A Sebenza Love Story

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BryonC

Joined
Dec 26, 2013
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12
For folks who don’t like love stories, you should probably skip this post. For everyone else…

I got my first sebenza in fall 2013. It was a large 21 with cocobolo inlays. I liked it but didn’t love it. Not with the reckless abandon that signifies true love. For one thing, the thumb stud always bugged me. In a post on this forum dated 12/29/13, I wrote: "…It is not, however, a perfect knife. The imperfections are more a matter of design than execution. Specifically, the thumb stud sucks. Sorry, Chris Reeve fans, it sucks. It's pointy, shallow, uncomfortable, difficult to find, and not well positioned relative to (a) the thumb recess and (b) the angle of deployment. And don't tell me to practice. I already have. After a day or two, I can now deploy the knife quickly, safely, and reliably. So what's the problem? At the risk of sounding like a dilettante, there is simply NO JOY in deployment."

For that reason and a few others, I regarded my first sebenza as a jewel, but not a grail. Eventually I sold it.

Flashforward 13 months. During that period, I bought several custom folders, a few more expensive than my first sebenza. Most got sold. About a month ago, I got this little feeling about the sebenza. I ignored it. It didn’t go away. So I bought another one. Like my first, it was a large 21. Unlike my first, it didn’t have wood inlays or bronze hardware. It arrived NIB. I took one look at it and knew. This was it.

Here’s what I learned in the 13 months away from the sebenza…

I like gentleman’s folders and utility folders over tactical ones, except when I go to the desert and it's time to show off for the boys.

I like thumb studs and spyder holes. I enjoy flippers, but ultimately I treat them more like a toy than a tool. That says something not about the knives, but about me.

I like handles that are straight.

I like handles that fit all my fingers.

I like handles that are narrow in “height,” but not narrow in thickness.

I like handles that are medium traction.

I like jimping that is medium traction.

I like right hand, tip up only.

I like blades over 3 inches.

I like blades under 4 inches.

I like thin-ish grinds.

I like blades that have no writing on them whatsoever.

I like points that are stronger than the PM2 but more precise than the 0301.

I like designs that are simple.

I like pillar construction.

I like a small but functional choil.

I like a ricasso.

I like a RC that isn’t too difficult to sharpen.

I like lockup around 50%. Too early makes me nervous. Too late makes me irritated.

I like pocket clips that are very secure.

I like pocket clips that don’t wiggle.

I like pocket clips with one or no visible screws.

I like pocket clips that don’t dig into your palm.

I like a knife that I’m not afraid to ruin by, say, using it.

In short, I like my sebenza. Scratch that. I love it.

As for the thumb stud issue, my first sebenza had a very strong detent, so that really made the design of the thumb stud a problem for me. My new sebenza, however, has a perfect detent for me. Strong enough for good blade retention, weak enough to break under moderate (and comfortable) pressure. So problem solved.

Here she is...

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Very nice story sir. I've had a similar journey. I have tried other knives but I keep coming back to the Sebenza for the reasons you listed. Thanks for sharing.
 
Very good assessment I can easily agree with on about every point, in fact maybe all of them. I too ended up back on board with a Micarta inlay, a small this time. However, a Large Micarta is an inevitability.

And I think I'm Sebbie-bound for the long haul, unless of course CRK unleashes a Micarta inlayed Umnumzaan with a 21 bushing pivot. And an optional Insingo blade for it. (I can dream, right?)
 
Well thought out thread. As is with plenty of hobbies, experience with several different items starts showing us what we don't like in a given product. This process of elimination points us to a smaller number of items that meet our own likes and wants. In 20 years of serious sea kayaking, I've owned somewhere between 15 and 20 high end boats. I've owned a number of those boats more than once, because some things just work for me better than others. I've also found this to be the case with pocket knives and Sebenzas happen to be the ones I keep coming back to because they simply offer more of what I'm looking for than anything else I've currently owned.

I know there are haters(seems like a fair number lately) who get irked when a CRK fan states someone "gets it", but for us, CRKs just make sense.
 
Great story! (And nice pic!) I love my small micarta Seb, but prefer the plain scale large 21.
 
I agree on all points except the thumb lug. It is a design that I love, and is the result of years of refinement by CRK.

It meets the following design goals through some compromise, resulting in thumblug perfection! (to me at least ;))

Great looking
Lightweight
Does not catch on pocket
Does not trap junk when cutting food or dirty stuff
Does not hang up on cardboard
Does not become loose
Is a marvel of manufacturing (especially in single-stud configuration with the fancy backside)
Is comfortable once you break in your thumb :D


BTW, Great Looking blade!!

I am partial to mine as well:

DSCF7634_zps6bc17b45.jpg
 
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Nice choice to go with micarta! The wood inlays are great (I have too many lol) but I like that the micarta still has the feel of an inlay and the benefits of the blasted finish that wears so well.
It takes a little while to fully appreciate the fine points that make a sebenza so great, it seems like you finally "get it"!!
 
kidcongo said:
I agree on all points except the thumb lug. It is a design that I love, and is the result of years of refinement by CRK.

It meets the following design goals through some compromise, resulting in thumblug perfection! (to me at least ;))

Great looking
Lightweight
Does not catch on pocket
Does not trap junk when cutting food or dirty stuff
Does not hang up on cardboard
Does not become loose
Is a marvel of manufacturing (especially in single-stud configuration with the fancy backside)
I comfortable once you break in your thumb :D
Click to expand...

+1

I didn't even need to break in my thumb, the CRK thumb lug always felt natural to me. It's perfect, well designed and cool looking.
 
Great thread. :)

One thing that sucks about owning a CRK, you will forever compare ALL other knives to the fit and finish of a CRK. You, my friend, are hooked.
 
Interesting story - like a lot of the crew on here I was somewhat underwhelmed when my first CRK arrived.

Carry and use it for a few weeks and it all makes sense, extremely good knife and I absolutely would not be without one.

I recently sold 3 - CF Seb, Wilson Combat Seb and Plain Insingo, all great knives but I realised I only need two - that being my large CG Seb and small CF Insingo.
 
Thank you, gentlemen, for your kind words. A few more thoughts for us sebenza lovers...

Many people emphasize the build quality of the sebenza. But I've owned other knives with excellent build quality that didn't have the same appeal. Other folks emphasize the beauty of the sebenza. But I've owned other knives with comparable beauty that didn't have the same appeal. Here's my theory about what makes the sebenza different from so many other knives... It is a knife, and only a knife. It is not a weapon. It is not a toy. It is not a showpiece. It is a knife. The sebenza is what it is and does not try to be something it is not.

This theory explains why so many people who first own or handle a sebenza, myself included, don't fully "get it." You first pick it up and think, "Huh, it's just a knife." Later, that is exactly the thing you love about it -- that it is just a knife and nothing more.

This theory also explains why our love of the sebenza is puzzling to some knife enthusiasts. They don't see what we see. That is because what we see isn't merely the presence of thoughtful design and meticulous execution but also the absence of anything else. The absence of unnecessary embellishment. The absence of unnecessary functionality. The absence of unnecessary gimmicks. The absence of something is more difficult to perceive than the presence of something. It takes time and experience to perceive absence. Hence the time and experience it takes to fully appreciate the sebenza.

I know this is a bit philosophical. That is a weakness of mine (one among many). Nevertheless, I think sebenza fans will know what I'm talking about.

Bryon
 
I usually carry at least 2 folders on me. Both used to be large. I would carry a large 25, and a cold steel ti lite. But something about the 25 didn't seem right. I still have it, but I can't put my finger on what bothers me about it... but I just recently got a regular small 21... and my God am I in love with it. It could still do damage if God forbid I ever had to use it for self defense and I for some reason could not use my 4inch ti lite. Or my punch dagger. I have finally found the perfect sebenza size for me. It just seems perfect for what I need it to do, the ratio of handle and blade seems perfect compared to the large 25. And overall, I am extraordinarily happy with it. =)
 
Very nice read, thanks for sharing yor thoughts. My newest bears a striking resemblance, although I still need to take off the lanyard. I don't care for it sticking out of my pocket during office carry.

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