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

Ankerson said:
I can imagine those machines are expensive to maintain as you said.

With the CRK Sebenza and Umnumzaan one can take all of the screws out including the pivot screw and the knife won't fall apart and from what I have experienced they still didn't have any blade play.
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This is my experience as well. When I got my large Sebenza 21, I was impressed. After taking it apart the first time, I was very impressed.

I have quite a few knives which are not cheap, ZT, Emerson, BM, Spyderco, etc. many in the $200+ range. With none of them, and I mean none of them can I loosen, let alone completely remove the pivot screw, and have no blade play. I can do that with my Sebenza. The bade also stays perfectly centered with the pivot screw completely removed. The Sebenza would work fine without the screw at all, except that it is needed to keep the pivot itself from falling out. If that is not impressive, I don't know what is.
 
Don't forget market value. The price of a Sebenza has held for over twenty years. It has market value that doesn't change. You can buy a Sebenza and sell it used for very little loss. I just bought a used Sebenza and since it is already used, I could use it for a year and sell it for what I paid. Unless you've been batoning it, it can't get any more useder.

PS. The only thing I don't like about Sebenzas are the blue thumbstuds. They're sooooo nineties. All mine have silver studs.
 
I own 4 of the smaller US made Kershaws that WallyWorld used to carry. I spent about $40 each on them and really like them. A few months ago I finally pulled the trigger on a small micarta 21. I owned several CRK's in the past so this was a reintroduction. I'm just getting to the point where I carry the Seb without concern for snail trails and such. When I pull the Sebenza out to use it I get like an electric charge up my arm to my brain with the message: "Now that's what I'm talking about!" When I pull a Kershaw out to use it the brain just says, "Nice knife." For the record I'm carrying the Sebenza all day today as a Valentine's Day treat for my right hand. Don't ask!
 
Funny enough I had the opposite experience as the OP with respect to CRK. When i purchased my first Sebenza 21 I was worried that I was going to feel let down because of all the hype that I had read on the internet. However, when I actually got the knife in my hands I couldn't believe how good it is. I think to really appreciate it you need to have an appreciation for what goes into making a Sebenza. Many of my favorite aspects of the sebenza 21 are subtle details.

The question is really if one is willing to pay the price for a knife that is built to perfection.
 
These threads always inevitably turn out the same way. ........

OP: Your favorite knives are overhyped

Fanboy: None of it is hype!

Brand hater: It's all hype!

The mediator: Well, maybe a little. But they're still very good!

Guy who thinks he's the voice of reason: Why are we even talking about this? Just buy what you like and keep your opinions to yourself!

Forum advocate: Ok but this is a discussion forum, so we're entitled to say that we don't like another persons favorite brand

Fanboy: No, OP is just trolling

Brand hater: No he's not! Why can't anyone say anything bad about the knives you like? Hmmmmmm??? They aren't the end all be all knives, you know!

Voice of reason guy (chiming back in): They are for some people! If you don't like them, don't buy them!

Mod: Once more around the circle? No? Ok then........closed.

:rolleyes:

People............these threads never go anywhere.........

There are indeed valid criticisms that can be leveled against CRK (primarily on the basis of personal preferences), but the fact is that their reputation speaks for itself. Contrary to what some may want to believe, there IS A REASON why the company has won as many awards and earned as many loyal customers as it has over the years. They make an excellent product and focus on constantly fine tuning it to perfection rather than coming out with brand new designs every year that may or may not be very well thought out and finished.

Furthermore, theyve been making essentialy the same knife for almost 3 decades now, so it's safe to say that they've pretty much got it down to a science. At this point CRK is one of the only companies that puts out a knife that, if someone dislikes it, it's almost never because of a screw up. It's because that's exactly what the knife was intended to be and the person who doesn't like it just needs to keep looking for something that better suits their needs and or taste. Rarely is it the case that a CRK customer is dissatisfied with their product because it wasn't executed properly according to the design.

The knives they make aren't for everyone, but that in no way means they aren't worth the hype. The hype machine is fueled by the blind trust / blind distrust of other people's opinions. The truth is that the only way you're going to form a valid opinion is by learning everything there is to know about the knives in question and owning one yourself. Once everyone in this thread has done that, then and only then are they entitled to say anything about the knives, be it positive or negative.

There should be no "I didnt buy one because....." Or "the reason I'm going to get one is because......" Or "I heard these things from this random internet stranger......"

There's no room for that kind of crap in a discussion about whether a certain knife is good or not. Read up on the facts, try it, form an opinion, then come back. Otherwise you're just putting more uninformed opinions on the Internet. And lord knows that's the last thing we all need:rolleyes:


I see the OP has bought the knife and didnt find it to be to his liking. Fair enough. He can now go on to buy what he DOES like.

Meanwhile, the CRK guys can ignore him and continue buying what THEY like, and the rest of us can shut up and figure out for OURSELVES whether WE like it or not, using his experience only as a small data point and not as an overwhelming truth to rally behind.
 
As someone on a waiting list for the model I think I'd appreciate, value, carry and use, I can honestly say that I've learned some things from posts on this thread.

Maybe these types of threads all go the same way, maybe not. I for one have read the entire thread and appreciate most if not all of the points made. I feel I benefit from those who know way more than I do about a product even if they're a so called "fanboy" which I don't view as a pejorative term. If I turn out not to like mine I hope one of those fanboys takes it off my hands at a fair price!
 
Krissig12 said:
These threads always inevitably turn out the same way. ........

OP: Your favorite knives are overhyped

Fanboy: None of it is hype!

Brand hater: It's all hype!

The mediator: Well, maybe a little. But they're still very good!

Guy who thinks he's the voice of reason: Why are we even talking about this? Just buy what you like and keep your opinions to yourself!

Forum advocate: Ok but this is a discussion forum, so we're entitled to say that we don't like another persons favorite brand

Fanboy: No, OP is just trolling

Brand hater: No he's not! Why can't anyone say anything bad about the knives you like? Hmmmmmm??? They aren't the end all be all knives, you know!

Voice of reason guy (chiming back in): They are for some people! If you don't like them, don't buy them!

Mod: Once more around the circle? No? Ok then........closed.
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You win.
 
GronK said:
I own 4 of the smaller US made Kershaws that WallyWorld used to carry. I spent about $40 each on them and really like them. A few months ago I finally pulled the trigger on a small micarta 21. I owned several CRK's in the past so this was a reintroduction. I'm just getting to the point where I carry the Seb without concern for snail trails and such. When I pull the Sebenza out to use it I get like an electric charge up my arm to my brain with the message: "Now that's what I'm talking about!" When I pull a Kershaw out to use it the brain just says, "Nice knife." For the record I'm carrying the Sebenza all day today as a Valentine's Day treat for my right hand. Don't ask!
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+10 internets for you sir :D :thumbup:
 
I don't have any Sebbies anymore, but they were all worth the ching in my opinion, particularly the inlay large 21's.

Sebenza, you either get it, or you don't. Nothing wrong either way. Buy one used. Don't like it, sell it for what you paid for it. :)
 
ebidis said:
This is my experience as well. When I got my large Sebenza 21, I was impressed. After taking it apart the first time, I was very impressed.

I have quite a few knives which are not cheap, ZT, Emerson, BM, Spyderco, etc. many in the $200+ range. With none of them, and I mean none of them can I loosen, let alone completely remove the pivot screw, and have no blade play. I can do that with my Sebenza. The bade also stays perfectly centered with the pivot screw completely removed. The Sebenza would work fine without the screw at all, except that it is needed to keep the pivot itself from falling out. If that is not impressive, I don't know what is.
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That's something only CRK owners can experience and really appreciate.:thumbup:

Another thing is taking one apart..... You know what I mean... ;)
 
It's my favorite knife and I have plenty. Fit and finish, exacting tolerances, perfect centering, and ease of maintenance all make it a winner for me. Details like the pocket clip which is superb. I love the fact that you tighten the pivot all the way the result is no blade wobble and smooth as silk opening. This isn't fanboy talk, just facts.
 
There is almost nothing I would change with the design of a Sebenza. I can't say that about any other folding knife.
 
Chris Reeve Knives are very reasonably priced for what you get. The quality is always consistent, and the materials are top notch. The Sebenza is not the best knife out there, but a great one for $400.
 
I have one crk and another in the mail. They are well made knives with a form made for use. That said many less costly knives possess the same functionality. You can argue that the pivots are smaller or the blade play is irritating but in the end they can all still cut stuff. Some things are just pinnacles of detail oriented perfection and are a bit overblown for their supposed advantage. It is best, IMO, to accept a knife as it is. That is to say a crk as a very finely made tool and others as tools that can accomplish the same utilitarian tasks, therefore from a pragmatic user perspective not leaps and bounds superior.
 
Last week, while brousing through hundreds of old threads on this forum, I stumbled into a member's "pearl of wisdom" philosophical chart. Best I can remember, it broke knives into 4 pricing categories, and, for each category, generally described the kinds of knives available, pros/cons, expected features and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, the susceptability of the buyer to buyer's remorse. It struck a chord for me, a collector of all-things-.22 LR, flashlights and now knives. Of course, exhibiting the pinnacle of absentmindedness for which I am becoming increasingly wellknown, I forgot to save it.

[If I could find that posting, it would appear here.]
 
Do note that I personally find the Sebenza's design to be timeless at this point. It's no nonsense and CRK is not needlessly updating the design. No extra doohickies. Don't get me wrong I love flippers and stayglow scales etc... Etc... But for this instance big ass knife blade in a simple skinny compact open frame Ti Framelock this fits the bill. It's the "trapper knife" of one handers to me!


For flippers btw a Spyderco Domino is a heck of a lot of knife for about half the price! I sold mine but it was definitely a good knife that appeals to many!
 
I own 2 and neither cut better than my $60 Delica, matter of fact I've carried a Delica for the past 3 weeks and a Sebenza only 2 of those days, but it's not about that for me. It's about a timeless, finely crafted piece of American engineering and the appreciation and pride of ownership that comes with it. If I let every knife go and kept only one it'd be my small 21 with no worries of it lasting a lifetime.

If someone else doesn't like it, who cares? It's just a knife and there's plenty of options out there.
 
I did a lot of research before getting my first, and ended up with more than I expected.
I read a lot of reviews, comments etc. especially the negative ones. Went with a large Insingo 2 years ago and I'm still impressed. It just feels right, I don't know any other way to explain it.
Cheers
 
Wasn't too impressed with my first sebenza small micarta insingo... it was good but over $400 good? Carried for almost a year and it was perfect in everyway except that the pivot screw would get loose after a couple of weeks of carry (tend to wrist flick). Eventually went back to a number of spydercos, kershaws, benchmades, all priced around $50 to $150. Then I landed an xm-18 small and that stayed in my pocket for 6 months straight. What's in my pocket today? The sebenza. Everything about the knife is there for a reason (whether you agree with crks decisions... I think they all should have dbl thumbstuds). It really is perfection and will easily last generations with proper care. Can't say that about too many blades.
 
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