Nirvana vs Sebenza

F

Fatih

Joined
Aug 2, 2018
Messages
17
Hello!

My pocket knife Spyderco Nirvana. I was offered to trade with Sebenza Large. Which is more durable for long-term use?

Benefits

Nirvana; S90V, Honolithic handle
Sebenza; Easy sharpening, Spare parts availability (I think it's very important. Spyderco does it.)
 
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They both would last you decades as your only knife so I don't get your rationale.

I'd swap for the sebenza even though I like spydies better, easier steel to sharpen without having to whip outy dmt plates. Easier to pocket.
 
Value aside, one I “had” to carry. Seb 21 is an easy pick. S90v is great, but I’ll take servicabilty, Blade life, and blade replacement option of the Sebbie. Carrying one now.
 
Both knives and both companies are well-known for excellent customer service and high-quality products. Chris Reeve's workshop does offer a more involved "spa" process that will make a used sebenza look nearly brand new, which I don't think is a service Spyderco offers. That's a largely cosmetic service, however.

There is a notable difference in the blade steel between the two, and the Nirvana has a significant advantage in edge retention. It will stay sharp notably longer than the Sebenza before needing any sort of edge maintenance. That said, the Sebenza will be easier to maintain the edge on as S35VN / S30V are reasonably easy steels to hone and sharpen.

Both would realistically last you until your dying days if maintained properly. I would go with the knife that you like the most on a functional and aesthetic level.
 
Your suggestions were very valuable to me. Thank you very much for your interest.
 
When I bought my Sebenza the Nirvana was the other knife I was looking, what sold it for me was CRK's warranty/service and the fact that I could get the knife rebladed.
 
The blade replacement would be a huge bonus, but I remember someone telling me a CRK blade costs $150(I believe that's right, but someone more knowledgeable on Reeve's would know).. If that is true, though, it's roughly half the cost of a new one.

Benchmade's/ZT's $30 blade replacement is a huge draw to me(except ZT disco's so many that it really isn't much of a bonus). So keep that $150 in mind if you need a new blade.
 
McFeeli said:
The blade replacement would be a huge bonus, but I remember someone telling me a CRK blade costs $150(I believe that's right, but someone more knowledgeable on Reeve's would know).. If that is true, though, it's roughly half the cost of a new one.

Benchmade's/ZT's $30 blade replacement is a huge draw to me(except ZT disco's so many that it really isn't much of a bonus). So keep that $150 in mind if you need a new blade.
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Which option do you recommend as a result? Nirvana or Sebenza?
 
Salam and welcome. Honestly as said before, both will serve you well. Between the two I personally like the Nirvana better, it's bigger, it's an integral and the design speaks more to me overall. I wouldn't trade a Nirvana for a Sebenza unless it would be one with inlays that I really like, since a plain 21 looks....plain to me and I don't think I'd carry it much, in terms of support I feel like the CRK is a bit ahead, since the Nirvana is discontinued and if a problem arises Spyderco would more likely give you a voucher than fix the knife (depending on the issue of course) since I can't imagine it would be cost effective for them. Who knows how long the Sebenza keep going BUT it's a much simpler design and it would be much easier to repair.
:thumbsup:
 
Hi and welcome to Blade Forums!

Ok, I'm going to be a bit of a contrarian here. I say to keep the Nirvana. I would choose to carry a Sebenza every day of the week that ends with "y", but the Nirvana is a little bit of a special case. In my opinion the Sebenza is a better EDC knife in every way but the Nirvana has a certain something about it. I had a Nirvana that I chose not to keep because of some lockstick and a couple other fit and finish issues that were unacceptable for the price. I now kind of wish I'd kept it and am sort of on the lookout for a light user at a good price. I have a feeling the Nirvana is going to end up being a sought after Spyderco. They didn't make a heck of a lot of them, they were discontinued after only one season and I think as time goes by the warts that kept them from being a great knife will be forgotten. Nothing to the extent of the Slysz Bowie, but I think the day will come where we see LNIB Nirvanas selling for a significant mark up over MSRP.

My advice for you would to keep the Nirvana and stick it away in a safe place. Buy a decent $50 user and save up some money for an EDC Sebenza. The day may come where you regret trading that Nirvana, even though the Sebenza is a better knife.

YMMV, I speak from the standpoint of a collector who uses his knives. If you're a pure user, trade that Nirvana and get a better knife out of it.
 
You really can't go wrong, both are great knives. That said, I wouldn't trade a Nirvana if I had one.
 
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