My first sebenza looks off centered

Joined
Jan 4, 2019
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Just got my very first Large Sebenza 21 with an insingo blade up here in Canada through an official dealer. I took it apart to take the lanyard out and now when I put it back together it appears to be favouring the lockbar side. I've tried reassembling it multiple times and flipping washers around but it always seems to favour the lockbar side by just a hairs width. It's barely noticeable but at the same time, it's incredibly annoying. I never really looked at the knife too well before taking the lanyard off but I don't think I pinched a washer or anything.
What have I done wrong? Is there any easy fix for this? Should I send it back to the dealer to get replaced? I don't think sending it to Chris Reeve himself would be a good option since it would cost a small fortune in return shipping.

Image link: https://imgur.com/a/9kubi9l
 
You've disassembled the knife several times... if you're seriously considering returning it to the dealer, I have nothing (kind) to say to you.
Might as well use it; and stop worrying about it being "a hairs width" off center.
 
You've disassembled the knife several times... if you're seriously considering returning it to the dealer, I have nothing (kind) to say to you.
Might as well use it; and stop worrying about it being "a hairs width" off center.
Well, that's what the dealer's website states. If it, in fact, turns out to be my fault it'd just get sent back to me. But if its an issue with the knife itself, it would probably get sent back to Idaho.
Chris Reeve one of only 8-10 brands he carries as he's quite specialized. Since he gets shipments from Chris Reeve directly on a semi-regular basis, if the knife gets sent back for maintenance, it would hitch a ride back on one of those shipments.
I just want to know if it's something I messed up on reassembly before I contact him to see if there's anything we can do. I followed the disassembly instruction video directly from Chris Reeve. If anything, I may have screwed things in too tightly since I used a hex bit on a screwdriver instead of the included allen wrench. Do you have any suggestions as to how I could fix this myself?
 
You've disassembled the knife several times... if you're seriously considering returning it to the dealer, I have nothing (kind) to say to you.
Might as well use it; and stop worrying about it being "a hairs width" off center.
Also yeah I probably should have clarified that my intent is not to rip off the dealer or something. He's a really nice guy and I'd like to see his business continue because I like buying things from his store. If I returned it in a broken state due to my own fault, that would certainly be very trashy of me and you reserve all rights to say mean things to me. I'm just trying to find out if I messed up or if its a manufacturer thing. Maybe it's just how much people hyped up Chris Reeve's precision, but I was certainly expecting near-perfection. Perhaps that was just foolishness on my part.
 
On Insingo blades, the grind is often slightly off center. The blade itself is perfectly centered, but they struggle to get that swedgey top grind at the tip absolutely perfect. Such is the case with both my large and small insingos, and many other folks here as well. It’s kinda the nature of the beast and only seems to affect the Insingo grinds. Tantos and Spear Points, in my experience, are perfectly symmetrical.
 
Since you have disassembled and reassembled multiple times, did you happen to take notice of the washers in close detail? Sometimes there are burrs on them that you can only feel and not see. When CRK assembles the knife it’s likely they change washers to get the “perfection” you seek and they achieve it. Your process may have mixed things up, albeit at a microscopic level, but enough to change the fit.

So now that you are a pro at take-down and build I suggest opening it up to check the washers. If you feel a burr on any surface then carefully rub it on some clean, flat, fully supported cardboard and with only finger tip pressure. I’m talking slowly and carefully to avoid deforming the washer. That should abrade the burr. Reassemble and check.

If there is no burr on the washers then you should work with CRK directly as opposed to making the dealer do it— you never verified centering prior to opening it to remove the lanyard. No reason to put a dealer through that now that it’s a used knife.
 
On Insingo blades, the grind is often slightly off center. The blade itself is perfectly centered, but they struggle to get that swedgey top grind at the tip absolutely perfect. Such is the case with both my large and small insingos, and many other folks here as well. It’s kinda the nature of the beast and only seems to affect the Insingo grinds. Tantos and Spear Points, in my experience, are perfectly symmetrical.
Oh well, I guess that would certainly explain things! If I look from underneath, the edge itself looks to be centred for most of the handle length. I guess its a small trade to have what is, in my opinion, the most beautiful blade design of any knife.
 
Since you have disassembled and reassembled multiple times, did you happen to take notice of the washers in close detail? Sometimes there are burrs on them that you can only feel and not see. When CRK assembles the knife it’s likely they change washers to get the “perfection” you seek and they achieve it. Your process may have mixed things up, albeit at a microscopic level, but enough to change the fit.

So now that you are a pro at take-down and build I suggest opening it up to check the washers. If you feel a burr on any surface then carefully rub it on some clean, flat, fully supported cardboard and with only finger tip pressure. I’m talking slowly and carefully to avoid deforming the washer. That should abrade the burr. Reassemble and check.

If there is no burr on the washers then you should work with CRK directly as opposed to making the dealer do it— you never verified centering prior to opening it to remove the lanyard. No reason to put a dealer through that now that it’s a used knife.
Thanks for the tip. I'll inspect the washers and check it out next time I take it apart. As for the dealer, I may contact him regardless to ask if he has any suggestions. He might have an easier time getting it back and forth from Chris Reeve since I live in Canada and CBSA sucks. He's super nice and there might be a chance for him to get the knife shipped back as part of one of his larger shipments. That way, it wouldn't get seized at the border and it'd probably be cheaper to ship too. I definitely wouldn't make it the dealer's problem though.
 
What’s your reassembly technique? The best is to screw together both scales with the low screw tightened all the way, the stop pin screw about 90%, then, while pinching/holding the washers against the blade, place that meat between the bread and insert and tighten pivot screw and stop pin all the way. Otherwise maybe it’s a pinched washer.
 
What’s your reassembly technique? The best is to screw together both scales with the low screw tightened all the way, the stop pin screw about 90%, then, while pinching/holding the washers against the blade, place that meat between the bread and insert and tighten pivot screw and stop pin all the way. Otherwise maybe it’s a pinched washer.
That's how I disassemble and reassemble my sebenza except I tighten the scales down all the way first. I had read elsewhere on this forum that if you don't tighten the pivot screw all the way before inserting the blade in, you might pinch a washer. Seeing responses above, it might be that the insingo grind is just a bit off from the factory.
 
Since I don't have any hair left, I'd say it's centered. I really can't see where it's off centered. If the gap is the same the entire length of the frame on both sides, well, it's about centered as it's going to get.
The only other thing I've ever done is to swap the pivot assembly, meaning put the barrel side on the opposite side and it may pull the blade enough to get it more centered.
 
Since I don't have any hair left, I'd say it's centered. I really can't see where it's off centered. If the gap is the same the entire length of the frame on both sides, well, it's about centered as it's going to get.
The only other thing I've ever done is to swap the pivot assembly, meaning put the barrel side on the opposite side and it may pull the blade enough to get it more centered.
Thanks!
 
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