Got my first CRK Sebenza yesterday. The Emperor's new knife.

brownshoe said:
Well i hate the large grey turd. I don't like its ergonomics or looks. I found the small and loved the ergos, but still hated the looks, the grey handle, dull blade and "snail trails". Then I found the graphic models, not ugly, not a grey turd, multiple colors on the same handle and a shiny blade...I bought and still have it :)
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That's cool and all, but it's still a grey turd beneath the snazzy graphics. If someone's chief complaint about the Sebenza is it's drab appearance, then I guess a fancy handle might make a difference; otherwise, it won't make the knife become something it's not. I guess that was my point. :)

-Brett
 
This resonates with me, my experience almost exactly. I had the first production run Sebenza many years ago, lo these many years later just i bought a 25.
My impressions mirror those of amg137; great finish, superior fit and a solidness that you can feel. Can these qualities be found at lesser and greater price points ? Absolutely. Hard to argue the strong secondary market for the Sebenza though.

amg137 said:
I'm curious, what were you expecting? The Sebenza is famous for three things - classic good looks, fit and finish, and smoothness. Point number 1 you can judge before you even hold the knife. The fit and finish and smoothness (once properly broken in) are exceptional, but you're right - there are a number of knives in the $200-$300 range that have similar properties. There are also midtechs in the $500-700 range that have similar properties, or even fall short of the Sebenza. It's not going to do anything a $200 knife can't, or even a $100 knife. These are luxury items, and you get diminishing returns the more money you spend on a knife. I do wholeheartedly agree that anyone considering buying one should go out of their way to handle one first - the same with any other high-dollar knife. Not every knife is going to be for you. When people drop that kind of cash on something that turns out to not be for them, they gripe about it online.

I'm sorry you don't like your Sebenza, but perhaps your expectations were unrealistic.
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I love the handle shape and find it very ergonomic. The simple shape allows for very nice grip in every which way. Without crazy humps and bumps in the way.
 
I bought a Sebenza 25 and really wanted to love it, but it did nothing for me at the end of the day and I sold it, I'm also not missing it at all. With that money I picked up a Spyderco PM2 and Spyderco Military and I would say money not being a factor I wouldn't trade the PM2 for a Sebenza straight up. The stonewashed blade on the Sebenza was nice although dull on arrival. But my overall impression was sort of like eating a Geno's Philly Cheese steak for the first time "this is it?"...
 
BellaBlades said:
I love the handle shape and find it very ergonomic. The simple shape allows for very nice grip in every which way. Without crazy humps and bumps in the way.
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Your not the only one..Perhaps some have the hands of Bart Simpson with three small fingers and a thumb..not sure.

I know that if my Sebenzas ever have a problem, then they go back to the shop and get fixed all at a minimal cost to me.

As was stated many times in this thread, CRK's are not for everyone and that's alright,..there are alot of manufacturers and makers out there,..and jarbenzas for the rest :D
 
cchu518 said:
Ok don't get off topic. Hk benchmade and Spyderco, Kershaw, Kizer are proof positive stuff out of China can be very good. Your blanket statement makes no sense to most knife nuts or economists for that matter.
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Those are the exception, not the rule. Fairly certain most people would agree that most stuff from China is garbage, especially knives. You're pointing out the 10% good stuff to justify the other 90% which is crap. Also, all of those companies own the actual plan the knives are being made in. Most other knife companies are either Chinese owned or consigned to one.
 
k_ozdragon said:
...Fairly certain most people would agree that most stuff from China is garbage, especially knives...
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I don't agree. The Chinese can make any quality you wish to buy. I've seen exceptional quality and also poor quality knives come from Chinese manufacturers. When it comes to high quality, Ron Lake had Hanwei make the only production version of his interframe folder. That's one sweet knife, equal in quality to the Case Bose line.

In one area, fireworks aka pyrotechnics, the Chinese invented it and still are the world's leader about 1300 years later.
 
brownshoe said:
I don't agree. The Chinese can make any quality you wish to buy. I've seen exceptional quality and also poor quality knives come from Chinese manufacturers. When it comes to high quality, Ron Lake had Hanwei make the only production version of his interframe folder. That's one sweet knife, equal in quality to the Case Bose line.

In one area, fireworks aka pyrotechnics, the Chinese invented it and still are the world's leader about 1300 years later.
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I'll be sure to check that my fireworks are the real deal from China. As for knives I'll buy US made because I can.
 
k_ozdragon said:
Those are the exception, not the rule. Fairly certain most people would agree that most stuff from China is garbage, especially knives. You're pointing out the 10% good stuff to justify the other 90% which is crap. Also, all of those companies own the actual plan the knives are being made in. Most other knife companies are either Chinese owned or consigned to one.
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The stuff from China is garbage when the company ordering specs it to be garbage. While the Chinese might not have the US's knowledge in aerospace, when it comes to knives, they could easily make stuff that would rival US made stuff. It will just cost more then the garbage stuff.

The US can and does make some garbage products, but we also pay higher labor to make that garbage then the Chinese.
 
BellaBlades said:
I love the handle shape and find it very ergonomic. The simple shape allows for very nice grip in every which way. Without crazy humps and bumps in the way.
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I used to think that Spydercos were the most ergonomic cutters out there, but after using both a PM2 and a large 21 lately doing hard cutting, I found the 21 to have less hot spots and sort of be a relief to my thumb. Also feel the 21 jimping is just right and not too aggressive. Feels a lot better to my thumb when hard cutting compared to a PM2, Strider SnG, and Sebenza 25 just off the top of my head. I've posted in the past I didn't think a Sebenza would be ergonomic for work, but I proved myself wrong. Anyone else's opinion is their opinion.

I've found there is a difference in preferred ergonomics when holding a knife in a store and when actually using it. Some people may not realize this. Then again, people have to actually use their knives to figure this out.
 
I don't agree almosg every rough rider $10 cheapo k if that I've had came sharper out of the box and had better ff than any Case knife. They've perfected process automation and have access to decent quality materials. My old kizer flipper outside of my sebenza and maybe a Spyderco air (from taiwan) had the sharpest edge out of any knife I've ever owned. Ff was impeccable too. I'm just pointing out that we shouldn't get xenophobic during a knife discussion.
 
Couldn't for the life of me understand why anyone would dish out for a sebenza.

Then my brother got a 21, and I understood about 50% (so smooth).

The other half must come when you "buy in" or "invest" in the thing.

Beautiful knives

---cinna
 
cchu518 said:
I don't agree almosg every rough rider $10 cheapo k if that I've had came sharper out of the box and had better ff than any Case knife. They've perfected process automation and have access to decent quality materials. My old kizer flipper outside of my sebenza and maybe a Spyderco air (from taiwan) had the sharpest edge out of any knife I've ever owned. Ff was impeccable too. I'm just pointing out that we shouldn't get xenophobic during a knife discussion.
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China is more than a mixed bag when it comes to quality standards. Voicing this fact doesn't make someone a "Xenophobe".
 
I call bs USS. The point was some of the posters in this thread started yapping away as if the US isn't the greatest country in the world and that we're not a superpower.

The world is the way it is because of the U.S. And so what if industry is not coming back. The world has globalized and America still has a huge seat at the intellectual table. Our strength is in innovation. I spent a heck of a long time paying my own way through college and grad school and so did my wife. We work our asses off and are compensated properly in return.

I honestly bought a CRK not so much for the knife but as a symbol of respect for an immigrant who came to America, innovated, created an industry, jobs and a high quality product in America where he chooses to livd. It's the same reason why I often choose to buy American knives at least half the time. I'm not going to try and disparage knives from other countries with a blanket statement that they are all crap.
 
First off, I agree with OP.

I do know what is a Okuma, the foundation needed for one and the combined price for tooling were almost the price of my home here in Hawaii - price based on the early '90's. In my past life, as a DOD civilian ToolMaker, I programmed, ran the Okuma, as well as other conventional/CNC machines, manufactured whatever was necessary to "Keep Ships Fit To Fight" at Pearl Harbor Naval Shipyard.

Secondly, I don't buy knife to invest in, nor concern with warranty, simply my toys to play and if areas I can improve upon, to make it my own, well...:

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Out of the two pictured, Yojimbo 2, aside at half the price, with its terrific design + excellent S90V blade - is without a doubt, a better knife. One that I don't have to baby, enjoy full speed middle finger flick deployments - day in/day out. Unlike the CRK's soft stop pin bushing, repetitive openings will dent the bushing, eventually affect the lock bar position - which prompted me for an improved bushing, made out of 17-4PH and heat treat for longevity:

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CRK does offer the plain Jane titanium handle slab to express my artistic expressions. The soft blade steel, mirror finish took me only 8 hours while the Yojimbo 2's S90V took me a total of close to 40 hours to get the passable mirror.

Other than the factory soft S35 blade which I can not control, CRK is noththing more than a project knife to dress up. One CRK is more than enough for me!

Out of the two, Yojimbo 2 out shines in all aspects for me and did I mentioned it defines - smoothness!?

***

Another project's beginning stage, lot more work needed to improve and certainly, will transformed:

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***

My standard and expectation are unusual, therefore, I don't go for customs from homegrown/self taught "knifemaker" types.

This already is in the mail from Japan and I don't anticipate any improvement needed from me:

http://rockstead.jp/collection/detail.html?id=111&category=knife

We all have opinions, capabilities and certainly - YMMV.
 
FFS, why do you post your Soyderco and Strider in a thread about Sebenzas? Yes, we've seen your modifications. They're very nice. Please stop posting them in every thread with the word "Sebenza" in the title.
 
Can identify "soft bushing" can't identify correct spindle speed to keep from getting chatter.

Perhaps the engineered failure point in the design escape some; Which would you rather replace...A stop sleeve/bushing...Or a blade...Hrmm..A $5.00 item, or a $135.00 item..Let's see here ;)
 
cchu518 said:
I call bs USS. The point was some of the posters in this thread started yapping away as if the US isn't the greatest country in the world and that we're not a superpower.

The world is the way it is because of the U.S. And so what if industry is not coming back. The world has globalized and America still has a huge seat at the intellectual table. Our strength is in innovation. I spent a heck of a long time paying my own way through college and grad school and so did my wife. We work our asses off and are compensated properly in return.

I honestly bought a CRK not so much for the knife but as a symbol of respect for an immigrant who came to America, innovated, created an industry, jobs and a high quality product in America where he chooses to livd. It's the same reason why I often choose to buy American knives at least half the time. I'm not going to try and disparage knives from other countries with a blanket statement that they are all crap.
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I'm not trying to be rude here, but, I don't understand what you're trying to say. Maybe you can rephrase your post in an attempt to make it coherent.
 
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