Anyone have BOTH a Ritter RSK and a Sebenza?

L

Lavan

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Nov 8, 2000
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I'm too frikkin cheap to buy a Sebenza, but the RSK flat grind looks stronger to me than a hollow grind.
Is it?

:confused:
 
The flat saber grind on the RSK is going to have more steel behind it, and therefore have a bit more strength in the blade. The only use for this lateral strength that I can think of would be prying, which is a terrible idea for a thin bladed S30V knife like the Ritter or Sebenza. The bigger concern to me would be the strength of the handle in hard use situations. I could see the fat, hollow, partially lined FRN handle on the Ritter giving before the blade on either knife.

They both have great blade shapes and grinds for cutting, so I would have no worries about the blade grinds in terms of toughness.
 
yes I had both the RSK is a very nice knife especially for its pricetag. I eventually gave it to my brother. I did not feel it was any stronger than my seb. from a durability stand point I am pretty sure I use my knives harder than most folks and I have never had even the smallest problem with it. mind you I use my knives very hard but I am aware that they are knives and use them as such.

I also have a Strider AR that is very tough bordering on rediculous and oddly enough it is the only blade I own that has had the tip break off. about 1/16" of the tip broke off in part to my brother-in-law and another to my ego. he asked to borrow a knife to cut so silicone around a mirror and stupidly I said here use this and he cut the silicone just fine and then proceed to pry the mirror off the wall with it and snap there it went. I thoughit it would handle it and I was wrong. I learned my lesson kinves are great tools but must be used for their intended purpose.
 
I have both, and last year thought it would be foolish to spend as much as I did on my Seb. Well, my Seb is my weekly EDC now.
 
You can get a seb in a flat grind if you want. I don't want a sebenza and have never owned one though I have held and used them.

I own and like the RSK. It's a tough knife and done everything with ease that I've asked of it. I don't pry with it. I have other handy items for that purpose if I need to pry.
 
I had an RSK, thinking of buying one again. A very respectable knife. Some don't like the feel of the handles which is a very subjective issue. However the blade shape is of course very similar to a sebenza. I'd reccommend an RSK
 
I've got both too. They are among my very favorite knives. I have to admit that the RSK actually has won out for EDC. The primary reason is that I like the blade shape a bit better than the Sebenza. On the other hand, I like the handle and locking mechanism on the Sebbie better. I am a big fan of frame locks. The axis lock works fine and I've never had any problems with it, but the omega springs seem like they may not be quite as robust as the Ti frame lock. That said, omega springs rarely give any problems.

As to the handle, I am honestly not concerned about the strength or durability of the RSK handle. Yes, its different and the big RSK doesn't have full liners. The handle, however, has bridging in the part that is not covered by the steel liner. It's strong and shouldn't present any problems in hard use. The RSK probably has a more secure gripping surface on the handle.

Both of these knives are top-notch and I have full confidence in both. And I don't develop full confidence easily.

Again, I finally settled on the RSK for EDC.

:)
 
I have the small version of both. As for the argument of the hollow grind of the Sebenza not being as strong as the flat grind of the Ritter, I disagree. The Sebbie is actually thicker in the hollow section than is the Ritter behind the edge. The Ritter makes a very good cutter due to how thin the edge is, but being flat ground is not an argument for being stronger without any consideration for actual steel thickness.
 
I have a large regular Sebbie in BG-42 and a RSK in M2 with a Tom Krein 0.10 regrind. The M2 cuts like there is no tommorow but I still think the Sebbie is just a tad cooler overall, and for me the handles of the RSK are a just little on the lightweight side and don't have quite as good a balance as the Seb. In the scheme of things, if the house were to catch fire, I'd save the Sebbie before I'd save the RSK.

Matador-
 
I do not have a Sebenza, but I am very happy with my S30V RSK. The axis lock is cool, and if the "plastic" scales on the grip bother you, you can have G10 scales made for a grip and still come out paying half of what the Sebenza costs. I am not claiming that the RSK is a better knife, nor is it "even" with a CRK, but for the money, it is a great blade IMO.
 
I have both the Mini-Ritter and Small Seb (BG-42).

The Ritter is a better slicer, with excellent geometry - love the flat grind. My complaint about the plastic handle is the thickness, not the rough finish. Although, I have to admit I love the way the grip feels; it just melts into your hand.

On the other hand, the Sebenza feels like a precise, perfectly made piece of art. My only qualm about the product is why I would carry something worth $300 that doesn't cut as well as something a third of the price. Don't get me wrong, I love my Sebenza... but I'm too wary of scratching the handle or dropping it to carry it.
 
It's kinda like going to a casino. You could potentially lose $100, or almost $400.
Knives are easier to lose than say, a table saw.
Go with the RSK. If you ever lose it, you won't cry nearly as much!
Another nice S30V "slicer" is The Kershaw S30V Blur...good price too.
 
One of the factors I have considered is that I don't care for slippery metal handles. I know the Seb has inserts, but it would be better if the scales were solid synthetic for me. Liner, of course, but surfaced in synthetic.
 
I have and like both knives a lot, but the Seb is a much better knife in just about every aspect, although the RSK will open a lot faster. The Seb is a finely engineered lifetime investment. You can send it back to the factory for resharpening and reconditioning as needed. The factory convex edge will outcut the RSK factory edge.

I would choose the Seb every time. The only advantages of the RSK is speed/ease of opening and price.
 
I have both, but don't like both enough to edc either. I'd pick the Ritter over the Seb, especially with M2. The Seb is nice and tight, but vastly overrated, in my opinion. They are both good knives, varying widely in price.
 
I also have both; regular large Seb and two RSK's. The Seb can stand on it's own and I've never had an issue with the Ti handle being slippery. Mine is flat ground BG42 and a great all around knife that is a great investment anyway you look at it.

Now, for the RSK's...these are my go-to knives for "rought" outdoors activities. Blade profile is great; they're much lighter, great lock, solid belt clip. I've never had an issue or even thought about the strength of the FRN handle...I don't even think it's an issue that should be considered (unless you plan to hammer on it with a rock). I plan to be my wife the mini-RSK in yellow. The RSK is what I consider my budget Sebenza for hard use outdoors.

ROCK6
 
I have owned three Sebenzas and have four Ritter Grips. The Seb is beautifully made, with very tight tolerances, but I have found the Ritter to be the better cutting tool.
 
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