I may be sinning here

R.A.T.

R.A.T.

Randall's Adventure & Training
Joined
Feb 4, 2004
Messages
10,400
I got a Chris Reever Sebenza in from Nemo to try out. First one I have ever used. I don't care for it at all. Excellent quality and ruggedness but you can only carry it tip-up and the pocket clip will only go on one side. It's also hollow ground which I don't care for. I'm sure these features don't come to a shock to most everyone here, but I've just never had a Sebenza before.

One thing we don't do around here is run down another company. Again, I'm not doing that since the quality, fit and finish on this folder is top notch but the style is just not for me.

With that said, I'm going to carry it for a few months to see how it grows on me and how it works.
 
Like I said, I don't want this to be a "Bash a Sebenza" thread becasue the quality and ruggedness is top notch, and Chris Reeve himself is first class, but I guess I was expecting a little more?
 
The stigma surrounding them makes you think that they would cut like a lightsaber, open by themselves by the power of thought and me made out of some unknown space metal that brings good luck to all who posess it.

Really nice knives no doubt, but I think there might be a bit of hype there.

Perfect for some, not quite right for others.
 
R.A.T. said:
I got a Chris Reever Sebenza in from Nemo to try out. First one I have ever used. I don't care for it at all. Excellent quality and ruggedness but you can only carry it tip-up and the pocket clip will only go on one side. It's also hollow ground which I don't care for. I'm sure these features don't come to a shock to most everyone here, but I've just never had a Sebenza before.

One thing we don't do around here is run down another company. Again, I'm not doing that since the quality, fit and finish on this folder is top notch but the style is just not for me.

With that said, I'm going to carry it for a few months to see how it grows on me and how it works.
Click to expand...

I have not yet experienced a Sebenza. They are just a bit out of my price range. That said, I highlighted what is most important to me when buying a folding knife. I am left handed. SWMBO is left handed. My daughter is left handed. I don't want knives that are not made to be carried by left handed people.
I know we are a minority and I know I have to make adjustments at times but I prefer to do business with people that remember that lefties need tools too.
 
With the level of fanaticism that surrounds the Sebenza you'd naturally expect "more." I like tip up, but I can't stand hollow grinds these days. If everyone else loves them then that's wonderful--variety is the spice of life--but it's not for me, especially for the money.

Great knives? Hell yes. I just don't care for them myself.
 
I had the same "tip up" issue with the Gerber Vector, I can't stand that design, no better way to acciently put a slice in your finger tip. The Vector didn't have quite enough scale at the tip end to keep it from accidently opening. Never quite understood the reasoning behind the design of folders like that.

CRK's are top notch, I have loved the couple I have been able to use that friends own, but they have all be the fixed blades, never tried out one of the folders.
 
I am left handed. SWMBO is left handed. My daughter is left handed. I don't want knives that are not made to be carried by left handed people.
I know we are a minority and I know I have to make adjustments at times but I prefer to do business with people that remember that lefties need tools too.
Click to expand...

I'm right handed, but I feel for you. I think everyone has an aunt, uncle or cousin that is "left handed".:D

Seriously though, I didn't know that about the Seb. Why exclude part of your market?
 
Bear Claw Chris Lappe said:
Just for the record, Chris Reeve does make "left-handed" versions of the Sebenza line.
Click to expand...

And that is a big plus to me. I'm right handed but the 20 percent or so of the population that is left handed need a dedicated left handed folder, IMO.
 
Indeed.... Dunno if it's my style, but people do seem to like them.

CRKSEB21LLEFT.jpg
 
I think the attraction here is a combination of a few things:

1) Simplicity of the design
2) Excellent quality, fit and finish
3) Excellent customer service
 
R.A.T. said:
I think the attraction here is a combination of a few things:

1) Simplicity of the design
2) Excellent quality, fit and finish
3) Excellent customer service
Click to expand...


'morning all. I've got three Sebenza's of various flavors and love them all. I've also got a couple of RC knives that I love for completely different reasons. Everything you've mentioned above is part of the attraction. For me, I don't typically push knives to their limit and need to carry them in business attire often. Personally, a more understated design appeals to me, for others "over the top" is better (ie Strider, Wilson, etc.). And I love takin' the things apart, cleaning them, and reassembling them in about 15 minutes.

They aren't the end-all, be-all of knives, but for many the quality of the product and the subtle styling are the right combination.

BTW - hurry up with the Izula folder, will you? I need a good "Hard Use" folder and don't really care for Striders.

Thanks
 
R.A.T. said:
I think the attraction here is a combination of a few things:

1) Simplicity of the design
2) Excellent quality, fit and finish
3) Excellent customer service
Click to expand...


They are amazing blades, just not the style for everyone.

We all have different things were looking for in a folder, can't please everyone.

I would rather have a Strider in that price range personally. Different strokes for different folks.

I'm a lefty too, a member of the superior minority, so I prefer a tip down, left side carry. I just look for a 4 way clip to make my life easier. I also prefer a Spyderhole style opener, also due to the leftiness and I dispise thumbstuds. For years I insisted on a back lock so a Manix was my go to folder but I find myself wanting pillar construction for ease of cleaning and that design is more important to me than the back lock.

I'm carrying the RAT-1 right now and, if given a Spyderhole and a slight steel upgrade, I think it would be just about perfect for me.
 
I didn't mean to turn this into a lefty v righty thread but since I started. How difficult is it to design an ambidextrous knife? From a marketing standpoint is it a plus or minus?
I know from my point of view it is a plus but if it truly were wouldn't there be more of them?
 
I can't think of a folder I'd rather carry than a sebenza, excepting the umnumzaan. I love hollow grinds, which would seem to put me in the minority nowadays, and I won't carry a knife that's set up for tip-down carry. just won't do it, I can't even count the number of knives I've passed on because of that. chris reeve offers left-handed versions of all his folders, so that's not a dealbreaker for me, and the amount of integrity he shows in his business dealings is very appealing. not to cast aspersions in that area, as it's been beaten to death, but I'd rather peel my face off than carry a strider. and anyone who says that a sebenza isn't "hard-use" needs to set down the crack pipe. I know, it's strange to have a knife which is strong and also able to slice, but somehow CRK managed to pull it off with panache. :p not that I'm opinionated or anything.
 
R.A.T. said:
...you can only carry it tip-up and the pocket clip will only go on one side.
Click to expand...

The mock-up of the Izula Folder looks to be the same in this respect... or is that not the case? I'm neither defending the Seb (as I only have Spyderco and Benchmade folders) nor critiquing the the FIzula (as I plan to buy one); I'm just wondering if I'm missing something here.
 
protourist said:
I didn't mean to turn this into a lefty v righty thread but since I started. How difficult is it to design an ambidextrous knife? From a marketing standpoint is it a plus or minus?
I know from my point of view it is a plus but if it truly were wouldn't there be more of them?
Click to expand...

depends on the lock. liner locks and framelocks have to have a dedicated lock orientation, back locks and things like the axis lock and BBL are natively ambidextrous.
 
I have a Large Reg. Sebenza and a Small 21. Love them both. Currently EDC the small one. They flat grind them sometimes. I also have a Strider SNG that I like alot.
 
din said:
depends on the lock. liner locks and framelocks have to have a dedicated lock orientation, back locks and things like the axis lock and BBL are natively ambidextrous.
Click to expand...

And if they have a clip, the clip needs to be ambi. That for me is often a dealbreaker. I don't own a lot of Spyderco/Benchmade/Kershaw simply because they do not allow me to change the clip. I love the Kershaw flipper designs for example but don't own one because of the clip.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top