I don't even think that the SRM 710 looks all that much like a "Sebenza." They're both squarish all-metal framelocks, but the Sanrenmu has its screws, pins, and pivot set up differently, etc.
If the SRM 710 is a nice knife, that's great. I just think its silly to call it a Sebenza knockoff when there are knockoff knives which try very hard to look like what they are copying.
If its close enough to be hard to distinguish the two from photos, I'd call it a copy or knockoff. If the two are clearly distinguishable, I'd say they are two knives in the same family. For instance, the small scaleless framelocks Gerber makes are in the same family as the CRKT KISS, but are not knockoffs. The Sanrenmu 711 on the other hand, has such subtle differences that its hard to distinguish from a KISS except by the lettering on the blade.
Both knives are solutions to more or less the same design problems. You ask one company to make a short, light survival knife with a scandi grind and you get a Mora. You ask another company and you get a Bushlore. Is the Bushlore a Mora knockoff because it is a solution to a similar engineering problem?
Then again, none of this really matters. I just wanted to express my opinion on what is and isn't a knockoff. Take it or leave it.
Also, its not hard to make a SRM 710 carry tip-up. A little careful measuring, marking, drilling, and tapping is fairly easy on a steel-scaled knife. The job gets a lot harder if the handle is composite with no liners, etc.
Those Sanrenmus make great little project knives. Also, I'd rather deal with a Sanrenmu than some less well known Chinese maker, since with the Sanrenmu, you fairly well know what you are getting, materials-wise. For instance, $7-$12 is a nice price point for an 8Cr13MoV blade.
So, in short, get a Sanrenmu *and* get a new Sebenza. Wait, what was I saying again?
