I just received a small sebbie.... I don't get it.

bmilleker

bmilleker

Joined
Nov 26, 2012
Messages
548
I just received a small Sebenza and I don't quite understood it yet. Comparing it to my Spyderco Paramilitary 2, I don't see why its worth $250 more. Its a beautiful knife, and feels solid, but so does the PM2. When you buy a CRK, are you paying for the outstanding customer service and spa treatment in the price?

Maybe I just go my hopes for the knife too high. Anyone else feel under satisfied with it when first receiving it? It does feel like an expensive folder, but not $350 expensive... for now anyways.
 
Get back too us in a year after carrying it. I found that the lock up settled in, no blade play, handles scratched up a little but looks broken in. Great knife for the long run.
 
I own a bunch of folders including several PM 2's and the first thing that comes to mind is how easy it is to take apart and clean (the sebenza). If all your doing is cutting card board and wire or cord then you really don't need a sebenza or a PM 2, just get a box cutter for $15.00. But if your using it for food preparation or anything that involves bacteria then keeping it clean becomes priority number one and for me the ease of taking it apart, cleaning and reassembling the sebbie makes it worth the extra money IMHO. Only by using the sebenza do you really begin to understanding its worth and that's what people who love them have known for awhile now.
 
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I too have a PM2 which is an outstanding knife. Great lock design, excellent HT on the S30V, and ultra fast and smooth opening. The choice of steel types is also a great offering. The difference for me is the pure enjoyment of using a Sebenza. The quality is so outstanding that I just love looking at and using the knife every day. I've had my Sebenza Classics since 2005 and they remain rock solid. In the end my PM2 is going to the exchange so I can help fund a Sebenza 25.
 
I'll take the bait from a first time poster.
I generally don't reply out of an exercise in avoiding what could just be a troller-by...but I digress.

I'm not sure how CRK figures out their price-point, but it possibly has something to do with employing their staff, using USA materials, their customer service is awesome and they have an excellent warranty too.
I think Spyderco uses Japanese made steels in some of their knives.
 
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great first post.

if your are not feeling the sebenza and dont understand it you probably never will and its just not for you. if you are one of those people who compare every knife to the PM2 and think the PM2 is just the best knife ever then you should just stick to it.
 
I felt the same way when I got my umnumzaan. After using it for a bit, I discovered I didnt like the HT and im selling it now. Chris reeve knives are not for everyone
 
IMHO Spyderco has closed the gap between Spyderco and CRK by their recent line of high quality folders. CRK has always had top notch quality and F&F. CRK was never cheap, because it is a small business, uses small volumes and high quality, US staff, tooling and materials. This way the price of a handmade knife is relatively high, but Spyderco manages to close the gap by putting out high quality mass produced knives with foreign materials and apparent good quality control.
But it's still not CRK.
 
I had the same feeling when I first got my small 21. After taking it apart for the first time & cleaning it things began to change. After two years I can safely say that it is the only knife that my appreciation of has continued to grow. I only have a few users now. All the other knives have been sold, and or get weekend duty only. By the way, one of those is the Para 2 which I decided is a keeper.
 
Jim malone said:
IMHO Spyderco has closed the gap between Spyderco and CRK by their recent line of high quality folders. CRK has always had top notch quality and F&F. CRK was never cheap, because it is a small business, uses small volumes and high quality, US staff, tooling and materials. This way the price of a handmade knife is relatively high, but Spyderco manages to close the gap by putting out high quality mass produced knives with foreign materials and apparent good quality control.
But it's still not CRK.
Click to expand...

Just to clarify, Spyderco ships most of the materials to Taiwan for their knives, the Japanese knives are mostly Japanese materials (all Japanese steels), and the Chinese are Chinese steels (maybe not for long Carpenter is working on a steel to be used in their budget line), and I am not sure about other materials. CPM-S30V/S35V is an American steel made only in US. VG10 is rarely if ever shipped out of Japan, and only made in Japan, same with ZDP-189. Also, many guys with the new Southard and Sebenza's say the Southard is on par quality wise. I have a Southard although I do not own a CRK yet. I will probably pick up a large sooner rather than later. I would save up and be all over a M390 (or some other high edge retention steel) with optimized HT Sebenza anything. S30V may have been cutting edge when CRK first started using it, but there are much better steels out there, and I think they should stay on the leading edge to warrant that price point. I can understand being slightly let down because you got over-excited. I think the original Sage 2 and small Sebenza is a great comparison, and he does pose an interesting question. For me, you are paying a bit for a name, how much I am not sure, but you have to be to make up that price difference. All the arguments about customer service, being American only, smaller quantities, you name it cannot fill up that price gap. ~$400 vs. ~$150 and materials are identical except clip material!? You are paying for the name in there a bit, and like I said I will probably own one but I will not pretend I did not pay a bit for the name. I accept that fact and do not blindly ignore it. Hold onto it, I bet you will "get it" soon. If not, sell it, you will be out very little if any money at all.
 
Bmilleker, what you are paying for with that small Sebenza is the joy of ownership and the good vibes that it imparts on your life. What I mean by that is that the workmanship, smooth opening, materials and uncluttered design make some folks feel good just to have it in their pockets, to play with it and to use it throughout the day. And its sort of an acquired taste. If you get into the CRK culture and begin to develop an affinity for these knives, you'll start getting the good vibes from owning one. If you do not get the good vibes, thats perfectly ok and doesn't make you a bad person. I own 3 CRK folders and sort of have one foot on each side of the fence on this issue. But I admire people who enjoy life and enjoy their toys, and that describes the people in this forum. It is true that a small Sebenza does not objectively cut better than a Para 2 - and in some respects maybe not as good. But thats not the point of owning a small Sebenza. Its the way it makes you feel.
 
Well stated powernoodle.
I think it is our duty as a sub-forum to educate and/or give our point of view.
Some may not agree nor feel the CRK vibe, but that doesn't mean they don't have groovy vibes of their own.
 
lisantica said:
I'm not sure how CRK figures out their price-point, but it possibly has something to do with employing their staff, using USA materials, their customer service is awesome and they have an excellent warranty too.
I think Spyderco uses Japanese made steels in some of their knives.
Click to expand...

This:thumbup:

Plus not alot of people in here are going to say a Sebenza is not worth the cost.
 
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