benchmade crooked river vs crk sebenza or something else?

nwmetalbug said:
The workmanship is second to none, perfect size for me,button lock is perfect, its not a CRK like every knife knut has.
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I heard the screws on the swiss border guard were its biggest issue in that they were prone to stripping and not the best quality, is there any truth to that?

Part of what makes a crk special is the excellent screws they use which makes the knife able to be taken down and reassembled again and again. There are few folding knives built to do that.
 
No on the crooked river. The scales are junk and chip if it falls on the ground the wrong way.
 
Owner of half a dozen CRKs and a couple BMs (though no CR BMs) here. I never disassembled-cleaned-reassembled any knife before I did so with a CRK Seb 21 (major insecurity issues here). After watching the CRK vid on how to disassemble-clean-reassemble a Seb 21, I (albeit unnecessarily) went through the drill and found that even I (ten left thumbs) could easily do an all-encompassing maintenance routine with a Seb 21. I doubt there’s any other commonly available production knife which that could be said of. IMO, the BM CR is undeniably beautiful, but I doubt it has the owner ease-speed-convenience of disassembly-cleaning-reassembly that the CRK Seb 21 has.

As always (as the old carnival barker said)... “Ya pays yer money and ya takes yer choice”!

Best of luck with whatever you choose to do!
 
Lapedog said:
I heard the screws on the swiss border guard were its biggest issue in that they were prone to stripping and not the best quality, is there any truth to that?

Part of what makes a crk special is the excellent screws they use which makes the knife able to be taken down and reassembled again and again. There are few folding knives built to do that.
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Cant say anything about the screws I guess ill cross that bridge when I come to it. Ive just been washing with hot water and blowing out with compressor and couple drops of nano 5wt smooth as silk.
 
Blasphemy!
:D

Try one. Start for example with a Delica or PM2. Youll get hooked, most do:)

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I was in the same boat. Saved & bought both BM lg CR & lg Inkosi. Since both held their values, I sold the lg CR. A bit too heavy. After edc’n an Adamas for a year, I lean towards folders around 5oz.
 
Dogdrawz said:
I was in the same boat. Saved & bought both BM lg CR & lg Inkosi. Since both held their values, I sold the lg CR. A bit too heavy. After edc’n an Adamas for a year, I lean towards folders around 5oz.
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someone here says large crooked river is too big.is that true?
 
The Benchmade is a fidget knife and the crk is not. The crk is more of a tool. If that helps. Also avoid the black star as mentioned in a prior post. I hated it alot. Not a users knife at all. A slip joint would be better. And crk make a slip joint too
 
Too big is relative.

As someone else said, the large CR is LARGE.
4” Blade, more than 9” overall, and in my hands seems even larger. Too big for me.

However, I am quite fond of the small CR (fondled it many times) and it is one of the few Benchmades I would like to own (I’d have one already, but my collection is pretty full). Bolsters, wood, and a clip point...mmmmm....excuse me, I need a man moment.

Do you need a knife for significant use and carry? Would you be hesitant to use a $400+ knife and therefore derive more joy from something cheaper to use indiscriminately, or is the call of the Sebenza so strong you know eventually you’ll have one regardless?

IMO a micarta Sebenza (or Inkosi) is just about the best knife in the world. However, I don’t carry mine all that much. I’m fortunate to have many knives in the $100-$200 range that I really, really enjoy. Still, I’d give most of them up before I let one of my CRK’s slip away.

Not knowing what’s already in your collection...
Answer: Buy the mini CR today. Begin saving tomorrow for a micarta 21 or Inkosi.

On BFC the answer is ALWAYS buy both. ;)
 
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vulcan2 said:
spyderco makes nice knives but i really hate those holes on blades.
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I have a PM2 and a PM3 but those oversized, humped blades just don’t allow discreet concealed carry. I’ve given my Spydercos a fair hearing and my PM2 (carried in a belt-mounted leather pancake holster) is my go-to hunting/hiking/camping folder, but my Sebenzas have won out as my EDCs. My small Seb excels at discreet concealed carry and my large Sebs are my go-to EDCs. My BMs haven’t even finished in the top three. IMO, my Reates, Olamics and even Kizers have placed better than my BMs.
 
With a budget for either, get the one that suits your gut instinct most. I personally prefer the Mini Crooked River. CRK are great looking but the clip retention always felt sketchy to me, especially on the full size knives, and I always fell back to carrying a Benchmade or Spyderco.

I have bought (and sold) three CRK knives. Bear in mind, the CRK small is small. Check out comparison videos before you buy. A medium size would be perfect, imo. Not sure what current production is like now that Chris Reeve lost the company in a divorce settlement but I read his ex-wife is doing a good job.
 
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