Umnumzaan arrived today!

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Nolo263

Joined
Jul 7, 2019
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I received my umnumzaan today and have been playing with it for a few minutes now.

1) my finger nail already hurts from opening it.

2) it sure is a pretty knife!


Is it wrong that for some reason I expected more? Like basically a bigger knife. I am surprised at anyone getting a small sebenza after handling this knife. I guess in all the pictures I have been seeing the knife just looks bigger!
 
That's good news, you didn't post any pics.:mad::p
Why is your fingernail sore????? It didn't come with instructions on how to open it ????? Mine did.
That's a large, they don't get any bigger. Pics always makes things look bigger than they really are :(
I bet if you back off the pivot tension a tad, your fingernail won't be as sore.
 
I guess I am opening it wrong, but I have been using my figernail to open it. Feels weird opening with the pad of my thumb like it is going to slip and cut me while opening the knife.
 
Just curious, how are you using your fingernail on an Umnumzaan? Are you pushing the thumb stud with your fingernail? I just use the pad of my thumb.
 
Nolo263 said:
I received my umnumzaan today and have been playing with it for a few minutes now.

1) my finger nail already hurts from opening it.

2) it sure is a pretty knife!


Is it wrong that for some reason I expected more? Like basically a bigger knife. I am surprised at anyone getting a small sebenza after handling this knife. I guess in all the pictures I have been seeing the knife just looks bigger!
Click to expand...

Alot of people find CRKs don’t have a ton of out of the box wow factor and to be fair that isn’t really what CRKs are about.

Give it a chance though and I bet it will become your favourite knife. CRKs are appreciated when after many years their build quality has them running even better than new. It will break in and smooth out with use.
 
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I guess I am using my fingernail like if I was opening a tic tac container, basically the back of my finger, not the tip of my nail.

I have no idea how to post pics here or I would post a picture.
aleforme said:
Just curious, how are you using your fingernail on an Umnumzaan? Are you pushing the thumb stud with your fingernail? I just use the pad of my thumb.
Click to expand...
 
Nolo263 said:
I guess I am opening it wrong, but I have been using my figernail to open it. Feels weird opening with the pad of my thumb like it is going to slip and cut me while opening the knife.
Click to expand...

If you use the end of your thumb just above the nail line, push parallel to the frame the blade will open without fear of cutting yourself.
 
Lapedog said:
Alot of people don’t find CRKs don’t have a ton of out of the box wow factor and to be fair that isn’t really what CRKs are about.

Give it a chance though and I bet it will become your favourite knife. CRKs are appreciated when after many years their build quality has them running even better than new. It will break in and smooth out with use.
Click to expand...
 
Ajack60 said:
If you use the end of your thumb just above the nail line, push parallel to the frame the blade will open without fear of cutting yourself.
Click to expand...


I will keep messing with it. It feels tight im sure it just needs to be messed with a little.
 
Nolo263 said:
I will keep messing with it. It feels tight im sure it just needs to be messed with a little.
Click to expand...

You can loosen the pivot until its just tight enough until it has no bladeplay. You’ll likely have to loctite the pivot though because on most knives the pivot will back out otherwise over subsequent openings. I think the Zaan comes with a small tube of purple loctite which you only need a tiny drop of then let cure for 24 hours.

These guys are giving you abit of a hard time though as many people find CRKs open at first. Just remember the knife is designed to be thumbed open rather than flicked. After a while it will break in and become easier to flick and your thumb will become stronger.
 
Lapedog said:
You can loosen the pivot until its just tight enough until it has no bladeplay. You’ll likely have to loctite the pivot though because on most knives the pivot will back out otherwise over subsequent openings. I think the Zaan comes with a small tube of purple loctite which you only need a tiny drop of then let cure for 24 hours.

These guys are giving you abit of a hard time though as many people find CRKs open at first. Just remember the knife is designed to be thumbed open rather than flicked. After a while it will break in and become easier to flick and your thumb will become stronger.
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Yes Sir Thanks! Tonight I will take it apart and clean it/ relube. It feels almost like gliding threw oil right now. Not sure if thats how its suppossed to be once broken in. Its ultra smooth but not loose, hard to explain.
 
Nolo263 said:
Yes Sir Thanks! Tonight I will take it apart and clean it/ relube. It feels almost like gliding threw oil right now. Not sure if thats how its suppossed to be once broken in. Its ultra smooth but not loose, hard to explain.
Click to expand...

That’s the “hydraulic” actions CRKs are known for. It will break in more but these aren’t designed to be free dropping knives.

My broken in ones will freedrop if I hold the lockbar open so the detent doesn’t touch the blade.
 
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Lapedog said:
That’s the “hydraulic” actions CRKs are known for. It will break in more but these aren’t designed to be free dropping knives.

My broken in ones will freedrop if I hold the lockbar open so the detent doesn’t touch the blade.
Click to expand...

Let me maybe help explain the appeal to you abit. CRKs aren’t the flashiest, fastest opening, most colourful, most trendy or most even “modern” knife.

What they excel at is being extremely well built, virtually indestructible, slim and pleasant to pocket and long lasting. In my experience they only get better in age. Even years later if you have a big collection of all kinds of high end folders and keep putting the CRK in your pocket you will see what makes it special. What it does best is just being an excellent pocket knife.
 
When I got my Zaan the 3rd time I opened it was flicking with my thumb, it flew open. The 4th time I used my middle finger to flick it open, it flew open. My preferred method is to use the heel of my thumb (closer to the 1st joint) and roll it open. The flicking methods will make digits sore if done over and over. I still like to middle finger flick it but not w/my thumb, you have to get your finger tip as near as you can between the thumb stud and the scale to make it work but it works for me every time for me.

Regarding the size, it feels like a large knife to me, it's longer than a ZT 0562 and a Hiderer XM18 3.5".
 
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Lapedog said:
Alot of people don’t find CRKs don’t have a ton of out of the box wow factor and to be fair that isn’t really what CRKs are about.

Give it a chance though and I bet it will become your favourite knife. CRKs are appreciated when after many years their build quality has them running even better than new. It will break in and smooth out with use.
Click to expand...

If this is your first CRK more than likely you had it built up a little in your mind. The knife is a medium/large knife to me. Meaning it's atleast 3.5 but isn't 4 inches or over and it's also thin. I let go of quite a few CRK's before really using them. If you go buy a decent socket set today and compare them to a really good US made set they might now seem that different. But when you start using them you realize where your money went. That's my opinion of course.
 
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BMCGear said:
If this is your first CRK more than likely you had it built up a little in your mind. The knife is a medium/large knife to me. Meaning it's atleast 3.75 but isn't 4 inches or over and it's also thin. I let go of quite a few CRK's before really using them. If you go buy a decent socket set today and compare them to a really good US made set they might now seem that different. But when you start using them you realize where your money went. That's my opinion of course.
Click to expand...

This exactly. I know more than one guy who was newer into knives that got CRKs and felt “meh” about them. Once they started carrying and using them they got it.

They really are the gold standard because I have bought many knives in the same price range and none of them hold up like the CRKs. Also they destroy the myth that a knife has to be overbuilt to be solid as a rock. Turns out he knife just has to be built well.
 
I took knife apart couldn't wait, sorry no pics I cleaned it but it was actually clean. I dont think it had ever been apart. I put it back together adjusted pivot and now I can flip it like nothing. I tried out the millet clip and that helped a fuck ton also. The millet clip definately makes it easier to work the knife. Harder to get in the jeans but oh well.

Now I am happy with the knife! I also installed the aftermarket spacer/lanyard it came with. I think I like that also!

I guess I could actually become a CRK fan and buy some more soon!
 
Good for you. My Umnumzaan is by far my easiest opening CRK... with the pad of my thumb. I have the Tanto blade and I would argue the blade is almost on the heavy side vs. the body. With no wrist action it quickly opens with a [very quiet] thunk.
 
The two time I’ve “broken in” a ‘Zaan I took the pocket clip off for a week or so. For me anyway, the slight decrease in lockbar tension helped get things rolling.

And congratulations on a great knife!
 
Just relax and feel it out, you have a lifetime friend once you 2 get acquainted!
 
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