# Sebenza thumb stud - Ouch!



## Joel (Jun 5, 2004)

Hi:
After reading all the raves about Sebenza's I saved my money and purchased the small model. I think it's a great knife but believe it or not I actually prefer my BM 705 at this point. The thumb stud on the Sebenza is way too pointed and is already starting to crack the skin at the tip of my thumb. Do any of you CPF knife experts know if another thumb stud is available and if so, is it something I can install myself? If not, you just might see a Sebbie up for sale soon /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/frown.gif

Thanks!
Joel


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## ErickThakrar (Jun 5, 2004)

Too sharp? Hard on your "delicate" hands? HAH! You wimp! Grow a callous and quit whining!

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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## dano (Jun 5, 2004)

Huh? Never heard oif that problem w/a Sebbie. Drop an email to Chris Reeve and see what they say. On my Sebenza, the thumb stud tapers, but it's no way sharp enough to break skin.

--dan


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## Skyline (Jun 5, 2004)

That BM 705 is such a great knife. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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## was_jlh (Jun 5, 2004)

Joel, I agree with dano, owned a small sebbie for 2 1/2 years and it has never injured my thumb.

Joe


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## Spudman (Jun 5, 2004)

The stud used now is slightly different than the older ones. I believe the new one has a slightly bigger center button. (I may have that reversed.) I haven't had a problem with either. Maybe you could ease the action with some tufglide or similar, or maybe you're doing what I did when I got my first one and opening and closing it compulsively.

...make that obsessively. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/blush.gif


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## BeamChucker (Jun 5, 2004)

As nice as they are, I won't own one. I don't like thumbstuds. Give me a hole. They don't fail because they don't fall apart and the whole blade can be used because they don't impede the blade from cutting along it's whole length. Make me a Sebenza with a hole and I'll buy one. If they made a mini Griptilian in S30V it'd be a far superior knife than a Sebenza. Ooh boy, that should get things started. 

BeamChucker


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## John N (Jun 5, 2004)

Hi Joel, 

I had the same complaint about the Sebbie thumb stud. After a bit of use I don't notice it anymore. 

If it really bothers you, you could always get a Lochsa. Check out the thumbstud on that critter. Meow.

http://www.scottcookknives.com/lochsa.htm

-john


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## Joel (Jun 5, 2004)

BeamChucker - You're right on a mini Grip or a 705 w a S30V would be heaven. John N - Thanks a lot - now I want a Lochsa with a Damascus! Spudman- Me, compulsive? Only when my meds wear off! /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif Erik - The lady friend doesn't like the callous... and yes, she's worth it - puts up with all my flashlights! Thanks to everyone for all the feedback!


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## Commander (Jun 6, 2004)

[ QUOTE ]
*John N said:* After a bit of use I don't notice it anymore. 

[/ QUOTE ]

Same her!

And I removed the blue color. It is more "clean" that way i my eyes.

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif


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## Joe Talmadge (Jun 6, 2004)

There's lots of people who don't like the Sebenza's small pointy thumbstud. You can count me firmly in that camp. Uncomfortable enough to open just once -- so much worse when you're a knife nut who absent-mindedly flips open his knife just for the hell of it. The Sebenza is an incredible knife, I just don't like that one design choice.


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## mitchfried (Jun 6, 2004)

My small Sebbie also had a sharp thumbstud, like the "almost" too sharp machining on my Inova X5T. 

I sold my Sebenza and bought a nice Dalton Dual Action Jackal. Much cooler and VERY well made.


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## Lurker (Jun 7, 2004)

I had the same problem on a Vapor. I unscrewed the thumb stud and put it in the chuck of my electric drill. I then spun it against a sharpening stone to change the shape to my liking. Much better now. 

I know you probably don't want to mess around like that on an expensive knife, and I think the Sebenza stud is a press-fit, so removing it would be a problem, but you could file it down a little and Reeve can always bring it back to original condition later if you are worried about resale.


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## DumboRAT (Jun 7, 2004)

If your thumbnail is long enough, you can get the blade started that way, too. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif

Also, be sure you are vectoring force appropriately - most of the time, a new Sebbie owner's complaints about the stud causing finger discomfort can be traced to this cause. 

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/thumbsup.gif

I'll give you a tip that'll work 100%, though ---> 

Get a Strider SnG, Gen.1-Gen.3, work your Kung-Fu to develop "Strider Thumb," and you'll be all set to open/close *_any_* knife you ever purchase in the future. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Allen
aka DumboRAT


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## bald1 (Jun 7, 2004)

I must be the odd man out (Joe T. you surprised me here /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif). I've had a regular sized Sebenza for years and picked up one of the initial year (1999) wood inlay (box elder) small 'Benzas used.

Yes the machining is such that a straight push parallel with the blade will bite into your thumb. But the idea is to push down and out against the thumbstud which obviates such "cutting" contact. Once mastered by some slow controlled openings, a faster flicking opening becomes natural and easy.

Don't know what else to say other than they work for me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

--Bob
=============================================
Original General Forums moderator on BFC
Never to be forgotten: James Mattes, Walt "Doc" Welch, Rob Simonich


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## Joel (Jun 8, 2004)

I did send an e-mail to CR to see if anything can be done. My guess is that I'll just have to re-train my self to the proper opening angle and force. I used that liquid bandage stuff on my thumb and it seems to be healing well - I'm refraining from the thumb stud until I'm all patched up and ready to abuse it again. I'll report back if CR has a solution.
Joel


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## DumboRAT (Jun 9, 2004)

Joel,

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Definitely wait to you're healed before you have a go at it again. For folder users, I think that it's a good thing for us to have a bit of a callous on our thumb-tip...makes opening and closing our tools all that much easier and more comfortable. 

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Allen
aka DumboRAT


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## CUTiger3 (Jun 9, 2004)

[ QUOTE ]
*BeamChucker said:*
If they made a mini Griptilian in S30V it'd be a far superior knife than a Sebenza. Ooh boy, that should get things started. BeamChucker 

[/ QUOTE ]

Please get some /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/help.gif before you injure yourself 

/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


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## Joel (Jun 14, 2004)

CRK did e-mail me back and even apologized for the delay in getting back to me - good folks. They offered to smooth the thumb stud a bit if I was still having problems. It's a great knife but not for me, sometimes things just don't fit and this is one of them. I'm going back to my BM 705, it's more comfortable and I won't freak out if I loose it or abuse it.


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## kodiak (Jun 15, 2004)

My Umfaan had a very sharp thumbstud also. So sharp in fact that I did something about it today at work. I presed the stud out, then turned down a 1/8 inch dowel pin to .1163, rounded the ends on a deburring wheel and pressed it in! It's very shiney! I love it it works great. I also put a clip on it so you can just pull the rope tiied to it and out it comes.


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## John N (Jun 15, 2004)

Pics!


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## GarageBoy (Jun 15, 2004)

The Seb has a decent thumbstud. The shape is not that ideal, though


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## Geode (Jun 16, 2004)

This may be redundant and too late, but, if you push against the side of the thubmstud instead of downward on the tip of it, the blade moves just fine. Tom Mayo used to swap out the thumbstuds when he did mods, I would imagine this could be done too.


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## kodiak (Jun 17, 2004)

I tried for 2 hours this morning to post pictures to no avail. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/rant.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/banghead.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/jpshakehead.gif I can email my pictures, thats it.


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## K-T (Jun 17, 2004)

Kodiak, email me your pics, I'll be happy to post them. /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/wink.gif


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## K-T (Jun 18, 2004)

Here are Kodiak's pictues of his Umfaan&modified thumbstud:


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## John N (Jun 18, 2004)

Cool! Thanks for sharing!

-john


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## js (Jun 18, 2004)

I know I'm late on this one, but FWIW, I've never had a problem with the thumbstud on my Large Sebenza. I love it! But then, I don't have much experience with really high quality knives, other than my Sebbie. It was between the Sebbie and a BM710 or 705. There was just something about the Sebenza. I love it. And I love the CS at CRK.


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## vinosaur (Jul 1, 2004)

If you are interested in a knife check this out. Great knife, not a mini, but Griptillian, S30V, and has the AXIS lock. Great price. 

For a review: http://www.equipped.com/rsk_mk1.htm

For purchase: http://www.aeromedix.com/index.php?_siteid=aeromedix&action=sku&sku=bmrsk


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