Thinking of selling my 31 for a 21

N

Nottynuffknives

Joined
Jul 22, 2017
Messages
131
I don't know about this 31...

I thought I loved it. Its hard not to love a brand new sebenza. But as I use it and carry it, there are a couple things that annoy me on a daily basis.

1- its hard to ignore the lock rock, and I'm constantly missing the "bank vault" lockup of the 21.

2- The clip. During certain grips, the clip slides off the frame and onto the lock bar while I'm using it and it drives me nuts because I can't help but stop cutting whatever I'm cutting, reposition the clip back to where it should be, and then continue cutting while consciously trying to grip it in such a way that I won't knock the clip out of position again which just interferes with my cutting.

If it were up to me, the only changes that would have been made to the 31 would have been the removing of the locating hole and an upgrade in the steel. That's it.

Debating selling this and looking for a 21.
Anyone else feel the same way?
 
So the clip can rotate off of the frame and into the lock bar while still staying in its recess? That seems not great. I recently bought a 21 and I do wish the clip rested on the frame and it didn't have the unnecessary hole in the handle, but it sounds like the 31 might not be worth the upgrade.
 
Random Dan said:
So the clip can rotate off of the frame and into the lock bar while still staying in its recess? That seems not great. I recently bought a 21 and I do wish the clip rested on the frame and it didn't have the unnecessary hole in the handle, but it sounds like the 31 might not be worth the upgrade.
Click to expand...

Yes thats exactly right. Thats because they only have the slightest bit of the clip actually resting on the frame. If I grip the knife in the hammer grip, and use a good amount of downward force like when cutting thick cardboard for example, you can bet that the clip with slide off and onto the lock bar, in which case you have to go out of your way to put it back.

And as far as the lock rock goes, I love the idea of the ceramic ball not having much wear or lockbar travel over time, but I'm not sure that it's a good trade off.

Both are frustrating issues for me. I'm just bummed out that the 31 is all that will be available here soon as far as a sebenza goes. And Because of those issues alone, I probably wouldn't buy another one. So unless I can grab another 21, this may be it for me as far as sebenzas go.
 
Still seems like there's plenty of 21s on the exchange, but I don't know how much longer that'll last.
 
I’m sitting here forcing my belt clip and can’t get it to budge in the manner you’re describing much less get it to spin. If it’s recessed at the mounting point and flush with the frame, I actually don’t see how it’s possible to do what you’re saying. Other than it being canted a bit, the design of how it mounts to the knife is no different than the 21.
 
Jsega51 said:
I’m sitting here forcing my belt clip and can’t get it to budge in the manner you’re describing much less get it to spin. If it’s recessed at the mounting point and flush with the frame, I actually don’t see how it’s possible to do what you’re saying. Other than it being canted a bit, the design of how it mounts to the knife is no different than the 21.
Click to expand...


Try it with the knife open. It won't move if you're trying it while it's closed
 
Jsega51 said:
I’m sitting here forcing my belt clip and can’t get it to budge in the manner you’re describing much less get it to spin. If it’s recessed at the mounting point and flush with the frame, I actually don’t see how it’s possible to do what you’re saying. Other than it being canted a bit, the design of how it mounts to the knife is no different than the 21.
Click to expand...

Also, it doesn't spin. I can post a picture if necessary.
 
I saw a small S31 YouTube video where he had the same clip movement. Mine have Lynch NW clips and those are rock solid.

The lock rock people keep complaining about is a head scratcher to me given CRK has expressed it's inherent of the design and I don't cut things with the spine of the blade so for me it's a non issue until I see someone's 31 fail.

If you want to sell the 31, then sell the 31, seems you'll be happier with a 21.
 
Its all about peice of mind. Having that concern in the back of mind about the lock rock is just something I wish I didn't have. Do I think it will fail? No. But that doesn't mean that I'm okay with movement in the blade especially after paying almost $400 for this knife regardless of what CRK says about the design. They can talk about it until they're blue in the face, it still doesn't change the fact that there is movement. Not sure why thats such a head scratcher for you.
 
Grab a 21 while they are still relatively inexpensive. It's a proven design by the master. Never heard of one wearing out. I don't think there has been a single discontinued CRK knife that has not started to appreciate in value (some more than others maybe, but still). I wish I'd bought a One Piece fixed blade when they were affordable. I wish I had not sold my Regular Sebenzas. I have 3 21s now. I'm going to try and hang onto them.

As for the 31, I'm curious about it, but all the negative comments make me hesitate, plus I'm really happy with my 21s. I happen to like the clip orientation on the Inkosi so I might be ok with the angled clip on the 31, which seems similar, but I use Hawk clips on all my CRKs and they are stiffer and shorter.
 
Nottynuffknives said:
Try it with the knife open. It won't move if you're trying it while it's closed
Click to expand...

If the clip moves and stays in that spot until you force it back into place, there’s something wrong. I can force the clip off of the frame ledge onto the lock bar but it immediately snaps back into place under quite a bit of tension. I don’t see how this is happening during use of the knife.
 
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Jsega51 said:
If the clip moves and stays in that spot until you force it back into place, there’s something wrong. I can force the clip off of the frame ledge onto the lock bar but it immediately snaps back into place under quite a bit of tension. I don’t see how this is happening during use of the knife.
Click to expand...

Are you doing so while the blade is open? With the blade open, if I move the clip with my fingers by putting my fingers at the end of the clip, and move it over to the lock bar, it doesn't take much to do so. And Because the lockbar is engaged, and no longer flush with the frame, the clip actually falls down onto the lockbar. So even though there is tension trying to pull it back, it cannot do so because its DOWN on the lockbar if that makes sense?

I'm beginning to think this is unique to my sebenza since nobody seems to know what I'm talking about.
 
N Nottynuffknives yep, that’s what I was trying. Yours looks like it bends much easier than mine does. I can barely move mine with my thumb like you did, it takes a lot more pressure.

Another thing I didn’t think about, during use I can now see how yours could move the way it is but I have micarta inlays so that back inlay takes up the free space next to the clip where the pads of your fingers and palm rest. It’s probably much less likely to happen while holding it vs the plain version.

But that clip for sure looks much flimsier than mine is.
 
Jsega51 said:
N Nottynuffknives yep, that’s what I was trying. Yours looks like it bends much easier than mine does. I can barely move mine with my thumb like you did, it takes a lot more pressure.

Another thing I didn’t think about, during use I can now see how yours could move the way it is but I have micarta inlays so that back inlay takes up the free space next to the clip where the pads of your fingers and palm rest. It’s probably much less likely to happen while holding it vs the plain version.

But that clip for sure looks much flimsier than mine is.
Click to expand...

Thats interesting about the inlays. And yeah, I'm wondering if maybe its just this clip and not so much the design? I wonder if crk would send me another clip.
 
Nottynuffknives said:
If it were up to me, the only changes that would have been made to the 31 would have been the removing of the locating hole and an upgrade in the steel. That's it.
Click to expand...

Sorry, just had to butt in with a hot take...

I don't know if i'm the only person in the universe to actually like the locating hole, but... Well, i do.
The design looks unbalanced without one.

I know, i know, i'm talking artsy fartsy rubbish, but hear me out.

The locating hole balances out perfectly with the pivot.
And on inlaid 21's it also breaks up the lines a bit, making the design more visually interesting.
Additionally, and this might just be my hand, my pinky always ends up right on top of that hole - that means that on inlaid 21's it nestles into the little hollow between the inlays, which is just a tad more comfortable and offers just a tad more grip.

I realize the hole is completely unnecessary (actually, if i'm not mistaken, it has been unnecessary for a while now even on 21's, but was kept around for purely aesthetic / sentimental reasons) and Sebenza's raison d'etre is very utilitarian, but the knife feels somehow lesser to me without the silly thing.
 
Ante Vukorepa said:
Sorry, just had to butt in with a hot take...

I don't know if i'm the only person in the universe to actually like the locating hole, but... Well, i do.
The design looks unbalanced without one.

I know, i know, i'm talking artsy fartsy rubbish, but hear me out.

The locating hole balances out perfectly with the pivot.
And on inlaid 21's it also breaks up the lines a bit, making the design more visually interesting.
Additionally, and this might just be my hand, my pinky always ends up right on top of that hole - that means that on inlaid 21's it nestles into the little hollow between the inlays, which is just a tad more comfortable and offers just a tad more grip.

I realize the hole is completely unnecessary (actually, if i'm not mistaken, it has been unnecessary for a while now even on 21's, but was kept around for purely aesthetic / sentimental reasons) and Sebenza's raison d'etre is very utilitarian, but the knife feels somehow lesser to me without the silly thing.
Click to expand...

There's at least 2 of us that like it :)

We have something similar in my field of work that requires maximum precision. We use a locating hole that's about the same size as what's on a Sebenza to give us a fixed point of reference for submilimeter accuracy. What CRK uses it for I have no idea. The similarities with what I use it for at work leave me with a sense of precision.
 
I toi like the locating hole. It does balance out the design adding a little "something for the eye" on an otherwise simple handle scale. I also like the little peek-a-boo view of the blade on my Damascus 21
 
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