Anybody else-sebenza dead horse.

Dijos

Dijos

Joined
Nov 20, 2001
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(( This thread was resurrected after a three year gap so responding to some posts may be futile. ))

I hate to beat a dead horse, but I handled yet another sebenza today. This makes 5 or so. I cannot afford one; ok, I could, but my gf would probably throw me out. I just don't see what fit and finish everybody is raving about. It's nice, and quality and all that, but I don't see how it's better engineered than many knives that it is supposed to have it all over. Am I just not sophisticated enough to tell the difference? I have seen better openers, and certainly better closers than the Seb. I feel kind of dumb-They're like the holy grail of production knives, but i'm just missing it.

Does anybody else feel this way? I don't want this to turn into an explanantion of how and why the seb is so great-I believe you, but I'm actually looking to see if anybody else is underwhelmed by it.
 
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I don't think it matters how good the F&F is, or isn't, on the Sebbie, if the knife doesn't appeal to you then it's simply not the knife for you. Personal preference plays a LARGE part in these types of things. Objectively speaking, (as much as anyone can), I think most people would agree that it is a very well built knife. Unless you get a rare one with a problem you will find almost nothing wrong with them. This is not to say they are the perfect knife, there are times when I'd choose another knife for certain things, but it is extremely well built with very high quality control. Whether or not it's "style" or shape or whatever appeals to you is an entirely different matter.
 
I don't want this to turn into an explanantion of how and why the seb is so great
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Unfortunately that is what will happen though.

The can of worms is opened yet again. Let the debate begin.

I just saw a Small Classic that was a pretty darn good looking knife. It finally sold on the other forum. It took from April 3 to July 1 to sell a LNIB Small Sebbie for a great price too I might add. So, apparently, good as they are I'm not the only one that thinks they are a bit pricey for what you get, even when used and in like new condition with all the box and paperwork.

Not that they aren't good knives, but are they really worth what they bring? To some I guess so, to others,?? I could buy a lot of great knives for the price of one Sebbie. Even the one I own wouldn't be in my collection if it weren't for the deal I got. I just see other knives that appeal to me more and are easier to unload should I need a few $ quickly.

There is my $.02. Next
 
I have seen & handled the Sebenza at knife shows. It is a well made knife. Is it worth the price :confused: that is up to the buyer :) My EDC is a 3 inch Queen folder in D2. This puppy cuts great & I have no real need for a larger knife. :cool:
 
Yeah, the Sebenza can be a little under-whelming I guess. I had one for a while and just could not build an attraction to it as being 'the best'. Dont get me wrong, it is 100% quality and if is your style then you got yourself a great knife.

I find a lot of knives have that effect though. I have had or handled a few custom folders by some known makers. To be honest I would have a hard time thinking they were worth more than a good production knife, other than they are hand built. I have in front of me a Buck 110 thats about 3 years old. It has f/f that is equal to or better than many run of the mill custom 'tac' folders I have come across. I have custom and production fixed blades, some of the production ones have better grinds than the customs. Im rambling now so i'll stop :)
 
I went to the Eugene Knife Show, pretty much planning on buying a small Sebenza. Saw one and handled it for the first time and it was a nice knife, however, I bought a handmade a few tables away for $50 less. Not knocking the Sebenza, but there may be better deals out there.
 
It's a $450 pocket knife. Of course it's way too expensive for what it is, just a pocket knife. I love mine though and I'm glad I have it. :)
 
Definitely "underwhelming". I bought one, carried it a bit, then sold it. The quality and design are beyond question at this point, but it definitely is not a "sexy" knife. When my knife-buying days are over, I may get another one, and I'm sure it will outlast me.
 
you pay for a level of fit that is pretty much pointless. There are a ton of other knives of the same steel, titanium, lock, profile, size, weight, etc. I don't know that anyone expects a Sebbie to last any longer, as there's nothing in the construction to do that.
 
I, personally, would never purchase a Sebenza. I rather carry a Delica or Endura myself. If I were going handmade, I'd get a WH ZPD 189.
 
I'd have a hard time buying a Sebenza, but that's just me. And it's nothing really anything about the knife. Although I do find plain ones uninspiring and boring, certain inlayed ones and unique graphic ones do catch my eye (as well as Matt Cucchiara customized ones).

And it's not a "not enough knife for the price" thing for me either. Expensive, yes, but I have several knives that approach or excede Sebenzas. But for that much money, I'd like something that isn't just another Sebenza, or even just another unique or customized Sebenza. Like a Cutter's K&T Brend #2 or Protech Integrity or an all-out custom.

Quality and F&F are basically set-in-stone givens with a CRK (as well as a warranty to back it up), but taste has quite a bit to do with choosing a knife, and the Sebenza doesn't fit everybody's.
 
i'm not nutz about them, they are certainly a good knife, out of all my stuff my sons favorite is my std sebenza i got 3-4 yrs ago and never have carried, its his in 1 year for his 16th B-day. have started to swap it a time/2 but he'd kill me if i swapped that knife lol he's wanted it since he first saw it.

imho the f&f of the seb does rival/even exceed many customs, its a nice knife, if its the style/size ya want its certainly worth the $$ and they always seem to sell well too so ya could get your $$ back, or some of it anyway, they are very popular though some seem to have a problem with them.

for the money i can think of a thing/2 i would rather have for the same amount,
 
Dijos said:
I hate to beat a dead horse, but I handled yet another sebenza today. This makes 5 or so.
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I have never handled a Seb but have read all the "yes please" and "no thanks" debates on this forum. Personally, I feel that they are priced too high for what I require from a folding knife. Its hard for me to comprehend that a knife of this retail value will proportionately equate to its said value added fit, finnish and performance.
Saying this, I must state that handling a knife as against using and working with one, are two different experiences, thus I will probably buy a couple, use them like I would any other knife that I own, then make a more valued contribution to this ongoing discusion. Till then, this will be my first and last comment on the great Sebenza debate.
 
I believe there are two types of knife people, Those who like "sexy" and those who like engineering. If you like a "sexy" knife, then you will be unimpressed by a sebenza. If you like engineering you will come to the conclusion that very very few knives are better engineered or better executed.

Here's a good test, take any non sebenza knife. Like how it opens? Tighten the pivot, so now it doesn't open. Loosen the pivot, try to find the "sweet spot" again. Guess what, you will not be able to adjust it to the way it was before, and it's likely you just indiced blade play or locking problems. This doesn't happen on a sebenza. But reliability isn't "sexy".

We obviously have to dicuss the law of diminishing returns, the relationship is log not linear so each incremental increase in quality will cost increasingly more. This is true for every thing we buy.

Better made does translate into longer life. is that important to you? Maybe not, long life isn't "sexy".

The whole idea that customs are better, well maybe, but there are a lot of stories about problems with customs in the GBU forums. Try fiinding a custom in the same price range that's both as well engineered and without problems.

The idea that they are priced too high, maybe, but how much is a Ti Spyderco ATR? How Much is a Strider where one side is G10? How much is one of those large assisted openers?

Going back to the first paragraph, it all depends on what you like. For me, asssited opners are stupid, for me any knife with a recurve looks like crap.
 
DaveH said:
I believe there are two types of knife people, Those who like "sexy" and those who like engineering. If you like a "sexy" knife, then you will be unimpressed by a sebenza.
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What about Sexy Sebbies? :confused:

CR_Sebbie_un_01.gif


OR

Cucchiara_sm_seb_firefzz011.gif


oil
 
I also think that other manufacturers may have caught up. The Sebenza may have been the Holy Grail some years ago, with no other production knife coming close. But today there are other contenders, so the Sebenza´s level of quality is no longer unique, and thus the knife itself is no longer perceived as quite that special.

Kristofer
 
DaveH said:
Here's a good test, take any non sebenza knife. Like how it opens? Tighten the pivot, so now it doesn't open. Loosen the pivot, try to find the "sweet spot" again. Guess what, you will not be able to adjust it to the way it was before, and it's likely you just indiced blade play or locking problems. This doesn't happen on a sebenza. But reliability isn't "sexy".
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I take apart every knife with screws that I own. There was only one knife I couldn't adjust again to a sweet spot and that one was sent back to Benchmade and they replaced it as defective when they examined it.

I see what you're getting at, and it can be a bit tricky to achieve sometimes, but I don't agree with it.

Phil
 
The main appeal of the sebbie is how well it's engineered and how every part fits perfectly together.

That being said, for me a sebbie would be solely a collector's item. I would not feel comfortable EDCing a $350 knife, just in case I lose it. I carry a BM710.

That's probably the reason why I haven't bought a sebbie yet - cause it would just be sitting there in my drawer (with all my other knives) unused, and a $350 display piece at that.
 
My guess would be that the "sweet spot" in a sebenza is of a much larger range, because the sebenza isn't a flicker - you open it by sliding the stud with your thumb. So a large range of screw tightness will still allow you to open the sebenza smoothy. In contrast, I adjust my BM710 so that when i pull the axis bar back, the blade drops down about 90 degrees from just gravity. It's a much more precise adjustment to get this level of looseness and yet avoid blade play.
 
Dijos,

I don't mean this as an affront to you, so please don't take it personally. You are not the first person to post this, I just have to get this reply off my chest. It isn't aimed at you in particular.

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Any thread on whether the Sebenza is great or not, is a dead horse. If I never see a Sebenza thread in the Blade Discussion Forum, positive or negative, I will be a happy guy. I say this as someone that owns and uses Sebenzas and have for around 10 years. I like mine a lot, but the "it's the best knife ever" threads, along with the "I don't get it/it sucks" threads are just out of control.
 
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