Any Actual Reviews of the Sebenza 31 Out There Yet?

Lenny

Lenny

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Oct 15, 1998
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Looking for actual usage reviews, comparisons to the Sebenza 21 etc.
I can live without the first impressions type reviews.
Specifically, does the ceramic ball on the lock bar contribute an actual benefit to the knife. (correct me if I'm wrong on the ceramic ball location)
Yes, like many of you, I'm trying to decide if I should just purchase a Large 21 Insingo, or wait till CRK comes out with the Large 31 Insingo.
Thanks all.
 
The last video from Shot Show Tim stated that the other blade profiles probably won't come around for about a year.

I recommend you get either a 21 or inkosi insingo in the meantime.

I haven't seen any decent reviews yet but I'm sure they will pop up over the next month or two
 
If it’s going to be your only Sebenza, wait for the 31. It’s a better knife.

The ceramic ball is a big benefit, and I think it’s often glossed over. Starting with the Umnumzaan and continuing with the Inkosi, the ceramic ball removes any wear possibilities from the lock bar. In my experience the 31, Inkosi, and Umnumzaan all have a smoother lock release as well.

The 21 is a great knife, and if you absolutely can’t wait it will do fine.
 
I’ve owned both a 21 and an inkosi, and I‘ve got a 31 on preorder. I personally LOVE the plain titanium lock face. Just something about it makes me happy. The ceramic ball though, is a very big improvement to the locking system by essentially negating lockbar wear. It’s very smooth. I’ll love the 31, but I won’t ever retire the 21 completely. I suggest getting both :)
 
I already have a small 21 Insingo that I love but I want it's big brother too due to the better ergos.
2 things that concern me on the 31:
- I watched a long review of the 31 by some Canadian guy. The one thing he picked on was the positioning of the clip. He says it's annoying in the hand, a hot spot if you will
- Won't the ceramic ball eventually cause an impression in the tang of the blade? If so, what happens when the impression gets deeper with wear? Seems to me that it'd be confined to that one spot and never be able to move further to take up wear slack.
 
Lenny said:
Won't the ceramic ball eventually cause an impression in the tang of the blade? If so, what happens when the impression gets deeper with wear? Seems to me that it'd be confined to that one spot and never be able to move further to take up wear slack.
Click to expand...

I can only point to the 10+ years of regular Umnumzaan use showing that the ceramic ball interface works as well or better. The Inkosi is pushing on ~5 years as well.

The ceramic ball doesn't really make an “impression” or get “deeper” with use. It mostly stays the same.
 
I want to try one. I feel that the ceramic ball lock face is extremely solid. I loved every inkosi that I had. The ceramic ball face makes it feel so incredibly smooth yet extremely solid. Looking forward to the 31
 
After only about 6 months my Umy's lock-up is at about 90%. I fear one day in the not to distant future it will be hitting the opposite scale. I don't know why, it started late, ~70% but now it's getting a little worrisome.
 
The other concern I have is that the ceramic ball only touches the blade tang at one spot, whereas the Ti lock bar touches the tang along a full width edge.
Am I over thinking this?
 
Lenny said:
The other concern I have is that the ceramic ball only touches the blade tang at one spot, whereas the Ti lock bar touches the tang along a full width edge.
Am I over thinking this?
Click to expand...

Trust me, you’ll be overthinking it up until you get one in your hand. Everyone does. And then, poof magic. Love at first sight. You’ll never think anything of it again.
 
Mistman68 said:
After only about 6 months my Umy's lock-up is at about 90%. I fear one day in the not to distant future it will be hitting the opposite scale. I don't know why, it started late, ~70% but now it's getting a little worrisome.
Click to expand...

Post a picture of the tang. Lockup % means less with the ceramic ball. Most of them sit 60-80% across the tang and stay there forever. Visually it might appear further because the contact point is recessed in the lock arm a bit.
 
Lenny said:
The other concern I have is that the ceramic ball only touches the blade tang at one spot, whereas the Ti lock bar touches the tang along a full width edge.
Am I over thinking this?
Click to expand...

I think it’s a bit of over thinking. The proof in the pudding is in the eating. 10+ years on the Zaan, 4+ years on the Inkosi. Lots of reliability historically and I’m sure there’s a lot more to come.
 
Thanks all.
So this means that I'll have to wait till the 31 Insingo blade comes out.
 
Josh K said:
Post a picture of the tang. Lockup % means less with the ceramic ball. Most of them sit 60-80% across the tang and stay there forever. Visually it might appear further because the contact point is recessed in the lock arm a bit.
Click to expand...

I've seen pics of the lock-up on other Zaans and they do appear late, this is my 1st. It hasn't really moved in a while and it could be that it was always this late and I just thought it might have been earlier. I can push the lock-bar over to about 95% but it generally sits at about 85ish. Other than that every thing else seems fine, lock up is really tight in all ways regardless of where the lock-up is.
 
Mistman68 said:
I've seen pics of the lock-up on other Zaans and they do appear late, this is my 1st. It hasn't really moved in a while and it could be that it was always this late and I just thought it might have been earlier. I can push the lock-bar over to about 95% but it generally sits at about 85ish. Other than that every thing else seems fine, lock up is really tight in all ways regardless of where the lock-up is.
Click to expand...

It shouldn't move once it settles in. I wouldn't be concerned about the visual appearance of the lockup unless there is play.

CRKs in general don't “wear” on the lockbar like some other knives might. I have a 20+ old Sebenza that still shows no signs of letting up.
 
Buy a 21. I have had 200+ sebenzas in all configurations and have never had any lockbar wear. I USE my CRK as well. It’s as close as you can get to the original Sebenza design. Much more solid lockup as well. Not a fan of the ceramic ball detent as I have had Lock slippage and failure on the Umnumzaan which led to a nasty scar. If you have a hankering for a 31, you will have tons of them readily available down the road anyways.
 
If you look at the detent track on the blade of a 21, you’ll see a path that it travels. I don’t recall any issues being reported of the detent ball wearing a deeper groove on the blade. The lock bar detent ball on a 21 is made of ceramic also. So, I wouldn’t think the detent ball on the 31 will be any different that what’s been around for a long time already. Josh K Josh K , if you count the 25 in with the Inkosi, then it’s 10 years old as well. Given that, it would be safe to say, the changes to the 31 have already been time proven.
 
21 will last you a lifetime.... Can't really see how in actual usage a 31 will be an improvement... can't wait to find out!
 
OK, probably my last questions for a while.
Does the ceramic ball spin in its setting or is it stationary?
Also, even with the ceramic ball, what keeps it from being pressed in deeper into the softer Ti of the lockbar?
It's still being impinged upon by 2 harder materials (the ceramic ball, and the steel of the tang)
 
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