Small Inkosi stiff action

Wrap a paper towel around the blade and then work it back and forth, no need to engage the lock. This is after getting the blade centered and some fresh factory grease. You are in essence “polishing” the washers. Just like a quality baseball glove that is made to last a lifetime be aware of how quickly and how far to take the break in process (or not)
 
I just got my small inkosi today and it’s smooth! I did disassemble it and make sure there was grease however.
 
Slice-E said:
I just got my small inkosi today and it’s smooth! I did disassemble it and make sure there was grease however.
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I disassembled mine too but then I couldn't get that sweet spot (perfect blade centering, no play, smooth action)..
 
nikshichu said:
I disassembled mine too but then I couldn't get that sweet spot (perfect blade centering, no play, smooth action)..
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That sounds not normal after Ive owned two inkosis now. Id send it back just in case you got a lemon. It does suck being without your knife for awhile though, but bad action on a $500 knife would drive me bonkers
 
Slice-E said:
That sounds not normal after Ive owned two inkosis now. Id send it back just in case you got a lemon. It does suck being without your knife for awhile though, but bad action on a $500 knife would drive me bonkers
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I'm thinking about that too.
 
I don't think I can pull that off. Might send it to CRK if it doesn't get any better with fidgeting..
 
Chief Chris said:
Could you have bent a washer?
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I don't think so. I watched a disassembly video on youtube done by Tim Reeve on both the inkosi and the sebenza, thinking I might have messed up. On the sebenza you can hear the blade scratching the scales as he opens it (at the end of the vid), after putting it back together. I don't know but it seems to me it's more common these days lol even happened to Tim himself.
 
nikshichu said:
I don't think so. I watched a disassembly video on youtube done by Tim Reeve on both the inkosi and the sebenza, thinking I might have messed up. On the sebenza you can hear the blade scratching the scales as he opens it (at the end of the vid), after putting it back together. I don't know but it seems to me it's more common these days lol even happened to Tim himself.
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The Inkosi and the Sebenza are diffrent in the way theyre designed. The Sebenza relies on a pivot bushing for the correct spacing. The pivot is just tightened all the way and the bushing provides the proper spacing for the washers/lube (tuned at the facory). The Inkosi is more traditional in that there is no bushing and the user sets the stiffness by adjusting the pivot screw. In Tim's video of the Sebenza, the blade was not contacting the frame. Only the washers. I'll take a look later.

Loosen the pivot screw, then tighten little by little until you cant detect blade wobble (left and right), Do this by pressing the frame lock out of the way with one hand and jiggling the tip with the other. Make it so the blade cant wobble but no more tighter than that. With that, you should have fairly light action.
 
I know they're different. I owned two sebenzas and never had issues. I've never owned an inkosi though, and never dealt with a free spinning pivot. If I loosen it just a little bit, the blade centering goes off, and for the blade to be perfectly centered it has to be so tight that I can't open it with one hand. When I got the knife it was stiff, plus I hated the way the lanyard sat in my hand, which is why I disassembled it in the first place.
 
nikshichu said:
I know they're different. I owned two sebenzas and never had issues. I've never owned an inkosi though, and never dealt with a free spinning pivot. If I loosen it just a little bit, the blade centering goes off, and for the blade to be perfectly centered it has to be so tight that I can't open it with one hand. When I got the knife it was stiff, plus I hated the way the lanyard sat in my hand, which is why I disassembled it in the first place.
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I just thought maybe you were treating it like a Sebenza and cranking down.
You can try swapping the washers from one side to the other, they should be identical but maybe one is slightly more worn?

When you do swap them you can also try to loosen the bottom frame screw and keep it barely loose. Then fold a piece of paper a few times and place it between the frame and the blade on the tight side and closer to the tip forcing the blade over to the opposite side. Then tighten the bottom frame screw and tighten the pivot. From there, remove the paper and loosen the pivot little by little until you can swing the blade. Sometimes this helps on other knives, but never had to do it on a CRK.
 
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I'd avoid doing this and just send it in to CRK for a spa treatment and just mention your issues with the knife as well. Messing with it might make it worse, and it's quite an expensive knife. CRK is known for taking care of their customers, might as well cash in on some of that warranty!
 
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