Another Sebenza virgin story...............
I had always been curious about the mystique of the Chris Reeve knives. I heard all the glorious praise, saw all the glowing reviews, and heard about the perfection that these knives were reputed to display.
I just wasn't sure. $400, $500 on such a "simple" knife design?
Not that simple is in any way bad. I love over the top, crazy, cutting edge designs, but also respect the restraint required by a designer to pull back and streamline a design... nothing wrong with simple. I just couldn't see the cost. Afterall, there are plenty of knives out there with good names using the identical materials, and charging far less as we all know.
But still, something drew me to the Sebenzas. I knew so many folks could not be wrong, so I decided to own one without giving it a second thought. But which size?
ARGH... Sebenza problem number 2 for most people... dammit, do I want small or large for my 1st???
Screw it, I'll buy both. Then I can't have any regrets, right? Sure...
So I scour the internet looking through endless websites. Most carry the same stuff, but each will have 3-5 different "Uniques". Once I saw the Crosshairs, I knew I HAD to have it. Simple, subtle, and cool. Done. Now for a fancier one... I like many of the designs using blue, maybe Meteor Shower? Ohhhh, but then there's.... and the list goes on.
So I order a Crosshairs from one dealer and think I'm all good to go. I'll decide on another later because that dealer didn;t have another Unique that really pulled at me.
Early in the AM I get a phone call. It's the dealer I ordered my Crosshairs from... "Sorry, we took 2 orders and only had one knife, your order came in second".
DAMN!
So although I was mad, I accepted my fate and went back to the internet. Then I realized that this truly WAS fate....
I Google up a Crosshairs and come across a site I had never heard of before. Mind you, I have visited over 100 unique knife-related websites in the last week... never came across this one... so I click it up. Ok, there is my Small Crosshairs... bingo, add to cart. I poke around and look into his selection of larges and I see what is IMO the absolutely most beautiful Unique I had ever seen. AND it happened to have something I did not plan on buying.. a Damascus blade. Fate is right... without thinking or even looking at the price, I added it to my cart and paid for them both. I even called them and paid an extra $50 to get 2nd day air on them I was so excited. Never had I seen this design before, and for me it is perfect. I know for some it may be a bit over the top, but that's ok.
Pics are coming, don't worry....
So they arrive today, and I was scared to open them honestly. Why? Well, you know how you build yourself up for something so much that there is no possible way that it can be as great as the anticipation? Yeah... I was afraid of that. Well I open them up and I could not be happier.
Better in person.
Better that they are MINE, and not someone else's.
Everything I heard is true. Is it PERFECTION though? No, but nothing really is.
I'd prefer a smoother finish on the backside, but while the texture isn't impressive... the look of that darker titanium IS, so it must be this way to have the look...cool, I'm ok with that.
While the action is smooth, the blade is set TIGHTLY and is hard to open. I understand it will break in, but I am accustomed to a smooth action that is also a quick action. I believe it may be the lube Chris Reeve uses. I dropped some Break-Free in there while spending my evening flipping them... and they are much quicker. The lube made an immediate difference too.
I know most prefer a frame lock to a liner lock, but a frame lock can be a bit tougher only because you're always applying extra pressure keeping it locked just by gripping the knife... while you're trying to close it. I'll get used to it though.
Hated the lanyards. Too short and no balls at the end, so they added nothing to the grip i any way, so I unwrapped them and took them off.
:yawn:
Now that is nit-picking at it's finest folks. I have to STRUGGLE and really pick to find anything that is not perfection on these knives. That's how great they are. I told my wife tonight that these will be lifelong companions... something I NEVER say (I am a collector of many things, and I cycle through things often)... and for me to say right away that I am looking at lifelong keepers... well, that says something about how impressed I was.
Then I logged on and showed her the next few I plan to buy.
So after all the hype, all the stories, all the reviews and all of the anticipation.. the Sebenza lived up to my expectations, and I am a happy guy. Thanks to the man himself for creating such a wonderful and versatile knife.
On to the images............
Large Sebenza Unique CGG with Double Mother of Pearl inlays and Raindrop Damascus
Small Seb in next post >>>>>>>>>>>
I had always been curious about the mystique of the Chris Reeve knives. I heard all the glorious praise, saw all the glowing reviews, and heard about the perfection that these knives were reputed to display.
I just wasn't sure. $400, $500 on such a "simple" knife design?
Not that simple is in any way bad. I love over the top, crazy, cutting edge designs, but also respect the restraint required by a designer to pull back and streamline a design... nothing wrong with simple. I just couldn't see the cost. Afterall, there are plenty of knives out there with good names using the identical materials, and charging far less as we all know.
But still, something drew me to the Sebenzas. I knew so many folks could not be wrong, so I decided to own one without giving it a second thought. But which size?
ARGH... Sebenza problem number 2 for most people... dammit, do I want small or large for my 1st???
Screw it, I'll buy both. Then I can't have any regrets, right? Sure...
So I scour the internet looking through endless websites. Most carry the same stuff, but each will have 3-5 different "Uniques". Once I saw the Crosshairs, I knew I HAD to have it. Simple, subtle, and cool. Done. Now for a fancier one... I like many of the designs using blue, maybe Meteor Shower? Ohhhh, but then there's.... and the list goes on.
So I order a Crosshairs from one dealer and think I'm all good to go. I'll decide on another later because that dealer didn;t have another Unique that really pulled at me.
Early in the AM I get a phone call. It's the dealer I ordered my Crosshairs from... "Sorry, we took 2 orders and only had one knife, your order came in second".
DAMN!
So although I was mad, I accepted my fate and went back to the internet. Then I realized that this truly WAS fate....
I Google up a Crosshairs and come across a site I had never heard of before. Mind you, I have visited over 100 unique knife-related websites in the last week... never came across this one... so I click it up. Ok, there is my Small Crosshairs... bingo, add to cart. I poke around and look into his selection of larges and I see what is IMO the absolutely most beautiful Unique I had ever seen. AND it happened to have something I did not plan on buying.. a Damascus blade. Fate is right... without thinking or even looking at the price, I added it to my cart and paid for them both. I even called them and paid an extra $50 to get 2nd day air on them I was so excited. Never had I seen this design before, and for me it is perfect. I know for some it may be a bit over the top, but that's ok.
Pics are coming, don't worry....
So they arrive today, and I was scared to open them honestly. Why? Well, you know how you build yourself up for something so much that there is no possible way that it can be as great as the anticipation? Yeah... I was afraid of that. Well I open them up and I could not be happier.
Better in person.
Better that they are MINE, and not someone else's.
Everything I heard is true. Is it PERFECTION though? No, but nothing really is.
I'd prefer a smoother finish on the backside, but while the texture isn't impressive... the look of that darker titanium IS, so it must be this way to have the look...cool, I'm ok with that.
While the action is smooth, the blade is set TIGHTLY and is hard to open. I understand it will break in, but I am accustomed to a smooth action that is also a quick action. I believe it may be the lube Chris Reeve uses. I dropped some Break-Free in there while spending my evening flipping them... and they are much quicker. The lube made an immediate difference too.
I know most prefer a frame lock to a liner lock, but a frame lock can be a bit tougher only because you're always applying extra pressure keeping it locked just by gripping the knife... while you're trying to close it. I'll get used to it though.
Hated the lanyards. Too short and no balls at the end, so they added nothing to the grip i any way, so I unwrapped them and took them off.
:yawn:
Now that is nit-picking at it's finest folks. I have to STRUGGLE and really pick to find anything that is not perfection on these knives. That's how great they are. I told my wife tonight that these will be lifelong companions... something I NEVER say (I am a collector of many things, and I cycle through things often)... and for me to say right away that I am looking at lifelong keepers... well, that says something about how impressed I was.
Then I logged on and showed her the next few I plan to buy.
So after all the hype, all the stories, all the reviews and all of the anticipation.. the Sebenza lived up to my expectations, and I am a happy guy. Thanks to the man himself for creating such a wonderful and versatile knife.
On to the images............
Large Sebenza Unique CGG with Double Mother of Pearl inlays and Raindrop Damascus
Small Seb in next post >>>>>>>>>>>
