Large sebenza 25 Data Update 03-09-14

[Moesalty]

I have two 25's. I have a November 21, 2012 one and my "user" is a June 19, 2013. I see here that June 12 is the old package and my June 19 came in a new style package fwiw...

 

[DrakeWood]

I just picked up a lnib January 31, 2013 model, second production. Only difference is this one lacks any date stamp inside the scales. No stamp at all. Any idea how many went out the door w/o stamps? Thanks for all the great info!

 

[crayj]

I bought this model 25 several years ago, the lanyard is the only mod. I made to the knife and I never carried it. Discovering that the scales had no date codes, I started searching for answers and found this thread. As seen in the photos it has a Press fit stop pin, a blade stop with two groves, no date codes, the lanyard groove is oddly cut and the blade shows (2) Brinell test marks. I am not quite sure about the lock bar end profile. The finish is odd as well, it looks like it was polished with a Scotch-Brite pad, but also shows signs of being media blasted. Is it possible this 25 is a prototype? I would appreciate any feedback. Thanks, cj

 

[kidcongo]

The finish on the blade and the finish on the slabs is not factory. The 25 prototypes did not have the round notch on the spine.

If you bought it used, someone has done their own finishing work. If you bought it new, I would say it’s possibly a high level fake, or you’ve been, at very least, mislead.

Those marks in the blade are very strange, as is the finish on the blade.

 

[crayj]

Thanks very much for the feedback, there was no story or claim that the knife was special. As I remember it was posted as a “user”, I paid $175 for it. The lack of date codes put me on a search to determine if there were others without codes.

 

[kidcongo]

Comparing it to my 25, it looks legit other than the finish. Even the assymetry beside the lanyard is common.

The evidence that it’s legit is most strongly shown in the double-groove early stop pin sleeve.

In short, I think someone did an acid etch or scotch brite treatment on the knife, but looks correct otherwise.

 

[crayj]

Thank You again, was your 25 from the 1st production run? I'm guessing the blade punch marks are
from a hardness test.

 

[Ajack60]

Thank You again, was your 25 from the 1st production run? I'm guessing the blade punch marks are
from a hardness test.

I would guess since several were mentioned that did not have a date stamp, that's what you've got. I'd bet that there were extra prototype slabs left and were used in the production models. That would explain the lack of date stamps. Some of the 21's have only one slab with a date stamp on them. This happened early on when the date stamp slabs were first being made.
It could be that the original owner had the blade tested for hardness.