Down the rabbit hole...

W

wiswislife

Joined
Oct 9, 2022
Messages
19
Hi Everyone

Hope you are all doing great.

First post here on the forum, after a lot of reading and educating myself on this hobby.

First, I would like to thank everyone here for all the information an great knowledge base.

Been having a SAK in my pocket for the better part of my life but as I am constantly tackling thousands of different projects and outdoor activity, been thinking of having a dedicated small etc knife. You probably know what happened, you start with Amazon search, then some nice chinese made options only to find yourself lurking at the CRK small sebenza 31. Then you see the price...

Budget is not the issue, it is the mental barrier side of it. It is just a damn knife some would say, while others would swear by the quality and not carry anything else.

My problem is none are available anywhere in Canada for me to see irl, then there is the wait time on the CRK website... leaving no other options than used and a leap of faith.

How is the majority ending up with a CRK, by climbing the ladder or starting entry level and eventually falling in the rabbit hole or you simply go big or go home ? What makes the CRK sebenza 31 so unique and special for all the owners to swear by them that much ?

Thanks for your feedback !
 
I have over 80 folders. I have more from CRK than any other brand. They make dedicated left handed models which is a huge plus for me personally, but also shows how well they care about their market. There craftsmanship is superb, and I have yet to find better customer service. I have used the spa service, but haven't needed to warranty anything. I have Large and small Sebenza 21s, Inkosis, an Umnumzaan, and a large Sebenza 31. I love every single one and wouldn't hesitate to recommend them to anyone wanting to have a serious knife.
 
Welcome.
I think a lot of people appreciate well-made things, be they cars, or hand tools, or knives. CRKs have a reputation for being meticulously constructed to very exacting tolerances, and they are indeed well-made. (Whether or not the price is commensurate with the product is a subject of some debate.) Knives are a hobby, and they're fun, so worst that happens is you end up with a knife laying in a drawer somewhere.
There are plenty of new and like-new CRKs that come up for sale, and you can generally get (most) of your money back reselling.
 
Welcome to BF W wiswislife !!!!!!
CRK has been around long enough to have a proven reliable knife. CRK has an excellent customer service, they truly do wonders if you ever send one in for service. CRK provides the tools for you to take the knife apart for cleaning as well as the grease and Loctite for some models. They won’t bitch and moan if you send them your knife in pieces because you couldn’t put it back together, nor will it void the warranty.
For me, a CRK is the best knife for what I do. They just work for me. I usually carry two knives, the CRK gets the most work.
If you’re going to have one knife to use and depend on, go with a CRK. You really won’t know why people swear by them until you have one in hand and use it.
 
When I started getting into nicer knives (>$100 usd) a few years ago, I spent tons of time on YouTube and even more on Bladeforums. The whole CRK mystique intrigued me more & more. After about 6 months I decided I needed to try it out for myself.

It’s hard to believe now, but for a time the Umnumzaan was relatively undervalued on the secondary market, so I watched the Exchange & found this ‘little’ guy.



I loved it, and subsequently stalked the exchange for a few years, looking for something that spoke to me at a price I could mentally justify & physically afford (which was no small task). The last couple of CRK’s I’ve bought from retailers, as my overall knife expenditures have gone way down in the last few years, as has my available time for Exchange watching.

My CRK acquisitions are in order below, left to right, over about a 6 year period (To the best of my memory, anyway).



I usually tell people to watch the Exchange for their first CRK, but IDK how active things are in the Canada section.
 
BD_01 said:
When I started getting into nicer knives (>$100 usd) a few years ago, I spent tons of time on YouTube and even more on Bladeforums. The whole CRK mystique intrigued me more & more. After about 6 months I decided I needed to try it out for myself.

It’s hard to believe now, but for a time the Umnumzaan was relatively undervalued on the secondary market, so I watched the Exchange & found this ‘little’ guy.



I loved it, and subsequently stalked the exchange for a few years, looking for something that spoke to me at a price I could mentally justify & physically afford (which was no small task). The last couple of CRK’s I’ve bought from retailers, as my overall knife expenditures have gone way down in the last few years, as has my available time for Exchange watching.

My CRK acquisitions are in order below, left to right, over about a 6 year period (To the best of my memory, anyway).



I usually tell people to watch the Exchange for their first CRK, but IDK how active things are in the Canada section.
Click to expand...
Thank you BD_)1 for your valuable inputs. And BTW, what an awesome collection of CRK ;)
 
Ajack60 said:
Welcome to BF W wiswislife !!!!!!
CRK has been around long enough to have a proven reliable knife. CRK has an excellent customer service, they truly do wonders if you ever send one in for service. CRK provides the tools for you to take the knife apart for cleaning as well as the grease and Loctite for some models. They won’t bitch and moan if you send them your knife in pieces because you couldn’t put it back together, nor will it void the warranty.
For me, a CRK is the best knife for what I do. They just work for me. I usually carry two knives, the CRK gets the most work.
If you’re going to have one knife to use and depend on, go with a CRK. You really won’t know why people swear by them until you have one in hand and use it.
Click to expand...
Thank you Ajack60, this is some highly valuable feedback from an insider !
 
Sebenzas are almost impossible to explain. They’re simple, plain, boring (at least the PJ models, and even these may be boring compared to the competition). But when you handle one, it just makes sense
 
I'll start by saying I'm not a fanboy...I first became aware of CRK when ATS-34 was the steel du jour. I had the opportunity to handle one a few years later (owned by a friend who'd asked me to recommend "the best" pocket knife) and I wasn't sold. Years later I tried several variations of the large 21 - not because I liked them; but because I wanted to. (I still have one...don't particularly like the knife; but I kept it because I'm a fan of snakewood). I later bought a large insingo inkosi with micarta inlays - I like it better than the 21...but I only carry it very occasionally (not even once a year). I grabbed a small insingo WC 21 and carried it for a few weeks at work, then put it away in favor of knives I liked better. Bought a small inkosi, knowing I wouldn't like it, but needing to try - that one is long gone, as well. Recently, after carrying a small (sub 3") folder for a year and a half, I bought a small 31 with box elder inserts. It seemed to click, and I carried it for a couple weeks...then I polished the scales on my old WC 21 insingo, and haven't touched the 31 since. (I very much prefer the insingo blade).
With many years of awareness, and having purchased at least 8 CRKs...in a way, I've ventured down my own rabbit hole - just in the process of finding a couple of CRKs I like. It's still a tenuous relationship, as I've been carrying a larger knife again, but I think I've got a couple of CRKs that I like enough to carry at least semi-regularly.
 
I forgot to mention that if you're thinking about ordering direct from CRK, you may be in for a rude awakening - according to the last posted estimate, they're projecting about a 4 yr wait for a 31. Unless you WANT that kind of wait, you're probably better off going through their authorized dealer list and finding one that ships to Canada...you might even luck out and find what you want in stock :thumbsup:
 
hhmoore said:
I forgot to mention that if you're thinking about ordering direct from CRK, you may be in for a rude awakening - according to the last posted estimate, they're projecting about a 4 yr wait for a 31. Unless you WANT that kind of wait, you're probably better off going through their authorized dealer list and finding one that ships to Canada...you might even luck out and find what you want in stock :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Yeah, saw that. Couldn't really believe this when I tried ordering one ;) As some already suggested, looking at pre-owned market now ;)
 
Yup - though decent prices seem more and more uncommon. A lot of people trying to sell for new prices (and higher) because the availability is low. Maybe it's me; but if I'm looking on the secondary market, I'm not paying full retail for a knife that is still being produced. If I've got to pay new prices, there's no reason not to support a dealer.
 
Welcome to the forum W wiswislife (I assume you're a watch nerd as well? so am I)

Quite a few Canadian retailers have stock on smalls with inlays / Damascus. As for owning a small.. it's great, perfect size and profile - But I still much prefer the large sebenza.

Where are you located in Canaderp?
 
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Kallil said:
Sebenzas are almost impossible to explain. They’re simple, plain, boring (at least the PJ models, and even these may be boring compared to the competition). But when you handle one, it just makes sense
Click to expand...
Thats the way it is with the inksingo too. Except even simpler. Everything that's needed and nothing that's not.

View attachment 1955485
 
As a fairly recent addition to the crk club, I'll offer some words of wisdom. When and if you finally find one, make sure you give it a fair shake. The small 31 I have (only crk I currently own) took a while of carry and use before it broke in and I really started to appreciate it. They're really great knives, but can be a bit underwhelming for a newcomer. Only with carry and use do their inherent elegance and simplicity win one over.
 
badmatt said:
Welcome to the forum W wiswislife (I assume you're a watch nerd as well? so am I)

Quite a few Canadian retailers have stock on smalls with inlays / Damascus. As for owning a small.. it's great, perfect size and profile - But I still much prefer the large sebenza.

Where are you located in Canaderp?
Click to expand...
I am located in Montreal.
 
Wild Willie said:
As a fairly recent addition to the crk club, I'll offer some words of wisdom. When and if you finally find one, make sure you give it a fair shake. The small 31 I have (only crk I currently own) took a while of carry and use before it broke in and I really started to appreciate it. They're really great knives, but can be a bit underwhelming for a newcomer. Only with carry and use do their inherent elegance and simplicity win one over.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words. I will sure give it enough time in the pocket.
 
hhmoore said:
I forgot to mention that if you're thinking about ordering direct from CRK, you may be in for a rude awakening - according to the last posted estimate, they're projecting about a 4 yr wait for a 31. Unless you WANT that kind of wait, you're probably better off going through their authorized dealer list and finding one that ships to Canada...you might even luck out and find what you want in stock :thumbsup:
Click to expand...
Good advice. Look closely and you'll find a dealer in Canada. I purchased a hard-to-find model from them last year when it was nowhere to be found in the U.S. Good luck!
 
Wild Willie said:
As a fairly recent addition to the crk club, I'll offer some words of wisdom. When and if you finally find one, make sure you give it a fair shake. The small 31 I have (only crk I currently own) took a while of carry and use before it broke in and I really started to appreciate it. They're really great knives, but can be a bit underwhelming for a newcomer. Only with carry and use do their inherent elegance and simplicity win one over.
Click to expand...
I'm the same way with my Inkosi. It's taken a full year of occasional and now more frequent carry for me to get it broken in. Now it's a real favorite.
 
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