Has anyone actually taken their Sebenza apart and it honestly worked better?

J

Joe LaManna

Joined
Dec 20, 2019
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105
Still new to the Sebenza ownership group... but all 3 times I’ve taken my 31 apart, it’s like I have to break it in all over again. Comments???
 
With the exception of my recently acquired large 21 yes they have felt smoother. The 2 21s i originally had just needed cleaning about every 3 months and once cleaned they felt amazing. My small 21 i just got today and after cleaning it the action was great.
 
I’ve had it both ways. I’ve cleaned and reassembled some and they felt stiffer than before. Then sometimes it’s a world of difference smoother
 
I’ve found that using too much grease makes the knife much stiffer upon reassemble but a thin coat on everything including the pivot and bushing inside and out is crucial. Good luck
 
When I clean, reassemble, and relubricate my 21s that have old dried grease and dirt/lint in the pivot they've always felt smoother. My large Inkosi's smoothness, however, seems
to stay the same whether freshly cleaned or not.
 
Mine feel better after cleaning, but there was a learning curve in the beginning.
 
If too much grease is used, the action can feel stiff. Nano Oil avoids this problem completely (but you don't need much of either!).

They have always turned out better for me after a good cleaning. When I get one stripped naked, I make sweet sweet love to every part (alcohol is involved of course), and sometimes even give those shiny circles a little extra attention if they want it.
 
Clean well, lube sparingly! Too much definitely makes a difference. Also, putting the washers back in the same orientation each time helps as far as which side is facing the blade and which side contacts the handle scales. It can make a difference unless you get in the habit of flipping them so both sides wear evenly. Otherwise, keep the most polished side toward the blade.

Another thing I find that’s good to pay attention to is the position of the stop pin bushing. It will form a spot from use where the blade tang contacts it and I try to line that back up each time.

Don't forget to clean that detent ball good either, kinda easy to overlook it.
 
Same here, too much grease makes it worse. Being left handed, the lefty’s don’t fly off the shelves. I’ve had a couple that needed to have fresh grease out of the box. I began to notice how little grease is applied from the factory. Then, I started applying it sparingly. It makes all the difference.
The other thing I’ve encountered on one is that the washers had burrs on them making it stiff after a cleaning. I honed the washers on a stone with the weight of my finger in a figure eight motion to remove the burrs. That made it really smooth.
 
I only take mine apart for a deeper cleaning. If its gotten to this point in time, yes, it feels better after being cleaned and re-lubed. CRK has some great videos on youtube on how little lube is actually needed and the proper method in reassembling.
 
I've cleaned my Lg 21 Insingo multiple times over the years and I agree that the key is to use the lube sparingly and it always feels better. My Large Inkosi also felt much better with a clean, re-lube, and adjustment.
 
Yeah a good cleaning and lube normally results in better/smoother performance. As others have mentioned, use the lube sparingly. I keep all screws and washers in the same position and orientation. Washers will rotate no problem but I find it's generally better to keep the blade side as the blade side, for example. I keep the pivot bushing pointing in the same direction too.

Be gentle when reinserting the washer + blade "sandwich" - remember to take tension off the lock - this is the only step you can really screw up by pinching a washer. Don't overtorque the screws, just finger tight at the middle of the allen wrench. My guess is you might be overtightening the screws if it feels really stiff after reassembly. Have fun.
 
With the 2 31s I have taken apart, there was quite a bit of tension that was added by tightening the stop pin screw... play with tightening sequence between the pivot and the stop pin screws, but I found for optimum lockup that I had to loktight the stop pin screw just slightly less then tight.
 
I have an Umnumzaan and a L21, which I disassemble and clean it throughly if the action has become super gritty even after soap & water cleaning. I also found that using a heavier grease instead of the one crk supplies makes assembly much easier. I use SKF good grade bearing grease and resulted in a smooth operation of the knives. It does gets a bit stiff right after being assembled but after several opening/closing, it would get silky smooth again. What I do appreciate is that the parts are exact and that they come together nicely. I do ensure that the fasteners and washers go back to its exact location each time.
 
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Yes. With regulars and 21’s. Cleaning out the gunk and adding fresh lube will often make them smoother. Also with rotating the stop pin sleeve, lockup % will sometimes change and in my experience has always been for the better.
 
I have to disassemble/clean my small 21 more often than I care to, because it gets gummed up and the action suffers. Obviously, it isn't difficult - or even particularly time consuming - to do; and it's great once it's done...but, when I grab it and feel that, I am more inclined to just grab a different knife. (Then I forget about it for a couple months, pick it up, notice how bad the action is, and set it aside again. Initially, I was using too much grease; but I've corrected that and still have the same experience)
 
hhmoore said:
I have to disassemble/clean my small 21 more often than I care to, because it gets gummed up and the action suffers. Obviously, it isn't difficult - or even particularly time consuming - to do; and it's great once it's done...but, when I grab it and feel that, I am more inclined to just grab a different knife. (Then I forget about it for a couple months, pick it up, notice how bad the action is, and set it aside again. Initially, I was using too much grease; but I've corrected that and still have the same experience)
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Something is right. If anything a 21 is smooth. Maybe send in for a once over and see if it comes back the same.
 
Makael Makael
My previous post may have left the impression that there is a quick degradation. If I were to clean it today, applying just a hint of fluorinated grease on reassembly, it would be fine. If I carry it occasionally over the next month, it will be fine. The knife is not a favorite, though, and inevitably gets set aside...it may be 2-4 months before I touch it again. Sometimes, at that point, it is still okay; sometimes there is an obvious difference.
I have considered that, with more regular carry/use, the grease would remain viable for longer. I have no such issues with my large inkosi, though, and it sits idle just as long (if not longer); so maybe you are correct.
 
hhmoore said:
Makael Makael
My previous post may have left the impression that there is a quick degradation. If I were to clean it today, applying just a hint of fluorinated grease on reassembly, it would be fine. If I carry it occasionally over the next month, it will be fine. The knife is not a favorite, though, and inevitably gets set aside...it may be 2-4 months before I touch it again. Sometimes, at that point, it is still okay; sometimes there is an obvious difference.
I have considered that, with more regular carry/use, the grease would remain viable for longer. I have no such issues with my large inkosi, though, and it sits idle just as long (if not longer); so maybe you are correct.
Click to expand...
Now I have to admit if I sit one aside for that long it does seem to take some action to bring it back. But only greased knives are like that. If I use a lubricant I don’t seem to get those results. Maybe I’m using too much grease.
 
In between regular disassembly and cleaning I will put a drop of Nano Oil on each side of the blade just to help flush out general pocket junk. That seems to help for the short term before I do a complete cleaning.
 
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