Large V.S small

DR.BOOM

DR.BOOM

Joined
Jan 2, 2011
Messages
255
Hey everyone, about a month ago I got my first CRK, A large 21. I have enjoyed the little details more than that of any other knife I have ever owned. In the past I have had a hard time carrying smaller blades, I have had a few mini Benchmades as well as some smaller Spydercos and I just cannot seem to carry them for any length of time. My question is, what are your guys main reason for carrying a small Sebbie? (for those of you that carry them). Personally I really like the comfort of having my Large 21 at my side, and cannot imagine having something smaller. So what are some of the reasons for liking the small more than the large?
Thanks in advance for the lesson, have a good one.
-Justin
 
I carry a large Regular or Umnumzaan and find the small to be far less usefull for my needs. Outside of legal issues or perhaps a specific intended use, like in an office or more formal environment, I would take a large every time with out question. I also find the Mnandi to be a better choice than the small Sebenza for those smaller knife times. :):thumbup:
 
I agree with Haze on this one. I went from an Umnumzaan, to a Large 21, to a mnandi, to another Umnumzaan, to a small 21, back to a Large 21, and then finally to my fav..The Ti-lock :D The Ti-lock is so freaking ergonomic and fun to open and close it is hard to keep it out of the pocket. With its lighter weight but generous blade almost the size of a Large 21, it makes its way as my fav CRK knife to date. The mnandi is a great option for a smaller one and when I did carry the small, it was a little small my medium size hands for good grip. Between, a Large and a Small, I would go with a Large as it just gives a better grip and also the Large was the original size "first" sebenza Chris Reeve created.
 
The large sebenza carries just as comfortably as the small for me.
Its the perfect size for just about any edc task including food prep.
The small Sebenza is a great edc blade as you can get a full 4 finger
grip on it and it has a lot of cutting edge for the size but the large just
offers more.
 
Small when working in a professional environment around sheeple, it is my go to knife for that purpose, when not in that situation I always have a larger blade on person....
 
I carry the Small for three reasons:
1. It's legal everywhere I go. I frequently travel to DE (I live just a few miles over the line in PA) and anything over 3" there (DE) is illegal. I like the idea of not having to worry about grabbing the wrong knife, making a wrong turn, and having a problem. This is really what prompted me to get my first small over the large
2. It fits in even the smallest pocket and is so light that it doesn't bounce around if I carry it in loose, lightweight pants. Not a huge deal, unless you're on a long trek, in which case it can be maddening. My prior backpacker was about the same weight as a Large Sebenza and the bouncing drove me crazy enough to retire it as a backpacker. My small fits perfectly in a smaller inner pocket. Zero bounce, even in a full downhill run.
3. I've never needed more knife. I keep thinking about the 25, which intellectually seems like the perfect folder, but I keep coming back to the fact the Small has never come up short for me, so why trade off the above positives?

In the end, I think the best thing to do is list he pros and cons of each for your specific application and go for the one that fits your bill best. One size does not fit all, but luckily there are several outstanding options. All that said, it's very hard to make the wrong choice if you choose CRK. Even if you do, you can easily sell it in a minute for almost what you paid for it, so the risk of trial and error is about zero.
 
I have a small Insingo and really like it. That said, whenever I pick up my large 21 I definitely like the knife more. The handle fits my hand better but the small is easy to carry and really all the knife I need.
 
I've been on these forums for years now and one thing I have observed is that there are generally three types of knife users when it comes to size:
1) those that love large knives only.
2) those that prefer smaller knives
3 the hybrid that can go either way
Personally I lean towards the larger knives as these are just what I prefer in my day to day lifestyle. I've had small knives and aesthetically I may like them a lot but for function they are just not as good for me. They don't fit my hand as well and they don't cut the stuff I cut as well. I use my pocket knife for a lot of food prep and small knives are just not as good for this type of work.
 
I have had both. the large Sebenza is a big knife, more than I need for my daily chores. As an above posted mentioned, the small a lot lighter and more pocketable too. The legal issue is another, though not a problem in Texas I know we are lucky. A final decider is the sheeple aspect. No one will jump back when you bust out the small, but the large will make people nervous in an office environment.
I think small is the way to go for a daily carry
 
I have to carry both. I carry a small in the office, and add a large the rest of the time.
 
I have some of both, but carry my small Regular the most. It cuts everything I need it to, and hardly notice its in my pocket.
I have a large hand, and the small Regular fits well enough. The small Classic, and 21 frame is a bit small for me though.

When I carry a larger knife I often carry a Carbon Fiber Spyderco Military in right pocket, and a small traditional in my left.
 
I like them both!

Small Reg w L Jimping (9).jpg

But, I almost always either carry a small Insingo or a small Reg. It handles all the tasks I need it to and I simply prefer it over the large.
 
Really, the mnandi is all I need...but I carry a small. The mnandi's are just to nice to carry!!
 
There are several reasons people prefer the small:
-Personal preference on size - Some find the large to be too much and way more than they actually need.
-Weight - The Large is a little heftier and this can be a big deal to some people.
-Legality - In some places, it's illegal to carry anything over a 3in blade, so the small fits this.
-Environment - Some people work in an office environment or around people often and the small fits the environment better.
 
Larges' and Umnum is my preferred size:thumbup: I do like how the 25 seems a little more robust yet it still feels more compact, if that makes any sense:D I had a small 21 UG for only 2 days b/c it was just to small, well for me at least.
 
I've had both and I am now in the small camp. Don't need the large. Though this might be because I've only carried slip joints for the last 4 years too. Anything bigger than a small sebenza just feels too huge. If I am good with a stockman, then the small seb is more than enough for me.
 
The small has always been enough knife to handle anything I'd ever do and served me well for years but once I quit the office environment and was able to worry less about the reaction of others to my knife I started carrying a large. For me it's hard to go back to the small after a few years of carrying the large. A 25 and a large Insingo are my edc rotation right now, I still occasionally carry my tanto Umnum as well but not so much anymore.
 
I've carried large Sebbies so long, the small seems like some sort of novelty item. I have one - a small CF. I keep it in the end table for opening letters. The large may as well be another completely unrelated knife, made by another maker entirely. That's just me. I like my small Sebbie, but it isn't "my" knife. Everyone is different though, and we don't have any weird laws here in MN related to size that influence my choice. Any non-auto knife here is "just a knife" until you actually use it as a weapon. At that point it is a weapon, regardless of whether it has a 12" blade or a 1/2" blade.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top