Classic Seb vs. Seb 21. . . Differences? New Comparison Pics Added!

MostMenAreRuthless said:
Folks,
Second specific question: I rarely see "plain Jane" Classics up on the exchange. Were there limited numbers of the small plain Jane's produced?
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Its because once people own them...they'll never see the exchange again!!! Classic is the only sebenza for me, I actually EDC a small plain classic. (:
 
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MostMenAreRuthless said:
Why do you prefer it over the 21? It seems the nuances are almost inconsequential.
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Rounded lock bar. You don't notice it too much on the small sebenza, but when you scale it to the large, you can definitely notice how much less the lock bar digs into you thumb when you unlock it. Its a night and day difference. 21s actually hurt my thumb, but the classic is painless. If you haven't owned one, you should try to find one!

Also, not a huge fan of the Idaho Made stamp... the Classic MM logo is much cooler. (:
 
au5t3n5 said:
Rounded lock bar. You don't notice it too much on the small sebenza, but when you scale it to the large, you can definitely notice how much less the lock bar digs into you thumb when you unlock it. Its a night and day difference. 21s actually hurt my thumb, but the classic is painless. If you haven't owned one, you should try to find one!

Also, not a huge fan of the Idaho Made stamp... the Classic MM logo is much cooler. (:
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Never noticed the lockbar difference. :D There are a LOT of 21s out there without the IM logo...IIRC there were complaints when the Classic XX logo was introduced. :)
 
au5t3n5 said:
Rounded lock bar. You don't notice it too much on the small sebenza, but when you scale it to the large, you can definitely notice how much less the lock bar digs into you thumb when you unlock it. Its a night and day difference. 21s actually hurt my thumb, but the classic is painless. If you haven't owned one, you should try to find one!

Also, not a huge fan of the Idaho Made stamp... the Classic MM logo is much cooler. (:
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The more I am learning, the more I am convinced I need one!

Do you mind posting some comparison pics of the lockbar differences?
 
JNewell said:
Never noticed the lockbar difference. :D There are a LOT of 21s out there without the IM logo...IIRC there were complaints when the Classic XX logo was introduced. :)
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Indeed there are! Still no rounded lock bar though. My preference is the lock bar over any stamp. (:

MostMenAreRuthless said:
The more I am learning, the more I am convinced I need one!

Do you mind posting some comparison pics of the lockbar differences?
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I do have a a few 21s in addition to my classics, I can take some pictures for you tomorrow in the daylight. Hopefully I won't forget!
 
Very nice!! thanks for the added information DallassSTB!! So many variations!! I think that is what makes these wonderful knives so much fun to collect. Man I wish I had stumbled into them years ago...

DallasSTB said:
Just as a discussion point to add, IMO the Original blades were something of a middle ground between the Regular spear-point and the Classic/21 clip-point style. Here is a comparison photo from a few years back that shows the differences pretty well. Though I haven't compared one personally, the 25 blade shape looks fairly similar to the original - at least from pictures.

Another small difference is that the cutout for the thumbstud was a scalloped on the Classics, whereas it was evenly beveled on the 21's.

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nyefmaker said:
The Classic and older 21's just had a dimple in the blade tang for the detent, the newer 21's have a hole all the way through it, which makes for a much stronger detent.
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There are a few reasons I prefer the Classic over the 21, but the detent is the main reason.

I have a bad right thumb(got worse after surgery, and I won't have more), so maybe thats the only reason I notice the difference.

I did try a couple of the 21's, but had to sell them becuase of the increased pain from opening them.
The detent on the Regulars and Classics are much better for my situation.
 
Here's some pictures of a 21 next to a Classic. Honestly, I really don't notice the difference when handling them, but YMMV. :thumbup:

ClassicVS21-3_zps8e144522.jpg


ClassicVS21-1_zpsad3ba126.jpg


ClassicVS21-2_zps6e809c1a.jpg


ClassicVS21-4_zpsf42f38aa.jpg
 
Awesome pictures Jnewell! The best comparison photos I have seen!! And a pair of absolutely Beautiful Sebenza"s!! Large or Small? Thanks!!

JNewell said:
Here's some pictures of a 21 next to a Classic. Honestly, I really don't notice the difference when handling them, but YMMV. :thumbup:

ClassicVS21-3_zps8e144522.jpg


ClassicVS21-1_zpsad3ba126.jpg


ClassicVS21-2_zps6e809c1a.jpg


ClassicVS21-4_zpsf42f38aa.jpg
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Thanks - both large (and both LH!). Also (obviously) both double lugs, which affects the lockbar.
 
Not sure why, but I prefer the look of the single sided hex bolts on the Classics and Regulars. Just makes for a simpler and purer design IMO.
 
Evany said:
Not sure why, but I prefer the look of the single sided hex bolts on the Classics and Regulars. Just makes for a simpler and purer design IMO.
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There are tons of 21s out there with the old fasteners - see the pic above. ;) But yes, I definitely agree.
 
I took the plunge and traded away one of my CRK's for a used Small Classic w/ African Blackwood inlays. I am very excited about this one and am very happy to have it! This is also my first Seb with a wood inlay--amazing how different it feels in your hand--I like how it seems to fill the hand just slightly more.

I don't own a fancy camera, so I did the best I could with my iPhone 5 camera. I wanted to show some similarities and differences between the classic and 21 models according to my observations. I don't think I have any new revelations to share, but you can at least enjoy the pics!

Very similar in appearance:



Nearly identical blade shape:


Chamfer on lockbar cutout on Classic is definitely wider than on the 21, but the feel is very similar:


This is hard to capture in the pics, but the double bevel on the edges on the Classic are very cool as compared to the single bevel on the 21:


The stamps on the lockbar side are an obvious difference:


Perhaps the biggest difference in feel is what Au5ten5 has pointed out regarding the rounded lockbar--I noticed it the moment I unlocked the Classic for the first time. It is much more comfortable than the 21 and just feels better. It is very similar to the feel of the lockbar on a "P" Sebenza. This little nuance has given the Classic a slight preference over the 21 in my book.



Overall, I love all the Sebs and enjoy the many small nuance changes in them over the years!
 
I really like the Small Sebbies, but kept trading them off for one reason or another. Picked up a classic and while the differences may be subtle, they have me liking this small the best so far. Definitely easier on the fingers for opening & closing. The smalls can be a bit tough to open, but the slightly weaker detent and shaped lockbar on the classic are sweet!
 
I have Regular, CLassic and 21 smalls from '96 to '12. I recently sold a small Micarta 21 and replaced it with a small Micarta Classic. It's very subtle but I agree that I think there is something a little more satisfying about the Classics.
 
Hard to tell in these two small Damascus Sebs, but the unique is a classic mm and the Bocote a new standard 21.
photo_zps3f08fe04.jpg
 
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