First impressions......

[Ram]

Hello everyone,
I just received my first Sebenza(used). It is a Classic Small Sebenza I bought off a memeber on this forum. I had been reading all the fine stuff everyone had to say about the Sebenza, so finally when a good opportunity came up, I bought it. First, why does a knife which cost $305 come in a cardboard box ? I would expect at least a nice wood presentation box/case or include one of those leather pouches ! I know that someone will say that the box is not the important thing and to keep cost down....bla..bla.. Naturally, the knife was used so it had two small pitts on the spine of the blade; didnt like it but oh well. The handles seem to scuff up pretty easy. When light hits it you can see all the marks. I am still thinking about sending it in to get an overhaul, but what's the point if it will scuff up again the instant I put in my pocket. I took the knife apart to clean and noticed that on the back spacer the inside of it was anodized blue !! What's the deal ? Was it blue at one point and then polished down ? It must of come like this from CR because nothing else is anodized on the knife. Is this a slip in QC ?
The fit is really nice, but not any better then my MOD Trident or my BM705 axis. I like the blade shape and putting a modest edge on it was not too hard. The blade opens very smooth, but again not better then the MOD or BM705. I will agree that it is a good quality knife and tolerances are extremely tight, but that is what is expected from CNC machines !
Overall, I am not overwhelmed with the Sebenza at first glance, but maybe it will take time. I collect and work on mechanical watches, so I do know a thing or two about fine mechanical "tools".
If I had to compare the Sebenza to a mechanical watch I would compare it to a Rolex. Built like a tank, built to be used, quality metal used, better then average finish. It is not a Patek which fit and finish is amazing. They finish part surfaces which will never be seen ! Why not compare it to an Omega ? Well, they dont use an inhouse movement ! I wish the Sebenza would use the same type of Titanium IWC used on their watches ! will not scuff !
Let the flamming begin ! These are just my first impressions of the Sebenza. Maybe a month from now after using it, I will be posting about how great of a knife it is. Maybe I should just send it in for an overhaul so I can get back a nice pretty knife. )

And No, I am not sending it to anyone just because I am not performing backflips !

Regards,
Ram

 

[etp777]

Seems like you gave a valid, well reasoned opinion, so would hoep you won't be flamed, but sure someone will.

Never had Sebenza yet, haven't convinced myself it's worht it(esp. as I'm not even sure if I'll have a job in a month, but tha'ts not the point.

 

[blademan 13]

"I wish the Sebenza would use the same type of Titanium IWC used on their watches ! will not scuff ! "



Most likely what they are using is a form of Ti coating. Reeves, as most other custom maker's use 6AL4V for it's strength and flexing ability. Surface hardness is not that high on the Rc scale (45?). Some forms of Ti coatings have Rc values from the mid 70's on up. This makes the object very resistant to scratching.

While scratches are acceptable on one of the finest "working" knives you are likely to find, they would be less likely accepted on a watch costing thousands of dollars. The Sebenza was never intended to be a work of art, but rather a very good tool in it's simplest form. Don't worry about the scratches as they really won't detract from the true value of the knife.

Use it for awhile and then get back to us. Also, if you get the chance, take it apart and put it back together. That can be a very rewarding thing to do.

 

[The Tourist]

I hope Ram doesn't get flamed, either. I hope that we are all adult enough to discuss knives honestly. Let's face it, any knife, even a Sebbie, could get dinged in transit to the new owner if the package got dropped hard enough.

I've never owned a Sebenza, and I'd definitely like the chance. I do have many high end, high quality knives. One of them got shipped with the slightest ding in one of the serrations. You had to look hard; the chip only appeared if the knife was rotated in the light. That light twinkled differently off the chip as compared to the other serrations. This stuff happens.

A good friend of mine got a Sebenza, and out of the box it had a 'flat spot' on the edge of the blade. This would easily polish out on the first sharpening. (I just got a new Cold Steel knife, and the edge had a dozen flat spots.) My friend's only comment was that he had such high hopes for this great knife that he thought about sending it back to the customer service department.

It's a great knife. It has first class construction, a razor sharp edge and it's built from terrific materials. No one ever doubts that. But we should be able to discuss attributes without a flaming.

 

[Ram]

Blademan 13,
I did take it apart yesterday for a good cleaning and still didnt do much for me. I guess because I am so use to taking apart mechanical watches, It is very hard to get me excited ! I wish the Sebenza used the same type of coating as IWC does. I understand that the Sebenza's purpose is a work knife, but for a $300 dollar knife it would seem that "extra" attention would be put in making sure the knife stayed looking "new". But the same thing happens in the watch world; I wear an Aerospace Titanium watch and it scuffs up badly if you look at it wrong ! And if you know watches you know it's not a "cheap" watch. Anyways, I have sent an email to Bridget to ask how long and how much to overhaul my Sebe.

Thanks,
Ram

 

[Esav Benyamin]

Ram, I think you'll like the Sebenza for it's working ability. If it were polished and gleaming it wouldn't keep that shine under real use anyway, whatever the coating. If you get a look at some of the more expensive models, they do have a polished surface, like my NICA tanto and Umfaan, and the shine remains pretty well, but it will dull somewhat. You can also get the blade itself polished.

The thumbstud and backspacer are anodized blue, and it does wear off. You can get Sebenzas with damascus blades anodized bronze or blue, too, but it won't stand up to serious use.