Confused between the mini manix and a large sebenza

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myplea

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Help me decide please.

Confused between the mini manix and a large sebenza


Sebenza
The large sebenza does not have a finger choil.
Does not have the full flat blade and blade shape of the manix.
Does not cut as well as the manix. (according to a review I read)
But its slimmer in the pocket than the manix.

Manix
Less cutting edge
less fit and finish
thicker in the pocket
 
The Sebenza is hollow ground. The Manix is flat ground. This means the Sebenza will generally be better at shallow cuts and the Manix at deeper cuts. The Brittish Blades review that states the Manix cuts better is over-simplified, only tests out of the box sharpness, and is generally useless and untrue.

The Manix is shaped to fit the hand in a couple grips. The Sebenza isn't as sculpted so it doesn't from to the hand as well but is comfortable in a wider variety of grips.

Both have very strong locks, but the Manix often has blade play while the Sebenza lock is very consistant and one of the best engineered blade locks in the world.

The Manix has grippy G-10 scales. The Sebenza has titanium.

The Sebenza is lighter and has a smaller pocket print.

The Sebenza has better fit and finish and is smoother to open.

The Manix is more of a tank.

It just depends on what you want. The Manix is a beefy, tough folder that also cuts very well. The Sebenza is a sort of classy lazer cutter that is also very strong. They have very different personalities. Both are great knives and you will probably end up buying both.

My advice is: If you can afford a Sebenza right now, buy a Sebenza. If you don't like it, it is easy to sell. And I would rather own a Sebenza while saving up $130 for a Manix than own a Manix while saving up $385 for a Sebenza.
 
Thanks for the reply Hair. Very good points there.

longbeachguy,

No, cost is not an issue here but practicality and cutting ability is.

Does the finger choil make a big difference?
Does the hollow vs flat blade make a real difference?

I am looking for a do it all knife, From kitchen and food prep to camping and fishing.

Thanks
 
This question all depends on your intended use... Overall, the Mini Manix will probably cut/perform better than the Large Sebenza. I have both a regular Manix and a Large Sebenza, and there are definite differences, some of which I think make the Sebenza a better knife.

The Sebenza's fit and finish are definitely superior in most ways to the Manix. It opens more smoothly, especially after using it for a while, and it locks up perfectly every time. Another great thing about the Sebenza is the fact that you can disassemble it with relative ease. This is great for times when you want to clean the dust out and relubricate the pivot. The Sebenza also will not depreciate in value like the Manix will, especially if before selling it, you return it to the factory to get it refurbished.

The Manix stands out on a raw cutting performance basis. The full flat ground blade cuts exceptionally well, and resharpens easier in my opinion due to the more acute edge angle as well as the fact that the edge has not been slightly convexed as I found my Sebenza was. The Manix, at least the regular size one, is an ergonomic dream. I feel that you will be able to retain the Manix better in your hand both due to the ergonomics and the grippy G10.

You posted concerns about pocket thickness. You will get used to either knife in your pocket after time. The thickness has little to do with that, and I have found the Manix to be just fine in terms of thickness. One thing about pocket carry that I have noticed, though, is the Sebenza has the tendency to slip out of pockets made of thin material. I usually wear jeans, so this is irrelevant, but if you are wearing clothes made of very thin material on a regular basis, the Sebenza may have problems with this. On the other hand, the Manix, due to the G10 handles, can tear up pockets pretty quickly. A solution to this is to sand down the clip side of the handle so that it is less abrasive when removing the knife from the pocket.

Well... some conclusions now...

If you want a classy knife and work in a place where you get to/have to dress relatively well, I would suggest the Sebenza. If you work in a place that demands a lot out of your knife, to the point of cutting some pretty tough things, I would go with the Manix, both due to the fact that you retain it better in the hand, and the fact that it will cut more efficiently. If you're planning on reselling the knife, the Sebenza will get you more.

To put things simply, the Sebenza will cost more, and it is definitely more refined. If you need a cutting tool, however, get the Manix.

Neither knife will let you down. It comes down to taste.

Travis
 
Some people like finger choils. Some people hate them.

They allow you to "choke up" on the knife for detail work. The downside is that they reduce the effective cutting edge.

The difference between a flat and hollow grind is usually not noticable. But it does make a difference.

Just visualize the two grinds:

The hollow grind has less material just behind the edge. So for shallow cuts or cuts into a medium that "splits" easily like plastic, a hollow grind is better. It will slice like a much thinner knife because the part of the knife that you are using is very thin. The downside is that for deep cuts into a material that wants to "drag" along the blade, the amount of force needed increases exponetially, and the angle that the blade meets the material being cut is very obtuse.

With a flat grind there is more material just behind the edge, so for shallow cuts it will feel like a thicker knife than a comperable hollow grind. But for deep cuts the amount of extra force needed increases linearly, and the angle that the blade meets the material is more acute, making for less drag.

So, for example, hollow ground blades are usually good for cutting a small rope or cutting tape. A flat ground blade is usually good for cutting a piece of styrofoam in half, or cutting a side off of a box.
 
I just made a pic to help visualize the difference between the hollow and flat grinds:

The line on the bottom shows a shallow cut. Even though the two knives are about the same thickness at the spine, notice how much thinner the hollow ground blade is at this first (bottom) line.

The line at the top shows a deeper cut. Now the thickness is about the same, but notice that the angle that the flat ground blade meets the material being cut is much more acute, making for less drag. The hollow ground blade is meeting the material at a more obtuse angle, requireing more force to move through the material.

A flat ground blade basically has one angle (forgetting about the final bevel, of course). The hollow ground blade uses a compromise. It acts like a thinner, more acutely ground knife towards the edge, but acts like a more obtuse angle towards the spine. So which is better depends on how deep the cut is going to be.

 
I absolutely love my Manix, but if price were no object I would get a Sebbie. I want one bad, just waiting for the custom I like.
 
Hair said:
The Sebenza is hollow ground. The Manix is flat ground. This means the Sebenza will generally be better at shallow cuts and the Manix at deeper cuts.
Click to expand...

This would only be true if the edge thickness and angle was the same, and to a lesser extend the edge curvature depending on how and what you are cutting. The initial angle on flat ground Spyderco's like the Manix are usually far more acute than Reeve's edges which radically influences shallow cutting ability.

Of course the user can adjust the edge angle on the Sebenza to match or exceed the manix. In fact from that point of view, if you are looking at optimal cutting ability, you can grind the Sebenza flat to the stone and it will out cut a Manix many times to one. It is much more time consuming to produce such an edge on the Manix as you would need to lower the primary grind directly.

-Cliff
 
myplea said:
No, cost is not an issue here but practicality and cutting ability is.

Does the finger choil make a big difference?
Does the hollow vs flat blade make a real difference?

I am looking for a do it all knife, From kitchen and food prep to camping and fishing.

Thanks
Click to expand...

For a do-it-all knife, I'd definitely go for the Sebenza. Bluntly speaking, the Manix is just too freakin' huge to lug around fulltime, unless you’re a very large individual. The Manix is as tough as a tank, and nearly as large. It’s big and heavy in the pocket. Don’t get me wrong. I love my Manix, but it wouldn’t be in my Top 20 list for everyday carry. Mine sits in my pack, waiting for outdoor adventure. I personally consider the Spyderco Military to be a far better large Spydie pick for everyday carry.

On the other hand, the Sebenza is a very pocketable folder. It’s not too large, and it’s not too heavy. Cutting efficiency isn’t quite up there with the Manix, but it is still very good. I personally don’t believe that the lock on the Sebenza is quite as robust as the lock on the Manix, but it is still very good. Best of all, you can easily clean the Sebenza after kitchen duty and fishing trips, due to its very simple and open design. The Sebenza also happens to be a wonderful chameleon, easily blending in well with a work, home, and outdoor environment.

The Manix is a knife of great strengths and great drawbacks. It’s tough, very ergonomic in a saber grip, very non-slip in the hand, and cuts like few other folders of its size. It is a folder that you pull out for the rough and tumble days. I don’t consider the Sebenza to be a master of anything, but an excellent blend for all worlds. The Seb is definitely in my top 5 list for everyday carry.

One more thing. I love knives with finger choils. Some people love them. Some people hate them. Few fit inbetween. While the Sebenza does not have a finger choil, I do consider it to be one of the best non-finger choiled tactical folders.
 
The manix has the best ergonomics of any knife I've ever held, and I like G10 more than titanium for the most part. The price is roughly a third of the Sebenza also.

I do prefer the framelock on the sebenza though, and it's a beautiful knife.

I don't think the sebenza is a real competitor at its price, honestly.
 
Everyone has their own favorite features in a folder, and one of mine is the forefinger choil.

The folders I pick up to carry have differing locks, differing weights, differing thickness and even differing clip orientation, but I only carry those with the forefinger choil feature (Military, Manix, SMF and Tarani). The rest gather dust.
 
There is no comparison. The sebenza is the be all end all of non tactical production folder.

LOL

maybe that is a little out there. But i havent seen a non tactical yet that id rather have than a sebenza they are pleasures to own and use. Smooth as butter. Sharp as a razor. Great warranty. Great aesthetics. Made by good people in usa. Frame-locky goodness (called by reeve the integral lock). S30V blade executed by a man instrumental in its development. Ti Handles. 3 screw construction.Easy take down. Bushing pivot. And the best fit and finish of any knife i own.


Dont think i missed anything.

Not knocking the manix its a good knife, but not on the same level as the sebenza. not that it should be for the price.
 
I had a Sebenza and have a Mini Manix.

The Sebenza is an excellent knife but IMHO, overpriced.

I got a Mini Manix, a BM710HS M2 and a Large Ritter M2 for the same price as the Sebenza.

I'm very happy with all three knives which should hopefully last me the rest of my life as the quality of all three is very high! ;)

All three are my EDC with the Ritter most of the time and the Manix during the colder months in my jean's pocket. The 710 is a bit illegal in length here in Colorado so I pick and choose when I carry it, mostly in the backcountry.
 
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