Chris Reeve Sebenza

Well I can tell you im not a huge fan of how they feel in my hand but the way they perform and how easy they are to maintain over shadows that for me. Its not a horrible feel by any means. Its like gripping a stick actually. Its just a very well designed knife with practicality in mind. They are worth the money and they are a knife to last you a lifetime.
 
If you've been saving up and looking forward to a CRK, you can buy and go through every other folding knife in the world and you are still going to want one. Buy it, give it two weeks, make sure you take it apart at least once. If you don't like it, the hit on a new knife isn't very drastic at all and even less if you get a used one.
 
To answer your question:

Yes, it's worth it...but that doesn't mean you might not prefer something else.

CRK knives tend to have lots of quirks. The actions are smooth, but quite heavy. The traditional (pointy) thumb studs can be uncomfortable to use. They have some hard edges and "hot spots" that can dig into your hand when really using them hard. Many of us have received knives that aren't all that sharp and have had to put the final edges on ourselves.

If you have average-sized hands, you might find yourself in a Goldilocks situation. I have huge hands and the large models fit me just fine. But many people find the large ones too big and the small ones too small.

On the plus side, they are very well made. Fit and finish is spectacular. Like a good 1911, they're easy to disassemble for cleaning and lubrication. They hold their value very well, so you won't lose much money on one of you don't like it. And CRK has a great warranty; they'll even sell you spare parts and repair abused/broken knives for reasonable prices. They stand behind their products like no other.

If you look at what else is available for the same price, you might find you prefer something different. I've got a custom Dozier Little Workhorse that costs the same or less than any CRK folder. If I had to choose between it and my current CRK (a Wilson Umnumzaan), I'd keep the Dozier without a second thought.
 
I say buy what you've been saving for. You seem to have your heart set on the small Sebenza. So get it. As was mentioned , it'll sell quick on the exchange should you decide to get rid of it.

For me personally , I find the Sebenza just alright. Nothing wrong with it but nothing great imo. I should have gone with a more decorative handle. I will say that the build quality is top notch and lock up on both my large Sebenzas is truly vault-like. Thats what stands out for me.

But truth be told , I had an old Umnumzaan that I gave to my nephew and I miss it. So I think about getting a new Umnumzaan. And lately the Inkosi has been catching my eye. But the Sebenza may be the perfect knife for you so I say get it and find out that way you will know.
 
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sethbradb said:
I have Spydercos, Benchmades, USA Kershaws, and 2 Kizers, along with other budget folders. But I've started to find what I truly like in a folding knife. And if I like it as much as I think I will. The Small 21 may be that knife that is just perfect for me and what I use my knives for.

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What models of Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw and Kizer? I'm particularly wary of you liking Kizers because they tend to be slick, flipper type knives. I love me some Kizer, but they tend to be the antithesis of a slow, smooth thumb stud deployed CRK.
 
Hackenslash said:
What models of Spyderco, Benchmade, Kershaw and Kizer? I'm particularly wary of you liking Kizers because they tend to be slick, flipper type knives. I love me some Kizer, but they tend to be the antithesis of a slow, smooth thumb stud deployed CRK.
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I have the PM2, Manix Lightweight, Native 5, Mini Griptillian, 940-2, 531, Kizer Gemini, Kizer V3 Vigor, Kershaw Skyline, Launch 6, Knockout

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sethbradb said:
I have the PM2, Manix Lightweight, Native 5, Mini Griptillian, 940-2, 531, Kizer Gemini, Kizer V3 Vigor, Kershaw Skyline, Launch 6, Knockout
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Wow. When I was in college I only had the Buck 110 and Victorinox Tinker I used as a kid...ok, I did buy a Gen 1 clipit delica when I was a junior. Yup, it was a while back, but wow nonetheless!

If you're thinking about investing in a new CRK and you've never checked one out in person, it might be worth that two hour drive...especially if that dealer is well stocked.

You might find you prefer the Inkosi or really like/dislike micarta, etc.
 
I currently have 14 CRKs so obviously I feel they are worth it. However, I like many of my Benchmades, Spydercos, and Zero Tolearances just as much. If you're strictly looking for a great user you can get one from one of those companies (or others) that will perform just as well for half or less of what a Sebenza will cost you. But if you want to experience a CRK, there's only one way to do it... I do recommend reserving final judgement until you've owned it and used it for a while, a least a month. I was really unimpressed with my first one but I picked up a few other variations trying to find the allure. The more time I spent with them the more I appreciated them. Now I can't imagine my collection without them. Most of mine are just for collecting but I do carry and use about five of them.

Are you set on a 21? My favorite user is my plain 25. It gets carried a lot. The ergonomics work get for me and I love the ceramic ball locking interface. It doesn't have the coveted pivot bushing but its action is actually smoother than most of my 21s with no blade play and the pivot never comes loose. The 25 was replaced by the Inkosi which is available in large and small.

I've done a few CRK videos. You might find some useful info in them: https://www.youtube.com/user/photoman12001

A few of these are gone and a few new ones came in.
You'll notice that I replace the pocket clip on all my CRKs with the insert. I much prefer the feel of CRKs without the clip.
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I carry them in my EDC bag or a leather slip sheath in a pocket.
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Love the 25s
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I slightly prefer Classics to 21s but the differences are mostly cosmetic.
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I'm a little "meh" on the Regulars but they are great collectables.
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Sebenza evolution botton to top: Regular, Classic, 21, 25
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The Insingo blade is a great option too.
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There was a point to all of that. If you end up liking your CRK, be prepared to buy more.
 
sethbradb said:
I've been saving up money for the last 3 months. I plan on buying a small Sebenza here soon. My only real question I guess is if it's worth the money. I've watched many reviews and they all have great things to say. And I know the tolerances are very precise and tight. And the quality of the construction is top notch. But is the performance and the in hand feeling of a CRK really worth the money?

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Here is my extended thoughts on Chris Reeve knives. If you have to save up 3 months to buy just one, you should probably ignore those who say you will buy more, or that you should get ready to buy more.

Yes, I believe you should give it a go, but only if you are ready to spend that amount on 1 knife. Some here forget that not everyone has the same budget for 1 knife, let alone a standard of living that permits more than 1 in that price range, let alone 14. 14 Chris Reeve knives is not a user but a collector mentally and beyond your budget. There is no need at all to own 14.

I was like you, even though Im 36, I had to sell and save to try the knives that I did. In the end I found that my Manix 2, that was a 1/3 of the price, cut just as well and all I wanted was to own the Chris Reeve name. I wanted to see snail trails on titanium. I wanted to own something something out of my price range and actually use it beyond some of the collectors here. I wanted one bc/ others told me I should want it.

What I found was a great knife that was $150 over priced because of the name alone. If I was smart I would have stayed with my Manix 2 that cut just as well and put the other $200 or 250 towards my bills.

Be smart with your money. Drive the freaking 2 hours to check it out. You're in college but get ahead and buy one later when you're debt free. Thats my thoughts just to be honest. There is no need to buy another knife considering the knives you have listed that you own. You just want one because you stared at it long enough to want it.

But hey, if you're debt free now, nothing in my post is worth reading, unless you want to invest, or help out a charity. Do what you want as long as it is the wise decision.
 
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I had a small and didn't like it, now I have a large and like it quite a bit. I third or is it fourth trying a small before you spend the money that two hour drive will be a solid investment if you have to buy then resell.
 
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One of the best knives you will probably ever own. Took me a while before i threw down and grabbed a 25 on the secondary market to see if i liked it. I now have 4 more (21s). They are definately worth the coin. As good if not better than a hinderer. Customer service is second to none. Maybe have a look at a friends one if you cant do that drive the 2 hours ($20 in fuel) and handle both a small and a large, that way you will know for sure if its for YOU.
 
sethbradb said:
I have Spydercos, Benchmades, USA Kershaws, and 2 Kizers, along with other budget folders. But I've started to find what I truly like in a folding knife. And if I like it as much as I think I will. The Small 21 may be that knife that is just perfect for me and what I use my knives for.

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If you like knives it will most likely be just part of your rotation. My rotation goes from Case to Spyderco to CRK love em all...
 
I have owned and sold 2. In my very short obsession with knives I have owned and carried about a dozen different knives between $18 and $800.

IMHO CRK are very very well made AND a bit pricey. The pricey part is off- set in my head by the fact that they hold value really well. I have a lot of watches as well and the analogy I would make is to Rolex. You can have the same function at higher and lower price points but what is most important to you is what matters most and will determine if you ultimately keep it.

This will really come down to personal opinion in the end and you are getting a lot of good advice to drive the two hours and see it in the flesh if you can.

I loved my CRK'S but in the end never carried them much. I sold the first one and immediately replaced it because I missed how well it was made. When the second one didn't get much pocket time I sold that one as well. I guess I'm my case I appreciated it more than I loved it.

If you love it when you see it, then think of how you will use it. As much as i appreciated the simplicity of the overall design, amazing engineering and quality materials I still rarely carried it. For me, I found it too big/heavy for my office attire and went with a very small, thin quality knife that opens envelopes and packages just fine. That's just me. In the end, with high quality products, it's subjective based on your personal needs and tastes.

Final analysis, see it, if you love it, buy it, if you like it keep it. If you don't, sell it. I find the joy of this obsession is in the hunt.

Best of luck!!!

Don









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This topic is so subjective, and I don't own a CRK but, I do own a knife similar price range (xm-18). I bought it, and hands down it is my favourite knife. It is perfect for me, as I'm sure a sebenza would be for you. But, even though it is the perfect knife, I sometimes wonder still if it is work the cost. Is it really worth $200 more than a ZT 0560BW (or for you a different production knife) that is almost perfect? That is the type of decision you will have to make.
 
I've had two (regular and insingo - both in micarta) and ended up selling both. I liked them, I appreciated the incredible craftsmanship, but in the end, they didn't really sing to me.

I will warn you that it's very easy to have a huge let down when you do get one because it's easy to build it up as a grail piece in your head. In the end, it's a very simple (and elegant) design that lacks any superfluous bells and whistles and is a 20 year old design. None of those are negatives, but for some, this can leave them underwhelmed.

As others have pointed out, the up side is that if you decide it's not for you, you should be able to sell it with minimal loss.
 
Keep a close eye on the Exchange for the model you want. When on the fence........go secondary market.
Good luck!!
Joe
 
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