The unique lock on Sebenza makes it a very attractive knife. Yet the same lock can cause problems... I was working outside yesterday bringing in grovel and sand in 25 lbs bags into my yard. I would carry a sack on my shoulder and when over the right area I would cut the bag at the top and get an even spread of stone on the ground. I grabbed my sebenza with my right hand and flicked it open with my wrist and was cutting bags with one smooth motion. I got couple of bags open and than one of them (probably frozen) created problems so I kind of backed/jerked the blade into opposite direction. Blade folded on me totally cutting three of my figers open. After I took care of my hand (had FAK in my pocket) I realized that lock never deployed correctly. Lint from my pants pocket accumulated around the real blade stoper which prevented it from opening fully. Becasue of that lock was not deployed. As long as I was putting pressure on the edge of the blade everything was fine. I know it is my fault and I'm not blaming anyone but my self. I'm just stating a possible problem and danger that may happen if you are in the rush and really have no time to verify the lock. I see how this would not be a problem for many cutting jobs but once in the while you may need to initiate the cut with a stabbing motion and that can create a problem.

Matt

Polak
I guess the real moral of the story is that no folding knife is truly safe in that respect, as many have said a folding knife is always a sompramise between size and strength.
-james
P.S hope your hand's ok.

mine 2 of mine 3 folders has a "click" sound wenn they lock, so atleast i know wenn they are locked or not. ( the thirt is a opinel, with i almost always forgot to lock... <img src="images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> ) Doesn't a sebenza has a "click" sound ?

Yes it does but kinda hard to hear with concrete truck is idling next to you and jack hammer is being used at the same time.

Matt

Hi Matt,

Wow, that could have been very bad. Glad you had your FAK with you. I'm glad it wasn't worse, and hope you heal up quickly.I wonder if this isn't the real moral of the story. Whenever I "flick" my knives open, it creates vibration shock in my hand, and I have less surety about the lock, since part of what I'm feeling and hearing is not the lock but, rather, the blade itself opening. When I do that, the blade makes a good click even when the lock does not, so I'm not always sure which I'm really hearing or feeling.

However, when I use the thumb stud and smoothly open the blade, the blade itself makes no vibration or sound and the only click I feel or hear is the lock engaging. I would think that, for maximum surety, and especially in a noisy environment, it would be important not to flick the blade, as fun as that may be, but to calmly and gently push the blade into position with your thumb until you feel the click of the lock engaging.

Though probably not foolproof, CRKT has an additional thumb lever that locks the blade locking mechanism in place. It won't move unless the blade is locked and is easily operated. I carry CRKT's Pikes Peak and Mt. Whitney knives.