Help me choose- Sablya or Liong Mah XV?

CJZ

CJZ

Gold Member
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Dec 18, 2012
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Like the title states, I'm looking for a new knife, and have narrowed it down to one of these but can't decide. Either a CKF Sablya, or a Liong Mah XV integral. I can find both for roughly the same price, and love both designs. Which should I choose?
 
Tough choice. I would probably lean a bit towards the CKF, I mentioned it elsewhere but I think the XV would look really good with the Lint Traps covered with Carbon Fiber, shouldn't be all that difficult to make and just use some strong double sided tape so it can be reversed.
 
If they're roughly the same price I would go for the Liong Mah because it's an integral with some nice machining work. However the Sablya seems to be out of stock everywhere while the XV is still available on a couple sites. Seems more "collectible" to me

Edit: Just read that the XV is in S35vn. While it's a fine steel, I think at $500 it's a little underwhelming.
 
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I'm leaning towards the Sablya for now because it' discontinued and quite rare, I know of two sellers each selling one of these knives both around the $400 Or so mark. I'l probably get the Sablya because it' rare, though the XV is tempting because integral and limited numbers are being made. Oh choices
 
Some pics for those unfamiliar

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Whichever you get, I doubt you'll keep it forever. So knowing that it's going to be with you for a matter of weeks, months or years, which is most exciting to you personally? The Sabyla has better steel, possibly better ergos, and a more user friendly blade grind. The XV is an integral, with a hand ground blade, and much more complex machine work.

If you truly can't decide, whichever is less expensive is the way to go, I always let money be the deciding factor in a dead heat.

I personally own the XV because it's an integral, and I have a slight obsession with integrals. I handled the Sablya and was impressed, it just came up at a time that I was short on funds. Either way, you're sure to get an awesome knife.
 
They're both neat looking knives but I'd definitely go Sablya first of the two but I'm biased, I guess--I'm in the minority that likes recurves and over time I have become into a big CKF fan.
 
CKF said:
Thank you very much for your support!
Click to expand...

No problem, keep making great knives and I'll keep being a big fan. I have a bunch, but carry these two most of all:

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There is only one thing you guys get consistently wrong, though. Knife after knife you don't release a smaller version of the Milk. If you ever put out a ~3.5" Milk I'd be all over it. ;)
 
Big fan of Persian inspired knives and big fan of some Lion Mah knives.

But I'd choose neither of the ones mentioned in the OP.

I'd go for either this Sinkevich folder below or a Liong Mah Warrior.

Better buy them both and spare yourself the agony of choosing betweeen the two;)

Not much help, I know ... :D

o7Q2Ca5.png
 
The XV is one of my grail knives, so I can't really give you an unbiased opinion. What Liong Mah has done with that knife is exactly what I've always wanted. Shrink all of the good part of the aesthetics of a classic Katana into a folder. And the integral handle is a pure work of art.
 
BladeScout said:
Big fan of Persian inspired knives and big fan of some Lion Mah knives.

But I'd choose neither of the ones mentioned in the OP.

I'd go for either this Sinkevich folder below or a Liong Mah Warrior.

Better buy them both and spare yourself the agony of choosing betweeen the two;)

Not much help, I know ... :D

o7Q2Ca5.png
Click to expand...
ZT should do a production version of that thing. :thumbsup:
 
After some thought I think I'm going to go with the Sablya. Problem is though, it' located in I believe Austria and would take a while to get here. I hate waiting! Is it risky to buy a high dollar knife from a different country?
 
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