Nick Shabazz Sebenza Review Round 2

I enjoy watching (or listening to) gun and knife reviews because I just like listening to people talk about them. I often have one on in the background while I'm working on guns/knives or while driving. It's usually as good as anything you'll see/hear on the radio or TV. It would be nice to talk to folks in person but it's getting harder to find people to do that with. I've watched Nick's videos as well as most of the other popular ones. I never expect earth-shattering revelations, just people talking about subjects I'm interested in. Sometimes I'll agree, sometimes not, but I usually gain some bit of information. I'll tell you the guy I can't stand is X4CTO. It's disgusting and disrespectful the way he talks about his wife.
 
Mo2 said:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4DNRn-sK-c

[video=youtube;T4DNRn-sK-c]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T4DNRn-sK-c[/video]

im not saying they suck, but they are not perfect either. ive handled a few sebenza's but thats about it. i have the same opinion as nick does. i respect them for the tolerances and the quality.
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This, or any of the other Cold Steel "tests" mean absolutely nothing IMO. Just a silly way to make their knives look bulletproof with tests they know the triad lock excels at. These "tests" are especially worthless with a framelock. The joy of a framelock is how the users grip makes the lockbar much less likely to slip out.
 
As for the review, it is always interesting to hear varying opinions even if I completely disagree.
The one thing I do disagree with is calling the Sebenza the Rolex of the knife world. It is, in many ways, the gold standard of high end production knives. The Sebenza is a no nonsense cutting tool that is executed perfectly. It is very simple yet very elegant at the same time. Although I sometimes carry other knives, the Sebenza 21 will always be the most "perfect" knife for me and my uses.
 
Nikkogi said:
This, or any of the other Cold Steel "tests" mean absolutely nothing IMO. Just a silly way to make their knives look bulletproof with tests they know the triad lock excels at. These "tests" are especially worthless with a framelock. The joy of a framelock is how the users grip makes the lockbar much less likely to slip out.
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Well there is no point pointing this out to the Cold Steel crowd, but the spine wack test is complete bunk. He's torqued the screw to hold it to his rig with 30lbs of torque into the lanyard pin hole. That will distort the lock bar in a way that simply grabbing the whole knife will not. Frame locks, while not infallible, are not designed to have the lock bar shifted out of alignment by squeezing it at the lanyard pin, while not applying any pressure to the bar itself, as you would holding the knife.

I have never had a Sebenza release on me without warning, and have used my knives reasonably hard at work, with lots of off-axis pressure on the handle. The CRK lock system works "as designed", which Chris Reeve assumed meant you were holding it in your hand, not bolting the lanyard hole to your bowflex.

Anyways......these tests are weak science, but what would you expect from Cold Steel? They should really stick to their watermelon tests.
 
kidcongo said:
He's torqued the screw to hold it to his rig with 30lbs of torque into the lanyard pin hole. That will distort the lock bar in a way that simply grabbing the whole knife will not. Frame locks, while not infallible, are not designed to have the lock bar shifted out of alignment by squeezing it at the lanyard pin, while not applying any pressure to the bar itself, as you would holding the knife.
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Great observation, I did not consider this.
 
This comming from a CRK lover and owner.
I still wonder why the sebenza failed the weight hanging test only at 45 LBS. I mean Cold steel could have tinkered with the knife.
But some other framelocks he has tested performed significantly better.

I agree with the comment above saying that torqueing ruined the framelocks alignment. But im more focused on the weight hanging test.
Also with the weight hanging test he used a brand new knife ( according to him)
 
Weight or spine whack tests don't mean much to me because they don't include a vital element in real world use, the users hand holding the frame lock in place. When used properly, a frame lock should not fail.
 
nederlandms said:
This comming from a CRK lover and owner.
I still wonder why the sebenza failed the weight hanging test only at 45 LBS. I mean Cold steel could have tinkered with the knife.
But some other framelocks he has tested performed significantly better.

I agree with the comment above saying that torqueing ruined the framelocks alignment. But im more focused on the weight hanging test.
Also with the weight hanging test he used a brand new knife ( according to him)
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The knife had been tampered with, so all bets are really off. I wouldn't spend too much time worrying about the results of these tests. Independent testing by a non-knifemaker, with a knife that hasn't been mucked with, absolutely interested.
 
I've done a considerable amount of research regarding the Sebenza 21 this past week. Included in my due diligence were two or three of Mr. Nick Shabazz's reviews of this knife. I ordered my first CRK Small Sebenza 21 w/ an inlay as soon I got through watching his reviews. Granted, I had also watched many, many other YouTube review videos as well.

Everyone has the right to their opinion. Furthermore, everyone has the right to voice it. That's the beauty of living in this great country. I sure do hope I have a lot of fun with my new knife when I finally shows up.

Thanks you, Mr. Nick Shabazz, for helping me understand what I'm getting into and what I can expect, for better or worse, and playing a role in my decision to actually throw down my cash for one.

-Mike
 
For me..

1 - I simply cannot and will not watch or put any faith in a knife review from someone who doesn't sharpen, maintain or actually use their knives. Honeymoon phase knee jerk reviewers are just comedy to me, and sorry but Nick is one of those type for me. Massive lack of knowledge regarding knife use, philosophy of use and build/structural design.

2 - Who cares about the Cold Steel test, the Sebenza was not intended to stab through car doors, it's a strong, well engineered precise daily use tool for cutting. We all know the Triad-Lock is the strongest lock, i'm a huge Cold Steel fan but also a huge CRK fan, i carry both on me at all times.
 
I dislike video reviews personally and don't put much stock in them. Takes 8 to 30 minutes to fumble around with something that should take 2 minutes tops to explain the features and show the knife.

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I watched this review (too long in my opinion) and I was fairly impressed with his overall comments.

He is fair, unbiased and generally very knowledgable. I rarely watch knife reviews and no offence to Nick, I won't watch any more of his. But if I was a newbie who had little or no Sebbie experience I would have found this review helpful.

I agree with many of the flaws he found with the knife, flaws which have been discussed here many times. However I disagree with him about the price of the knife. But that is his opinion.

For those Sebbie fans who found his review to harsh you should take a look at his review of another classic design, the Strider SNG https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zXbgmvUV3RM
I think it puts his opinion of the Sebbie into perspective.
 
Reviews can be very helpful for me regardless of someone's opinion because I'm listening for information about the knife, not the guys opinion of the knife.
 
unwisefool said:
I dislike video reviews personally and don't put much stock in them. Takes 8 to 30 minutes to fumble around with something that should take 2 minutes tops to explain the features and show the knife.

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The type of content that Nick makes aren't really consumer purchasing advice and not about regurgitating whatever marketing info. It's a little bit review but it's more about entertainment and personality.

The absolute worst videos are when the guy just reads out the specs and explains the features of the knife in 2 minutes. A company probably spent months/years into making that knife and that's all you have to say about it?
 
mongomondo said:
The type of content that Nick makes aren't really consumer purchasing advice and not about regurgitating whatever marketing info. It's a little bit review but it's more about entertainment and personality.

The absolute worst videos are when the guy just reads out the specs and explains the features of the knife in 2 minutes. A company probably spent months/years into making that knife and that's all you have to say about it?
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Well that's the beauty of having choices. You like listening to people in videos and I could not care less most of the time. It's why they make chocolate and vanilla ice cream. And mint chocolate chip.

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As a prospective customer for any product or service with which I do not have firsthand experience, I always rely on reviews to guide me toward making the best choice. Whether it's an expert or a novice consumer, hearing input from someone who's touched it, held it, used it is always helpful. This applies to home appliances, cars, knives and anything else out there.

We can sit here and say 'I don't care what reviews say' because we already own and love CRKs, but most people don't. I'm willing to bet that the vast majority of people in the market for a $400 pocket knife aren't going to pick one randomly. Just like people don't go to Amazon and buy a $30 blender randomly. At the very leasft, they see how many stars it has. They want to know they're spending money wisely.

Reviews - specifically video reviews - help people see the product, understand its features, and set their expectations before a purchase. Before I bought my first Sebenza, I watched every video I could find about it. Apostle P's review was especially influential. To hear a grown man gush about a knife makes you believe it's pretty special. And it is.

I don't always agree with any reviewer. Thousands of people can rave about a product, but I may hate it. People might say something is pure garbage, but I'll I love it. Regardless, it's helpful to hear both sides when making an expensive purchase.

Personally, I didn't watch Nick's first two Sebenza reviews, but I find his Large 21 review pretty informative as far as reviews go. It's almost entirely positive (as a Sebenza review should be in my opinion), but it objectively points out a few things people might not like. It's not overly critical or overly fanboyish. I think prospective buyers will find it helpful, which is all anyone can ask of a reviewer.
 
One of my big things I always look for in a review is what bad things a person has to say about a product regardless what it is. It's all about taking things in context. For example if I'm looking to buy a firm matress and a lot of the negative reviews say "mattress too firm" I know I can discount those reviews. Same goes for knife reviews. I look at the reviewer's negative points and ask myself, "does that apply to me and how I plan to use/maintain my knife" if it does, great, if it doesn't big deal. I'll watch Shabazz and nutnfancy and a few others and try to take away highlights from all of them understanding they each have their own quirks and personal tastes that are different then mine. Doesn't mean their reviews can't be helpful, regardless of what they say "in closing" about a knife.
 
Nick's one of very few reviewers that shares the bad and ugly in his opinion and how he uses knives. It's his perspective and he doesn't claim he is a professional and know everything.

Other reviewers just share basics and not many cons. He also doesn't review his own knives ... Cause when people on YT review there own knives, you get biased ​reviews mostly.

Some people can't get past the voice but it's fine by me.
 
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