Large is Large

J

jwrussell

Joined
Jun 26, 2007
Messages
52
I picked up my first CRK about 6 weeks--a small Sebenza with African Blackwood inlays. I'm loving it. Because of this I decided I wanted to try a large. I'd read tons of reviews and pretty much thought I knew what to expect.

Earlier this week a fellow forum member posted a large 21 for sale. I jumped on it and it arrived today. Condition is even better than I had expected--it looks almost new. Beautiful knife!

Now am I the only one who was surprised by the size of the large? I was thinking a blade just over 1/2" longer than my small. How much bigger could the knife be?

It feels much more substantial than the small. Fits my large hands better, longer, wider, thicker--a very beefy knife! I guess I wasn't expecting this because it doesn't have the thick liner and scales that my other knives like the ZTs, Emersons, etc., have. The smoothness while opening and closing is even more impressive in the larger size.

But alas, like my current ZT and the Emersons I've sold, it's a bigger knife than I will carry on a daily basis so now I'm looking at it pondering the unponderable... do I want to keep a knife that costs close to $400 knowing I won't carry it much? Even if it's a knife that blows my other large knives away?

Here are some shots showing the size difference. I know you guys have seen a truckload of pics but I tried to make these highlight the size difference. I also threw my Sage 2 into a few of them because it seems to fall right in the middle in the standard too hot, too cold, just right porridge test.

sebbie1.jpg


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sebbie3.jpg
 
There might only be the two of us, but you're not alone! I've had that very same issue since 2006 when I got my Small Regular and tried larger knives. Every one has ended up on the move, as I find I simply don't carry them as often. My issue has been the same as yours in that I have a very hard time keeping aknife that isn't carried as often, especially if it's pricey. I would suggest you give the Large a bit of time before you decide one way or the other.

At the end of the day, it's a great problem to have, eh?
 
Thanks Chriztt, they're it's hard to take a bad picture of these cool knives. :-)

flipe8 said:
There might only be the two of us, but you're not alone! I've had that very same issue since 2006 when I got my Small Regular and tried larger knives. Every one has ended up on the move, as I find I simply don't carry them as often. My issue has been the same as yours in that I have a very hard time keeping aknife that isn't carried as often, especially if it's pricey. I would suggest you give the Large a bit of time before you decide one way or the other.

At the end of the day, it's a great problem to have, eh?
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Glad I'm not alone. And yeah, it really is a great problem to have!
 
I agree there is quite a difference between the two sizes and the large may be too big for some. In fact I carry either the large or the small depending on where I am because sometimes pulling out the larger version is just too much for people who don't carry a knife.

If you can keep both it is good to have a choice.

My personal preference is for the large.
 
I had a similar problem with 2 small Sebenzas, one regular, one Classic. Both ended up going to others and I kept the large regulars. If I need a small knife, I go with the Mnandi.
 
I also personally prefer the Large. If I'm looking for a smaller knife, I tend to look to my Sage 2 or other Spyderco. I had a Small Regular and it was truly a great knife, just prefer the Large.
 
I much prefer the large, especially in the Regular profile. I have had many of both large and small sebenzas. There is quite a big jump up in size between the large and the small. The specs don't make it seem like it would be that much bigger than it is. To me, the slight price increase between the large and small is indeed small. You just seem to get so much when you get a large vs. the small. Both are great though and meet peoples needs and their preferences.
 
I've recently acquired a Small LH Micarta Inlayed Sebenza and a Large LH Regular Sebenza. The first I scored from a member within the Forum and the second from a Chris Reeve Distributor. Upon obtaining the Small Sebnza I find it in my pocket on a daily basis. I plan on the large being used on field trips, camping and such. I have a damascus Mnandi and I think it is the ultimate pocket mate for dressier occasions. I've had a pocket knife on me almost everyday since I got my first pocket knife selling Grit Magazine subscriptions ate the age of 8 years old. It was a little single blade the you compressed to open and then compressed the blade back into the body to lock it back in place. It's great to see that there are many others out there that appreciate the same things.
 
nyefmaker said:
?...There is quite a big jump up in size between the large and the small. The specs don't make it seem like it would be that much bigger than it is....
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Exactly what I discovered.

I can understand the price difference knowing that so much of the cost is in the manufacturing, machining, and hand finishing, and not so much for the materials. You do seem like you're getting more for you money with the large though.
 
One other thing I was worried about that turned out not to be an issue is the thickness of the large. The wood inlays on my small give the knive a little more thickness/body, which I really like. I was worried that a large would feel too thin in my hand without the inlays but it doesn't at all. The added thickness of the large scales fills it out nicely.
 
nice pics! and nice knives :D
the small classic ebony looks fine :thumbup:

have to get a large I think, my Mnandi and small 21s are right to be EDC'd here in Italy
the Ummi instead is one of the goto mountain knives but I believe the large 21 has to be tried...
 
Those are great looking knives! The small ebony is especially gorgeous. :thumbup: If I saw one of those for sale, I would jump all over it. The large is a lot of knife. I had a really nice large CGG that I ended up selling because it was just too large and flashy for my taste. I regret selling it every day. I have a large Insingo that I love and carry a lot. The Insingo is the same size as the 21, but it doesn't seem as big, and the profile seems to be much less intimidating to non-knife people. I carry my small carbon fiber 21 at work and my large Insingo when I'm at home.
 
moonwilson said:
Those are great looking knives! The small ebony is especially gorgeous. :thumbup:
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Thanks! I lucked out on eBay back in February and got it for a decent price. It looks like Ebony but it's African Blackwood.

moonwilson said:
I have a large Insingo that I love and carry a lot. The Insingo is the same size as the 21, but it doesn't seem as big, and the profile seems to be much less intimidating to non-knife people.
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That's a very interesting observation. I haven't seen an Insingo in person but it sounds very tempting. That blade shape is intriguing--I wish I could find one in a shop around here to handle.

One of the things I really like about the Sebenzas is that even my new large doesn't really have that scary tactical look that freaks out a lot of non-knife people (even here in Texas). It seems like some of the makers purposely create designs that look intimidating (thinking ZT, Emerson, Stryder, etc.). That's not a knock, BTW, if you're going to build a true tactical knife there's good reason to make it a little scary looking while you're at it. It just makes them a little uncomfortable to carry in a lot of circumstances. I don't think the Sebenza looks particularly scary but I do think the large looks pretty darn serious. :)
 
I think because your first experience was with the small Sebenza it made the large seem so much bigger being so used to the smaller size. I had the exact opposite impression. When I first
saw the small Sebenza I thought it was a teeny tiny knife. But after a while I started to appreciate the smaller package and was impressed with how much cutting edge was packed into the slim and
compact handle. But I do still prefer the large as I think it carries in the pocket just as well as the small and can get a more comfortable grip with the bigger handle.
 
The scale of Large: Small does seem surprising sometimes, but the 1/2" difference in blade length translates into many proportions of the knife. The large is my favorite to handle, but the small my favorite to carry.
 
I do not own a CRK yet, but are there any other styles that would fall in between the small and large size wise? It looks to me the large may be too large to carry and the small being a tad too small, a medium might just be perfect.
 
I find the large to be spot on for me but I find the small to be a bit too small, my EDC is an Umnumzaan or large Regular. Like other here said, if I want a small knife the Mnandi is what I use. :):thumbup:
 
I found the Ti-Lock to be a perfect size, but I couldn't get used to the opening/closing mechanism.
Wish they'd make a Sebenza between large and small.
 
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