Dull New Sebenza 21 Small

Sylafari

Sylafari

Joined
May 23, 2013
Messages
54
Just got my brand new Sebenza 21 small from BladeHQ and was marveling at the quality until I tried to see how sharp it was. I tried to cut a piece of receipt paper and it just wouldn't slice through, it could only tear through the paper. This is an issue to me because I have two Benchmade Knives the 943 and 940-1 and those knives easily sliced through receipt paper (in fact I just got the 940-1 a few days ago as well and it cuts through receipt paper perfectly). I feel like I paid good money for this knife and am disappointed at the factory sharpness of the knife. Here's a picture of the knife and as you can see it was made very recently.



And here is a video of a sharpness test I did. (Sure its not scientific but I think it shows the issue very well)
http://youtu.be/ohwRrcLDnbs

I'm wondering what are my options as I really don't wanna pay to have it shipped off as I feel like I just bought and received the knife and spending extra money on a knife you just received for the first day just seems like an issue that should not occur. Or maybe i'm expecting too much of the factory sharpness of a Sebenza? Just want to see what options I have and get an idea of what I can do. Thanks in advance.
 
Hey brother. . . Although it can be slightly disappointing that it came a tad duller than one would hope, don't let it get you down my friend.

Do you have a strop or any other sharpening equipment? If not, you can use a leather belt and strop it that way or on some clean cardboard. At any rate, at some point the blade will need to be touched up anyway, but I understand the disappointment in needing to do it the day you get the knife.

You got it from BladeHQ? Are you in UT or was it shipped to you?
 
MostMenAreRuthless said:
Hey brother. . . Although it can be slightly disappointing that it came a tad duller than one would hope, don't let it get you down my friend.

Do you have a strop or any other sharpening equipment? If not, you can use a leather belt and strop it that way or on some clean cardboard. At any rate, at some point the blade will need to be touched up anyway, but I understand the disappointment in needing to do it the day you get the knife.

You got it from BladeHQ? Are you in UT or was it shipped to you?
Click to expand...

I got it shipped to me from BladeHQ. Unfortunately, I don't have any sharpening equipment. I understand at some point the blade will need to be touched up (my one year old 943 is getting a bit dull) but I been examining the sharpness more and more and tried to run it over cardboard gently and it sort of just tears at the cardboard compared to my pretty heavily used 943 in comparison at least cuts through a bit and the new 940-1 just zips through. I also used my finger to feel the sharpness and it just feels very dull compared to even the 943 (but that may not really prove anything). Problem is I just love everything else about the knife so much, the fit and finish is just breathtaking. I don't wanna send it back haha. Thanks a lot for your response.
 
Just grab an old leather belt and strop it on the rough side. There are several YouTube tutorials on stropping as well as in the maintenance sub forum. A lot can be done with materials you likely already have in your home.

Next step--go online and order a spyderco sharp maker, or some DMT dia-fold tools, and a strop with compound. You will need them!!
 
MostMenAreRuthless said:
Just grab an old leather belt and strop it on the rough side. There are several YouTube tutorials on stropping as well as in the maintenance sub forum. A lot can be done with materials you likely already have in your home.

Next step--go online and order a spyderco sharp maker, or some DMT dia-fold tools, and a strop with compound. You will need them!!
Click to expand...

Good advice from a good fella. :thumbup:

You can also strop on a pair of jeans you might be wearing or a picture magazine cover. I stropped my small Insingo today on the chamfered edge of the wooden picnic table in my backyard. A taught strip of canvas works well also.

As MMAR said, a Spyderco Sharpmaker is a great maintenance tool for many knives.

Keep 'em sharp!
 
A sharpmaker is a worthwhile investment. I find myself finding things to sharpen..
 
I bought my small 21 a few years ago and honestly I can't remember whether it came "scary sharp" or not. But between then and now I've had it "hair whitting" "Super Shaving" sharp at some point in its life....I realize now it not that I need it to be that sharp, it's just knowing I can, and sometimes bragging rights. Today I tested it after seeing your video and it's even a tad duller then yours. But what the hell, it's my only knife I carry and it preforms 100% of my daily chores (I have a shaver if I want to shave, I don't whittle human hair).

Maybe yours is just the way it comes out of the factory these days and your expectations are high after seeing all these "hanging hair cutting" videos. Perhaps it's just need a few passes on a strop.
 
My 2 diamond plates both arrived pretty dull , alla others came sharp
Happens I assume, even to the best
 
Such is the way of factory edges. Get some good and bad, and it's funny because the dullest, most obtuse edges I've ever received have been from Benchmade. So the solution is either that one must learn how to maintain his own tools, or pay someone else to do it.
 
The Sharpmaker is very good (I wouldn't call it "the best")... but for the money it is hard to beat. A Wicked Edge or an Edge Pro Apex (which both cost exponentially more than the Sharpmaker) take home sharpening to a whole new level. But both are significant investments (the WE being the more expensive of the two).

That said... I'd have to second the Sharpmaker recommendation. You just spent $350 on a Sm Sebenza... you really should invest another $50-60 for a good, solid sharpening system so you can maintain it.
 
Might as well buy the Sharpmaker and a strop now, you are going to need them . While I do prefer the WE(I can sharpen with it like I never could before), the Sharpmaker is the best system for the money and works well with the Sebenza.
 
Guess i'm going to have to get the Sharpmaker. I hope my hands are steady (probably will try sharpening the 943 first before the Sebenza). Is it worth getting the ultra fine stones? Also for a strop do I just buy a leather belt?
 
Sylafari said:
Guess i'm going to have to get the Sharpmaker. I hope my hands are steady (probably will try sharpening the 943 first before the Sebenza). Is it worth getting the ultra fine stones? Also for a strop do I just buy a leather belt?
Click to expand...

I like the ultra fine stones. Before I made the investment in a WE I used the Sharpmaker and ultra fine stones to touch up knives all the time, including my large Insingo.
 
Sylafari said:
Guess i'm going to have to get the Sharpmaker. I hope my hands are steady (probably will try sharpening the 943 first before the Sebenza). Is it worth getting the ultra fine stones? Also for a strop do I just buy a leather belt?
Click to expand...

They are also strops that are sold-leather attached to a piece of board. If you google something like stropping knives you will probably get more info then you ever wanted.
 
jon1all said:
The Sharpmaker is very good (I wouldn't call it "the best")... but for the money it is hard to beat. A Wicked Edge or an Edge Pro Apex (which both cost exponentially more than the Sharpmaker) take home sharpening to a whole new level. But both are significant investments (the WE being the more expensive of the two).

That said... I'd have to second the Sharpmaker recommendation. You just spent $350 on a Sm Sebenza... you really should invest another $50-60 for a good, solid sharpening system so you can maintain it.
Click to expand...

+1^^^

Well said...
 
rustysocket said:
A sharpmaker is a worthwhile investment. I find myself finding things to sharpen..
Click to expand...
Yes :thumbup:A good and solid choice to start with.The new knife will be popping hairs in minutes.Start out by sharpening some of your kitchen knives to gain technique.
 
Plus one vote for the Spyderco Sharpmaker! It makes my CRK folders razor sharp with very little effort or skill!
 
The factory edges on CRK knives really are hit or miss. I sent my Sebebza 25 for a spa treatment and the knife came back a butter knife. Literally could, with force, run my finger across the blade. No slicing ability whatsoever. But, on the flipside,8 got a 21 back from the spa and it was a moderately sharp edge. The good thing about CRK knives are that they are super easy to touch up!
 
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