How good are the Chris Reeve Sebenzas?

[Glock Guy]

I've had several Sebenzas and would vote YES for you. If you are concerned about the cost just pick one up second hand off the exchange. You'll get a good deal on a great knife.

Here's a great quote that summed up the whole Sebenza mystique thing for me when I was in your shoes a while back:

What floats my boat about Sebenzas is their precision.

Do I have knives that feel better in my hand? Yep.

Do I have knives that maintain an edge longer? Yep.

Do I have knives that are more pleasing to look at? Yep.

Do I have knives whose craftsmanship impresses me more? Nope.

The tolerances Chris achieves are simply phenomenal. They're the kind of tolerances you expect from a tool and die maker, not from a knife manufacturer. They're over the top. And for me, over the top counts.

Sebenzas are NOT my favorite knives. But I will always own at least one of them so I can be reminded of just how perfectly a knife can be built.

Couldn't have said it any better myself, and after owning several, I would agree that this is 100% true!!!!!!

 

[rick melear]

Are they worth what they cost, no. But once you go above $100 that is true of most any folders. I have owned many Sebenza's and still own 3. Two are in BG42 the other in S30V, I will never sell them and admire there perfect fit and function. As for bang for the buck a Syderco Military is your friend. That being said, the Sebenza is a must have for nothing more than mechanical precision.

 

[Fakeducci]

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: I think this generally applies to most frame locks), yet people will make assumptions about this Kershaw also having never handled one, and this is assumed to be OK...

The Sebenza is said to have a weak detent, and its lock fails at under fifty pounds, which I am sure even the $25 Kershaw can take. To my eyes, this means the Sebenza is not even a proper knife to begin with... I won't even go into the Titanium/steel lock face wear, when for that price you would at least expect a steel insert for a steel to steel wear, as on the $25 knife... The blade to handle and blade to weight ratios are also both inferior on the $400 knife...

The edge holding on the Sebenza has often proved to be poor, sometimes shockingly so (ie the JRDavis882 testing), so even on that front there is probably is no discernible difference, and the Kershaw may even be a good deal better...

As for the surface finish, what I have seen of the Sebenza in no way looks any better than the Kershaw: Even the primary grind line is less crisp on the $400 knife... Again, get the Kershaw and look at it closely: I've seen enough gigantic close-ups of the Sebenza to know the stonewash finish looks like crap in comparison. All a matter of taste of course, but there you go...

Gaston

This is the most idiotic bunch of lies I have ever seen. Who is this guy? Gaston, I took the time to read some of your postings. It is quite obvious that you are nothing but a troll who pushes the few crap knives you own. Saying that the sebie is bad edge holding from a guy who owns a 440b Randall is hilarious. To much stupidity to try and answer it. Someone as ignorant as you could never understand why others own what they do. I will just say one thing. Frame locks. You know why they work? They work, because they do not fail when you actually hold them in your hand. The pressure of your hand is part of the locking mechanism. I thought this was obvious. This is why a spine wack test or other tests do not work well. When you hold a frame lock you are putting the pressure just by holding it to keep it locked tighter than other systems. This is just one reason why frame locks are still very popular. I have seen you post on other forums that are not part of BF and you go around spewing the same lies in every forum. I hope those people have you figured out as well. Also, without having ever owned a Sebbie your stupid post should have been deleted because it is not worth the virtual paper it is written on, much like everything else you write.

 

[the_Marshall]

The Sebenza is the standard of quality and design. If you've never owned one you can never truly appreciate how good they are.

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[vwb563]

The Sebenza is the standard of quality and design. If you've never owned one you can never truly appreciate how good they are.

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This says it perfectly!

 

[KingMC]

The Sebenza is the standard of quality and design. If you've never owned one you can never truly appreciate how good they are.

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When at a local knife store a year ago or so I managed to play around with a small 21 long enough to get a good feel for the knife (5 minutes or so, longer than normal for browsing a knife store), it opened stiff enough that I couldn't flick it out (not that I tried more than a couple times because it wasn't my knife); the thumb studs just didn't feel very good at doing their job, too slick. The handle wasn't very comfortable, but that's true for seemingly all framelocks I've held. Overall, the impression of impeccable craftsmanship wasn't there for me, I don't know if it was a lemon or it was the norm but I came away from that store with a sense of confusion as I had heard many good things about CRK before that day.

 

[jstrange]

^
That was reminiscent of my experience with a large 21. It was a nice knife, but a bit of a let down after all I had heard.

 

[benchwarmer380]

When at a local knife store a year ago or so I managed to play around with a small 21 long enough to get a good feel for the knife (5 minutes or so, longer than normal for browsing a knife store), it opened stiff enough that I couldn't flick it out (not that I tried more than a couple times because it wasn't my knife); the thumb studs just didn't feel very good at doing their job, too slick. The handle wasn't very comfortable, but that's true for seemingly all framelocks I've held. Overall, the impression of impeccable craftsmanship wasn't there for me, I don't know if it was a lemon or it was the norm but I came away from that store with a sense of confusion as I had heard many good things about CRK before that day.

They'll need a little time to break in. I picked up a 2012 tanto Sebenza off the Exchange here that was much stiffer than my 2014 Insingo. After week or so it was nice and smooth as it should be.

Their studs are on the slick side which sucks for flicking, but Sebenza's aren't really meant to be flicked open. They open quite nicely with a controlled ark. Now once it breaks in, flicking is cake.

I wouldn't say it was a lemon, just not running at preferred performance because it was new. Kind of like picking up a pro line baseball glove and trying to go play with it that day. It'll be way to stiff do to what it needs to do but once you break it in, it will last a life time if taken care of properly.

Sebenzas aren't for everyone, but if you do have an interest, picking up a lightly used one off the Exchange is a great way to try it out and use it. If you don't like it, you most likely wont lose much money at all when reselling it.

 

[the_Marshall]

When at a local knife store a year ago or so I managed to play around with a small 21 long enough to get a good feel for the knife (5 minutes or so, longer than normal for browsing a knife store), it opened stiff enough that I couldn't flick it out (not that I tried more than a couple times because it wasn't my knife); the thumb studs just didn't feel very good at doing their job, too slick. The handle wasn't very comfortable, but that's true for seemingly all framelocks I've held. Overall, the impression of impeccable craftsmanship wasn't there for me, I don't know if it was a lemon or it was the norm but I came away from that store with a sense of confusion as I had heard many good things about CRK before that day.

Well, that's your opinion and we're all entitled to one. However, it's a fact that Chris Reeve is recognized as one of the best knife designers because of the Sebenza, and his company has been recognized many times as having the best manufacturing standards. Even other great knife designers like Sal Glesser from Spyderco will often consult him for critic's on there own designs.

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[KingMC]

Well, that's your opinion and we're all entitled to one. However, it's a fact that Chris Reeve is recognized as one of the best knife designers because of the Sebenza, and his company has been recognized many times as having the best manufacturing standards. Even other great knife designers like Sal Glesser from Spyderco will often consult him for critic's on there own designs.

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I don't buy knives based on their pedigree, I buy knives based on their attributes. Telling me these knives are the best simply because they've won awards in the past is like saying the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in football right now because they've won the most Superbowls in the past. They aren't the best team for everybody to root for, and they certainly aren't the best team in football right now, so let people base their opinions on the present and let the past be there for further indulgence.

You convinced me of nothing other than the Sebenza is well-liked by award-givers and other knife makers, this does nothing to convince me to purchase one. Benchwarmer380 did a much better job convincing me that I should try again, with logical reasons why my experience was less than stellar; all you did was say "everybody else says it's the best, so it's the best". That seems to be the sentiment of many Sebenza owners on these forums, makes me wonder if that's the only reason some people keep their Sebenzas, or else they'd have better things to say about the knife itself instead of just giving the pedigree.

 

[the_Marshall]

I don't buy knives based on their pedigree, I buy knives based on their attributes. Telling me these knives are the best simply because they've won awards in the past is like saying the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in football right now because they've won the most Superbowls in the past. They aren't the best team for everybody to root for, and they certainly aren't the best team in football right now, so let people base their opinions on the present and let the past be there for further indulgence.

You convinced me of nothing other than the Sebenza is well-liked by award-givers and other knife makers, this does nothing to convince me to purchase one. Benchwarmer380 did a much better job convincing me that I should try again, with logical reasons why my experience was less than stellar, all you did was say "everybody else says it's the best, so it's the best".

Your analogy is moronic, lol. I never intended to convince you of anything as its obvious you already made your decision. However, the only reason I responded is because someone interested in a Sebenza shouldn't be influenced by your 5min experience. Especially for a knife with years of industry and community recognition, so much so that I certainly don't need to defend it. So, I'll just leave this right here. Good day sir.


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[bhyde]

I don't buy knives based on their pedigree, I buy knives based on their attributes. Telling me these knives are the best simply because they've won awards in the past is like saying the Pittsburgh Steelers are the best team in football right now because they've won the most Superbowls in the past. They aren't the best team for everybody to root for, and they certainly aren't the best team in football right now, so let people base their opinions on the present and let the past be there for further indulgence.

You convinced me of nothing other than the Sebenza is well-liked by award-givers and other knife makers, this does nothing to convince me to purchase one. Benchwarmer380 did a much better job convincing me that I should try again, with logical reasons why my experience was less than stellar; all you did was say "everybody else says it's the best, so it's the best". That seems to be the sentiment of many Sebenza owners on these forums, makes me wonder if that's the only reason some people keep their Sebenzas, or else they'd have better things to say about the knife itself instead of just giving the pedigree.

They are liked by far more than award givers and knife makers- That's for sure. Not sure anyone was trying to convince you to buy anything as user preferences always dictate their buying habits. It is what it is.
I would suggest that looking at a sebenza, or any tight toleranced item, knives not withstanding, that break-in periods are almost always necessary. It is a necessary evil in many ways.

:cheers:

 

[KingMC]

Your analogy is moronic, lol. I never intended to convince you of anything as its obvious you already made your decision. However, the only reason I responded is because someone interested in a Sebenza shouldn't be influenced by your 5min experience. Especially for a knife with years of industry and community recognition, so much so that I certainly don't need to defend it. So, I'll just leave this right here. Good day sir.

So hands-on first impressions aren't valid because they aren't long enough? That's how most people form their impressions of a knife, do you just buy your knives based on the awards they've gotten?

They are liked by far more than award givers and knife makers- That's for sure. Not sure anyone was trying to convince you to buy anything as user preferences always dictate their buying habits. It is what it is.
I would suggest that looking at a sebenza, or any tight toleranced item, knives not withstanding, that break-in periods are almost always necessary. It is a necessary evil in many ways.

:cheers:

I understand break-in periods for high-tolerance knives (even though none of my favorite knives have needed them), but I don't understand putting down others' opinions because they don't match what professionals have said.

Marshall is sounding like a Cold Steel fan who can't hear any criticism for his knives because the advertising says they're the best in the world.

 

[Ken44]

Your analogy is moronic, lol. I never intended to convince you of anything as its obvious you already made your decision. However, the only reason I responded is because someone interested in a Sebenza shouldn't be influenced by your 5min experience. Especially for a knife with years of industry and community recognition, so much so that I certainly don't need to defend it. So, I'll just leave this right here. Good day sir.


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Yes, that was a very, very bad analogy

KingMC, what company do you think makes a better built folder than CRK ?
Just wondering

 

[KingMC]

Yes, that was a very, very bad analogy

KingMC, what company do you think makes a better built folder than CRK ?
Just wondering

This thread is about Sebenzas, right? I'm not starting a brand war.

I just gave my personal experience with a Sebenza, then get jumped on for it not being a good one. That seem reasonable to you? Not a good impression of CRK fanbois.

If you think that's a poor simile you should re-read the reasons that the_Marshall gave for Sebenzas being the best, it's the same exact reasons why Steelers/49ers/Cowboys fans always say that their team is the best team; past success is no measurement for present quality.

 

[bhyde]

So hands-on first impressions aren't valid because they aren't long enough? That's how most people form their impressions of a knife, do you just buy your knives based on the awards they've gotten?



I understand break-in periods for high-tolerance knives (even though none of my favorite knives have needed them), but I don't understand putting down others' opinions because they don't match what professionals have said.

Marshall is sounding like a Cold Steel fan who can't hear any criticism for his knives because the advertising says they're the best in the world.

My post was more about information and I hope that it was taken as such..
It's alright to not like brand x in my opinion..I have many brands I don't care for, for nothing more than aesthetics alone.

Many of these topics are polarizing the fans to one side or another..I try not to get involved too much..have done that in the past and it didn't turn out as I had hoped..I will not change any minds anytime soon as it seems to be somewhat of a fruitless endeavor. At least for me anyway.

 

[Ken44]

This thread is about Sebenzas, right? I'm not starting a brand war.

I just gave my personal experience with a Sebenza, then get jumped on for it not being a good one. That seem reasonable to you? Not a good impression of CRK fanbois.

If you think that's a poor simile you should re-read the reasons that the_Marshall gave for Sebenzas being the best, it's the same exact reasons why Steelers/49ers/Cowboys fans always say that their team is the best team; past success is no measurement for present quality.

It would be hard to tell if CRK's quality had went down from 5 min of holding one.
They haven't changed much. I got my first around 2000, and I don't think their quality has went down.

Nothing wrong in that you don't like them, as we all like different things.
But you just can't compare them to football teams though, as football team's quality goes up and down, as you know. CRK's doesn't.
Again, not a thing wrong with us liking different things. It would be a boring world otherwise.

 

[GREENJACKET]

What is it with this "flicking" lark? Not my style at all and in truth I wouldn't buy into one either as I consider floppy swing out a real negative. For another thread me thinks but those that advocate fast deployment in the blade opening as something necessary are way off the mark. Its more fashion than actually practical as it comes with as many disadvantages as advantages.

I've used my Sebenzas for years, never taken them apart, never done anything other than a squirt of gun oil and sharpen when needed. They both open the same as the first day I had them, smooth and deliberate. To me they are a pleasure to own and use.

Seems to me most of the arguments against Sebenzas are from those looking for a different knife altogether. When they have finished playing with their boys toys then they might get it. They might never get it, but hey ho the world will keep turning.
The Sebenza doesn't have to be for everyone, boring if it was. Not everyone can justify paying that much for a knife but I'm pleased I have for they are a class act and I love mine.

 

[KingMC]

It would be hard to tell if CRK's quality had went down from 5 min of holding one.
They haven't changed much. I got my first around 2000, and I don't think their quality has went down.

Nothing wrong in that you don't like them, as we all like different things.
But you just can't compare them to football teams though, as football team's quality goes up and down, as you know. CRK's doesn't.
Again, not a thing wrong with us liking different things. It would be a boring world otherwise.

The only thing that really bothered me is the fact that I was on-topic and answered the question the OP asked, only to have someone deem it unworthy of the thread because it wasn't valid enough (first impressions don't count, apparently) and attempt to prove why I was mistaken without sharing anything personal. I assumed this thread was about personal experiences and opinions or else I wouldn't have posted.

 

[aleforme]

So I bought a large 21 a couple weeks ago off the exchange here. It was basically an unused catch and release from a member here. I had never even handled one before I bought this knife. Upon receipt, I was completely impressed by the F&F and just over all quality if the knife. It’s just at another level compared to other “better” knives I’ve handled and own. The knife was a little stiff when I first opened it but over the last week, it’s become just fluid like in its smoothness. The blade just glides open with a flick.

Was the knife “worth” the price? To me, yes. I had the money and wanted to experience the Sebenza. But I can see the argument by some that the knife is overpriced to some degree. I get that. Do other knives cut just as good or better? Absolutely. But, I did not buy the knife purely for performance as a cutter. I wanted to have a knife that had an extremely high level of workmanship and quality. I chose to spend my money to have that but I completely get why others would not.
Will I ever sell it? I highly doubt it.