Are Sebenzas overpriced?

You want a simple frame lock the beats the sebbie in looks, function, and strength? Mike Obenauf frame lock. Take a look. The sebbie can only have wet dreams of being in the same class.
Click to expand...

I looked at [one of?] his web site ( http://www.kvnet.org/knives/obenauf/ ) and all I find are liner locks (not frame locks), and with various slabs and bolsters. They are nice looking knives, and perhaps more comfortable to use than the Seb over the long run. But they are <i>definately not <b>simpler!</b></i> You can't just take them apart, clean them up, and then <i>put them back together</i> as easily as a Seb!

Whether or not an item is over priced comes down to taste and opinion, but I think the rationale behind the price can be justified <b>if</b> the Seb. meets <b>its</b> design goals better than any other knife! I for one have only an opinion here because I'm not going to take a half dozen knives costing $300+ each and do the sort of testing one would have to do to really make the claim that <b>this is the strongest folder in the world!</b>. I wish CRK would do that (a CRK "proof video"), but I don't realistically expect to see it any time soon!

If, in such hypothetical testing, the Seb turned out to be the strongest, then the price is legitimately what ever ther market will bear. "Market prices" don't apply the same way to a product that is provably "the best" in a given category. If the Seb fails the test, and is not the strongest knife, then its price would be too high, and it should be set somewhere below the leader. Of course the Seb. competes in dual categories, strongest <i>and</i> simplest to dissemble/assemble. The latter feature is often denigrated in these arguments, but no one disputes it. People either understand its value, or seek to minimize its worth.
 
The Sebbie arguments never seize to catch my interest :)..., and if you read every post..., darn near everyone agrees it's a high quality knife. The knife has had a great run of popularity.., is very well supported and marketed by Mr. Reeve..., and of course has all the usual "hype" that most knives with landslide popularity have.

Is it worth what it costs "new"??? Not in my opinion.., but of course it all becomes subjective and taste-oriented after one gets passed the overwhelming support users report on a consistent basis.

It's only fair to say I've had three Sebenzas.., and don't have anything really negative to say at all about the knife from a perfomance persepective. It's just not a knife that excites me much..., and I do think some of the "squiggley" handle stuff, Iolite Marbles in the handles.., and some other decorative options push the price into the ridiculous domain..., compared to prices of some "Custom" alternatives.

If I was Mr. Reeve.., would I sell them for less...?? Heck no!!!.., they are still selling consistently, and CRK is not a non-profit 501C agency.

I would also guess many of us have paid more money for a few knives that aren't as good a tool as a Sebenza (I certainly have).., but I suspect this question will continue to pop up as a subtle appeal for knife companies to adjust price points based on a neutral committee that decides the "Real Value"of any given piece, without "hype".., with no subjectivity or market-testing.., and less committment to profit..., than to what we want to pay.. :)

If that happens across the industry..., could everyone email me right away please...lol???


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt what they [NEED]"
 
...if you're paying retail for Seb's, be them large, small, wooded, damascus, what have ye, there's no one to blame but you.

Here's a small in like-new shape going for $200.00, case and point:

http://www.knifeforums.com/ubbthrea...89448&page=0&view=collapsed&sb=5&o=&fpart=all

I've not paid retail for a knife since discovering these forums back in '98/'99, and neither should anyone else in the know. Getting a small Seb. @ $200.00 vs the $305.00 retail sorta puts the argument in a different light, don't you think?

Professor.
 
or the Large Seb I scored off BF forums for $225 and its mint !

The way I look at it is ....we all feed each others addiction..person A buy knife....keeps it until they feel there is something else they " must have " then it gets sold to person B...person A takes a loss but gets $$$ to buy new blade..person B gets slightly used blade at great price.

If something is too high priced one of 2 things happen....company suffers and folds or they reduce prices. Dont see either happening on the Seb from CRK...just a thought.

My small Seb is a keeper , perfect for what I need...jury still out on whether I really need the Large or not .
 
There are so many people out there who love the Sebenza, but I personally wouldn´t pay such a price for a semi-custom knife - so I would go custom if I would spend a quite big amount of money for a high-end folder.
 
When you buy a Sebenza (or any other CRK knife), you are not just getting a high quality superior production knife.........

You are also buying into a relationship with one of the best run knife companies in North America.

Whether you are a dealer, a repeat customer or just an interested newbie looking for some support before you take the plunge, you can call CRK and if Chris or Anne are there and available they will immediately take the phone and spend quality time with you answering all your questions.

CRK never underestimates the value of a customer nor the value that the customer expects from their product- regardless of price.

The knives are definitely worth the money- if there were not, then CRK would not be where they are today and will be for years to come.

The relationship is a bonus- you will only realise and appreciate what that is worth down the road.

Neil
 
As usual, Sebenza thread gets some pretty good comments ;)

It may not appeal to everybody, it may not seem to be worthy to somebody, there are knves that are better locking (according to some posters), there are knives that are more ergonomic, according to others.

I agree with all that. But what sometimes strikes me is that Sebenza is definitely a king in a niche of an overall "relatively pricey", quality, materials and design.

When people ask me a question for "just this one really good knife" I am iterating in my memory through the knives I've worked with, handled, heard about and Sebenza is usually in the first group mentioned.

By the way. Have you guys ever heard of any case of a "lemon" Sebenza?
 
I am very new to the Sebenza debate only having recevied my first one a few weeks ago.

It was the most expensive single purchase I have ever made but I do not begrudge the money one little bit. I have, in fact, just ordered another although I think it is going to take ages to come through :(

These two purchases will probably be my entire knife budget for the next year or so.

Buying a Sebenza will actually save me loads on money as I do not intend to buy any other folders in the forseable future.

I have spent the last few years and loads of money trying to find the perfect EDC for and while the Sebenza is not perfect (it has a stud instead of a hole :D ) most of my other folders got put away at the weekend.

I am now in the process of selling some of them to finance my next sebenza purchase.
 
The short answer is no they are not overpriced.

Reason:
I do not know of anyone with an abundance of inventory so they must be selling well. (There is a reason for that).
 
Everything is overpriced.

And it is all the fault of the Insurance Companies and Advertisers.

Penny candy is now up to 10 cents near my house.

The nerve...
 
Yes, the Sebenza is way overpriced.
Even the majority of Sebenza owners on this forum are quick to say that they did'nt pay full retail.
Great knives, but I hav'nt seen one yet that looks like it's seen one day's worth of hard work.
I suspect this is because their owners baby them because they're so expensive to replace.
A friend of mine carries his Sebenza nearly everyday, but he also carries a Delica.
Guess which one he uses for the tough jobs?
 
Mine is my EDC with a capital E. It sees daily use, has it's nicks and scrapes, and has been dropped to concrete more than once. Heck I use the durn thing as a bottle opener for the non-twistoff types. Thing is it still looks great. Takes work like a pro.

Overpriced? Compared to what.

Price vs. Value is a subjective sport at best. Value, as said earlier, is in the eye of the beholder.
 
Elvis, I'm sure there are a few exceptions, but really, how many Sebenzas (other than yours) have you seen with battle scars?


BTW, did you pay full price for yours?

Allen.
 
Would I have liked to pay less for a Sabenza, and could I have paid less? Absolutely. But the same goes for any good product, like automobiles or watches and stuff. The very fact that people are trying to get them for less means that they want to have a Sabenza.

I figure it this way. I bought one and am happy with it. I will use it for many years. Friends of mine are buying lesser quality, less costly knives very often, paying far more for knives that they are unhappy with. When you buy value, you buy once.

Also, a person's means has something to do with it. I can't afford to run out and get, say, an Audi TT. But I don't begrudge others who can.

Not liking the Sabenza in the first place is entirely a different story. So don't get one. Knives are a very personal item. There are so many different types of knives out there - some you'll immediately warm up to, others you'll give hardly a glance at.
 
Is this the "God knows how many times we've talked about Sebenzas being overpriced thread?" IMHO, if you're paying retail, yes that's too much for a production knife, which is pretty plain Jane. Yes the materials are excellent, the knife performs well, and is very smooth for a production knife. They can be sharpened easily to a great edge, but again IMHO, they ain't too sharp out of the box for what you pay. When you look at the custom knife market, you can get a NEW Ken Steigerwalt black pearl, stainless damascus lockback folder, filed out the gazoo for around $650. A small classic Sebbie, with a damascus blade, "unique graphic" and cabocon will set you back $605. Granted they're different "types" of knives, but I have a hard time paying nearly as much for a production piece like the Sebbie when I know I can by a high quality HANDMADE knife for slightly more. Even if Ken can turn out a piece like that in 3 working days, you're looking at 24 hours of work by a single guy, using the same or better premium material (black pearl ain't cheap guys)! About the relationship piece Neil mentioned, any custom maker worth a damn will sharpen it or fix it, usually for the cost of return postage only, so we can flush that argument as well. Yes, the Sebbie is a great knife. It's a logical choice for someone who needs a great working folder, for EDC, and wants to buy a knife once every 15 years. But for your own financial sake, don't pay list!
 
I didn't pay for mine at all! Actually, if memory serves, I traded into mine and traded probably full value. A shame I don't remember who I got it from. I'm a horse trader. I traded into an old style small, that I had refurb'ed, then I believe sold that and used the cash + to get the Large. So partial payment I suppose.

Admittedly I'm a bargain hunter. I will soon get a small Seb and will buy it on the secondary market used as it will see a good amount of use anyway. I wouldn't buy a new one at full price just to beat it up IF I can find a used one at a lesser price already beaten to some extent.

But I have seen many users with battle scars. Yes, there are probably more in velvet cases inside of safes, but not all.

I will say that I bought my Umfaan (A Zig Zag) at a fair price, less than retail. Then I paid $70 extra to have a plain scale fitted on it, as I just don't like the polished scales on the patterned ones. So by that rationale I have a knife that is less desirable to collectors that I ended up paying more for than the more desirable one. Call me crazy, but that is what I wanted and so the subjectivity of "Value" versus "Price" went out the window.

No, it doesn't see as much use as my Large Seb, but it does see a fair amount for it's size :)
 
Thanks Elvis.
Just so no one misunderstands my previous statements, Sebenzas are very nice knives, and undoubtedly that quality costs more than many knives out there, but the price CR is asking for a new one is way inflated.

Of course, I'm a capitalist and I would'nt begrudge any man from trying to aquire wealth.

Good luck,
Allen.
 
I have knives that are used for specialized purposes. My Sebenza is my EDC. It's the knife that gets used for most things. I have knives for hunting, camping, fishing, whittling....beaters in the garage for opening cement bags, etc. These are NOT EDCs.
....And yes, I paid full retail with no regrets.

Paul
 
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