Need some advice . . .

MDQBox

MDQBox

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Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to the knife collecting world and could use some advice.

I was thinking about picking up a Gerber Venture, CRKT Foresight and a CRKT Hissatsu Folder (all 3 for a little over $200) or should I wait and save up for a Chris Reeve Large Sebenza? I've never owned a Sebenza but all I hear are VERY good things about them. What should I do? Thanks.
 
Ditto.. Wait and save up for the Seb. Or spend it now on a decent spyderco, benchmade or kai (Kershaw/zt) and use the rest on a good sharpening system if you don't have one
Up to you
 
The Sebenza does nothing for me so I won't advise you in that direction. But why limit yourself to just those choices? The quality knives in the price range you're talking about are so numerous it boggles the mind. Find a local shop and do some fondling.
 
knife collecting is about enjoyment. do whatever makes you happy. some people have to have the best, but others are perfectly fine with less expensive knives.
 
The sebenza is a favorite for many. I personally don't care for it. The thumb stud sucks, not very comfortable in the hand, doesn't hold an edge long, very very very limited on blade steel.

Check out the Strider SMF. It's a great knife avaliable in many different configurations.
 
botdcypher said:
knife collecting is about enjoyment. do whatever makes you happy. some people have to have the best, but others are perfectly fine with less expensive knives.
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I'm with this guy! Do what you want! That's what it's all about!

You want "numbers" and immediate satisfaction? Get the three.
You want anticipation and one great knife? Get the Sebenza.

All four knives are functional (some more than others)...they will all cut stuff. So do what you like! This stuff is supposed to be fun.
 
Since you are new to knives, I would suggest not getting those three nor saving up for a sebenza. If I were you, I would get a Spyderco Paramilitary 2 and Military or Gayle bradley. Two of those will cost a little more than $200 but they are all great knives. When you decide that you might want to get into mid-techs, you can sell those to fund help fund the purchase of a sebenza or something. I sold an M390 Military and Gayle Bradley to fund the purchase of a large micarta insingo sebenza and to this day it is the only knife I like more than my para 2. I am never getting rid of that para 2.
 
MDQBox said:
Hi everyone, I'm fairly new to the knife collecting world and could use some advice.

I was thinking about picking up a Gerber Venture, CRKT Foresight and a CRKT Hissatsu Folder (all 3 for a little over $200) or should I wait and save up for a Chris Reeve Large Sebenza? I've never owned a Sebenza but all I hear are VERY good things about them. What should I do? Thanks.
Click to expand...

If your budget right now is $200 dollars. I would suggest the Zero Tolerance 0550, $200 dollars or a little less. Titanium framelock like the Sebenza. I personally would steer away from Gerber.
 
I'm not a huge fan of Gerber OR CRKT. Definitely do some looking around.

The big 3 manufacturers that many people get started with are Spyderco, Benchmade, and Kershaw/Zero Tolerance.

For Spyderco, the Paramilitary 2 is probably the most popular overall model, but lots of love for Sage 2, Endura, Manix 2, and many others.

For Benchmade, the big draw for many of us is the AXIS lock. Griptilian or Rift, if you want a better quality handle than the Noryl GTX handle on the Griptilian, are popular offerings. There are plenty more, of course.

For Kershaw/Zero Tolerance, there are a wide variety of offerings. Blur is a very good value. The ZT 0550 and 0560 are very popular currently. I've got a 560 on order myself. Others love the 350, 300, and other options.

You've got a whole big world of great knives out there. Sebenzas are well loved, and if that's something you'd like, you'll get a great knife that you'll doubtless fall in love with. I'm personally a big fan of Darrel Ralph, and there are plenty of great custom makers on here that come to mind as well.

Welcome to the addiction!
 
Thanks everyone for all the advice and suggestions. I think I will go ahead and save up for the Sebenza.
 
Good choice. The Sebenza is an awesome knife. Don't be afraid to use it. It can take it and the blade is easy to keep super sharp. Great steel.
 
I would say out of the choices you're considering, go with the Sebenza, it's an excellent knife and truly is Iconic.
However, I was on the knife boat for more than a year before I got a Sebenza and got it when I knew I could really appreciate it for what it is.
Just keep in mind, it's still just a knife, it may be THE knife, but at the end of the day, a knife.

If you want to check something out that has a similar design to the Sebenza I would say to check out the Bradley Alias 1(large) or the Bradley Alias 2(small). They run around $200, s30v, full titanium handles, and are probably one of the closest if not the closest that you can get to a Sebenza in the full production knife world.

I'm still after an Alias myself. =] So if you want to go that route first, they are nice knives.

Or if you just wanna pick up a Paramilitary 2, or a Native 5, or both, Spyderco makes fine knives and is super fair in asking price. Don't let the ones from Taiwan scare you off. They have excellent fit and finish, they are just as good if not better than my more expensive or same value USA made knives.

But, the Sebenza truly is a great knife, but I would make sure it's truly what you want before you drop the money for it.

Good luck in your hunt.
 
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