Can a Sebenza be as smooth as a Inkosi?

JLVL

JLVL

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So, I am certain that this will be controversial as always, but I am hoping to maybe learn a thing or two in the process. Recently, in the last couple of weeks or so, I have bought and sold a small sebenza Insignio black micarta, and have just acquired a small inkosi drop point with natural inlay.

I actually really enjoyed the sebenza's ergonomics, and I think I prefer it to the inkosi. Like so many others, I wish the inkosi had another 1/4 inch to it and I would probably be in heaven, but alas it does not. I have not had a chance to handle more than the two that I have, as there is nobody within rational driving distance to fondle them so I can't see how one might feel compared to another as far as function between like models. I would love to try the larges as well, but unfortunately I can only swing one at a time at the moment, hence me having to get rid of the Seb for the Inkosi.

So, after all that, my issue with the sebenza, and the reason for its departure, was the difficulty opening it initially with the detent. It just felt like it took too much pressure to activate the action and left me feeling frustrated. I spent a fair bit of time with it and also made sure I gave it a good cleaning and lubing, but it remained to be something that did not feel as it should to me. Don't get me wrong, once past the detent, it was super smooth, and hydraulic like as it should be, but still difficult to engage in my opinion. I have seen that some folks bring their washers down by .01 at a time to get them as smooth as they hoped for, which I would feel fine doing, but I didn't want to go down that path until I had tried a couple more to compare to. Also, this was picked up on the exchange and had seen some time, so it wasn't a brand new one looking to just be broken in. So I traded it for the Inkosi.

Now, the inkosi. This one is super smooth right out of the gate. This is what I thought the sebenza was going to be. I really do enjoy and appreciate the way it moves. I am understanding of the differences between the knives in that the sebenza has the bushing and Inkosi does not and has the ceramic ball and what not, so I see why it would be smoother, but I do read of lots of folks claiming their sebenza is just as smooth and I am wondering if that is the general consensus, or if the sebenza, in general, is just not as smooth as the Inkosi? If only I could have the internals of the Inkosi in the Sebenza frame...or maybe just a medium Inkosi! Anyhow, thanks all for the help!
 
Mine is wicked smooth . Liquid. Same as my Inkosi used to be. In fact any Sebenza I carried and used for a few weeks with a properly fitted bushing was glassy smooth after a few weeks of carry.

The Sebenza is a very tight unit. It can take a little time.

The Inkosi is amazing as well. That might be my next CRK (again) .
 
BellaBlades said:
Mine is wicked smooth . Liquid. Same as my Inkosi used to be. In fact any Sebenza I carried and used for a few weeks with a properly fitted bushing was glassy smooth after a few weeks of carry.
Click to expand...
Well that makes me both sad and happy to hear lol...Thanks!
 
JLVL said:
Well that makes me both sad and happy to hear lol...Thanks!
Click to expand...

I have also experienced a tight Sebenza at first. You just need to man handle it for a while and it should be fine.

The Sebenza fits my hand a little bit better than the Inkosi as well. An Inlay Inkosi might be the bees knees.
 
The large sebenza lockbar is Stronger and has the detent on its side of the lockbar. It allows me to flick it out. See video.

Where the Inkosi has a lighter lockbar pressure and a different detent at the top/side of the lockbar. and it won't flick out as well. In fact I had to loosen the pivot a little bit to be able to, but it's still at 80% of being able to flick out successfully and fails to lockup the other 20%. It requires giving it some wrist for the most part.

Neither of them drop shut but the Inkosi takes less gravity/force to close (without touching the blade if you know what I mean as it's hard to describe).

OH yea I just got a large Inkosi not to long ago.
This was before I adjusted the pivot a little.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BtuflrPBQ3B/?utm_source=ig_share_sheet&igshid=bzcd35kmdvm0

Here's the sebenza.
 
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My Inkosi takes a different approach to opening. Palm the end of the handle & pushing the thumbstud upward, she opens just fine. I can flick it open with a bit of wrist flick, but I'd rather the slow opening method. Mmmmm, smoove.
 
I’ve never flicked open a Sebenza or Inkosi, so I can’t speak to that.

I have noticed, however, that it takes a wee bit more effort to open the Sebenza than the Inkosi, but I believe that can be attributed to design more than anything. I’ve only got small versions of the Sebenza, and none of them are terribly difficult to open, but maybe I’ve gotten lucky. After a cleaning and lube (and over time), they only get smoother.

The Inkosi pivot, however, is adjustable to a degree that the Sebenza isn’t, and I find that this helps attain the perfect amount of pressure required to open. Add to that a different detent design, and it’s extremely smooth (but not too easy) to open. :)
 
Out of the box, an Inkosi IMO is the smoothest CRK they produce. Some of the smoothness may be contributed to the position of the clip no pushing/resting on the lock bar. For me, the last couple of new Sebenzas have been just as smooth. I’m probably biased because I’ve got several and have been carrying/using a CRK for a few years now. I guess my thumb is calloused where it is a non issue. I’ve learned that if you use a arcing motion and get your thumb behind the thumb stud, it makes for a better break in. Using the top of the thumb stud will keep your thumb sore longer. It does take time for a Sebenza to be broken in.
 
Just me maybe, but I don't consider CRK knives as rocket fast openers. That in my opinion just isn't their design goal. What they are are well built, function knives with incredible tolerances.

I honestly consider my CRKs as two handed openers. They are super smooth and are certainly bank vault like. If I need a fast one handed opener, I carry something different.
 
In my opinion, Sebenza and Inkosi both take some breaking in for smooth, fast blade deployment. Both are phenomenal; after all, it's a CRK. As Kreyzhorse Kreyzhorse says, if you want easy, quick deployment, you might want to carry something else.

For what it's worth, the guys at CRK don't recommend the flick method. YMMV.
 
I love the strong hydraulic feel of the Sebenza. Does the Inkosi (right out of the box) have a similarly strong detent like the Sebenza?
 
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