thumb flicking your sebenza... warranty question?

I've EDC'd my small Sebenza every day for over a year, and there's still no way I could flick it. The thing's still tight as a drum- I've polished the washers and everything.
 
Toyz said:
Wow - I got my first Sebbie a few weeks ago - a large Classic - a local gun store had it on their shelves since its birthday in 08. Given the tightness of the lock and the shape of the thumb stud I do not think I could flick mine without some real effort!
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There's a little bit of a trick to thumb-flicking a Seb. It is "tighter" than most other knives, especially the notoriously flickable Benchmades. The thumb lug, as attractive as it looks, is admittedly not very ergonomic either. I find that it helps to hold the knife so that the base of the handle is pressed against the base of your palm. "Stage" your thumb right behind the lug and build up some static pressure both downwards and forwards. Give your thumb a good flick forwards and slightly to the left, and the blade should flip out and lock with just the right amount of force.

If you find that you are able to thumb-flick but the blade always stops partway before it locks, you're probably using the wrong lube. CRK Fluorinated Grease is a wonderful lubricant, but it is very slow and makes it impossible to thumb flick. Try something lighter, like Rem Oil or Hoppe's No. 9 Lubricating Oil. I use Hoppe's Oil on my Small 21, and it is wonderfully pleasant to thumb-flick.

Also, if your knife is brand-new, it might require just a little bit of breaking in. CRK knives generally come set up from the factory so well that they require little or no break-in, but every knife will get a bit smoother and faster as the washers get polished through use.
 
moonwilson said:
I've EDC'd my small Sebenza every day for over a year, and there's still no way I could flick it. The thing's still tight as a drum- I've polished the washers and everything.
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You're probably using the wrong lube! Try Rem Oil or Hoppe's No. 9 Lubricating Oil.
 
Flicking your knife WILL NOT void your warranty. There are, of course, some qualifications:
- Thumb flicking is PERMITTED in almost every case. Of course, it is preferable for you to flick gently, but even harder thumb flicking is unlikely to cause significant or even noticeably increased wear on the blade tang or stop pin bushing. Then again, many people find it difficult or impossible to thumb flick their Seb because of its tight action, so this is often a moot point. If you can flick yours, then go ahead.
- A gentle wrist flick is RECOMMENDED after every cleaning, oiling, or other disassembly. Chris himself suggests it, to "bump" all the parts into their proper place after the knife has been reassembled, and to ensure a good lockup.
- Frequent wrist flicking is NOT RECOMMENDED, as the Sebenza is a very carefully constructed and finely fitted knife that depends on its precision and close tolerances to deliver reliability and smoothness. Hard wrist flicking WILL eventually cause significant wear to the tang and stop pin, and it WILL be detectable by CRK if the knife is submitted for warranty service. It's not likely that your lock will fail in any dangerous way, but you will lose the smoothness and precise fit that I'm sure you've come to know and love.

Most of the information here comes firsthand from Heather at CRK, so you may feel free to treat it as gospel. I thumb-flick my Small 21 as a matter of course, and I have yet to see any negative effects on the knife as a result. In an emergency situation, if I am wearing gloves, if my life is in danger- whatever- of course I will not hesitate to slam the blade out with an aggressive wrist-flick if necessary. In that situation, the warranty service on my Seb will naturally be the last thing on my mind. In every other situation, though, it is NOT advisable to wrist-flick as a habit.
 
Great info... Thanks!

mrpinkbullets said:
Flicking your knife WILL NOT void your warranty. There are, of course, some qualifications:
- Thumb flicking is PERMITTED in almost every case. Of course, it is preferable for you to flick gently, but even harder thumb flicking is unlikely to cause significant or even noticeably increased wear on the blade tang or stop pin bushing. Then again, many people find it difficult or impossible to thumb flick their Seb because of its tight action, so this is often a moot point. If you can flick yours, then go ahead.
- A gentle wrist flick is RECOMMENDED after every cleaning, oiling, or other disassembly. Chris himself suggests it, to "bump" all the parts into their proper place after the knife has been reassembled, and to ensure a good lockup.
- Frequent wrist flicking is NOT RECOMMENDED, as the Sebenza is a very carefully constructed and finely fitted knife that depends on its precision and close tolerances to deliver reliability and smoothness. Hard wrist flicking WILL eventually cause significant wear to the tang and stop pin, and it WILL be detectable by CRK if the knife is submitted for warranty service. It's not likely that your lock will fail in any dangerous way, but you will lose the smoothness and precise fit that I'm sure you've come to know and love.

Most of the information here comes firsthand from Heather at CRK, so you may feel free to treat it as gospel. I thumb-flick my Small 21 as a matter of course, and I have yet to see any negative effects on the knife as a result. In an emergency situation, if I am wearing gloves, if my life is in danger- whatever- of course I will not hesitate to slam the blade out with an aggressive wrist-flick if necessary. In that situation, the warranty service on my Seb will naturally be the last thing on my mind. In every other situation, though, it is NOT advisable to wrist-flick as a habit.
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Very good summary mrpinkbullets!
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mrpinkbullets said:
You're probably using the wrong lube! Try Rem Oil or Hoppe's No. 9 Lubricating Oil.
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I was in my local CanadianTire Store and happened to see some Hoppe's No.9 on a shelf. I remembered your post and picked some up. I stated earlier in this thread that I could not flick my Seb open with just my thumb. I use Magnalube which I think is similar to the CRK grease. I took out my blade cleaned off the old grease and applied the Hoppe's No.9. Initially I had some problems because I put on a little too much and the tight tolerances made it stick. After removing some of the oil it is now easier to open than before and I can now thumb flick it open.:thumbup:
 
(it just occured to me that this thread, and my stat history in general may be hurting my chances of a sale in the exchange. I mentioned all within a short period getting my first sebenza (the one for sale) and then i start a thread regarding thumb flicking and warranties. I just want to be clear that the one i thumb flick is NOT the one for sale. I describe the one for sale is barely used and that's what it is. i've handled sebenza's for quite sometime but never owned my own until My LE Annual. Even when i purchased that knife i had two others in my poccession that were borrowed. just thought i'd drop in a pic or what I'm holding now. 4 Sebenzas but only 2 of which i own. They're all awesome btw. thank you)


Today's date is 3/18/09
 
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