Introducing the Sebenza 31! (21 Is Being Discontinued)

I wonder who’ll be the first here to own thirty one 31’s?

I’m not namin’ names, but we all know it’s gonna happen.
 
So an update on my thoughts.
The 31 looks and feels amazing with inlays, so im already in on a preorder.
The PJ 31’s in my opinion are ugly. Too boring and sterile without the locating hole.
However, i can see modding the PJ. Will i have to be the first to do so? :)
 
I’m looking to make the 31 my first CRK, and interested in some general guidance. If I’m planning on an inlay/Damascus, would I generally be better off placing an order now or do retailers tend to receive stock first and I would likely source the knife faster by monitoring their sites? Of course, this all sounds like something that is realistically 9 months out - but still gotta have a plan!
 
Paulmcj said:
I’m looking to make the 31 my first CRK, and interested in some general guidance. If I’m planning on an inlay/Damascus, would I generally be better off placing an order now or do retailers tend to receive stock first and I would likely source the knife faster by monitoring their sites? Of course, this all sounds like something that is realistically 9 months out - but still gotta have a plan!
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Yes, you may find what you're after at a dealer first. I ordered a wood inlay and they were at dealers before I got mine.
 
Ajack60 said:
Yes, you may find what you're after at a dealer first. I ordered a wood inlay and they were at dealers before I got mine.
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Are you saying you have a wood inlay 31 already, or were you talking about a wood inlaid 21 when they came out?
 
Paulmcj said:
I’m looking to make the 31 my first CRK, and interested in some general guidance. If I’m planning on an inlay/Damascus, would I generally be better off placing an order now or do retailers tend to receive stock first and I would likely source the knife faster by monitoring their sites? Of course, this all sounds like something that is realistically 9 months out - but still gotta have a plan!
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You can always cancel an order if you find the knife you want at a dealer while waiting. I ordered a Night Sky but found a nice one online about 3-4 months into the wait and bought it instead. They didn’t mind me canceling the order.
 
Sharp & Fiery said:
So an update on my thoughts.
The 31 looks and feels amazing with inlays, so im already in on a preorder.
The PJ 31’s in my opinion are ugly. Too boring and sterile without the locating hole.
However, i can see modding the PJ. Will i have to be the first to do so? :)
Click to expand...
See, this is the way I feel about it too. I'm kinda glad I hopped on the 21 train before they are discontinued, got the leopard ccg l senbenza. I'm debating the purchase, or better said being gifted another for a milepoint I'm about to achieve (nothing special, 30 years to the dot on this earth, and my family wants to gift me something special).
I've looked into a preorder on the 31 but I can't get over the looks of the inlayed sebbie either. The dual striped inlay has something of an iconic look, not to mention I feel completely at ease letting my loved ones spend this much on me because the 21 has decennia of proven quality behind it. I suppose those who have multiple 21s already welcome a change, and I support that, I however wish that both editions would be offered alongside each other for at least a year to come for.
Information on the 31 seems to be quite scarce as well, I guess I'm not a big fan of change. Don't fix what ain't broken and all that is what comes to mind.

I'm not poor by any means but a sebenza is quite the initial investment, I'm not the type to drop half a grand I'm not completely convinced of, be it due to aesthetics or machining. I rather stick with proven quality.
Wouldn't have made this post if I had no intention of getting another sebbie, but I'm sort of at a crossroads at what I feel comfortable with when it comes to my family dropping quite a sum of money on me. Heavily leaning towards a pj seb 21 or a micarta 21 tho.

I'm all for quality improvement, but I guess my comfort lies with the way spyderco does their incremental cqi improvements rather then a complete change in a trusted design at this price level. Or better said, a change in design both in aesthetics and build warranting a change in model description.

I've noticed sebenza 21s going very fast these last month, at least here in the Netherlands. There's still a months wait on a micarta large 21 if they get a new stock at all?

How long are 21s expected to stay around again? On mobile now and I don't dare risking changing tabs after typing all this.
 
rexromic said:
Can't help to notice some ridiculous prices on Sebenza 21 nowadays...
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loon#r said:
Yeah it’s a bit too soon for some of the prices we’re seeing.
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I think it's one of those “end of a product era” pricing instability things. Watching sale offerings recently gave me the same feeling. The prices of a few used 21’s recently gave me a message and the message was: “Wait until you can get a 31 and you’ll be happy you did”, so I am.
 
Yeah, I've been watching the prices as well and still would like to own a large Micarta 21 but not for what some are selling for.
 
Just as the 21 is a better knife than the “regular,” the 31 is an upgrade to the 21. As long as a person wants a CRK just because they are excellent knives, let the nostalgic buy whatever they wish. Just know the 31 is the best CRK you can buy... or preorder.
 
What’s interesting to me is that no one seemed so bummed when the Sebenza 25 was discontinued for the “improved 25”, AKA the Inkosi, yet everyone is lamenting the 21.

It just goes to shows how well loved the 21 was. A true icon of design. I imagine they musta made many hundreds of thousands of them, so they’ll be around for my lifetime at least.

Myself, I think the 31 is a good change, and the right change, and I applaud CRk for what is a “bold move” in the eyes of their conservative fanbase and corporate culture.
 
kidcongo said:
What’s interesting to me is that no one seemed so bummed when the Sebenza 25 was discontinued for the “improved 25”, AKA the Inkosi, yet everyone is lamenting the 21.

It just goes to shows how well loved the 21 was. A true icon of design. I imagine they musta made many hundreds of thousands of them, so they’ll be around for my lifetime at least.

Myself, I think the 31 is a good change, and the right change, and I applaud CRk for what is a “bold move” in the eyes of their conservative fanbase and corporate culture.
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Agreed. My preference for CRK is the Zaan and Inkosi. I don't currently have a 21 but I'm considering adding one. I definitely want a 31 though.
 
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