Very stiff opening..help please.

Django606

Django606

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Jul 22, 2005
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I have never had this problem with my Lg. Micarta Sebenza before. I got it back from CRK about two weeks ago after sending to have the edge thinned and sharpened. One of the first things I did was take it apart and clean it, so I could apply my favorite lube (a light mechanical oil). I did this and it worked flawlessly, smoother than before.

Fast forward to yesterday, the next time I took it apart. I wanted to clean it because I had been shoveling dirt and it got a little gritty. I took it apart, cleaned it, etc. When I put it back together, the opening was rough and slow, so I figured no big deal. That happens probably every other time I take it apart, all I do is unscrew the pivot, pop the blade out, and take the washers off and put them back on. For some reason the pivot bushing gets caught up on the washers unless they are placed just the right way.

This has always been the fix for this problem, until yesterday. No matter how many times I've realigned the washers, cleaned, relubed, reassembled, etc., the rough action is not going away. I've even polished the washers with some very fine polishing compound, which I always do, and the action is still very slow and rough. When I unscrew the pivot screw a little bit, the action becomes much smoother and easier. Could my pivot bushing have shrunk? That's the only explanation (though very farfetched) I can think of for why it becomes smoother after loosening the pivot screw.

I really don't want to send it back to CRK because I just got it back two weeks ago. Any help would be appreciated.
 
Sounds like it's still pinching the washers, I once had to take apart and put together a seb 5 times before getting it right.

Also, I flitzed the sides of the knife blade where the washers ride, you could have a scratch in the blade.

finally you may want to use it a few days to see if it settles in.
 
I've redone it probably ten times..and in its current state it is close to unopenable :(

I'll try polishing the sides of the blade though, thanks for the suggestion.
 
No, I used the same oil that has always worked very well. Perhaps something happened to the oil? I also tried Tuf-Glide, which worked very poorly for me in the first place, and still does.
 
examine you lock bar, might have to take it apart, the ceramic detent ball might have popped out. If that's the case you'll have the entire overelap surface of the lock rubbing on the blade.
 
The ball is still in there. I'm a little busy right now but later I think I'm going to polish the washers on my CrO strop and reassemble a couple more times.
 
I had to take my seb apart, clean, lube, and reinstall probably a dozen times to get it "just right". I bet thats the case here.
 
DaveH said:
examine you lock bar, might have to take it apart, the ceramic detent ball might have popped out. If that's the case you'll have the entire overelap surface of the lock rubbing on the blade.
Click to expand...

I am a serious noob, so please bare with me. The little ball on the lockbar... that was dragging for a bit and left a circular marking on the blade on the way to and from locking into the hole on the blade. Normal?
 
Applejacks said:
I am a serious noob, so please bare with me. The little ball on the lockbar... that was dragging for a bit and left a circular marking on the blade on the way to and from locking into the hole on the blade. Normal?
Click to expand...

I would probably be concerned if you didn't have that mark there :p
Yes, it is normal.
 
DaveH said:
examine you lock bar, might have to take it apart, the ceramic detent ball might have popped out. If that's the case you'll have the entire overelap surface of the lock rubbing on the blade.
Click to expand...

I have a Mnandi that drags on opening if the ball detent isn't lubed lightly. Perhaps you are experiencing the same problem.
 
I had the same problem with a small seb. I didn't think I was ever going to get it to work.
Mine finally smoothed out after I gave it a quick flick open with the screws backed off just slightly. Then tightened the screws while the blade was still locked open. The flick must have jarred something into position and it's been smooth as silk since.
 
You are putting the right washer on the right side, aren't you? They are different diameters. The larger diameter one goes on the side away from the lock.
 
django. I have been going thru the same thing, I've had 2 NIB sebbies come to me HORRIBLY tight and scratchy on open. these were not NIB from factory. one was a 2003 and one was a 2005, so they both had some time the the factory lube to dissipate off. so, taking is apart and putting a small dab of militec-1 oil on the detent ball, and a small coating on each brass washer (between handle slab and washer), and voila! smooth and easy. I know you have done it before, and this is a rarity that this is happening to you, but I thought I would throw my 2 cents in here :)

good luck with yours. if you get too frustrated with you sebbie, DO NOT HESITATE to box it up and send it to my address for service :) although, I may not return it.... bwa ha ha ha :)
 
I polished the washers on my strop and reassembled once more and now it's fine.
 
iubigred007 said:
django. putting a small dab of militec-1 oil on the detent ball, and a small coating on each brass washer (between handle slab and washer), and voila! smooth and easy.
Click to expand...

Hmmm, on my Sebbies and Mnandi, I lube the washers on the blade side, not the handle side. Take a close look at the washers, they stick to the handles and slide on the blade.
 
iamsmiling said:
Hmmm, on my Sebbies and Mnandi, I lube the washers on the blade side, not the handle side. Take a close look at the washers, they stick to the handles and slide on the blade.
Click to expand...
Me too. I use militec. To me, since it seems that the smooth-steel-to-bronze interface is bound to have less friction than the bead-blasted-titanium-to-bronze interface I prefer to lube just the blade side of the washer.

Perhaps I'll spend an afternoon one day and do a little unscientific experimentation with my mnandi to see which side(s) work best.
 
Sorry for the bump, but I was hoping Dave at CRK could possibly see this thread and save me a long email to customer service.

The problem has arisen again, I don't know if it had truly gone away when I originally thought it did. No matter what I seem to do, when I tighten the pivot screw as much as I normally would tighten it prior to any of this, my Sebenza becomes almost unopenable. The basic principle of the pivot bushing is to keep the handle slabs are certain distance apart, and to ensure smooth action, right? The only way tightening the screw more would actually make the action tighter is if the pivot bushing were actually smaller than what it should be, correct? As soon as I loosen the screw a little bit, the action is perfectly smooth.

Please help, and I hope Dave or whoever else may post under Chris Reeve Knives sees this.
 
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