I currently have a small classic Sebenza that I think is terrific, razor sharp, good lockup and tough. I want my next knife to be about the same size but to have wood scales. My question - For about the same price as a small wood sebenza I could get a custom with wood scales. The knife will be carried and used. What do you recommend and if you recommend a custom, do you have any recommendations? Thanks.
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Custom vs. Wood Sebenza
- Thread starter Berm
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Actually for the same price as a wood inlay sebenza, you could get a damascus custom folder with titanium bolsters and exotic wood scales. I love my two sebenzas and carry them daily but I think the wood inlay is beyond my financial reach. Not that I don't drool over the pictures...
Customs? Even custom knives will be hard put to beat a small sebenza for smoothness. I've handled some custom knives from top makers which don't open as smoothly or lock as securely as my Sebenzas even though they cost a lot more (could just be my bad luck).
If it were me, I'd try hunting for a good deal on a used wood inlay but knowing just how much their owners love them, they would be pretty rare. Good luck in your search.
Andrew Limsk
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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb
[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 12-17-2000).]
[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 12-19-2000).]
Customs? Even custom knives will be hard put to beat a small sebenza for smoothness. I've handled some custom knives from top makers which don't open as smoothly or lock as securely as my Sebenzas even though they cost a lot more (could just be my bad luck).
If it were me, I'd try hunting for a good deal on a used wood inlay but knowing just how much their owners love them, they would be pretty rare. Good luck in your search.
Andrew Limsk
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"Praise not the day until evening has come;a sword until it is tried; ice until it has been crossed; beer until it has been drunk" - Viking proverb
[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 12-17-2000).]
[This message has been edited by redvenom (edited 12-19-2000).]
Redvenom, I agree with you. I have a large plain Sebenza as my daily carry in a Graley sheath. {had to plug Gary's sheath} I recently bought a custom folder that cost lots more than a new Sebeneza. It was nice, but, really was not any better than the Sebenza as far as lock-up, overall fit, finish and strength. Just my .02
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"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13
Mike
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"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends" John 15:13
Mike
as i see the sebys climbing higher and higher in price....i can go to http://www.knifeart.com or one of the other nice retailers and see about 20 NICE custom knives for the same price as a decorated sebenza. Chris makes a VERY nice knife.... and so do a lot of other people.
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Berm:
Good points have been made. I have a small wood inlay and it is very nice. I also have a Tom Mayo TNT and another one from him on order. The wood inlay is awesome and you know what you will get. With other knifemakers it is a crapshoot. Some aren't as nice as the Sebenza. I don't have a lot of custom experience. I have three customs from three different makers, all in the $400-500 range. The only one that I would consider to be equal to the Seb would be my Mayo TNT. The others aren't as nice as my inlay but cost just as much. The one that Tom is making for me will have a different blade shape and a slimmer profile and I am confident that I will be very pleased. Tom is a good guy to do business with. I am sure that there are others out there that will be as easy to work with as Tom but I have dealt with some that aren't so nice. This can be a very expensive education for you. It isn't like buying something at K mart and returning it if you don't like it. If something catches your eye, contact the maker. If he is responsive to what you want and if you get good vibes from him/her, go for it. I get the feeling from your post that you like the Chris Reeve Sebenza. You know his product. You won't regret getting a woodie, I love mine. Something about the way it sits in your hand, the smoothness, the attension to detail, the customer service makes that knife a no brainer. I think you should get the inlay Seb. If you have the time and money then shop the others. Tom makes a great Titanium and Talonite folder that is similar to the Sebenza in that it has a titanium frame and an intgeral frame lock. The Talonite blade is very nice. I could ramble on but it's past my bedtime. No risk option Sebenza wood inlay. Custom option shop around, see what you like and take a chance. Sometimes it's hard to tell the good from the bad in the custom market, I've paid a lot of money for some knives and the quality wasn't that good and learned the hard and expensive way to find what I want. If you have a couple thousand to throw around, then go for it. Otherwise stick with what you know is good.
Good points have been made. I have a small wood inlay and it is very nice. I also have a Tom Mayo TNT and another one from him on order. The wood inlay is awesome and you know what you will get. With other knifemakers it is a crapshoot. Some aren't as nice as the Sebenza. I don't have a lot of custom experience. I have three customs from three different makers, all in the $400-500 range. The only one that I would consider to be equal to the Seb would be my Mayo TNT. The others aren't as nice as my inlay but cost just as much. The one that Tom is making for me will have a different blade shape and a slimmer profile and I am confident that I will be very pleased. Tom is a good guy to do business with. I am sure that there are others out there that will be as easy to work with as Tom but I have dealt with some that aren't so nice. This can be a very expensive education for you. It isn't like buying something at K mart and returning it if you don't like it. If something catches your eye, contact the maker. If he is responsive to what you want and if you get good vibes from him/her, go for it. I get the feeling from your post that you like the Chris Reeve Sebenza. You know his product. You won't regret getting a woodie, I love mine. Something about the way it sits in your hand, the smoothness, the attension to detail, the customer service makes that knife a no brainer. I think you should get the inlay Seb. If you have the time and money then shop the others. Tom makes a great Titanium and Talonite folder that is similar to the Sebenza in that it has a titanium frame and an intgeral frame lock. The Talonite blade is very nice. I could ramble on but it's past my bedtime. No risk option Sebenza wood inlay. Custom option shop around, see what you like and take a chance. Sometimes it's hard to tell the good from the bad in the custom market, I've paid a lot of money for some knives and the quality wasn't that good and learned the hard and expensive way to find what I want. If you have a couple thousand to throw around, then go for it. Otherwise stick with what you know is good.
stjames
Sebenzanista
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- Oct 26, 1998
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You might want to check out Allen Elishewitz's work. Great designs, excellent fit and finish.
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
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Off the top of my head, I would consider the work of Dale Reif, Kit Carson, Larry Chew, Johnny Stout, Dave Broadwell (Springbock), Joel Chamblin, Darrel Ralph, Mel Pardue, Michael Vagnino, Randy Gilbreth and Tom Mayo. (there are many others).
As far as smothness I own 3 Sebenzas all of my customs (and there are a bunch) are smoother as far as operations. As far as lockup not near as many lock like the Sebenazas do, but none are suspect.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 12-18-2000).]
As far as smothness I own 3 Sebenzas all of my customs (and there are a bunch) are smoother as far as operations. As far as lockup not near as many lock like the Sebenazas do, but none are suspect.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 12-18-2000).]
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I've got to second Scott Dog on the Tom Mayo knives. I have both the large sebenza and a small sebenza woody and I seem to always grab my Mayo TNT whether I'm going to the office or into the yard. I thought the Sebenza was smooth opening until I got the Mayo which was effortless, and the handle is much more ergonomic and comfortable than the sebenza. Of course, the TNT is higher priced than the plain sebenza but the wood handled Mayos are far less expensive than the Sebenza wood inlays. Take a look at www.mayoknives.com
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I have no custom folders, only just today receiving my very first custom knife - a Dozier General Utility. I'm pretty excited about that, but I digress.
I personally like the appearance of Kit Carson's knives better than the Sebenza. Of course, it's all about personal preference. What really matters is what you like. I have spent about a month and a half narrowing down exactly which custom knife I wanted, and it really has paid off. I couldn't be happier. Also, the looking, asking questions, etc. was half the fun! Good luck in your quest!
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Chris Turner
Arkansas
"It's only a flesh wound!!!" - the Black Knight
"Well, they wouldn't hang a man for an accident, not even in Arkansas." - Captain Woodrow F. Call
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Chris Turner
Arkansas
"It's only a flesh wound!!!" - the Black Knight
"Well, they wouldn't hang a man for an accident, not even in Arkansas." - Captain Woodrow F. Call
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by stjames:
</font>
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The main difference is that with a custom you can choose the features that you want. Type of wood, shape of scales and blade, type of lock and the finish of the blade.
With a Seb, you can get a lot of decoration, but the basic knife construction is the same. BG-42 is a good ingot steel purified by VIM-VAR, but Talonite (r) and the CPM steels are in another class.
Walt
With a Seb, you can get a lot of decoration, but the basic knife construction is the same. BG-42 is a good ingot steel purified by VIM-VAR, but Talonite (r) and the CPM steels are in another class.
Walt
stjames
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<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Brian_Turner:
to you from someone else who won't spend $500 for a production knife!</font>
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
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Take it to email please guys. It is getting a little personal and silly.
stjames
Sebenzanista
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Gus, silly being the operative word. I think that Brian and I can roll eyes at each other in good humor for a long time before lawsuits are threatened. Compared to some of the other things that have been going on here lately I consider this good clean fun.
But just in case I have offended anyone
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
But just in case I have offended anyone
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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
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I don't think any of my vast Spyder collection feel that I dismiss based upon means of production - just by how much I'll pay for that production!
And when we do get to that point, my lawyer can kick your lawyer's butt!
[This message has been edited by Brian_Turner (edited 12-20-2000).]
And when we do get to that point, my lawyer can kick your lawyer's butt!
[This message has been edited by Brian_Turner (edited 12-20-2000).]
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Not if he has a Sebe implanted in his forehead
[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 12-20-2000).]
[This message has been edited by Gus Kalanzis (edited 12-20-2000).]
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Gus, your reference to the utilization of an edged implement as a weapon has offended my delicate sensibilities. I request immediate outside moderation of this thread, or I will be forced to make a religious reference!
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Sorry guys for coming down so heavy, I did not realize you were friends. Believe it or not I do have a sense of humor outside of W&C.
For what it is worth my views on the subject can be found in the second post of this thread.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis
For what it is worth my views on the subject can be found in the second post of this thread.
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" The real art of living is too keep alive the longing in human beings to become greater versions of themselves." Laurens Van der Post.
In memory of James Mattis