First time poster here with a question

Boru13

Boru13

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I just purchased a new large Sebenza 21 a few days ago, absolutely outstanding knife :)

This is my first Sebenza since 99 when i purchased one in BG 42 steel, wish i still had that :grumpy:

Anyway my question is this, why do many forum members consider Striders, Emersons, etc. to be hard use folders but not the Sebenzas ?

I have owned many Emersons, no Striders though, and for the life of me i really don't see what the difference is to make one a hard use knife and the other one not.

I mentioned Emerson and Strider because as i said i've owned many Emersons over the years and feel i can speak about them and Striders are praised as being a hard use folder.
 
It's called marketing. Those knives are really no tougher or more usable than the next knife in line, it's just pandering to their slected customer base.
 
I doubt there is a folder out there that can handle more abuse and last longer than my umnumzaan Tanto. Maybe some will last as long, but I have owned them all and never been as impressed with a hard use knife.

There are guys on this forum edc'ing sebenzas over 10 years old. I see no reason to think the sebenza gives up toughness vs any other makers frame lock or liner lock knife.

For what it's worth there are plenty of pictures out there of SNG's where the blade broke above the cut out for the thumb hole. I have never seen a picture of a sebenza with a broken blade. Maybe sebenza knives are tougher, or maybe sebenza owners are more sensible... Lol!
 
I have owned both the strider sng and sng cc. I in know way think they are any more stronger built than the sebenza. The 21 has Ti slabs on both sides while the strider has a G10 side and a Ti side. However I think if you use either of these quality knives the way they are intended, they will both last a lifetime.
 
It depends on what you are doing with the knife.

The sebenza is a hollow grind, it is by no means a weak knife...but compared to a Strider SMF Tanto, which is more like a sharpened pry bar.... it isn't going to take nearly as much abuse in terms of prying and other things you shouldn't be doing with a knife anyway. In that sense they are not "hard use" knives. The sebenza will perform just as well if not better than a Strider or Hinderer or any other knife at "knife" tasks, but when you take into account people who need to use a knife as a make shift pry bar or other tool as their knife is the only tool they carry with them... the Sebenza cannot compete with the thicker sharpened wedges which Strider/Hinderer call blades. Not bashing those knives or anything... but no one knife can be a master of all tasks - the Sebenza rules slicing and mostEDC tasks, but you are going to need a Strider/Hinderer if you are going to use it as an axe or prybar or something else (but it will never be as good at slicing).

At the end of the day, you just need to pick what suits you best and what your daily needs are. The sebenza isn't a weak knife and will take plenty of abuse, but listen to what Chris Reeve has to say - it is meant only for knife tasks (ie. cutting) and for that purpose it can serve you a lifetime.

People's opinions of a "hard use" knife far exceed simple cutting.

On another note, the sebenza only comes in s30v/s35vn. You can get a Strider in 3v/s110v. Specs alone would indicate those steels are more suited for "hard use." The sebenza also has a thinner tip which is not good for even light prying compared to the reinforced tip of a Hinderer.

TL;DR - The sebenza is just as good of a knife if not better than any other knives when it comes to knife tasks (cutting). But if you are looking for higher end steels to abuse (s110v/20cv/3v) and a thick wedge of an edge to use as a pry bar and an axe... Strider/Hinderer would be better suited for the job.
 
There is this crazy idea some people have of using the right tool for the job. If you're using a pocket knife as a pry bar or an axe then it would seem one has simply bought into the superdooperspecialforces marketing of these companies rather than what a tool should actually be used for. I don't hammer a nail in with a screwdriver and I don't tighten a scew with a hammer.....I do use my knife to cut stuff though.
 
Marketing, just marketing. Any well made folding knife could be marketed as a "hard use" knife . . . just as any well made folder will probably survive a reasonable amount of "hard use" before failing. Personally I do not consider any folding knife a "hard use" knife except under exceptional circumstances - if it saves my life but doesn't survive it is worth it at any price.
 
Never owned a Strider or Emerson, so I can't compare but a Sebenza is not good for prying at all.

The blade bends very easily.

I'm not saying this is a fault of the knife.
 
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