benchmade crooked river vs crk sebenza or something else?

Had a small CR and have multiple CRK knives large and small. Sold the BM CR. Still have 8 CRKs. IMO, it's not even a contest. The BM CR is a nice knife. The CRK Sebenza, Inkosi and Umnumzaan are great knives!
 
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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I know different people may have different interpretations for "holding values" but to me, Benchmade Crooked River is at the bottom in terms of holding its value. The knife is significantly overpriced at $200 (with s30v steel and wood/g10 scales). I see NIB/LNIB crooked river lg difficult to sell at $140 (~30% off) here in the Exchange.
 
I should have mentioned I was talking about the used market. I bought the CR here & got a great deal & sold it here for the same price after using it for months. That's why the exchange here is a great place to shop. Also not all BM's hold value. The Grips are getting cheaper used, since the blade steel upgrade. That's just great news for me cuz 154cm it still bad to tha bone for me. I found the CR to be the next level Buck 110. I think every collection needs at least one of each; a BM & CRK. BM & CRK both have a great positions in knife history, much like Buck, Mora & many others.

As for the OP's dilemma, save for both. Each is a great choice. Buying both used is a great choice for holding a bit of knife history in ones hand(s).
 
That full sized benchmade reminds me of the Spyderco Millie. With your budget skies the limit on steel and handle type with the sprint runs. Everyone who collects should own one as it’s one of the more popular models.
That said you may want a smaller one if you’re mainly just going to carry it around. Knives like the Millie occupy a lot of pocket space. It can be hard getting to my keys at times. It makes up for it when you use it though.

I do not understand the sebenza. I can afford one but I’m not sure why I’d bother. Do they cut as good as my delica? I’ll never know but I doubt it.
 
I find the crooked river to be one of the most underrated knives on the market. I cant get mine out of my pocket and all my other knives have gotten jealous. Also, I think sebenzas either speak to you or not. They say nothing to me.
 
Shotgun said:
That full sized benchmade reminds me of the Spyderco Millie. With your budget skies the limit on steel and handle type with the sprint runs. Everyone who collects should own one as it’s one of the more popular models.
That said you may want a smaller one if you’re mainly just going to carry it around. Knives like the Millie occupy a lot of pocket space. It can be hard getting to my keys at times. It makes up for it when you use it though.

I do not understand the sebenza. I can afford one but I’m not sure why I’d bother. Do they cut as good as my delica? I’ll never know but I doubt it.
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They cut as good or better.
 
vulcan2 said:
maybe one day i fall in love with those holes.who knows? :))
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The aesthetics of the spydie hole don't appeal to me in any way.
The functionality and usefulness make me overlook the weirdness of the Spyderco look.
I tried CRK years ago and was sorely disappointed with whatever he does heat treat wise to the blade, though the fit and finish is excellent.
I quickly sold my CRKs - they didn't fit my utilitarian needs nearly as well as other knives. His S30V clearly didn't perform to the level that other S30V did... just can't figure that out for the life of me why he made it so mushy. I know its different steel now, but I'm not confident his temper philosophy has altered.
Though BM is a crapshoot with fit and finish I'd go for the Crooked River.
I'd still take a Spyderco over the two because I'm of the opinion that Spyderco heat treatments just get more out of a blade than any other manufacturer that I've tried to date.
 
I have two CRK's , a Sebenza and an Umnumzaan.
They're both fine knives , but after getting them, I didn't have an epiphany and stop appreciating other knife designs.

The Axis lock in definitely something every knife aficionado should own and IMO the Crooked River is one of Benchmade's best designs.

So my advice is to buy the knife that appeals to you more , regardless of the price difference. Because if you're expecting the CRK to be twice the knife the Benchmade is, you might be underwhelmed by the CRK. But if you truly like the design of the CRK, you won't be disappointed.
 
sharp_edge said:
I know different people may have different interpretations for "holding values" but to me, Benchmade Crooked River is at the bottom in terms of holding its value. The knife is significantly overpriced at $200 (with s30v steel and wood/g10 scales). I see NIB/LNIB crooked river lg difficult to sell at $140 (~30% off) here in the Exchange.
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I have owned several Crooked Rivers (even a custom) and this is true. The Crooked River is overpriced and does not retain value at all.
 
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Dogdrawz said:
I should have mentioned I was talking about the used market. I bought the CR here & got a great deal & sold it here for the same price after using it for months. That's why the exchange here is a great place to shop. Also not all BM's hold value. The Grips are getting cheaper used, since the blade steel upgrade. That's just great news for me cuz 154cm it still bad to tha bone for me. I found the CR to be the next level Buck 110. I think every collection needs at least one of each; a BM & CRK. BM & CRK both have a great positions in knife history, much like Buck, Mora & many others.

As for the OP's dilemma, save for both. Each is a great choice. Buying both used is a great choice for holding a bit of knife history in ones hand(s).
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I'd take a 110 in cpm154 any day over a CR. We're talking about a classic knife vs something marginally cool if that.
 
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They’re both nice knives. If you can afford it, you should get a Sebenza. You’ll love it and if not, their resale value is excellent. Ther’s a reason everything is compared to CRK. The Crooked River is nice, but not the same league as the CRK. Plus, I love Benchmade, but they’re still sometimes inconsistent with QC. If you don’t want to spend the money, but still want a titanium framelock, try the LionSteel SR22 in titanium or the Klotzli Swiss Border Guard. They’re both closer to $300 and solid knives. Also, Kizer is making several good Ti framelocks these days.
 
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ronin.graves said:
They’re both nice knives. If you can afford it, you should get a Sebenza. You’ll love it and if not, their resale value is excellent. Ther’s a reason everything is compared to CRK. The Crooked River is nice, but not the same league as the CRK. Plus, I love Benchmade, but they’re still sometimes inconsistent with QC. If you don’t want to spend the money, but still want a titanium framelock, try the LionSteel SR22 in titanium or the Klotzli Swiss Border Guard. They’re both closer to $300 and solid knives. Also, Kizer is making several good Ti framelocks these days.
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Thank you, what do you think about tre model from lionsteel? Vs sr22 or sr11?
 
vulcan2 said:
Thank you, what do you think about tre model from lionsteel? Vs sr22 or sr11?
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A lot of people like the sr11. Personally, I like the sr22 better. I like the smaller size and the grind, etc., especially for EDC. Checkout youtube for great reviews by Nick Shabazz (sr11), Eugene Kwon (sr22) or many others.
 
If you've never owned a Sebenza before than you should at least try one out to see what its all about. Find a used plain jane large Sebenza in the exchange for $350-$375.
That way you can always put it up for sale if for some reason you dont end up liking it and not lose too much money.
 
ronin.graves said:
A lot of people like the sr11. Personally, I like the sr22 better. I like the smaller size and the grind, etc., especially for EDC. Checkout youtube for great reviews by Nick Shabazz (sr11), Eugene Kwon (sr22) or many others.
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And between sr series and tre?which do you prefer?
 
vulcan2 said:
And between sr series and tre?which do you prefer?
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The TRE is a little more sleek and kinda gentlemensy edc, while the SR seems a little more harduse looking (e.g., glass breaker, etc). I’ve only handled the SRs personally and I like the look and grinds of those, but I’ve heard good things about both.
 
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