unlocking issues

[ColonialKnifeFan]

I picked up a new umnumzaan from ksf and first impression is real good, knife really seems to be everything ive read about it. I know a lot of folks have opening issues due to the nature of the thumb studs, mine is more of an unlocking thing. Because im so use to regular framelocks that have a cutout for your thumb to easily disengage the lock this lock is a bear for me to unlock. Ive made my thumb sore cause there seems to be way less material to get a purchase on when pressing over the lock. Plus that cutout that is to aid in closing is painfull cause of the lack of surface area. Is there a trick to unlocking it or does it just take lots of practice and breaking in?

 

[Professor]

Just takes some getting used to. I prefer the Umnum/regular Seb setup (lack of a pronounced cutout) as it makes accidental lock disengagement less likely. With practice, you'll be whipping that baby closed easy as pie. Gotta toughen that thumb up bit too perhaps.

Professor.

 

[Haze]

I don't know if you have a new as newly made Umnumzaan but I have noticed that the knives now have a cut out on the lock bar. I personaly found this made the knife much harder to unlock than the earlier made knives with out that cut out.

 

[Josh K]

I don't know if you have a new as newly made Umnumzaan but I have noticed that the knives now have a cut out on the lock bar. I personaly found this made the knife much harder to unlock than the earlier made knives with out that cut out.

You mean a milling inside of the protruding lockbar tab?

I prefer the lower profile of the cutout on the Umnumzaan to some of the larger cutouts on framelock knives.

 

[Haze]

You mean a milling inside of the protruding lockbar tab?

I prefer the lower profile of the cutout on the Umnumzaan to some of the larger cutouts on framelock knives.

Nope, the new Umnumzaans have a champher/cut out on the outside of the lock bar where the stud sits, I can only presume it was done to make it easier to open left handed (they also have a hole rather than a dimple for the detent ball now). I don't actually own one of the newer knives or I would post pics of the two to make the differences clearerer.

 

[ColonialKnifeFan]

Mine is Idaho made and it was made Dec 23 of 2010. It does indeed have the hole in the blade and the lockbar is milled out some to make it easier to open as oppose to not having one at all (think all umnums have had this right?) I think with the ceramic ball needing to lock up more than a standard reeve lock (my seb like 25% as where this is at least 50-75%) I think it takes more effort cause his lock bars are so strong, combine that with the travel you have to put the lock and it's tough. My ceramic ball sits dead center but you would think it's deeper cause of where the lockbar sits, like a optical illusion. My lockup seems typical, just wanted to know if there was some kind of a trick to make closing easier.

 

[alsj727]

Everything will get easier as you use the zaan. First off take it apart and clean the present lube off, relube, I use CR grease and a little blue BM oil. Then find the sweet spot when you tighten the pivot, and use the knife. As you use it more and more your thumb will toughen up and things will get easier.The lock needs to wearin. Great EDC. I love mine.

 

[Josh K]

Nope, the new Umnumzaans have a champher/cut out on the outside of the lock bar where the stud sits, I can only presume it was done to make it easier to open left handed (they also have a hole rather than a dimple for the detent ball now). I don't actually own one of the newer knives or I would post pics of the two to make the differences clearerer.

Ah, I know what you're talking about. I don't like that cut either. It does make the stud more accessible, but isn't that what LH knives are for?

 

[JNewell]

Ah, I know what you're talking about. I don't like that cut either. It does make the stud more accessible, but isn't that what LH knives are for?

Interesting. The classic and 21 Sebs have a similar radius on the lockbar.

 

[Josh K]

Interesting. The classic and 21 Sebs have a similar radius on the lockbar.

But that chamfering matches the rest of the scale. This on the newer Umnumzaan is only on that section of the lockbar. I had pictures somewhere, let me dig them up.

 

[Josh K]

 

[Adamar]

I picked up a new umnumzaan from ksf and first impression is real good, knife really seems to be everything ive read about it. I know a lot of folks have opening issues due to the nature of the thumb studs, mine is more of an unlocking thing. Because im so use to regular framelocks that have a cutout for your thumb to easily disengage the lock this lock is a bear for me to unlock. Ive made my thumb sore cause there seems to be way less material to get a purchase on when pressing over the lock. Plus that cutout that is to aid in closing is painfull cause of the lack of surface area. Is there a trick to unlocking it or does it just take lots of practice and breaking in?

1. Make sure you are not pushing against the lock bar when opening. When I got my 1st RIL (frame lock), I could not figure out why it was so hard, but I was pushing on the lock bar. It sounds like you have had frame locks before, so this is probably not the problem for you.

2. The Umnumzaan opens up differently than other knives. Your thumb should be underneath the stud, not on the side like most frame locks. Then push straight up. With most knives, you engage the opening hole or stud from the size and push over and around. This does not work well on the Umnumzaan, plus it is hard to engage the thumb stud from the side.

See if this works for you.

 

[ColonialKnifeFan]

OK things are getting much better, my thumb is getting use to the different style lock on the knife. I have changed the way I close it a little abpnd it seems to have helped, I use the side of my thumb rather than the pad and make a sweeping motion rather than pushing. This seems to make a night and day difference. I think it still needs to be broken in and that will happen with time. So far I absolutely love this knife and I see it being my EDC for quite a while.