6 Sebenza 31's and they're all perfect. Am I just lucky?

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purow

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In 2023, after spending years in Benchmade and ZT land, I finally broke down and bought my first CRK, this past summer, a Small Sebenza, in s45vn with natural Micarta inlays. Loved it so much i ended up buying 5 more. In addition to that one, and in the order purchased, they are:

--Small Sebenza in red micarta, s45vn (this one was slightly off center, which I was able to fix using the method described in this video:
)
--Large Sebenza, PJ, in Magnacut
--Small Sebenza, Macassar Ebony inlays, Magnacut
--Small Sebenza, Carbon fiber, Magnacut

Obvoiously, I had developed an interest in CRK knives, so I started reading threads on this forum, and watching Youtube videos about them. I have noticed that many of these posts refer to problems people have with their CRK knives--lock rock, blade play, loose pocket clips, blades off center, screws backing out, excessive travel of the lock bar, inlays falling out, detent and action too tight or rough, etc. If I had seen all of this stuff before my first purchase, I might have decided that CRK has quality control issues and stayed away. There's also a lot of positive posts about how great CRKs are, but so many people with problems that I have to wonder--was I just lucky?

My 6 knives have none of those problems. They all open smoothly, are perfectly centered, have 50% lock up or less, no blade play in either direction, etc. In short each one is perfect, and I'm very picky about all of the issues mentioned above.

So my question to the members of this forum is: Was I just lucky to get 6 good ones, or are the threads/videos I'm seeing just more heavily weighted towards those who have had problems with their CRK's (especially Serbenzas)? In other words, am I getting a distorted view of how common these problems really are?

I'd love to hear from forum members who both have gotten perfect or near perfect knives from CRK, as well as those who haven't.
 
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I had one that was messed up. The blade was noticably off center and it was suppose to be glass blasted but wasn't.

That being said I've had eerrrrr 7 CRKs and the rest have been absolutly perfect. I think I just got unlucky once. Ohh and CRK fixed the issues and sent it back to me in like a week. Idk why but somehow they bumped me to the front of the line. I think typical turn around when you send in a knife is over a month. Either way if you do happen to have an issue, your in good hands.
 
Have 18 or so CRKs of all types, mix of new and pre-owned, and have never had any problems-functional or cosmetic. I don’t feel especially lucky; they just function like they’re designed to function. There’s always going to be those with occasional problems but I think it’s a vast minority. Enjoy your CRKs; it’s a slippery slope!
 
I've owned well over a dozen CRK folders through the years ... all have been spot on. Though one with an issue may slip through on occasion, it's much more the exception than the rule.

When CRK first switched from the Sebenza 21 to the 31 model there were more complaints of issues of lock rock for awhile, but less and less all the time it seems.
 
I’ve yet to own a 31 but in nearly 28 years I have never experienced an issue with any CRK folder that required a trip back to the factory or a return to the seller. Maybe I’m just extremely lucky?
 
Happy campers are less likely to post about it on forums/social media than unlucky ones, especially with the reputation CRKs have, I understand why receiving a less than perfect product is disappointing. Mistakes happen with every maker of any product, it's how the company deals with them that sets them apart.
 
I’ve had 25+ go through my hands and have not received a bad one. I’m also not bothered by most of the things mentioned by influencers. The “lock rock” that people complain about is not actually lock rock and CRK has stated several times that the ceramic ball is stronger than the non ball style lock bar. The blade play, if I had to guess, is from people loosening the pivot to try and get the action smoother instead of waiting for it to break in. Breaking it in is part of the fun for me, it builds a bond with the knife in many ways, I know others won’t agree with that and that’s ok. I also don’t see value i putting pressure downward on the blade or a spine whack test. Many of the complaints mentioned online are coming from reviewers looking to nitpick IMO. CRK fans from what I have gathered are living in the camp “if you know you know”. That’s not to say we don’t welcome all newcomers with open arms, because I was a newb not that long ago. It’s also not saying there are no others but CRK. Enjoy what you enjoy, don’t listen to complaints.
 
I had one (bad) problem out of ten or so, the others being perfect.
 
I currently own 14 CRK folders in left hand. I have two more smalls that are technically for my son, but he just turned 1, so they're in my possession for a while. I've had 3 others I've let go for various reasons. None of those reasons being a lemon. I've sent some in for glass blasting, or washers that I pinched, or for engraving. But I have yet to send one in for any imperfections from CRK. And I have 21s, a 31, Inkosis, and a Zaan.
 
I have four CRK's & the only problem I've ever had was the blade on the 25 developing a hardly even noticeable crack where the thumb stud was pressed in. They had it fixed & back to me within a couple weeks.
 
No issues with any of my 31's or any of the other CRK's I own.

Only issue I have had with any CRK was a poorly tied lanyard on one inkosi out of the box.
 
I’ve got several CRK’s of different models and have yet to have any issues.
No doubt, there’s been legitimate issues with some, but I guess I’m just one of the lucky ones that’s scathed any problems.
About half of the ones I’ve got have never been used and probably won’t. The rest are users and have been reliable.
 
I'm only a couple of years into owning CRKs, but have four Sebenza 31s and a large Inkosi. All have been great right out of the box for me - no problems to report.
 
I’ve owned around 30 CRKs, and of those I still have about 12 or so. The only issue I ever had was a 21 Insingo that I bought secondhand. The lock would slip and close all the way. Actually cut my finger. Anyways, sent it into CRK and they determined that someone had taken the Insingo blade from another knife and put it together with the parts from a couple knives to make a 21 Insingo with micarta inlays. I don’t know what the smoking gun was for them, but that’s what they told me. Without hesitation, they rebuilt the knife with new scales and fitted an entirely new lock side scale to match the blade. All under warranty at no cost to me. So, that made me a customer for life.
 
ahh vtec said:
I’ve owned around 30 CRKs, and of those I still have about 12 or so. The only issue I ever had was a 21 Insingo that I bought secondhand. The lock would slip and close all the way. Actually cut my finger. Anyways, sent it into CRK and they determined that someone had taken the Insingo blade from another knife and put it together with the parts from a couple knives to make a 21 Insingo with micarta inlays. I don’t know what the smoking gun was for them, but that’s what they told me. Without hesitation, they rebuilt the knife with new scales and fitted an entirely new lock side scale to match the blade. All under warranty at no cost to me. So, that made me a customer for life.
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Amazing that they would do that!
 
Ive owned a few CRK here and there. The only one I ever had a "problem" with was a Large Inkosi that hated all its stop pin and body screws.
 
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