- Joined
- Nov 17, 1999
- Messages
- 676
Hello Folks,
I recently got my Sebenza (thanks John !) and I absolutely love it. I started to carry it rightpocket and SOCOM-E leftpocket. After a few days of woodwalking I used it enough to make a statement about the knives. So here goes :
1. Handle: a) ergonomics
The SOCOM's handle takes some getting used to, as it almost forces your thumb up the ramp for cutting, in that position, it really feels at home (this is also a much used fighting grip I think). In the regular grip, like you hold a stick, it doesn't feel comfortable, it even has the tendancy to move around when using. When you put your thumb on the blade, it suddenly feels good again in your hand. The ramps all over the knife provide security, maybe even too much, as for large hands the can get abrasive and cause blisters.. lucky it fits my hand.
The sebenza : at first you're amazed at it's lightness.. and in your hand, it really feels at home. Let's just say that the few positions the SOCOM really likes, the SOCOM feels better. In any other position, the sebenza is the clear winner here. The texture of the Ti is also suprisingly soft and grippy. With the sebenza you got a feeling of power in your hand, it feels strong. It also feels much more versatile then the Socom's handle.
Or for people who don't see pics :
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/sebbie1.jpg
B) clip :
Sebenza clip is much better designed and stronger, feels more secure.
The extra bend in it makes sure it clips another time behind the thick seam on a jeans or behind a zipper.
The SOCOM's clip isn't so secure, but is on the better end of the blade for fast drawing. The Sebenza also feels more at home in your pocket, while the SOCOM always has a ramp coming out, which makes it much easier to loose if a running trough brush or so.
Note : most secure clip I've ever seen is on the SERE 2K.
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/sebbieclip.jpg
c) opening action :
Needles to say... Sebenza is MUUUUUUUCH smoother, almost addictive to play with. Thumb stud is also very nice and feels good to the touch, but is only single sided, which may be a bad point.
SOCOM opening is also buttersmooth, but not so perfectionized as on the sebbie. Thumbstud is larger, could be more comfortable to some folks, but doesn't matter for me.
d) lock :
Framelock VS microbar lock.... hmm
When the microbar lock is open, the aluminium is down to a fairly sharp thin edge.. May be uncomforatble for some folks, again, doesn't bother me, as it isn't sharp enough to cut.
Feel.. both have that re-assuring sound when locking, I dunno why, but I just like the sound. The sebenza has a "cachong" sound while the socom has a shorter "click".
In sheer strength, I think the sebenza wins tough..
In ease of opening closing the sebenza is better too, as it feels adjustable.. if you squeeze it, it just get's tighter and tighter, making disengaging more difficult. The SOCOM is totally unaffected by any squeezing, it stays the same to disengage. I think both easily pass any spinewhacking test, I don't do the tough.
I'm a fairly stronge dude, and neither of the knives moved a muscle when I tried to force the closed. If I would have put this kind of force on a regular wrist which is holding a knife, the wrist would have snapped first.
Overall.. strength is the same for human beings, ease of disengaging is better with the SOCOM, but the sebbie is better adjustable, but takes more getting used to.
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/sebbielocks.jpg
2. Blade : A) grind :
The blade's difference in thickness is very apparent. The SOCOM-E's blade is almost twice as thick as the Sebenza's blade, It's flatground with a nice false edge. It works good, especially if cutting wood or harder stuff/work. The grind's plunge cuts are excactly even, the false edge's grind lines are also excactly even.
Tip is very sharp yet increases in thickness fairly fast. Takes about 2 inches to reach the full spine thickness.
Sebenza : Much better grind for utility cutting, especially light work (and let's face it... that is what we regulary do with our knives). It's hollowground, which makes sure it's profile is thin, so it outcuts the SOCOM by a wide margin in meat, vegetablesm bread, cheese.... But.. the plunge cuts aren't excactly even. On one side it makes a wider arc the on the other side. I know, I'm a perfectionist.. It matters about half a millimeter.
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/UNEVEN.jpg
B) edgeholding :
Double bonus for sebenza. I've never seen a so perfectionized working grind. It holds the excact middle between too thin and too thick for utility work. Plus it's steel is fabulous. I'd compare it to 52100, but then stainless. And a tad less tough probably, but I'm not gonna do any bend tests
The SOCOM cuts worse, but that has to do with the twice as thick grind. It's 154-CM cuts very well, but you notice that it deteriorates faster then the BG-42 on the Sebenza. I'd consider it's worse performance in cutting 10 % to it's lesser steel, 90 % to it's lesser grind.
But..... If you wanna stab, or heavy work like light chopping or wood cutting, the SOCOM-E might be a better idea.
3. conclusion:
The Sebenza costs 150 $ more then the SOCOM, but you do notice it. The fit 'n finish on the SOCOM is damn near perfect, but the sebenza is closer to perfection, altough it's not visible any more with the naked eye. The small flaw in the sebenza.. well, I consider it like a flaw in a Persian rug, The make one in every rug, because otherwise they would be excactly the same.
The SOCOM-E emphasises it's tactical function, and is much better in this then the sebenza. However..
In overall quality the sebenza is better, and in a regular EDC role it is better too.
This is not a sebenza-influenced speech, because overall, It's just a EDC knife for me.. in this role, it's the best I've ever seen tough.
And it has something magical, the blue spacer, the blue thumbstud, the Ti and the neat stonewash... I dunno what it is.
Let's just say that sebenza's are addictive.. I probably will never be able to carry a spyderco of Benchmade again
Greetz and take care all, Bart.
I recently got my Sebenza (thanks John !) and I absolutely love it. I started to carry it rightpocket and SOCOM-E leftpocket. After a few days of woodwalking I used it enough to make a statement about the knives. So here goes :
1. Handle: a) ergonomics
The SOCOM's handle takes some getting used to, as it almost forces your thumb up the ramp for cutting, in that position, it really feels at home (this is also a much used fighting grip I think). In the regular grip, like you hold a stick, it doesn't feel comfortable, it even has the tendancy to move around when using. When you put your thumb on the blade, it suddenly feels good again in your hand. The ramps all over the knife provide security, maybe even too much, as for large hands the can get abrasive and cause blisters.. lucky it fits my hand.
The sebenza : at first you're amazed at it's lightness.. and in your hand, it really feels at home. Let's just say that the few positions the SOCOM really likes, the SOCOM feels better. In any other position, the sebenza is the clear winner here. The texture of the Ti is also suprisingly soft and grippy. With the sebenza you got a feeling of power in your hand, it feels strong. It also feels much more versatile then the Socom's handle.
Or for people who don't see pics :
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/sebbie1.jpg
B) clip :
Sebenza clip is much better designed and stronger, feels more secure.
The extra bend in it makes sure it clips another time behind the thick seam on a jeans or behind a zipper.
The SOCOM's clip isn't so secure, but is on the better end of the blade for fast drawing. The Sebenza also feels more at home in your pocket, while the SOCOM always has a ramp coming out, which makes it much easier to loose if a running trough brush or so.
Note : most secure clip I've ever seen is on the SERE 2K.
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/sebbieclip.jpg
c) opening action :
Needles to say... Sebenza is MUUUUUUUCH smoother, almost addictive to play with. Thumb stud is also very nice and feels good to the touch, but is only single sided, which may be a bad point.
SOCOM opening is also buttersmooth, but not so perfectionized as on the sebbie. Thumbstud is larger, could be more comfortable to some folks, but doesn't matter for me.
d) lock :
Framelock VS microbar lock.... hmm
When the microbar lock is open, the aluminium is down to a fairly sharp thin edge.. May be uncomforatble for some folks, again, doesn't bother me, as it isn't sharp enough to cut.
Feel.. both have that re-assuring sound when locking, I dunno why, but I just like the sound. The sebenza has a "cachong" sound while the socom has a shorter "click".
In sheer strength, I think the sebenza wins tough..
In ease of opening closing the sebenza is better too, as it feels adjustable.. if you squeeze it, it just get's tighter and tighter, making disengaging more difficult. The SOCOM is totally unaffected by any squeezing, it stays the same to disengage. I think both easily pass any spinewhacking test, I don't do the tough.
I'm a fairly stronge dude, and neither of the knives moved a muscle when I tried to force the closed. If I would have put this kind of force on a regular wrist which is holding a knife, the wrist would have snapped first.
Overall.. strength is the same for human beings, ease of disengaging is better with the SOCOM, but the sebbie is better adjustable, but takes more getting used to.
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/sebbielocks.jpg
2. Blade : A) grind :
The blade's difference in thickness is very apparent. The SOCOM-E's blade is almost twice as thick as the Sebenza's blade, It's flatground with a nice false edge. It works good, especially if cutting wood or harder stuff/work. The grind's plunge cuts are excactly even, the false edge's grind lines are also excactly even.
Tip is very sharp yet increases in thickness fairly fast. Takes about 2 inches to reach the full spine thickness.
Sebenza : Much better grind for utility cutting, especially light work (and let's face it... that is what we regulary do with our knives). It's hollowground, which makes sure it's profile is thin, so it outcuts the SOCOM by a wide margin in meat, vegetablesm bread, cheese.... But.. the plunge cuts aren't excactly even. On one side it makes a wider arc the on the other side. I know, I'm a perfectionist.. It matters about half a millimeter.
http://www.student.khleuven.be/~0101747/UNEVEN.jpg
B) edgeholding :
Double bonus for sebenza. I've never seen a so perfectionized working grind. It holds the excact middle between too thin and too thick for utility work. Plus it's steel is fabulous. I'd compare it to 52100, but then stainless. And a tad less tough probably, but I'm not gonna do any bend tests
The SOCOM cuts worse, but that has to do with the twice as thick grind. It's 154-CM cuts very well, but you notice that it deteriorates faster then the BG-42 on the Sebenza. I'd consider it's worse performance in cutting 10 % to it's lesser steel, 90 % to it's lesser grind.
But..... If you wanna stab, or heavy work like light chopping or wood cutting, the SOCOM-E might be a better idea.
3. conclusion:
The Sebenza costs 150 $ more then the SOCOM, but you do notice it. The fit 'n finish on the SOCOM is damn near perfect, but the sebenza is closer to perfection, altough it's not visible any more with the naked eye. The small flaw in the sebenza.. well, I consider it like a flaw in a Persian rug, The make one in every rug, because otherwise they would be excactly the same.
The SOCOM-E emphasises it's tactical function, and is much better in this then the sebenza. However..
In overall quality the sebenza is better, and in a regular EDC role it is better too.
This is not a sebenza-influenced speech, because overall, It's just a EDC knife for me.. in this role, it's the best I've ever seen tough.
And it has something magical, the blue spacer, the blue thumbstud, the Ti and the neat stonewash... I dunno what it is.
Let's just say that sebenza's are addictive.. I probably will never be able to carry a spyderco of Benchmade again
Greetz and take care all, Bart.
Which model is your EDC? (small, large, or?)