Did you like your Sebenza at first?

OP please post a pictures or it didn't happen. Also I dare you to carry it for a year and tell me how it still holding up, much better then a spyderco i bet! The quality of the knife will show once its put to good use. Also the micarta inlays are so ugly and an eye sore (IMO) maybe get a CGG, that alone will make you love the knife. My first 21 was a starbenza, then a Diamond plate so i fell in love almost instantly.
 
I received mine about three weeks ago. The finest modern folder I own. There are others that I like, but none as much as my small Sebenza. Will I still like it this much two years from now - I'd be willing to bet I'll like it even more.
 
calypso699 said:
My first Sebenza was a small 21. Like you I wasn't in love with it at first (perhaps it was a bit of buyers remorse). It was also much smaller than I thought it would be but that's not any fault of the knife. Anyways, I slipped it into my pocket and started to carry it everyday. About a week later I gathered up the nerve to take it apart to get better acquainted. This is the point where things changed. You've probably heard it before, but CRK has some of the best (if not the best) tolerances in the industry. Taking the knife apart gives you the opportunity to see the level of precision firsthand. I'm an engineer and usually geek out over stuff like this so I was in heaven. I can't explain the level of satisfaction I had when I put the knife back together and it tightened down the pivot. Blade was perfectly centered, action was smooth, and lockup was solid. After that I was in love. The knife represents more than just a cutting tool. It's a piece of art made in the USA by a group of folks who take pride in their product.
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Exactly what he said.
 
Ajack60 said:
Not at all, for some like me, it took a while to fully understand what quality really means. Not to mention the many knives I had acquired. I used to think (convince myself) the knives I had were equal in craftsmanship. Then I put the Sebenza side by side and compared unbiased the other knives I have. I put aside eye appeal and WOW factor and went for quality of material, practical design being useful for my needs, life of the knife and the personal touch from the maker. For me, the Sebenza is the knife of choice. It now has more pocket time than any other knife I have. I have to make myself rotate other knives that I still like but don't use. Most of the time I have two knives on me, one being a Sebenza
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I had a Sage 2 at the time when I got my first Sebenza, a small 21, and they're not comparable except they're both gray lol. Yes, any Spyderco opens easier than a Sebenza, I'll give it that, but I've got other knives that fly open at the expense of f/f, tolerances, and blade play that can't be dialed out. Unless I'm going to start knife fighting, I don't find any need for a knife to fly open...jeez, how did our ancestors ever survive with their old, slow traditionals :rolleyes:. Angels didn't sing the first time I held a Sebenza, but I knew it was quality from the get go. It took me a lot of frustration and a lot of money buying a couple grand worth of other knives to make me understand why a Sebenza is what it is. My first experience with my small was a sore thumb because I didn't know what I was doing. The tolerances are so tight that just the slightest amount of pressure on the lockbar makes the blade near impossible to get out. My small is tighter and while still smooth, not as free as my large which has a free-dropping blade with unpolished washers...I really don't know how you can get smoother than that.

And yes, I find myself making myself rotate knives that my wife gave me as gifts, none being a Sebenza, just so she sees me carrying and enjoying them too.
 
Yes I did love my first Sebenza as soon as I held it. And even more so after I took it apart. Awesome quality IMHO.
It was a small unique classic. I shall never part with it.
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Oké, some pics.
I liked my Seb from the beginning. Never thought I would own one because of the money it costs here in The Netherlands. Then there came one up for sale here at home for a very nice price.
Couldn't believe it when I saw it up. Large lefthanded (I'm a lefty) 1999 BG42 regular Sebenza with custom micarta inlays by knifemaker Dirk de Wit. Also included are mammoth inlays that could replace the micarta ones.
I've been a knife user and somewhat a collector although all my knives are users, for fourty+ years.
Adding a Sebenza which is mostly my EDC was another dimension to my collection.
Very impressed by it's construction although it wasn't perfect.
There was very little play in both directions and the lock was 100%.
After using it for a year and thinking about how to get it back in perfect state, I took the plunge and started.
Sending it in was no option, the fear of it getting lost in the mail was greater then the fear to mess it up.
Took my DC4 and put the C-side on the blade bushing and the stoppin bushing, a few strokes and put it together again. Did this quite a few times until the play was gone and it still swings freely (hydraulic) when I disengage the lock. First problem solved.
Now the lock, it took me another year before I dared to change this.
The lockbar should be a little longer and so I took a 1kg hammer and a 4mm punch.
Pinned the lockside on a steelbar with clamps so the lock can't move and put the steelbar in my strong vice.
Now....
I hammered the punch while putting it on the inside of the slab at the place where it should get longer. The titanium is hard and I did not want to damage the hardened surface.
A few hard driving strokes with the heavy hammer and putting the knife together again.
After doing this about ten times I stopped, enough.
The lock bar engagement had gone back to 45%. Very nice.
Now, two years later and after quite some use, partially heavier use, the lock is still at 45%, and sticks just a little like a regular does.
This is what I did to my only beloved Sebenza, it's my Sebenza now, and I can't send it in anymore but that I would not want anyway.
I have to say this: Don't try this yourself, it's not easy, you have to know what you do, keep things straight and hold the hammer like a pro.
This is NO tutorial for how to treat a Sebenza and I don't want to encourage anyone to do the same because it voids the warranty.

And I only wanted to put some pictures her......
The pictures are taken before the changes I made.

8582697897_2e5178b096_b.jpg


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Don't bash me, I treat my wife much better. ;)
 
Personally i hated the strong detent when i had my sebenza for the first few months. After having benchmades, i liked having knives that were easily flickable. However, i've grown to appreciate a strong detent. I'm quite clumsy and tend to drop my knives. Whenever id drop a benchmade the blade would come flying open. This was dangerous for my feet and could potentially break the tip off. Unfortunately, i have dropped my sebenza a handful of times. Each time it happened, the blade stayed inside the handle. Sebenzas are unique because no matter what stage you are in your knife collecting journey, you'll always appreciate the quality and simplicity of them
 
In contrast to the OP, I was very initially impressed with my first Sebenza (Large 21 Insingo). Because of the hype the knife receives I had put off buying one for quite a while thinking it surely couldn't be worthy of such accolades. And when I finally did buy one I was expecting it to fall short of my (hype-induced) expectations. However, I was immediately impressed by its build quality. QC at CRK is obviously a priority I couldn't help but notice. As time has gone by (and as I have acquired more CRK knives) I am even more impressed and love the brand even more. It just has so many excellent qualities (especially the Large 21 clip point which has come to be my favorite). It seems the prefect knife. Built perfectly. Very slim in the pocket with what has to be the best clip in the industry. Lightweight (only 4.7oz for an all metal knife). Exquisite attention to detail. Soooo smooth. Classic design/lines (the way the clip point blade disappears into the handle is so sexy... like a classic Corvette). Simple yet complex... the perfect example of "less is more". But it is just a pocket knife. A damn fine made pocket knife, but a pocket knife nonetheless... it's not going to shift your paradigm or change your life... it's just gonna be a great knife.

As for price... I encourage you to watch the "Meet Your Maker" series on YouTube and if after watching it you don't think the price is in line with the manufacturing process then we'll just have to agree to disagree. These knives are precision engineered & manufactured... and then hand assembled (here in the US). That takes time and money.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4QiEnhA3n0A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nj6p8p6vfZQ

Anyway, give your Sebbie sometime to grow on you... if it's not for you, you'll have no problem selling it.
 
I was sort of in the same boat.

I came here, researched a good beginners high end knife, many mentioned sebenza. So I went to store and try it out in hand.

It looked and felt great, opened like greased glass.

Brought it home, noticed it was hard to open one handed.

But it is my FAVORITE knife period.
 
Immediately. Furthermore, I like it more and more the more I use it. Great grind, great steel, locks up perfectly, and easy on the eyes. It's a marvel of modern engineering.
 
I like mine so much it stays in my knife case with the rest of my most prized knives. I went and bought a Hogue EX01 and EDC that instead. All my friends said I was nuts to buy a $450 knife just to put in a case and then buy a $200 knife to replace it for EDC. Most of them carry $5 Walmart specials, they do not understand.
 
1st Sebenza- A small Sebenza 21 w/micarta inlays. Started my interest in knives and I still own it.

Latest knife- A Sebenza 25 w/micarta inlays. I've bought a lot of knives between my first Sebenza and this one and I can tell you from my personal experience that receiving the Sebenza 25 felt just as exciting as when I got my small 21.

You start to lose that feeling of excitement or joy after buying many knives but for me this just shows that I still get enjoyment from the knives that CRK makes.

CRK collection pic.

 
The Sebenza was a dream of mine from the first time I saw it in Blade Magazine all these many many many years ago, upon getting it, it was like getting a grail, so yes, I did like it at first, then more came, but they ended up being sold as money grew tight, this thread kinda reminds me of;

[video=youtube;6A2MBneb7lc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A2MBneb7lc[/video]

Now I'm in search of a small micarta Insingo, had the large but didn't quite fit for me...
G2
 
Gary W. Graley said:
The Sebenza was a dream of mine from the first time I saw it in Blade Magazine all these many many many years ago, upon getting it, it was like getting a grail, so yes, I did like it at first, then more came, but they ended up being sold as money grew tight, this thread kinda reminds me of;

[video=youtube;6A2MBneb7lc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6A2MBneb7lc[/video]

Now I'm in search of a small micarta Insingo, had the large but didn't quite fit for me...
G2
Click to expand...

Reminds me of:

[video=youtube;RBHZFYpQ6nc]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RBHZFYpQ6nc[/video]

If I were rich I'd buy a 25 and try it out. I had a small Starbenza once for a couple days but it was much smaller than I expected it to be, it's the only one I've tried so far.
 
I loved them the first time I picked one up back around year 2000.
It was the best feeling folder I had ever held, and the quality was far better than I had ever seen.
The only thing I didn't like at first was the small thumb stud, but now I like those too.
 
When I got my 25 I wasn't quite as blown away as I thought I might be. Don't get me wrong it was a very impressive piece right out of the box but the more I carried it and used it the more I began to realize how much I loved it and how great it really was. And now I am a total fanboy! But I guess I ought to be I live 15 minutes from the Chris Reeve Factory, Love supporting the local economy!
 
It took me years to buy my first, which I keep mint.
Then I got a regular one and wasn't too excited; with the help of a friend anodized the scales and used it.
Still use it today. :)
red mag
 
Opening a CRK folder is a knack only learned with practice.
If you mean "easy" by a smooth opening action then you might have a point. A properly set up CRK folder feels almost hydraulic while opening because the tolerances are set by the parts dimensions, not the tension on the blade.

You might want to take the time to remove and lube the blade washers to ensure you get the smoothest action. Some even go so far as to polish the washers on the side that faces the blade (the only side that actually gets wear as the blade moves).
 
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