New Year- New Work EDC

stjames

stjames

Sebenzanista
Joined
Oct 26, 1998
Messages
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I have been carrying a BG-42 LRS as my primary work EDC for the last ten years. It is a fantastic knife that has done all that I have asked of it and shrugged off the wear and tear like a champ.

With the New Year I am considering retiring the knife. It is of a pattern no longer made and a steel no longer used and would take a proud place in the permanent collection. But what to replace it with? I have three contenders:

1) Classic Sebenza with Micarta Inlays. This has been one of my off work EDC’s, great feel and solid as a rock, a worthy replacement if there ever was one.

2) The Umnumzaan. I picked one up when they first came out but haven't ever carried it. The next generation of the CRK folder, a natural progression from my current knife and widely available if it needs to be replaced.

3) My latest acquisition, the Insingo Sebenza. In many ways my dream EDC, but she is a limited edition #20 of 50 (and I have six other knives in the permanent collection that are #20). She could always be refurbished if need be, but so precious. If I had a Micarta Inlay Insingo it would be first in line.

I know I am lucky to face such a choice, and could easily stick with my current knife.

So if you had to decide, what would be at your side New Years Day?
 
My vote goes for the insingo. You were able to carry your other knife for 10 years with no losing it.

I bet if you did lose it, you could pay CRK to re-engrave a number into a new one!

Or..... you may be bored with a Sebenza and want to try the Umnumzaan.

Whatever you do, don't catch the edc rotationitis I've got. It will drive you nuts.
 
I have edc'ed the insigno (#27) the last 4 days and it's really great. For me it's the perfect sebenza. It has temporarily kicked my Umnumzaan out of my pocket.

I would say use the insigno. It's not that limited, according to some postings here CRK is going to be making this variation for quite a while. Just the first 50 are numbered and the rest won't be.

Now if you really want to get crazy then you can always buy a Micarta 21 and switch scales with your insigno to make your ultimate knife :)
 
stjames said:
1) Classic Sebenza with Micarta Inlays. This has been one of my off work EDC’s, great feel and solid as a rock, a worthy replacement if there ever was one.

2) The Umnumzaan. I picked one up when they first came out but haven't ever carried it. The next generation of the CRK folder, a natural progression from my current knife and widely available if it needs to be replaced.

3) My latest acquisition, the Insingo Sebenza. In many ways my dream EDC, but she is a limited edition #20 of 50 (and I have six other knives in the permanent collection that are #20). She could always be refurbished if need be, but so precious. If I had a Micarta Inlay Insingo it would be first in line.

I know I am lucky to face such a choice, and could easily stick with my current knife.

So if you had to decide, what would be at your side New Years Day?
Click to expand...

Fun choices, James! My thoughts would be:
  • I applaud your retiring the EDC -- it's a great collectible now, and has high sentimental value for you as well. The follow up question would be, upon retirement of the most esteemed work EDC, refurb treatment or not? :)
  • A significant change would be fun! That weakens the case for the micarta Seb becoming the new work EDC.
  • The Insigno #20 clearly fits into your numbered collection. It would be highly unlikely that CRK would engrave a replacement for you in the event of loss. Picking up an un-numbered Insigno in the future might provide a more worthy contender for that work EDC pocket. Even so, it's still a Sebenza . . .
  • The Umnumzaan poses the biggest departure from your current work EDC -- a completely different knife from the Sebbie, and thus gives you the greatest amount of transitional "fun factor". It's easily replaced upon loss.
If I were in your shoes (and I am not far from being so), the Umnumzaan would be my choice.
 
What if you knew your life was going to be up (end), tomorrow. Would you feel sorry for not having used some of your knives? Dammit man! Use 'em all! ...and enjoy 'em. :)



P.S. I hope for many years to come. ;)
 
The Insingo seems like an ideal working knife to me.... no sharp tip to worry about or frighten the co-workers. ;)
 
Isn't KnifeArt out of Insingos and don't they have an exclusive contract with CRK for them? If so, I suggest a fourth option. Keep using your trusted EDC for now, and wait a couple of months. Replace it with an unnumbered Insingo once those come out. That way you don't lose lower the value of numbered knife.
 
kamagong said:
Isn't KnifeArt out of Insingos and don't they have an exclusive contract with CRK for them? If so, I suggest a fourth option. Keep using your trusted EDC for now, and wait a couple of months. Replace it with an unnumbered Insingo once those come out. That way you don't lose lower the value of numbered knife.
Click to expand...

Use them all, thats what there for. :)

there will be plenty of them ...Neil did the same thing with the Zaan (first 50 marked)....IMO the numbers mean nothing...it's S30V (common) ....if CRK starts using S35VN in the future, that would be cool. :)
 
And the winner is….The Umnumzaan!

I eliminated the Insingo pretty quickly, no matter how much I am dying to use it. I have ended up being a knife collector as well as a user, and the numbered edition fits in so well with both the other #20’s but as part of the whole “Evolution of the Sebenza” motif. I will eventually get another Insingo, maybe with Micarta Inlays, S35VN blade, and double thumb lugs.

The Classic Inlay is already a reliable friend, and will continue to fill a spot on the weekends whenever I am out and about. I retired my “P” models some time ago so this will keep the original Sebenza alive in my rotation.

It’s time for the Umnum to get a shot at the title.

Will it go ten years undefeated like the current BG-42 Champion? The knife that faced down everything Emerson, Benchmade and the great Ken Onion had to throw at it? The piece of cutlery all others are compared to, that overshadows every folder with a ti handle and stainless blade? That is so Iconic that every time anyone posts a picture of their freshly designed, latest and greatest, brand spanking new Integral Lock Folder on these boards the fist thing posted is “it looks like a Sebenza”?

Only time will tell. Good luck, kid, you have some big shoes to fill.
 
Let's see, I'm guessing your trousers have 4 pockets. Why choose, carry them all!
 
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