CRK Sebenza 31 or Reate K-2?

CRK Sebenza 31 or Reate K-2?

  • Seb

    Votes: 60 82.2%

  • K-2

    Votes: 13 17.8%
  • Total voters
    73
CRK all day especially if you live in the States. For one, we need to go to bat for our own country. Two, nobody makes a better knife. (Regardless of the strong opinion of certain YouTube desk jockeys who are actually seeking a fidget gadget.) Three, CRK’s customer service is unparalleled. Four, CRK is a true icon in the knife industry. The Sebenza is timeless. Five, there really is no comparison.
Finally, we know CRK has been there for us for 30 years. You can drive to Idaho and have a beer with Tim Reeve. Where will Reate be in 10 years? Will they be an icon? Will they service your trusty sidekick with a reasonable turnaround time? Does it have to go to China and back? What’s involved with shipping & payments and such? It sure seems that relations with China and the US are fragile as well and that will definitely have an impact on the future.
 
Reate shouldve taken their Horizon and built on it and try to build up a flagship model like the Sebenza instead of constantly looking for the next new thing.They were heading there with the D model and the Mini Horizons,they shoulda kept it going.Ive had many Reates they are great no doubt about it i just wish them and We would focus on 1 or 2 models along with their new stuff,and keep them going and improve apon them
 
unwisefool said:
It's the sexy. Get it.
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Just had to.
 
Roy Batty said:
Why does everyone assume CRK is the better knife just because they have a spa treatment service? Who cares? Does a bead blast and lubing really make a maker a better choice?

Reate’s warranty service is outstanding as well.

If we are considering the knives alone: It depends. I think reates cut better than CRKs and obviously have better steel.. but the CRKs are very easy to disassemble and reassemble...
So I guess if I were using it for the outdoors, I’d go 31. Everywhere else, I’d go reate.
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I'm not sure anyone is saying the CRK is "better". When you get into the $400+ knife game, being practical isn't high on the list of purchasing a knife. Here's my reason why I would pick the CRK over the Reate...I have wanted a CRK knife for as long as they hit the scene. 20-ish years ago, spending $400 on a knife was ridiculous to me. I was in college, and my month's rent cost that much. I was working part time at Target making $440 a month. You can do the math. I was eating a lot of $.88 microwave meals and mooching off my girlfriend's meal plan (don't worry...I married her;)).

My point is that the Sebenza was the gold standard for me. A grail of sorts. I read about them here on the forum. I wanted it. I couldn't have it. Now I can. I sort of look at it like guys that collect old cars. These cars are not as mechanically sound as a modern car. They will not last as long without a massive amount of work being done to them. They aren't any more powerful than what you can buy right off the lot. They aren't as safe to ride in. They aren't inexpensive to fix or restore...but they are in demand. Why? Because:)

I have only recently dipped my toe into the CRK waters despite having the means to buy one. I struggled finding an excuse to drop so much money on a folding knife. While I won't go so far as to drink the Kool Aid that they are the be all end all of folding knives, the level of fit and finish and honest design has made them the minimum standard of what I put in my pocket for day to day use.
 
goldie said:
Reate shouldve taken their Horizon and built on it and try to build up a flagship model like the Sebenza instead of constantly looking for the next new thing.They were heading there with the D model and the Mini Horizons,they shoulda kept it going.Ive had many Reates they are great no doubt about it i just wish them and We would focus on 1 or 2 models along with their new stuff,and keep them going and improve apon them
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This actually brings up a issue with warranty. Will Reate still service the K2 in 5 years? Sure they maybe be able to clean and lube it but will they still have parts laying around if it's ever discontinued? CRK is still able to service and/or fix my Regular Sebenza from 1997 if needed. And it's never been needed on a 23 year old knife. That says a lot IMO.
 
^ thats a good point;you never know if you might need a screw,or you strip out the head,ive seen many knives for sale with ripped up screw heads it happens.
 
aleforme said:
CRK is still able to service and/or fix my Regular Sebenza from 1997 if needed. And it's never been needed on a 23 year old knife. That says a lot IMO.
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I gave my stepfather a Gerber Gatormate back in the mid90s. He still has, carries, and uses it... and it's never needed service, either. I'm not saying Gerber would have serviced it if a problem had developed; but knives going 20+ years without requiring repair isn't all that uncommon. Heck, look at the number of old Buck, Case, Queen, and other brands of folders that are still functioning after 40 years (and longer)

archieblue said:
Will they service your trusty sidekick with a reasonable turnaround time? Does it have to go to China and back? What’s involved with shipping & payments and such?
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It's already been mentioned in this thread that Reate has a warranty presence in the US... and the particular example given had a faster turnaround than CRK.
 
My voice for Sebenza, I really prefer proven designs, so my real voice will be for Sebenza 21 lol. There is nothing wrong with Reate or other high quality Chinese brands, but it’s just not my - to modern and a bit goofy designs for my taste.
 
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Whoa..

I thought this conversation died out but I logged in just now and there's been a whole bunch more dialogue. That's great! Thanks for the input everyone. Some valid points have been made on both sides.
 
hhmoore said:
I gave my stepfather a Gerber Gatormate back in the mid90s. He still has, carries, and uses it... and it's never needed service, either. I'm not saying Gerber would have serviced it if a problem had developed; but knives going 20+ years without requiring repair isn't all that uncommon. Heck, look at the number of old Buck, Case, Queen, and other brands of folders that are still functioning after 40 years (and longer)


It's already been mentioned in this thread that Reate has a warranty presence in the US... and the particular example given had a faster turnaround than CRK.
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I agree, most knives will never need repair. But what if they do? Case and Buck above will warranty a knife with replacement or repair old models which been produced for decades. Not sure about Queen and Gerber given their history. Will Reate still be around 10 years from now? And if so, would they even be able to work on a K2 or repair it? Who knows? But, I can say without a doubt, CRK will work on any of their knives regardless of how old they are or still even produced.
 
I don't doubt that CRK will service any of their models - as long as they have the required parts. My point was that there's no reason to be so impressed that a 20 yr old sebenza hasn't needed service. Plenty of knives that cost a fraction of the price, and aren't known for tight tolerances can do that.

Frankly, this question should boil down to one simple thing - which knife does the OP like better. When it comes to spending his money, he's the only one that has to be satisfied with his decision. Both are high quality knives, and either will serve him him well.

It's always a risk buying a knife without handling it first; though that risk does diminish as we become better aware of what we like.
 
I just got my first CRK and I own multiple Reate made knives. Get the Sebenza, hands down.
 
hhmoore said:
Frankly, this question should boil down to one simple thing - which knife does the OP like better.
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....this is probably the most important thing. There is a saying along the lines of "I don't know what I don't know" and that is where the thread is aimed, the considerations past the actual knife that may take him one way or the other.

I am not much of a folding knife guy but have a few, I find very little appealing around the Reate's appearance (but that's ME not the OP). My choice would still be the CRK based on it's long standing existance (company) and probably still being around if you need a part or help in the future. I of course can't easily access the "spa" services so that is not a deciding factor for me. The Sebby is a CLASSIC now !!! It's visually appealing and feels good (to me - personal again) in the hand. Of the CRKs I have the 21 is my sentimental favourite but the Zann is my pick.....funnily enough though it's my 25 that gets carried the most.
 
Andy the Aussie Andy the Aussie
I fully agree with one not knowing what they don't know...but, since it was a given that the vote would be CRK by a large margin, the OP needed something besides the Koolaid. (I'm on tequila for another 1.5-2 months)
 
Issues with Reate? Resale value and warranty/service. I can't excuse an off-center $375 Reate folder that they won't fix under warranty. If a CRK is not perfect, they'll make it right for you.

Another aspect to consider is history. CRK has been around for a while, and given their success and influence, will be around for a long time. Reate is a relatively new company.
 
I’ve never handled a Reate and I don’t know hardly anything about the company. I know a little bit about CRK folders and I’m a big fan. I work my knives daily so they get used quite a bit. CRKs make great workers. Solid construction, well built and extremely easy to maintain. Reliable company with a great customer service department. I’ve sent other brands of knives back for warranty work before and got the knife back in the exact same shape it was went I sent it. With a response from the company saying that’s the best we can do.
My preferred worker is the Large Inkosi. Not saying they’re the greatest knife out there but they’re up there in contention in my opinion
 
hhmoore said:
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It's already been mentioned in this thread that Reate has a warranty presence in the US... and the particular example given had a faster turnaround than CRK.
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I think it's important to define the scope of service. I've heard that the Reate service center in the US is quite capable at replacing hardware, clips or minor adjustments. I understand that for more comprehensive work, like blade/scale replacement, the knives have to be shipped overseas to China. That's a growing problem in and of itself. Some of the Reate collaborations with designers may be a little better supported; I believe Liong Mah handles support of his Reate made knives Stateside.

Anything that CRK can/will do in support of their knives happens in Idaho. That's an important difference to me at a >$400 price point.
 
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