Chris Reeve Knives -what's the difference?

[crimsonfalcon07]

If you're willing to step your budget up a little more, you might give the HTM Gun Hammer a look. Darrel Ralph is one of the greats in terms of folders, in my opinion. Chris Reeve has a deservedly top notch reputation, but if you want something special that's a bit less expensive, the Gun Hammer is a fine choice.

 

[SpookyDriver]

I would have a lot of trouble spending Chris Reeve money on a knife, because I would be afraid to use it. All arguments about getting what you pay for aside, I'm just not that brave.

Don't be afraid to use one. I've used this small Sebenza several times a day, everyday, for the past 12+ years. It's still as solid as the day it was made. And if I do manage to break it, CRK will fix it.

However, it was a gift from a friend of mine. If I lost it, I could never justify the price of buying another one.

 

[jackthedog]

It is a lot of money for a knife but it is very much worth it. As others have said, you have to use it to appreciate it. If you're not ready to take that leap, I would also recommend the Spyderco Sage line as well as the Gayle Bradley.

 

[shqxk]

2 Words. Overpriced and Overhyped.

 

[RetiredGuns]

2 Words. Overpriced and Overhyped.

2 more words "Minimum Wage"

A Chris Reeve knife is neither over priced or over hyped. They are precision tools that have sold themselves for a very long time.

 

[JAB]

2 Words. Overpriced and Overhyped.

1 Word. Troll.

 

[bearcut]

I have heard much about CRK here, and in other places.

But $400.00+ is an awful lot for a knife!

I would like to know, if anybody here can tell me, what it is about Chris Reeve knives that makes them so special.

Sure, the easy answer is: they just..feel great!

But that's not an answer, if you see what I mean. Chris Reeve starts out with steel and machinery, same as any other maker, and ends up with a product which impresses every person who encounters it.

So what does he do different?

CRK’s are fine knives, I’ve owned a few.
The F&F and machining are very good. I had older examples however.
I’ve had other knives in the $400 category that were just as good, if not better.

I really would rather have 3 $150 knives than one CRK because,to me, that’s more fun.

And I have several $150-200 folders that are easily feel as wellbuilt, and have smoother actions and better ergos than a Sebenza. There are afew YouTube videos showing some slipping quality of current CRKs coming out of thefactory now. Do some homework. They are not always “perfect” knives like manywould have you believe.

The naysayers will argue that CRK has incredible tollerancesthat you can feel. Well, I have foldersthat don’t have as tight of tolerances that I still like better. Al Mar wouldbe a good example. The mini-SERE is like a fine Swiss watch and it only costsaround $170. Spyderco and ZT have some premium folders in that price range. Thepoint is, that there are many very good knives on the market that sell for alot less than what Sebenzas go for.

But hey, I like interesting knives, Sebenzas bore me todeath. They’re not even innovative anymore.

 

[sodak]

That's interesting. In my experience my Sebenza will out cut my Spyderco Military in S30V.

It was strange, my CS Voyagers in AUS 8A would hold an edge longer. I had it re-heat treated to 60.5 HRC, but to no avail. I had fellow forumites try it to see if it was me, and they agreed with my findiings. Something was very wrong, and I'd get mad every time I looked at it, so I got rid of it. Some of my cheaper folders might not have the F&F, but they cut, and cut well.

 

[Maddogg774]

I got a major itch for the new Umunzaan! I about to scratch!

 

[snowreaper1]

Just remember that $350 to $400 dollars pretty much buys you a working knife you can count on for the rest of your life and probably your kids.
CRK's warranty and customer service are 2nd to none and they'll make sure you knife is always in working order. Not to mention the awesome
refurbishing service they have. I have bought 3 to 5 year old Sebenzas that have been used and sent them in to get refurbed and they came back
looking new. So you really don't need to be shy with putting your Sebenza to work

 

[Gator97]

If you want high tolerances and it's worth 400$ for you then sure go ahead. As far as its performance is concerned(cutting ability and edge holding), neither is worth the price and hype. You can buy better performers a for a lower price. However, as CRK fans say, Senebzas are not about extreme performance, but about extreme tolerances... IMHO it's blown out of proportion, but that's my opinion. I dont' really care about extra 0.0005" precision on the washer, but I do care about extra thinner edges. And these days when diamond and other sharpeners are not a problem to acquire "ease of sharpening" is highly overrated.

Just remember that $350 to $400 dollars pretty much buys you a working knife you can count on for the rest of your life and probably your kids.

If you really USE it, and try to keep it sharp, it won't last that long. Locked up in a safe, or never sharpened, then sure.

 

[shqxk]

Obviously CRK are not worth the price if you talk about the 'real world usage' productiveness. Its just about the pride of ownership/some hardcore knife nut jewelry or something.

 

[Tim616]

Obviously CRK are not worth the price if you talk about the 'real world usage' productiveness. Its just about the pride of ownership/some hardcore knife nut jewelry or something.

So everyone who has a Lamborghini is a hardcore car nut jewelry or something?

No.

You buy a CRK because you want the best. If you can't afford it, don't buy one.

But don't sit around buying 15 spydercos/BMs and call a CRK overpriced when you could have bought many instead of tons of lower quality knives.

I rest my case.

 

[Haze]

Obviously CRK are not worth the price if you talk about the 'real world usage' productiveness. Its just about the pride of ownership/some hardcore knife nut jewelry or something.

You better tell that to the 12 year old user Sebenza that I have or the Umnumzaan that has been in my pocket for 2+ years now or the Manadi that I carry with either of those two knives. They all work very nicely and will continue to work very nicely for years down the road. :thumbup:

 

[kreole]

I really would rather have 3 $150 knives than one CRK because,to me, that’s more fun.

In a sense it is counter-intuitive they are as popular as they are here. Everything about CRK is geared towards providing the one and last knife you'll need, and I wouldn't want to guess the average time between purchases for the average BFer. Tight tolerances means better wear and tear on the moving parts, translating to a longer lifespan. A lifetime warranty means any problem in the future will be fixed. You can get it reblasted, retumbled, rebladed, any sort of refurbishing. That's what you pay for, not the latest and greatest steel, lock, handle material, whatever latest technology is being implemented. You're solely paying for the features that make for a knife that without problems is going to cut for the rest of your life.

 

[RetiredGuns]

Edited for Gentlemanly restraint.

 

[JNewell]

2 Words. Overpriced and Overhyped.

Two more (ok, three) back at ya:

White cane

Dog

 

[shqxk]

Yeah, 1,152 posted U.S Marine sure win on any forum argument.

 

[JNewell]

Yeah, 1,152 posted U.S Marine sure win on any forum argument.

Uninformed, unarticulated, unsupported, hyperbolic baiting isn't going to win on any forum...

 

[Shorttime]

Fight nicely, boys. It's just a measly four hundred dollars.

Knife prices run the range from the $1.99 Wal-Mart knife to.... well, I guess the King Tut dagger would be the top in terms of expensive, and it's considered "priceless". Or, put another way, it's perceived value is so high that no amount of money could pay for it.

There is a value component to any knife that is separate from the amount of money you have to hand over to someone else to legally own the knife. My CRKT/Lightfoot M1 cost me $40.00, new, but the amount of frustration and possible injury it saved me, by using it instead of the rotten little box cutters they hand out at work, makes it valuable to me far and above it's price point.

I understand from the foregoing posts that part of the Sebenza is it's value, completely seperate from it's dollar cost. Yes, there are other knives. Yes, you can pay more, or less. But it's hard to find another knife, at any price point, that has lasted so long, with such high quality.

And if you do have other candidates, feel free to post! I'm always interested in learning about other knives.