21 or Regular

usfpaul82

usfpaul82

Joined
Jul 4, 2010
Messages
392
Question for all of you sebenza fans out there. I have owned a small 21, and had to give it up a while ago. I would like to get another small, but I am really starting to dig the 'regular' handle style. So for those of you who own or have owned both...which one do you prefer, the 21 or the regular and why? I have no problem waiting around until I find a regular for sale.
 
You'll get a lot of different opinions. I prefer the original/Classic XX/21 style because I like the greater access to the lockbar. Other people prefer the grip on the Regular handles. My results: 2 Regulars, 2 Classics and 3 21s. The real answer is that you'll have to buy at least one Regular and one of the others. :D
 
On the small it is more of a handle choice than a blade choice, The blades are different but not as different as on the Lg.I like them both. If given the Chance I think I would choose the regular-just because it is harder to get and will get harder to get still. I also like the look of the swedged regular.The regular would be an easy sell also if you didn't like it. I like the micarta inlays ,so the choose is made for meThey are only available in classic/21.
Thats my 2 cents
 
I prefer the regular for the following reasons:

Better blade profile
More belly
Able to have a swedge (huge +)
Better handle ergos
Better handle aesthetics
Smoother action.

The only thing that the 21 has over the regulars is a non sticky lockbar.
If the regulars didn't have a sticky lockbar they would be 100% better than the 21s.






Lochsa FTW!
 
thanks for the replies so far. I am leaning towards a regular. Now it is just a matter of finding one. let me know if anyone comes across a small plain regular!
 
small plain regular is a great knife. mine lives in my pocket :cool:

2ndsebenza1.jpg
 
I'm sort of a contradiction in this. The "Regular" style Large Sebenza is my personal favorite model that CRK has ever produced. Oddly however, for EDC chores I prefer the 21/Classic style blade and more ergonomic handle. The more-pointed tip is easier for me to "dig" into tight spots like envelopess, or packages, or dirty fingernails :o. Not that the small Reg's are deficient at all, but I give the nod in the small catagory to the 21.
 
I miss my Small Regular. Is a great knife and I loved it so much since it was discontinued.
 
I've had a few small/large Regulars and eventually sold them. I just prefer the 21's profile and ergonomics.
 
The blade point is a good one. At least on my two Regulars, the blade profile on the small is almost the same as the XX/21. The large Regular, on the other hand, has the deep belly (like the Nyala) that many (including me) like a lot.


Peter Hartwig said:
On the small it is more of a handle choice than a blade choice, The blades are different but not as different as on the Lg.I like them both. If given the Chance I think I would choose the regular-just because it is harder to get and will get harder to get still. I also like the look of the swedged regular.The regular would be an easy sell also if you didn't like it. I like the micarta inlays ,so the choose is made for meThey are only available in classic/21.
Thats my 2 cents
Click to expand...
 
Steel_Addiction said:
I prefer the regular for the following reasons:

Better blade profile
More belly
Able to have a swedge (huge +)
Better handle ergos
Better handle aesthetics
Smoother action.

The only thing that the 21 has over the regulars is a non sticky lockbar.
If the regulars didn't have a sticky lockbar they would be 100% better than the 21s.






Lochsa FTW!
Click to expand...

I had luck finding a small regular that had been sitting in a display case for over a decade. The lockbar was very sticky. I sent it back and it came back with no sticky issues, and btw Reeves did it free of charge. I was told it should hold up for another 10 years of use before another spa treatment. I've been using mine daily for the last two months, and I love it. I don't use it to pry except to remove staples. If I didn't have the small regular, I may have chosen the 21 large. This is ideal for daily use on jeans, shorts and dockers. For suits I use the mnandi, clip looks like a pen. The size is also agreeable to those non-knife folks. I still try not to tell people how much I spent on it. They get really confused and respond that their $30 Walmart knife is enough. I say ok, but not for me.
 
Last edited:
I like the Regular and have a small and a large, but I find the small is commonly overlooked for the Mnandi. I'm not that fond of the Classic/21 blade shape and don't find the handle as comfortable, but it's still a good looking knife. I think the Regular is a far better looking knife though and IMO is more useable.
 
You called it Steel_Addition right on point!
Steel_Addiction said:
I prefer the regular for the following reasons:

Better blade profile
More belly
Able to have a swedge (huge +)
Better handle ergos
Better handle aesthetics
Smoother action.

The only thing that the 21 has over the regulars is a non sticky lockbar.
If the regulars didn't have a sticky lockbar they would be 100% better than the 21s.






Lochsa FTW!
Click to expand...
 
Large Regular all the way for me, though the 21 is growing on me. As for the small, I kinda like the classic/21 style better as its easier to open than a small regular.

Large Sebenza = Regular
Small Sebenza = Small Classic/21
 
Large Regular +1
The blade shape is fantastic. The handle shape is fantastic as well. Far nicer than 21 IMHO which I have owned as well.
 
You can't go wrong either way. I prefer the way the 21/classic feels in my hand, but I do like the blade of a regular better, so for me its a win-win either way. A sebenza is a sebenza, and if you look up the word Sebenza in the websters dictionary, it is defined as:
SEBENZA (su-ben-za) noun. "to be the perfect folding knife"
 
I have owned many regulars in the past, but I keep going back to the 21. It is true the belly is bigger on the regular, but the 21 seems to be easier to sharpen. the 21 seems to have better grip for me. I love them both but if I had to choose for every day carry I would go with the slimmer profile of the 21.
 
Why do the Regulars have a sticky lockbar? I have also noticed that. Does the stickyness go away?

A Regular blade on a 21 handle would be the best IMO
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top