How good are the Chris Reeve Sebenzas?

DJC72, I'm a huge Spyderco fan and owns several. I've had more PM2's than any other make/brand, except for Victorinox. To me the PM2 and Sebenza stand tall amongst knives of all kinds. I will however be the first to admit that a PM2 is not a Sebenza. Taking a PM2 apart is a mission yes, and the Loctite is essential. A Sebenza can be taken apart and reassembled blindfolded.
 
It's not that other knives can't do what the Sebenza does, obviously people are able to cut stuff with just about any knife, even that piece of @@@@ Kershaw that was shown in the first page, lol. There is no magic in its materials, and of course there are other companies that are building and selling knives with the same materials for less than what a Sebenza can be bought for. It's more about how the knife is put together and the attention to detail that goes into it.

For instance you can go buy a new Ford Focus and that car is going to be made with "similar" materials as a New BMW. But open and close the doors on the Focus and then do the same on the BMW and you will quickly see which was made better. The BMW will take you wherever you need to go just as the Focus will. But the BMW just does it with class. Not everyone needs a BMW, as a matter of fact nobody does. You go buy a BMW because you want one and because you appreciate the extra effort and quality that goes into building it, and also because you can. I find that most people who talk negatively about BMW "Sebenza" do so because they will never have one or because they owned one at some point but they had to sell it to use the money for something else.
 
Gaston444 said:
Have you ever handled one?

Because I get accused of having never owned (or even handled) a Sebenza (which is true, because the design is so obviously inferior it is to me not even worth the trouble of examining one:
Gaston
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Whahahaha.....
Whahahahaha.....
[emoji23][emoji23]

We live in different universes Pal,
Sorry to have bothered you with my initial response.

Goodluck with your blatant ignorance
And have a good one



Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
The Sebenza is definitely in a different class than most Spyderco's and Benchmade's although Spyderco are nowadays also making some really high quality fancier blades.
I am one of the rare people who got a new Sebenza (about 5 years ago) that wasn't perfectly centered and wasn't shaving sharp which probably would have been solved quickly by CR if I would've shipped it to them but living in Europe that is a high shipping cost and likely one more time of paying import taxes on something I already owned so I never did that.
(put a good edge on it and it is a great knife)
Sebenza's are a great design, beautiful, practical and classy and in general have a very high quality standard, I would say they are definitely worth the money.
 
The vast majority of Sebenzas, be they 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 years old, or even longer, are sill doing absolutely fine and providing sterling service. (Can't remember when they first came out).
How many other folders can you say that about?
Have a knife for years and you will share many adventures with it. Becomes a faithful old friend. So much new fangled stuff just won't go the distance. Some will but ask the question in ten years time.

Every knife has a bit of luck built in. Its so rare for a Sebenza to fail, be a poor one, or go wrong in any way, that they must have a whole lot of luck built in. Probably because they are made with a little bit of something special. The amount of other knives and folders I've used and haven't had the same luck is quite long.
I've forgotten what I paid for mine, I can't even remember what steel they are. It really isn't important as I still enjoy using them and they are as good as when I first got hold of them.
 
TheEdge01 said:
A question about your comments when you said it felt like a chore to open and close the Sebenza. I have complained about Benchmade folders that felt the same way. It seemed like the thumb studs were positioned too close to the handle. Is this the case with the Sebenza?
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I saw this question of thumbstud coming up once in a while, which seems to indicate people dont know the most efficient/correct way of using the thumbstud. Again, you need to place your thumb on its side that points to the blade tip and push forward, not push away from the handle. It really does not require the thumbstud to be position such that a space exists between it and the handle when closed. I am looking at a BM 710 while typing.
 
sharp_edge said:
I saw this question of thumbstud coming up once in a while, which seems to indicate people dont know the most efficient/correct way of using the thumbstud. Again, you need to place your thumb on its side that points to the blade tip and push forward, not push away from the handle. It really does not require the thumbstud to be position such that a space exists between it and the handle when closed. I am looking at a BM 710 while typing.
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Glad you brought this up as I've seen people complain about trouble getting at thumb studs on Benchmades.
All that needs to be done is use the top of the stud to open. Doesn't matter if the stud is almost up against the scales. Thumb on the top of the stud and push......works every time.
Joe
 
Indeed that does work great for Benchmades like the 710, but it does not work great on the Sebenza. At least not for me. For what ever reason I just could not get a nice smooth deployment out of mine.

It was difficult to get my thumb in the correct position, the stud was shaped in a way that was easy for me to slip off, and the detent on mine required a lot of force to overcome, which only made the other issues worse.

I have no doubt that it would have broken in and become easier. I also have no doubt that I could have put in the time and effort to master the proper technique, but I just did not want to have to do that. I chalked it up to it was just one of those things that wasn't for me. I wouldn't mind giving them another shot, but it will definty be a gently used one vs. a new next time.
 
There is nothing out there like a Sebenza 21. Tough, classy & amazingly well made. There are certainly better knives for their specific applications. Most of them are just better at being less spendy. Some open faster. Some have G10 handle scales. Some have S110V blades. Some have M4 blades. None beat out the Sebenza 21 as a better built jack of all trades pocket knife.
 
The Sebenza is a very nice folder. You know what you are getting when you buy a Sebenza and it is always well done 👍 Kevin
 
TheEdge01 said:
Hey guys, I have been researching Chris Reeve knives for quite some time. They get some great reviews, but I want to make sure they are worth the money before buying, since I don't really have the option to hold one before buying. Sebenza owners claim they lock up like a bank vault and are built to last a lifetime. I know it's my decision, but I would like to know how some of you feel about your Sebenza or other knives from Chris Reeve. I own a few Spyderco's and a Benchmade AFO 2 and I really like them. Would a Sebenza be noticeably better than a Benchmade or Spyderco?
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Whether or not a CRK is worth the money or not TO YOU, is something that only you can determine. Buy one, and if you don't think it is worth the money, then just flip it on the forums.

Would a Sebenza be noticeably better than a Benchmade or Spyderco? in what way? Tolerances? yes. Materials? not really (both companies use titanium and quality steel. Ergonomics? that is a personal opinion. Price? considering the tolerances and quality control CRK deals with, I would say their price is right on point.

I have owned a CRK knife of some sort ever since I tried out a Sebenza a few years ago. A Sebenza fits me and my use perfectly, and the quality (tolerances, fit and finish, etc.) still impresses me.
 
CRKDMike said:
Whether or not a CRK is worth the money or not TO YOU, is something that only you can determine. Buy one, and if you don't think it is worth the money, then just flip it on the forums.

Would a Sebenza be noticeably better than a Benchmade or Spyderco? in what way? Tolerances? yes. Materials? not really (both companies use titanium and quality steel. Ergonomics? that is a personal opinion. Price? considering the tolerances and quality control CRK deals with, I would say their price is right on point.

I have owned a CRK knife of some sort ever since I tried out a Sebenza a few years ago. A Sebenza fits me and my use perfectly, and the quality (tolerances, fit and finish, etc.) still impresses me.
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I seen one at a local sporting goods store about a year ago. I found the store on Chris Reeve's dealer locator, but they never seem to have one in stock when I visit. I may just take the plunge and give one a try.
 
Haven't read the thread, but will just say the Sebenza is the best folder ever made, IMO.
Both in design, and craftsmanship.
 
First off let me say I have never owned a CRK knife. I have never seen a used CRK knife in person but have handled a few brand new ones. My opinion pertains to any knife at $400+ dollars.

Is a Sebenza worth $450? Absolutely, without question. The f&f, tight tolerances and CS after sale makes it worth every penny. With that said, this is my dilemma and I believe a dilemma for many others.
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I bought a brand new Gayle Bradley, used but practically new 940-1 and a brand new Techno for $428. F&F on the 940 is very good while the GB and Techno's f&f are outstanding with the Techno being the best. All three use excellent materials and have better blade steel (IMO) than s35v.
It's hard for me to shell out that much money for a single knife when I can get these three for basically the same price.

Obviously you can substitute any 2, 3 or more knives of your choice.
There really is no right or wrong answer, just opinions.
 
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Absolutely right, I have similar modern style knives. But non, and non of the above, have the "Class" of a Sebenza 21.

Just like there isn't anything to equal a Jag E type, or a DB5.
 
the best wine is the wine that you can afford, and sometime the best knife is the knife that you can afford. I´m living in Venezuela, and here there is a currency exchange control. The govern only sells you 300$ per year for internet purchases. So as you can see for me is impossible to buy a sebenza ( I love CRK!!) I have a CRKT Amicus on the way and for me is like a sebenza, and my Ontario RAT 1 is the best knife ever made.. Is just matter of perspective..
 
I had a sebenza and it was very well made and worked extremely well. If I got another one it would be with the micarta inserts, the flat titanium didn't do much for me from an aesthetics point of view. I like the Umnuzman quite a bit better.
 
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