Did you like your Sebenza at first?

I was extremely underwhelmed when I first got my sebbie, a small micarta 21. I just didn't see where the money went, especially compared with my sage 2. However once I started carrying it and got it broken in, I fell in love. The little details that make them so special started to emerge. I bought 2 more CRKs within 6 months and am really glad I didn't sell it immediately.
 
I liked it, but didn't love it. I'm a much bigger fan of the mnandi; it is a better fit for me. That doesn't mean the Seb hasn't grown on me, though. It's found a place in the rotation and I even picked up a second one, but I'll still grab a mnandi 90% of the time.
 
I really tried to like sebenzas, but they were grey turds with dull blades. I went to a show ready to buy a large, but came home with a custom for less money, that was much prettier. I like shiny blades and nice looking knives.

I then saw some decorated ones, and they were much nicer. However, the large sebenza was too clunky in hand and in pocket. My solution was a computer decorated small. It is pretty, the blade has a decent finish, and being smaller, it's not clunky in hand or pocket.

I spent many years disliking sebenzas until I found the one for me. Sebenzas are best bought in person, with the knife in hand.
 
I honestly wasn't blown away immediately, but the longer I fondled and used it the more I loved and respected the craftsmanship
 
My first Sebenza was a large micarta in s30v. I had traded for it. When I saw it, it was beautiful. But the previous owner had beaten the crap out of it, and sharpened a lot of the blade away. I sent it off to get a new lock side because of the blade play developed from the previous owner beating the crap out of it with spine wack tests. It came back almost brand new.

But the blade didn't deploy fast like a Benchmade, it wasn't as comfortable as my Spyderco, and it wasn't as beefy as my Strider.
I sat there looking at it like, "This is my grail knife?"

I didn't know much about them, so I acquired a sour taste in my mouth for Crk's.
Fast forward a year later, I bought a really nice Cocobolo inlayed one. It was a masterpiece. But I heard the horror stories of the "soft s35vn"
I was quickly turned off by that.

Then one day, I went hunting and managed to get a rabbit.
I was afraid to use my Sebenza because it was so nice, and besides, the steel was too soft, right? Wrong.

I skinned, and pushed through bone and tissue, and finally used a Sebenza for the first time. The edge was immaculate. Still just as sharp.

I was amazed at the comfort, the edge retention, and the beauty.. I fell in love.

Now I have a plain jane 21, from 2011, with "the soft S35VN". :rolleyes:
Its my daily user, edc, and I love it more and more.
I work as a mechanic, and tighter tolerances are a must when rebuilding any engine. Holding this CRK, and knowing what kind of work, and how tight the tolerances are, makes me truly appreciate the work of functional art I have.

Sure, its not a fast dagger, a flashy accessory, or a sharpened pry bar.
But it is a knife, and a damn well one at that.

And in my use, if you use a knife for its intended purpose, youll come to appreciate the quality that a CRK offers.
 
I have 3 plain regular Sebenzas, a small and 2 large. To me they are the epitome of refined design and aesthetic discipline. They also perform really well. I also have 3 (or so) Spydercos and I appreciate them for different reasons. Sometimes I'll go for a few months without picking up one of the CRKs, but when I do they blow me away every time.
 
Last edited:
When I got my Seb 25, It was the most expensive knife I ever owned. I had a para2 in my pocket and planned on the CRK to be a safe queen, I was happy to just say that I owned one. Then I got into more expensive knives and got rid of my productions.. So the sebenza ended up in my pocket, that's where it really started to shine I used it like the tool it is, and cut stuff with it. It has not left my pocket ever since, I have flashier knives that flip open like demons that if I needed a knife for something would be the last thing I reached for, none of then perform as an EDC for me better than the seb25. Use it and you will understand.
 
This is a very interesting thread. I've really enjoyed reading all the responses.

For me, I was very impressed by the Sebenza initially. I believe that is due to the amount of hype regarding this mystical folding knife. Eventually, I realized it is just a knife: a plain and simple knife. However, the longer I used and carried it, the more I started to appreciate the brilliant design. It truly is perfectly made in every aspect. With that being said, I own a lot more Sebenzas for some reason ;)
 
I wasn't just blown away the instant I opened the box. But I was blown away once I got my small Sebenza in my hands. It just felt perfect in my hand. Then I slipped it open felt that nice detent and checked the sharpness of the blade and was blown even further away. And that was all she wrote. I can't imagine owning anything else. Just a spectacular edged tool.
 
GA/\/\/\/\A said:
Hi,

I've been reading about sebenza knives for a year or so and finally took the plunge. I got a large micarta insingo in the mail yesterday.

I'm not trying to start a flame war here, but i really don't love it. I had bought a spyderco sage 2 a few years back and had always thought that the sebenza's quality would be far beyond the sage by every possible measure. It is not. Really. The opening action is not as smooth as fabled and the opening lug is actually quite awkward when combined with the very strong detent in my example. It doesn't open easily or with any special finesse or luxury...in fact i would say my sage 2 and microtech socom elite both open smoother. When closing the blade snaps against the stop pin with a "cling" sound that is quite unsettling, too.

Don't get me wrong, it is a beautiful knife and tolerances are very good. I'm sure i will find that i grow to like it and hopefully it will get smoother after more open/close cycles. Just a word of caution to those that care, there is a significant amount of hype surrounding this knife (and inflating the price). It is incomprehensible to me how the $145 sage 2 can compare so favorably with this $485 large sebenza.
Click to expand...

Well one is made overseas where labor is cheaper. One is made is very very large batches and able to leverage that to lower costs. The other one is made to closer tolerances, even if you would need a high end caliper to tell. The other one has a pivot bushing which is quite difficult to put in correctly. The other one can be disassembled and reassembled multiple times in almost any method imaginable and the blade will be centered perfectly with no tricks, methods or tuning necessary. Oh and it won't have a voided warranty for those tear downs as well.

A $5 gas station knife will compare favorably to your $145 Sage 2 if I put them in my father-in-law's hands.
 
Hated the first one I saw in person, slowly changed my mind and loved the first one I bought.
 
Overall I was a bit disappointed much of that had to do with the seller lying about the sale and because the knife does not feel secure in my pocket. I carried it a few times and now it sits in my safe.

BUT I can see and appreciate the quality of the brand. I am am going to pick up a larger model and try it before I completely write off the brand as not for me.
 
I just got my first Sebenza. Large 21. I've wanted one for how long, I don't even know. When I finally made the plunge and bought it, my heart sunk on how much I just spent on a knife. And the feeling didn't get any better when it showed up at the door. BUT, after a some time of feeling the quality of it, zero play, solid lock up. Makes my PM2 look and feel like a beater(dont get me wrong, the PM2 is still one of my favorite knives)! I love the Sebenza, just took a few days...almost a week. But its my EDC and I hardly ever grab anything else, other then my PM2 occasionally.
 
At first I was like hmmm... Think I overpaid.

The longer I had it the more it grew on me. Now other knife's blade play makes me slightly dislike them.
I sent mine in for new lugs, re-finish blade, spa treatment. I dying to get it back.
 
I'm going to say the same things as everyone else. I went from a $15 Gerber to a $90 Benchmade and thought I hit the lottery. Then on to a $200 Benchmade. Handled some Dog Paw Sebenzas a guy was trying to trade me for a gun. I thought "Is this guy crazy? He wants to trade me these boring looking knives for a nice gun? You want $300-$400 for that?" I fought it hard!
Then I picked up a Large insingo here. It was also not smooth like I had hoped. I went to Blade show and met a nice young guy at the Reeve booth named Tim (Chris Reeve's son). He asked to see it. He quickly took it apart, cleaned it and lubed it. Made a world of difference, but still didn't flick open like my well broken in $70 Griptillian. Fast forward 4 years later, multiple sharpenings, scotch-brighted to cover the scratches, and the lockup is still perfect. It's smooth as butter now. The more you use it IMO, the better it gets. I have owned many nice customs and still do, but this one I'm not afraid to use. Believe me, I've tried to replace it. I've owned about 15 of various varieties and still have 5 (2 Umnumzaans, small micarta, large micarta). They are also nice. I tried to replace it with a Dua...not the same. Tried with others too...not the same. There was something I didn't like about each "replacement brand". It was either the clip or the lockup or something. It may not be for everyone, but give it some time, use it and see. You can always sell it for pretty close to what you paid, even if it"s used.
 
Last edited:
Always loved the look of the Insingo blade, after a year of waiting I pulled the plug on a pristine used large Insingo. I absolutely love it, almost never wanted to carry it in fear of marking it up. After a few scratches I just let that go. I just figure each one adds it's own character to it. When the 25 first came out I was pretty pumped to get one, and made sure I bought brand new. Sadly enough, it has never seen anywhere near the pocket time as my Insingo. Its not that I don't like it (I certainly do!), it's just hard to not carry my Insingo after these years. Now if they make a 25 with an Insingo blade... that'd be my dream knife!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top