Is sebenza worth the money?

L

lonestar1979

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Mar 2, 2014
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A buddy of mine just got new sebenza,and i checked out the knife yesterday,excellent fit ,finish,looks,and very nice hollow grind.The only thing is the price.....All opinions welcome!should i save up for one,or just stick to inexpensive classics that i really love?...Fit,finish and looks wise this thing blows away all spydercos ,benchmades and cold steels that i have,but its 4,5x the price.
 
lonestar1979 said:
A buddy of mine just got new sebenza,and i checked out the knife yesterday,excellent fit ,finish,looks,and very nice hollow grind.The only thing is the price.....All opinions welcome!should i save up for one,or just stick to inexpensive classics that i really love?...Fit,finish and looks wise this thing blows away all spydercos ,benchmades and cold steels that i have,but its 4,5x the price.
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- without a doubt. Having been around knives for a fair while, when picking up a Sebbie, I just know what that wonderful feel and solidity is all about

cigarrodog said:
Unfortunately, this belongs elsewhwhere. Traditionals only.
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Harvey is quite correct, a great question - often asked - but belongs in another section on BF :)
 
This has been a question repeated many, many, times. Do a search.

The 'benza wasn't for me. I couldn't justify it. I couldn't get a grip on the thumbstuds, often slipping off. Plus, for that money, I'd rather have something more unique.

Titanium framelocks bore me, so I won't be buying any for the foreseeable future.

It is a very good knife, for many it is THE knife. But not me.

YMMV.
 
Only if you think it is worth the money.
At that price point, the real question is, do you want one Sebenza or serval other knives ? That is all.
For some, it's not worth it, for others, it is. You'll have to decide which camp you belong in.
 
Chui said:
- with a thumbstud, sir....? :confused:


:)
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I would guess, he's thinking of the new released Impinda ;)

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- then Ajack60 Ajack60 , if that's what was actually meant, you are bang on the money.

That Impinda is a class act. Yes, rather a lot of cash, but comes with much cachet and much clever engineering - particularly its 1lb open and 5lb closing cam :thumbsup:
 
To me -yes, too you maybe not. It's a fine knife and I am willing to pay for it, but there is diminishing returns as you move up. It still is just a knife. I would say that if you are happy where you are-stay. It is a lot cheaper that way. If you would like a high quality knife this might be for you. Great build and excellent customer support. It should last you a lifetime.
 
Pro's - fit and finish have set the bar for nearly 30 years. Among the best you will find.

Con's - the blade steel/heat treatment CRK uses. Edge retention is an often-commented on shortcoming. They don't start out with any sort of remarkable sharpness from the factory, but this can be resolved with any suitable means of making a dull knife sharp. But keeping a sharp edge has been commented on for years. Some say it is absolutely not a problem, others have sold off their CRK knives for this reason alone.
 
lonestar1979 said:
A buddy of mine just got new sebenza,and i checked out the knife yesterday,excellent fit ,finish,looks,and very nice hollow grind.The only thing is the price.....All opinions welcome!should i save up for one,or just stick to inexpensive classics that i really love?...Fit,finish and looks wise this thing blows away all spydercos ,benchmades and cold steels that i have,but its 4,5x the price.
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The answer is IMO definitely no*.

* This is untrue if you feel the magic of the fine tolerances and refinement and simplicity and fine corinthian leather or whatever when the Sebenza is in your hand. If that is the case, if you feel the magic, then the answer is definitely yes.

In my case I've owned multiple Sebenzas and failed to ever feel the magic, so I settled on the model I liked best and have acquired and kept that one as a reminder to stop buying them. FWIW, in my case the best of the bunch is a large 21 insingo with micarta inlays. I've tried multiple models, both blade styles, smalls and larges, inlays and CF versions, and that's my favorite setup I've found.
 
Actually, a few years ago, CRK upped the hardness of their blades a point or two, to around 58-60. I own 5 CRKs and have had no issues with them, except the first one was butter knife dull. At least I learned how to completely reprofile a blade with that Sebenza.

The issue I have with CRKs, and I say this as someone who really likes them, is their method of factory edging. They would perform much better, and be much sharper out of box, if they used a V grind on their edge bevels, instead of their convex bevels. V-ground bevels would complement their high, thin grinds perfectly; their convex grinds almost cancel out any benefits of thin hollow grinds, and I don’t think they improve edge holding, either.

Now, someone will say to just reprofile the edge. But a high-quality knife like a CRK should cut perfectly out of the box. If CRK used thinner V-ground bevels, they would cut out of the box the equivalent of a typical Spyderco. But as it is, the typical Spyderco folder has far superior cutting performance out of the box.

Jim
 
My sample is small - I tried only one: a large Sebenza 21 2nd hand. Even after spar treatment, I did not find its smoothness superior to some of my smoothest folders on washers. My biggest issue with it however is the ergo - that pointy area of the handle near the end just plain made my palm sore if I open and close the knife for too many times. With that being said, CRK folders retain value perhaps better than most other brands in the market. That Sebenza was among the very few that I sold and did not lose money.
 
My opinion is yes. It’s a knife that can be serviced and last lifetimes. Very simple and not a lot of parts. I love my Sebenzas so my opinion will be bias. I also love that they make a dedicated lefty framelock for us southpaws. They are easy to sharpen and maintain. Bottom line a spyderco or a less priced knife Is still gonna cut things just like it. It’s a knife. Most people I know will think it’s absolutely insane to pay that for a knife. I use mine with no hesitation. You can give my dad a $20 mossy oak knife, a $180 Benchmade or a $550 Crk and I promise you he will use them the same without knowing the prices and be happy with all of them as long as they cut. Trust me I’ve seen it. I don’t like to even tell him how much my CRKs cost out of a little bit of embarrassment :D It is all up to the person buying it if it’s worth it or not. With any purchase of goods or services
 
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