Video

CRK are like Redwing Boots. They have better materials, are fancier, and look cooler - but they also require a longer break-in! For me, the #1 is the lockbar - opening and closing hundreds of times will make it smooth. You have to get the ceramic ball to wear the shoulder of the mating hole in the blade for good deployment. I found pinching the lockbar hard when closing the last little bit speeds up this break-in. The friction of the washers is much less part of the break-in, in terms of ease of opening. Once it starts to break in and the ball gets out of the blade hole easier, I disassemble, wipe clean, run the blade side of the washers flat on my Sharpmaker ceramic files (med then fine), strop the washers, strop the ceramic ball, re-lube, and eureka - smooth open/shut. Be patient, it takes time, just like a fine pair of boots. The dividends are worth the effort, there is nothing quite like a broken-in CRK.

Even Chris Reeve has stated that this is not a fidget friendly knife and isn’t meant to fly open with the flick of a finger. It’s built to take abuse. Knives that I fidget with like my Spyderco Shamans and PM2s are all great fidget knives BUT the actions constantly have to be adjusted and tuned to keep them that way. I guess it’s kind of like comparing apples to oranges.

Maybe a small sebenza would be more your speed. Large knives are better suited for large hands. Safer and more ergonomic to use a tool that is more tailored to the user.

High end Benchmade lol

I loaded the OZ Rosie patch on to USB drive after oiling without disassembly and try to break the knife opening and closing about 200 times with no luck. I inserted the flash drive between lock bar and internals. As I can tell by simple physics and my thump that lock bar is problem area as it is way to tight without any reason. I let USB patch execute and let algorithm do the work for 36 hours. After that buttery smooth action, almost drop blade shut. Now I like this

Sebenzas are like Chinese, I just don't understand 😅

Have watched many videos on this topic and haven’t see what I did. Now, do this at your own risk. I simply pulled back, towards the pocket clip, with moderate force on the lock bar. Bingo! Problem solved.

without admitting to it they have fixed this issue

Spydiechef ftw! By far my most carried knife.

Found this video because I've recently been thinking of buying another new Sebenza. I've owned around 100 knives, including some cheap Chinese stuff and some Cutlery Corner garbage and never had a pivot screw fall out under light use. This is absolutely unacceptable at any price point, let alone hundreds of dollars.

it’s just the way frame locks are designed due to there being a cut in the scale the blade needs a release to set the engagement over time

I just here recently acquired the SHF 4" Plague Doctor and I love it but boy is it stiff, and 8m the third owner.

I replace the thumb studs on every knife I buy. I have one guy I go to for every set and he kills it with zirc, timascus and any other metal you could want.

With other knives, you open with your finger on top of the stud. With the crk, you open at the base of the stud. It’s a push more so than a flick.

I want one..so knice

I got to handle the 3.25 last week and the lock bar access when closing was horrible. I really had to work on getting my thumb in there. How do you feel about the access, not sure if I missed it? The large is too big for my needs.

It’s not OIL… it’s GREASE.

God bless brother

Good review. I’ve got the same knife in blue. It’s my first Spartan. I really like it and highly recommend if you’re in the market. Two complaints. The pivot screw was quite loose from the factory. Loctite helped that. It wasn’t very sharp from the factory either. I did sharpen it. So both minor issues were easily fixed. I had higher expectations given the price point of not having to fix multiple things on a brand new knife. I also have the small Sebenza 21 with the ladder Damascus by Devin Thomas. They are very comparable but I feel the CRK is just a step above.

Thanks

The Pivot Bushing is critical to the proper location of the washers and establishing a consistent gap between the scales so that the tension on the blade is always consistent.

Outstanding video, Jack! As a multi-CRK owner (with another on the way), your video reduces the intimidation factor (of breaking a CRK down) lower for a less-handy guy like me. I'm subscribing now.

I bought two large sebenza 31s in the last three weeks and neither of them do this. They're rock solid. When would you apply force like that anyway? If it were force on the cutting edge causing movement then you have a complaint.

All Benchmade axis locks require a break in period. Just use it. The knife will eventually break in. Also you should always use both fingers on the axis lock, if you use one finger you will be binding up the springs. This guy is a total kook

OMG, I love you! I didn't oil mine or take it apart but your advice worked like a charm. If you get as much of your thumb down fully into the thumb recession before putting lateral force against the thumb stud it will open up easily. Its almost magic. By pushing your thumb into the blade instead of against the stud it smears your thumb naturally against the stud and only a moderate force is required to open the blade. I don't think the oiling has anything to do with it, at least not on mine. It just arrived today, a Sebenza 31 drop point with box elder inlays. Also, you can close it with one hand, too, by putting the same lateral force on the bar and gently tipping the blade just close enough that you can put the thumb stud within reach of your thumb. I used my cell phone to block the blade for safety until I could characterize its motion. Great job!

For as much as this knife cost, you should have to "practice" opening it up.

Can you provide the exact type of stud you used? Thank so much!

Sounds like you have some screws loose haha

nah this is just piss poor design, frame locks are not inuitative for most people, that's why i usually reverse flick them if they have a thumb stud on the opposite side. If they used a thin carbon fiber inlay over the part where u naturally lay your finger, it wouldn't be an issue, or some counter pressure system.

You can use acetone for that instead of rust remover 👍🏼 Nice project!

Ridiculous design choice for a lock. Tiny microscopic contact area of a ceramic ball against slippery steel, all on a frame lock which is already a lock design prone to slipping under impact or force. Absolute fail of a lock design. Flame all you want, im an engineer, facts are facts when it comes to design for structural integrity.

This video should be brought to the attention of the owners of Chris Reeve Knives business. Very useful indeed. Thank you for doing this video.

Even if you only made videos on these knives, I would still watch. Bummer to see you go.

Great video. My thumb has been getting the full experience for a week or so 🤣

Your thumb got sore from a benchmade??? You are prey my friend. I'm sorry but you are a sheep 😂

I very recently purchased my first Sebenza. I returned it the next day because after opening and closing it for the better part of two hours, my thumb was hurting to the point where I didn't even want to continue to play with it. For me, the action on it, dare I say it, kinda sucked. I know that people will say it's a tool and therefore built to last generations, but the overwhelming majority of people that buy one, including myself, don't actually use these knives for anything other than cutting open a few boxes at the most. Which is why all the ones for sale are always NIB or LNIB. I exchanged it for two GiantMouse knives which are amazing and still got $100 back in my pocket and I'm much happier. I know I'll take shit for this post but that's how I feel and it's my freaking money, not yours.

Thank you sir. Your video helped me convince my wife to buy the victorinox evolution s557. She wanted a multi tool. But she didn't understand the weight difference. She will use this as an EDC in her purse for city use... just makes more sense 😅

Nope, never seen a paramilitary 3 because they don’t exist ✌🏼

Para 3 👍🏻

Looks absolutely awesome!!! Love that green!!!!

Bought a Brian Brown Raptor, gave me a sore thumb for about a week. Eventually the detent got easier and my thumb stopped hurting. Hope yours does the same.

I open and close with one hand my lg sebenza 31, as from the factory, many times a day without a hint of a sore thumb

How is the detent on this one? I had the BD1N model but the detent was so weak made me nervous to carry it.

Nice to see a video review by someone not with xl hands, I was holding my 31 while watching your video and our hands are almost identical size wise. Obviously I have the 31 Large, haven't held the small in person, but I really love my large, it's my go to for everything. So I doubt I would buy another anyways, I don't collect I just buy to use and love it, so unless I end up working in a 3" under locale I will probably stick to this. Oh changed my thumbstuds out to solid copper milled ones and a Lynch flat top milled clip those two changes made this a much better knife to me. oh if your work environment means your knife will be in pocket in a slip most of the time I wouldn't get the Lynch clip as it sticks out more than the factory one so it would be thicker in the pocket, great for if you use the clip, not so much if it's in a slip. Cheers- 26MAR23

Well said. Just experienced that disappointment. My 535-3 is very disappointing. Axis binds so badly my fingers hurt from working it. Sending back - believe it's a machining issue. Hope I can enjoy it when I get it back. Sours the situation.

How about Be perfectly happy with a paramilitary 2. I completely understand loving and wanting more knives, but it’s not worth it in the end.

…just push on the side of the thumbstud instead of on top? Never understood why people overcomplicate using a thumbstud…

being in the future now. this knife has gotten a lot more expenive. i wish that the larges were still 425

Benchmade is not a high end knife

I am still experiencing a lot of pain with the small Sebenza and I own it for more then a year now. I have cleaned it but just not as easy to grib it the way you advised us since it is smaller. I am a little disappointed since I would love to use it more often but I end up going to the 940 or bugout because they are easy to just open. it hardly makes it into my rotation for the simple reason.