30 Years of Sebenza wonderfulness!

bart1

bart1

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I thought I would post a thread that momentarily excludes Regular Sebenzas, which I am lucky enough to have a lifetime supply,and love dearly. I wanted to focus on the "P" era, MM Classics, and 21 style Sebenzas. Aside from a washer change from solid to slotted,and blade steels ,IMG_1919.JPG the Sebenzas seem virtually unchanged, and every bit as good. I regularly carry each, and can not tell much of a difference. CRK has decided to move forward with the 31, of which I'm sure I will land in the future ( 2 on order) but just wanted to celebrate the great knives they have brought to us, and how much we forumites do love them. I'm a Guitar guy and it is counter intuitive to me for a manufacturer to discontinue a highly successful model until a newly introduced one either makes it or breaks it... but I am not in charge! So chime in with your thoughts on these great Sebenzas from days gone by....
 
bart1 said:
I'm a Guitar guy and it is counter intuitive to me for a manufacturer to discontinue a highly successful model until a newly introduced one either makes it or breaks it... but I am not in charge! So chime in with your thoughts on these great Sebenzas from days gone by....
Click to expand...

That is the big riddle, why they shut down the 21 so quickly? There should be some kind of "handover period" maybe just to check the marked and user feedback? I mean this is the best selling knife they have by far, it's the flagship of the company!

I guess the Mnandi is the only knife left with the original RIL. I hope they leave this one alone and don't implement the detent ball as a lock on the Mnandi's as well.

I don't own a classic or a P model, but I love my two small 21's. In my eyes the Sebenza 21 is a very good candidate for "The best pocket knife in the world" title, if there ever was such an award.
 
Bought my first Sebenza (a Small in ATS-34) in Feb ‘96 - it was love at first sight!

At the time it was my most expensive knife purchase but the look of it coupled with the smoothness and precision made it well worth it to me and it went straight into my pocket.

I carried it daily for years and even though I flirted with other mid-techs, productions, and even quite a few customs, I always seemed to come back to the Sebenza. In fact, there’s a Small 21 Insingo clipped in my pocket as I type this.

I’ve owned Ps, Regulars, Classics, and 21s (as well as several Umfaans and Mnandis) Right now I’m down to “just” five 21s however I’m looking to pick up a couple more while they are still readily available at retail or below.

While I haven’t handled a 31 yet I am looking forward to checking ‘em out and, who knows, may end up with at least one in the future but I just can’t shake that nagging little voice in the back of my mind telling me that the 21 is the last “pure” Sebenza.

The one that started it all for me...

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When you put them side by side, the differences really stand out. It's the subtle changes over the years that go unnoticed. I moved the few MM's I had, but kept this one just to have.

OEvlwLy.jpg
 
I have never handled any other Sebenza but the 21. When I finally got the courage up to buy my first CRK I searched and searched, researched, read, lurked around here, finding info on which one to buy. The consensus ended up being that it was sacrilegious to not buy a 21 drop point for your first CRK. So I decided on a large 21 drop point and placed my order. I ordered a righty. At that time I was so used to right handed knives that’s what I went with. Ended up swapping it for a lefty and eventually fell in love. Couldn’t quite place it but there was just something about it. Kinda boring, kinda plain. Couldn’t really bring myself to carry or work them. I’d come home, look at them then wrap em back up and put the box back in the closet.
Long story short CRK is the only knife I carry anymore and the 21 started it all.
 
Long time ago when Chris Reeve knives were just getting started i really liked them but the price point was out of my reach. So I never even handled one. Just stayed away. Fast forward 20 years and met a guy who had one for sale and asked to see it. WOW, I had been missing out for so long. First thing I said to him when I opened it. "Man, that a nice knife. A really nice knife. " LOL. Needless to say that was the beginning about 9 months ago. Only have 1 regular so far but have about 6 more newer ones and I love each of them. Nothing has been in my pocket since. And a 21, well they are just special any way you look at it.

Great thread!
 
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