CRKT Swindle?

S

Schakalicious

Joined
Jun 7, 2015
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205
Wow... I guess the knife addiction has really caught on lol. I saw one of these when I was out at my local knife shop. Man do I like the looks of this thing. I ended up caving in and getting this right on the spot, even though it was on amazon for cheaper. The pocket clip is a little hard to get used to, but this is one of my favorite designs of any knife I've handled. Just wanted to know your guys thoughts on this.

By the way, I tried out the sebenza 21 at the shop, and I have to say, I don't know what all of the buzz is about. The craftsmanship was awesome, and the fit and finish was really mind boggling. Still, it's just a knife, and not some gift from the gods like I had expected. Sure, it was smooth, but the swindle felt just as smooth (those bearings really help). It felt pretty heavy as well, honestly. I still really liked it, but now I don't have this gut wrenching urge to but one. I guess that's a good thing lol.

Here's a picture off of CRKT's website of the swindle.

K240XXP-SKU-web-image_xlarge_571.jpg
 
I have one of these and really love it. Mine is one of the first production ones. My dad (who wasn't a knife carrier) liked mine so much he asked that I get him one for his birthday a few months ago. He now carries it regularly. I will say that CRKTs quality control is a little shoddy as I had to go through 3 at the store to find him a good one, but once I did, it is very smooth and solid.
 
Schakalicious said:
By the way, I tried out the sebenza 21 at the shop, and I have to say, I don't know what all of the buzz is about. The craftsmanship was awesome, and the fit and finish was really mind boggling. Still, it's just a knife, and not some gift from the gods like I had expected.
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Couldn't have said it better myself. there was a fellow in one of your other threads who stated he had "built seven houses with his Sebenza"..as if he pounded nails and sawed wood with it. :D Any decent quality knife can be a "forever knife"..if you take care of it. Most will provide years of service if kept reasonably well maintained, as with any decently constructed tool. Occasionally check screws, re-tighten if needed, a bit of oil, don't put it through the wood chipper, don't pry with it, use it as a screwdriver, etc, and you'll be pleased. Now if that fella meant (as i think he did) that it rode in his pocket for seven builds, maybe cut carpet a couple times, or some rope to tie wood in the truck bed, maybe did a lil trimming to get a chip of wood out, etc, lol..well.. a lot of knives will do that. Your new CRKT will do that.
 
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rjwiggall said:
I have one of these and really love it. Mine is one of the first production ones. My dad (who wasn't a knife carrier) liked mine so much he asked that I get him one for his birthday a few months ago. He now carries it regularly. I will say that CRKTs quality control is a little shoddy as I had to go through 3 at the store to find him a good one, but once I did, it is very smooth and solid.
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Agreed. A lot of people don't like the ergos because of the fact that it's a swayback, but I think it's great. It's surprisingly light too.
 
Sebbies are for those who get them. There is nothing wrong with that. Its when the lack of desire for one turns into needless bashing that i think is a point of contention. The swindle is decent but not perfect. I liked mine but the pocket clip was a bit too thick o you could not tighten the handle slabs properly without binding the clip. The edge on mine was a bit wonky as well. Blade grind and finish quality is good. The reason it feels heavier is due to the steel handle. Sebbies are titanium so even though the seb was heavier it seems light given its size.
 
Don't get me wrong, the Sebenza is a great knife. Worth the cash, and deserves legendary status for it's achievements, but it's not gonna magically turn into a saw or hammer, or levitate from a pocket and fight by itself, or sever the cord to the Astral plane, or cut through metal light a Lightsaber. :D It's a knife, and just that, albeit a very nice one. There are customs I've seen that are literally "breathtaking", I'm talking real works of art, and the Sebbie isn't one of them. Although it's definitely very nice in it's simplicity, it's more of a high end user, really. The cs is also exceptional from CRK, and that means a lot.
 
kaotikross said:
Couldn't have said it better myself. there was a fellow in one of your other threads who stated he had "built seven houses with his Sebenza"..as if he pounded nails and sawed wood with it. :D Any decent quality knife can be a "forever knife"..if you take care of it. Most will provide years of service if kept reasonably well maintained, as with any decently constructed tool...
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You can wear out any knife, even a sebenza. I buy older knives all the time and there are plenty of knives that get used up, some brands much faster than others.
 
OP, congratulations on your new knife. It'll certainly be a good EDC blade from the looks of it. Also, there's not a thing wrong with you not liking the Sebenza. A lot of folks seem underwhelmed when they first see/handle one, and I think it's because they've read so much about how awesome they are that they kind of build it up in their head as something it's not. It explains why threads about Sebenzas usually attract Sebenza bashers. It is what it is.


kaotikross said:
Don't get me wrong, the Sebenza is a great knife. Worth the cash, and deserves legendary status for it's achievements, but it's not gonna magically turn into a saw or hammer, or levitate from a pocket and fight by itself, or sever the cord to the Astral plane, or cut through metal light a Lightsaber. :D It's a knife, and just that, albeit a very nice one. There are customs I've seen that are literally "breathtaking", I'm talking real works of art, and the Sebbie isn't one of them. Although it's definitely very nice in it's simplicity, it's more of a high end user, really. The cs is also exceptional from CRK, and that means a lot.
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Ironically, Chris Reeve himself would agree with you, which is why he named this knife the Sebenza....which is the Zulu word for "work". :thumbup:
 
It's not perfect, but it's a good knife. The integrated clip is a very nice touch, although I haven't used it much, I just toss it in a pocket.
Jm2dTPk.jpg
 
PURPLEDC said:
Sebbies are for those who get them.
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This implies that some people "just don't get it" when it comes to Sebenzas, which is not true. There is no magical element to Sebenzas that some people are capable of understanding and others are not. They are just very expensive knives that some people think are worth the cost, and others do not. If a person thinks they are not worth $450 or whatever, it doesn't mean they don't get it.

As for the Swindle - I want one!

[youtube]eip5eRSa180[/youtube]
 
Quiet said:
OP, congratulations on your new knife. It'll certainly be a good EDC blade from the looks of it. Also, there's not a thing wrong with you not liking the Sebenza. A lot of folks seem underwhelmed when they first see/handle one, and I think it's because they've read so much about how awesome they are that they kind of build it up in their head as something it's not. It explains why threads about Sebenzas usually attract Sebenza bashers. It is what it is.




Ironically, Chris Reeve himself would agree with you, which is why he named this knife the Sebenza....which is the Zulu word for "work". [emoji106]
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I still think the sebenza is great, and I still want one, but I don't have this pit in my stomach for not having one anymore lol. The mystery has worn off... It's a great knife, but what I've noticed with a lot of stuff is that products sort of plateau after around a certain price; the quality increase of say a $200 dollar knife to a $250 dollar knife isn't as dramatic as say a $50 knife vs a $100 knife (Tenacious vs PM2 for example). I'm happy with the nicest folder I have in my collection being the PM2. I don't feel the need to go any higher up the chain.
 
powernoodle said:
This implies that some people "just don't get it" when it comes to Sebenzas, which is not true. There is no magical element to Sebenzas that some people are capable of understanding and others are not. They are just very expensive knives that some people think are worth the cost, and others do not. If a person thinks they are not worth $450 or whatever, it doesn't mean they don't get it.

As for the Swindle - I want one!

[youtube]eip5eRSa180[/youtube]
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Yeah, I totally get the sebenza, I like them, I just don't need one too bad right now. I'm happy with what I have. As for the swindle, I got mine for around $40 I think, so it isn't too pricey. Just get it. It flips so smooth and looks great.
 
Schakalicious said:
Yeah, I just bought it for look and feel alone. I think it looks really classy and it flips like a demon.
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I think it is actually the classiest knife I own. It feels right at home in a suit pocket. Plus, the mechanical clip makes me think of Swiss watches, for some reason.
 
powernoodle said:
This implies that some people "just don't get it" when it comes to Sebenzas, which is not true. There is no magical element to Sebenzas that some people are capable of understanding and others are not. They are just very expensive knives that some people think are worth the cost, and others do not. If a person thinks they are not worth $450 or whatever, it doesn't mean they don't get it.

As for the Swindle - I want one!

[youtube]eip5eRSa180[/youtube]
Click to expand...

No it doesnt mean they dont get it. But it doesnt mean they do either. If i cant speak for some (which i qualify as such and can shake my ego just long enough to say i just dont understand some knives) then you certainly cant speak for all. And that is exactly what you are doing when you say there is no possible way "some" just dont get it. You seem to see my comment as a negative slight undermining the intellect of those who dont connect with a sebbie and that im insinuating there must be something wrong with them for not getting it. I am not saying that. I was simply touching on that everyone likes what they like and you either get a knife or you dont. I like knives i get. I dislike knives i dont get. And i see no shame in admitting that.


Edited to add: i have owned a single sebenza in my life. I didnt get it and i sold it. So when i said what i did, i was speaking about myself.
 
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Schakalicious said:
...I saw one of these when I was out at my local knife shop. Man do I like the looks of this thing. I ended up caving in and getting this right on the spot, even though it was on amazon for cheaper. The pocket clip is a little hard to get used to, but this is one of my favorite designs of any knife I've handled. Just wanted to know your guys thoughts on this.


Here's a picture off of CRKT's website of the swindle.

K240XXP-SKU-web-image_xlarge_571.jpg
Click to expand...

Kind of disappointed from the title of the thread, I thought I'd get to read your review of a swindle, or at least see a picture of your actual new knife...

What's matter what we think now that you already bought it, because you liked it so much? What do you think about it, now that it's bought and paid for, that's what counts!
 
strategy9 said:
Kind of disappointed from the title of the thread, I thought I'd get to read your review of a swindle, or at least see a picture of your actual new knife...
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My thoughts exactly. I know what the stock photo looks like already. What about yours, and your "review"?
 
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