can try a little lube on the detent . I have never had the problem , but believe that helps. I personally think the lack of birth card may be your larger problem. I wouldn't want a re-issued card on a new knife. Hopefully they will find some way to take care of that for you. Detent will either wear in or you can send it in for a fix. Every knife maker has a few problems and there is no such thing as a perfect knife-they all have flaws if you look hard enough.
 
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You said you are not keeping it. That's fine, you don't have to.

You said yourself your knife is not like the videos you have seen, so what is your question again?

Not everyone will like CRKs, no need to be upset. Return the knife and move on.
 
Probably not the same issue, but my new small Insingo was difficult to open one-handed when I got it, but I didn't do anything special to it. I didn't even mess with the pivot screw. Now after a little over two months of daily carry and use, it one-hand opens smoothly and easily. I simply allowed it to 'work in' naturally over time. I didn't need to cycle it (open/close it) hundreds of times.

Of course, YMMV.

Jim
 
James Longstreet said:
I am reading this statement frequently: "your knife needs to break in". Can somebody explain what is exactly meant? I mean saying "you just need to open and to close the blade a few hundred times" is what people explaining if you ask them what "breaking in" means. But that is of course an unsatisfying answer. It explains WHAT you have to do. It doesn't explain what is technically happening and therefore it is not explaining WHY you should do it. So am very interested to learn more.
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These types of threads along with the "break in" information are nothing new. It's always assumed that the information of break in is pretty self explanatory as we see this type of information in our daily lives. Take the brakes on your car..When they are changed out, you are generally told not to hit hard stops unless it's absolutely necessary..they have to "wear in" for maximum efficiency. You have a break in period for the engine in your car..anywhere from several hundred miles to several thousand..then an oil change..

Think about why a car engine and a knife need a break-in? A knife is much simpler than a car engine, but he reasons are the same. It's in the machine work- It's not perfect..Nothing we create is perfect.. Nature creates perfection and in this case, it's perfection through repetitive motion. Dis similar materials abrade each other for the perfect fit.
 
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LOL- I give up..Spend 45 minutes to cut and paste a complete thought..this shit needs to get fixed
 
James Longstreet said:
I am reading this statement frequently: "your knife needs to break in". Can somebody explain what is exactly meant? I mean saying "you just need to open and to close the blade a few hundred times" is what people explaining if you ask them what "breaking in" means. But that is of course an unsatisfying answer. It explains WHAT you have to do. It doesn't explain what is technically happening and therefore it is not explaining WHY you should do it. So am very interested to learn more.

Having said this, let me add that my large 21 insingo KnifeArt exclusive, which is my edc, has been smooth right from the 1st moment I took it out of the box. That is probably the reason why I am still waiting for the "break in" effect, not knowing what to expect :-)

I have never been able to flick the blade open via my thumb, as seen in some videos. But I always thought that this is not the opening way the Sebenza has been designed for. Otherwise Chris may have added a flipper guard to the blade :-) So I am fine with that. But still wondering why some Sebenza are obviously having such low resistance for the thumb, that you can flick them open. I like this "hydraulic" feeling of opening a Sebenza blade, which is not changing in the way how much force you have to apply during its way from out of the handle until its final opening position.
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Three things happen during "break-in" that I can think of:

-The washers, and the stone washed surface of the blade "mate". The washers wear in a bit, and the stone wash is rubbed off under the washers, creating slightly more play, and making the knife more loose.

-The detent ball wears a track in the stone wash, making the knife fell more smooth.

-The detent ball creates a ramp in the divot hole to make it easier for the blade to break free when opening the knife. The same happens on the edge of the lockbar, make the knife unlock more smoothly.
 
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You are welcome. I realize how many spelling and gramatical goof-ups I had in that post, I'm surprised it made sense at all.
 
The way ive "broken in" new crks, was to just use two hands. Hold the blade with one and the handle with the other and just move them back and forth, opening hard, closing hard etc..takes about 2 days of off and on while watching tv for a few hours. Pretty easy lol
 
A pre-broken in knife would cost hundreds of dollars more. CRK are fairly expensive for a knife, but not all that expensive for precision knives. It is easy to get into $1000-$2000 knife categories where parts of the knife are hand polished and perfected.

Chris Reeve produces a fantastic functional tool, a production knife that comes with NEW materials and without washers that are broken in to match the scale and blade. I prefer the feeling of breaking in a set of phosphorus bronze washers over a few day or a week and feeling the difference.

Would you want a pair of boots that already fit your individual feet? A pair of jeans that already had the fibers stretched out to your shape?

I get that it feels like a lot of money and that some people feel entitled to have gotten something more than a simple pocketknife when they spend $350-$600, but it really is just a knife in the end.
 
bhyde said:
Your car doesn't have to break in? Brakes and engine?
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Sorry, but that analogy, tho often used, doesn't work for me. Even if it did, it's irrelevant.....I've bought many knives in the $50-150 range which worked just fine the first time I opened them. shrug
 
If this knife did not come with at birthcard I would be returning or exchanging it right away.
 
ichor said:
Sorry, but that analogy, tho often used, doesn't work for me. Even if it did, it's irrelevant.....I've bought many knives in the $50-150 range which worked just fine the first time I opened them. shrug
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Sorry, but you have no idea what you are talking about..It IS relevant..they are both put together from machined parts.. Have any experience with that? No? I do
Are those $30-50 knives machined to the same tolerances and specs and materials as CRK?
 
ichor said:
Sorry, but that analogy, tho often used, doesn't work for me. Even if it did, it's irrelevant.....I've bought many knives in the $50-150 range which worked just fine the first time I opened them. shrug
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You are not paying for instant perfection, rather a knife that will outlast those $50-$150 knives.
 
ichor said:
Sorry, but that analogy, tho often used, doesn't work for me. Even if it did, it's irrelevant.....I've bought many knives in the $50-150 range which worked just fine the first time I opened them. shrug
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And then had blade play and needed the pivot tightened. And over time got sloppy and crappy. A stiff new knife ensures the knife will be solid over a long period of time with no adjustments needed.
 
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