940 or Small Sebenza. You can only have one of them. Which is it?

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Nottynuffknives

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So These 2 knives always battle to be my all time favorite knife. I've been carrying the Small 21 a lot lately. In fact I'm currently doing a '30 days of sebenza' challenge which is making me love my sebenza even more now that I'm spending more time with it and usuing it every day. But of course every couple of days I think about and miss my 940 lol. And the same goes for my sebenza when I'm carrying my 940. To be honest I'm not sure which one I'd pick if i could only have one. I'm not sure which one i find more functional and better than the other as a cutting tool.

Which lead me to the idea for this post.

So lets Completely take price out of this, and pretend they cost the same. And you have to pick just one to have for the rest of your life. This will be your one and only knife. Period. Small sebenza 21, or Benchmade 940. Which is it and why?
 
I would choose the 940. It really comes down to preference because both are excellent knives. In fact I think the feel of the Sebenza is far more solid and feels like the stronger knife. But personally it isn't the knife for me. Also with the 940 I have the Lifesharp guarantee to get a great edge and minor repairs to keep it in good shape longterm.
 
The 940 is a great practical tool but it just doesn't give the satisfaction of a sebbie, to me anyway. The sebbie is made with such precision!
 
For me personally I would go with the 940 if I can’t have a large sebenza. I have owned both and the Small sebenza was gone in a few days because it just didn’t fit my hand. On the other hand, my large sebenza is my favorite folding knife.
 
940 for me. I've gotten rid of all my framelocks, including Sebenzas. I like the AXIS lock better than a framelock because it's ambi (and I do switch hands with my knives, depending on how my arthritis is doing) and it's easier to work for my hands. The small Sebenza was never a favorite even when I carried CRK's and Striders and other framelocks. It was like the PT... too small to be any good to me. I couldn't handle and manipulate it dependably. I like the reverse tanto blade on the 940 and there's plenty of handle length for me to grip the knife.
 
The Sebenza, here’s why;
I can take it apart and clean it, dab new grease on it and I’m good until the next cleaning, and the tools come with the knife. I can send it in and it come back looking new. When I put it back together, it’s like I know what I’m doing. I don’t fear stripping something out. I’ve used both companies service, I like CRK’s better.
 
That's EASY. The Sebenza all day long.

You're comparing apples to oranges, however. The Sebenza is beautifully simplistic in both design and function. So long as you possess Alan wrenches, you're going to be able to maintenance your knife and there are no complex parts to worry about. You cannot say the same for the Benchmade.

Does that make the Benchmade a bad knife/choice? Absolutely not. It's a phenomenal knife at half of the cost of the Sebenza. It's smooth, sleek, and should be rock-solid. This being said, you're going to encounter more issues with the Benchmade than you ever would a Sebenza, which is understandable given the disparity in price.

Chris Reeve makes stellar knives. Fit and finish is going to be perfect. Form and function will be on par. That being said, I've sold all of mine for other models that appeal to me on different levels, while also acheiving the same quality on the levels in which the Sebenza excels. A Sebenza is a Sebenza is a Sebenza....

If all I could choose is one, the Sebenza. I've owned both and I have found them both to be excellent knives.
 
I like them both a lot, but feel like the small Sebenza is friendlier looking in many settings (office, restaurants, etc.); it's kind of a sleeper compared to the green scales and seemingly long blade the 940 has.
 
Given we're taking price out of equation I'm assuming we would also allow any variation of the 940 or the sebenza (in which case I'd take the 940-1 and an insingo/cf sebenza). With that in mind, I'd take the sebenza. Both are slim/classy enough that I wouldn't feel weird carrying them in the office, both are functionally very similar, and bladesteel wise I don't really care that much about s35vn vs s90v (maybe a slightly edge to 35 for ease of sharpening), and both have a really good warranty. However, the sebenza is much easier to maintain (seriously, axis lock dissasembly is awful) and I really like the insingo blade shape.
 
Sebenza. 940 is a nice knife but too thick behind the edge and qc issues with Benchmades. Don't get me wrong I like my 940-1 but the sebenza is just better in many ways. 940 is cheaper though.

S90v s30v s35vn... Ehh doesn't really matter to most. I use them all and I prefer the higher wear steels but I really don't care in the case of the sebenza. It's a solid work knife. Sure it has to be sharpened sooner than s90v, but it's not my primary knife, nor would I want it to be in the 940-1 blade profile. I want a better slicer.

I'm also not a fan of axis locks or other funky locks like compression locks. Give me a frame lock any day over it.
 
Small Sebenza. I have the Insingo-bladed version. I prefer the large version over the small, but I prefer the small Seb over the BM 940. I've never owned a 940 but have handled a few over the years.

Jim
 
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I have only held the sebenza, and have to say, WOW! Definition of precision.

So that being said, and acknowledging that I have never even touched a 940, I have no right or reason to offer an opinion...
As if that is going to stop me... :D

I base my vote on the commentary I have heard on BF since I have been here. Time and again, I hear people talk about Benchmade having QC issues. Don't know how valid they are, if they are in the past or still ongoing. I hear the comments. As to CRK having QC issues, I can't recall reading a single post or complaint about them in that regard.

ergo, Sebenza!
 
Small 21, hands down. It's just better made of better materials, easier to maintain, cuts better, fills the hand more, and feels more solid. A big reason I'm not a 940 fan is that it feels too thin in hand. Makes for great pocket carry, though.


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Easy. Sebenza, Framelock wins all day for me. The Axis lock is...just nah.
 
I’ve got these (actually not the bottom one anymore):
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But I carry these, mostly the small micarta 21 & Inkosi:
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I really like the concept of a simple, ti framelock, with a minimalist approach to style, emphasis on fit and finish over flash, and ease of reassembly after takedown.

So, I’m taking a large 21.

Then selling it to fund a Laconico semi-custom Jasmine, and using the leftover money to buy pizza.
 
FWIW, I have drooled over and fondled a gold box 940. I can understand why people like the 940 series but, the entry-level 940 is not my cup of tea so, I have to tip my hat in the direction of a knife that I've never seen in person.

The Small Sebenza Insingo.
 
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