My first Sebenza: Small Insingo

miso2

miso2

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Nov 19, 2014
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I just got my first Sebenza, small Insingo, after owning Umnumzaan.

My initial impression was… it is so cute!
I have mostly been using 3.5~4” blades, and comparing to those, the small Insingo felt miniature.
But when I opened it, I realized that it is a fully capable framelock knife.

Spec:
Blade length: 2.94”
Blade thickness: 0.125” (0.114” in my measurement)
Edge thickness: 0.023”
Overall length: 6.875”
Weight: 3.0 oz (2.86 oz in my measurement)

Insingo1.JPG




The handle is short and narrow. With my medium hands, I can still hold it very comfortably. The first pic is with Boker Exskelibur, which is quite thin.

Insingo2.JPG

Insingo3.JPG




The blade grind is deep hollow. Below is a comparison with two hollow ground knives I have, Umnumzaan and Boker Exskelibur. Insingo’s grind is pretty similar to that of Umnumzaan. From this, I would not expect it to be a great slicer, but it should be a robust cutter.

Blade2.JPG




Considering its size, this would be a perfect pocket knife I can live with.
I will post some more impressions later when I get to use it and when I sharpen it.



Miso
 
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Although I collect custom folders, the Insingo is my EDC. I have a small like yours, a large with Micarta inserts, and plan to get another small but with Micarta inserts. Great clip, great blade shape, I think it does everything right.
 
CF Insingo always in my pocket as of late. The blade design works so well for tasks.
 
Thany you for the comments.
This is a really solid small folder.

Comparing with Umnumzaan, the construction of small Insingo feels rediculously over-built. The screwed stop pin and the bushing pivot add a very solid feel to it. And I like it.

Insingo_Umnum.JPG



I reprofiled the edge on Edge Pro. Even though the steel is not hard to sharpen, it took a while to do so due to the initial convex shape and edge thickness.

Insingo_edge.JPG




The edge is good enough to cut tissue paper clean.

Insingo_tissue.JPG




While Insingo cuts cardboard pretty well, the hollow grind blade is too thick to work well in kitchen. I cut some cucumbers, and they split up before being cut. In contrast, thin Exskelibur can cut all the way through.

Insingo_cucumber.JPG




Overall, it is a fantastically well-built small folder. If you want a slicer, this is not for you. But if you want a sturdy but small framelock folder, this could be it.
I really enjoy handling it and will enjoy more once it breaks in.



Miso
 
One thing bothering me right now is lock stick. I thought the lock of Umnumzaan is tight, but this one is tighter. Lock stick in addition to the strong lock bar makes my thumb really sore.

I have been putting sharpie on the blade tang and hope that it will break in soon.

Other than that , it is a fantastic small folder.


Miso
 
I always put a tiiiiny bit of the CRK grease on the tang area when lubing the sebenza. Tried that?
 
Interesting about the cucumbers. I don't have photo ability, but my small Inkosi cuts up good-sized carrots surprisingly well, without the carrot splitting apart at the end of cutting. However, if the carrot is large, I turn the carrot a bit as I'm cutting it. Sometimes, just for fun, I'll slice out super-thin "carrot chips" with it just to see if I can (it works great), almost but not quite as great as my Victorinox SAKs can. I had been half-expecting the Inkosi to do a bit worse in that respect than my small and large Insingos, because the Inkosi blade's hollow grind is not as concave as the Insingo's.

All three of them slice up tomatoes pretty easily.

Although I don't always use them in the kitchen, generally preferring to use my Victorinox kitchen knives.

Jim
 
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353 said:
I always put a tiiiiny bit of the CRK grease on the tang area when lubing the sebenza. Tried that?
Click to expand...

Thanks for the tip, 353.
I am a bit afraid of putting oil there.
Nevertheless, it is now a lot better now after applying sharpie and open-closing quite a bit.


Miso
 
James Y said:
Interesting about the cucumbers. I don't have photo ability, but my small Inkosi cuts up good-sized carrots surprisingly well, without the carrot splitting apart at the end of cutting. However, if the carrot is large, I turn the carrot a bit as I'm cutting it. Sometimes, just for fun, I'll slice out super-thin "carrot chips" with it just to see if I can (it works great), almost but not quite as great as my Victorinox SAKs can. I had been half-expecting the Inkosi to do a bit worse in that respect than my small and large Insingos, because the Inkosi blade's hollow grind is not as concave as the Insingo's.

All three of them slice up tomatoes pretty easily.

Although I don't always use them in the kitchen, generally preferring to use my Victorinox kitchen knives.

Jim
Click to expand...


The cucumbers I used are Japanese ones and only hard at the skin but very soft inside. So it can be easily split up with a little bit of wedging.
Inkosi might work well on these vegies, as the high hollow grind would not cause the sudden increase of wedging force like Sebenza.

I didn't used to use a pocket knife in the kitchen, but Boker Exskeilbur changed it. Because it is thin enough, is the only knife having a good edge all the time, and is my own knife. There are good chef knives in my kitchen, but my wife uses them and chips them often. My Exskelibur is safe from that at least:)

Unfortunately, small Insingo is not good for this purpose. I guess a large Insingo might work better, since its blade stock thickness is same as the small one, such that the hollow grind is not as concave.


Miso
 
Still in love with that blade shape, when I get some extra funds I still want to add it to the collection.
 
I love the balde shape, too. It is a great utility and good shape for easy sharpening.
Only if it is thinner at the spine and behind the edge at 0.1" and 0.01", respectively.

Miso
 
miso2 said:
I love the balde shape, too. It is a great utility and good shape for easy sharpening.
Only if it is thinner at the spine and behind the edge at 0.1" and 0.01", respectively.

Miso
Click to expand...

I ma deciding to pick up a small insigo because I love the blade shape but I heard thai the blade is ticker
than the small 21. I will use it for pure cutting. I'm very confusing can someone help me? Thanks
 
I love my small Insingo! It's small size implies less strength and perhaps suggests more delicate knife-related tasks, but the reality is that it is a little workhorse. If I want/need something with a thinner blade, I resort to my Spydercos or a traditional slipjoint. Being a bit obsessed with knives, it is not uncommon for me to have all three on me at once.
 
^ This, same problem.

When it comes to slicing then thin stock very fine blades as in your kitchen paring knives can't be bettered. But as there isn't much steel behind the edge they can't do tough work. I love little penknives with fine blades but no one would pretend they can do hard tasks.

Next up is a stouter but keen carry edge. Stout enough to be put to most tasks, tough tasks, but still cut deep. Here is where Chris Reeve has done a great compromise. This scale of thickness to edge can last a lifetime too.

Anything stouter then its a fixed blade for purpose. If it was that easy we would all carry Stanley blades. Depending of what I think I'll be doing that day is what dictates the build. Nothing wrong in carrying a couple of options. If in doubt then a Reeve will probably cover it.
 
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