Problems with the sebenza?

I own a Sebenza and love it. It opens like a dream and is my most reliable blade. I had some questions about the knife when I got it and Chris's crew helped me out over the phone and by email in record time; they are a professional group of people who are proud of what they do. Very satisfied customer!
 
Gentlemen, this thread will be more valuable a resource for new owners if we can keep to the topic and not discuss each other. A couple of you could ease up on the vulgarity also.
 
kawr said:
LOL. Post links to these supposed comments...or you are just a troll. Biggest pile of crap I've ever heard.
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Why are you so defensive about the Sebenzas? You seem bent out of shape because this fellow wants to make sure that his $450 is well spent. Why don't you just assure the guy instead of railing against him?

I don't know enough about Sebenzas to comment, but you have a knife that's as expensive as some really good .357 magnum revolvers, and I don't blame him hor asking some initial questions. (I can't afford the things, but I have bought some decent pocket knives with the S30V miracle steel, and I'm convinced that there's more than just a little hype in what it can do. It is what it is, but my Cold Steel AUS8 blades are nothing to look down on, and they sharpen easily. My S30V blades are clearly better at holding an edge, but not amazingly so. And they aren't nearly as easy to sharpen to a blisteringly sharp edge as the AUS8/VG-1 CS steels.)

The Sebenza steels aren't the only selling points, naturally, and people buy the knives for their exacting tolerances and craftsmanship. Getting one that's not perfect at the prices they command would, to me, be inexcusable.

Some people buy them, carry them and carry a second knife to do their dirty work. (And if I had a Sebenza, I'd probably fall into that category.) Others just have the money.

But I don't blame anyone for having concerns before buying one of these knives. Such people certainly shouldn't be called "trolls."
 
Errr.... like I said.. I am sure that there are some sebenza's out there that are flawed.. I don't care how much care someone puts into something, every once and a while a flaw will slip through... but on average you hear less people complain about the fit and finish on a sebenza then any other knife. So..... you are almost guaranteed to get an excellent knife from Mr. Reeve's... and if not then send it in and you will definitely have your excellent knife.

I have run the gammut.. Hinderer's, striders, sebenza's, and everything in between, and sebenza's stay at the top of my list. Fit and finish on everyone of mine has been perfect, and they slice like nobody's business. Not that the others are bad in any way, but the sebenzas embody what a true knife is... a cutting machine.. and a tough one at that, which usually comes perfectly centered and easy to open. That's about all I can say on this subject.
 
To the OP....

I have a few CRK's. I have had no problems at all with any of them. Some were bought NIB and some used.

The F&F on all of mine have been about as close to perfect as it could be. IOW, no complaints whatsoever.

I am sure a "bad one" gets out every now and then... although I have never personally seen one. But IMO, your chances of getting a "bad one" are slim. Very, very, very slim.

They are excellent knives, well worth the money; as far as I am concerned. :thumbup:

I am quite sure if you decide to get one..... you will be pleased. :)
 
One of the advantages of buying second-hand is that the knife has been screened. Someone owned it, carried it, broke it in, got any flaws taken care of. And since it is a Sebenza, if there are cosmetic issues, you can have CRK refurbish it. All for less money than new.

If you decide it's not the knife for you, sell it to the next owner. He will pay you the same second-hand price you paid for it. Buy new and sell and you get hit with the depreciation.
 
edcrefiner said:
Looks like some people are WAY too proud of their Sebenza's. Face it some of them have flaws they are not perfect products.

Anyway, the one my buddy has very difficult to open. However, when it does open it is smooth as glass.
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Yeah, mine too. Took a lot to break it in, but now it's fine.

I'm also on the side of those who spoke out about the OP being a troll. Let's not be so quick to judge someone, particularly if they are new to this game. I think he was asking a legit question. People phrase things differently than other people might. Let's cut the guy a break, whydontwe? He just joined the forum and this is how we treat him?

To the OP, I apologize for this. Hope this doesn't turn you off to the forums. Enjoy, and welcome aboard :)
 
I hope to get a sebenza shortly and despite the petty nonsensical comments this is a very educational thread. I think it's unrealistic to think any knifemaker to make flawless knives. I understand there is an "expectation" with quality when spending certain sums of money but it's also my understanding that knives operate better after use. Ive had other knives including numerous emersons and striders that cost what to me is a lot of money and i never got upset about them having issues with them being hard to open not knowing that was something common. Then again different strokes for different folk.

To the OP don't let a single bad instance set the standard for something that has an overwhelming positive track record. Just saying....
 
In my experience, the problem with Sebenzas has absolutely nothing to with the Sebenza itself, but rather the fanbase. It's the fact that it's so over hyped (and often viciously defended) by owners, that folks reading about them build up a mental image that they're the holy grail of knives. Then, when they decide to save up and drop the coin on one for themselves, they're a bit underwhelmed when they take it out of the box for the first time. It's a pocket knife. Nothing more, nothing less. The fit and finish are excellent, but so are the fit and finish on many of my less expensive knives. My latest Benchmade, a Kulgera is beautiful, and absolutely smooth as glass, not to mention super fast to open and razor sharp. Is it better than a Sebenza? Better at what? They both cut extremely well. They're both nice to look at, nice to hold, take up very little space in my pocket, are both very high quality, non-threatening around sheeple, etc. They're both quality pocket knives, but at different price points. With proper care and maintenance, they'll both last many many years and likely be passed along to my children when they get older if I'm not still using them. Hell, I still EDC my BM 943 that I've owned since it came out. It's still just as nice as the day I got it, but now with a few 'character' marks on it. All I'm saying is, a Sebenza is a great knife, but it's still just a knife. If the fanboys would quit building it up to be something it's not, and stop feeling like they have to attack anybody that questions one, things would be a lot better around here. JMHO.
 
You nailed it Medic1210! ;) I bought a new Sebenza, appreciated the craftsmanship and thought "what was I thinking?" as I packed it up and sold it the very next day.

I'm happy as can be with my Benchmades & Spyercos. Axis locks in my 710 & 940 are a joy to use. They are, after all, as you said pocket knives. :thumbup:
 
I haven't read the whole thread but when spending 400 on a knife you should expect quality assurance. That's the point when spending 400 for a semi production knife. Sure they have their mistakes and I'm sure they would make it right. But it seems as though they should have more extensive quality before they ship a knife. Nothing is perfect but that's what quality is for. To test a few out of a batch of knives so that they know they are correct. It's a tolerance issue I assume and with very tight tolerances they maybe should have more quality technicians to verify the quality of the product. I understand the work in process and I do that with all my knives. But tight tolerance is a very demanding issue for a correctly functioning knife.
 
Medic1210 said:
In my experience, the problem with Sebenzas has absolutely nothing to with the Sebenza itself, but rather the fanbase. It's the fact that it's so over hyped (and often viciously defended) by owners, that folks reading about them build up a mental image that they're the holy grail of knives. Then, when they decide to save up and drop the coin on one for themselves, they're a bit underwhelmed when they take it out of the box for the first time. It's a pocket knife. Nothing more, nothing less. The fit and finish are excellent, but so are the fit and finish on many of my less expensive knives. My latest Benchmade, a Kulgera is beautiful, and absolutely smooth as glass, not to mention super fast to open and razor sharp. Is it better than a Sebenza? Better at what? They both cut extremely well. They're both nice to look at, nice to hold, take up very little space in my pocket, are both very high quality, non-threatening around sheeple, etc. They're both quality pocket knives, but at different price points. With proper care and maintenance, they'll both last many many years and likely be passed along to my children when they get older if I'm not still using them. Hell, I still EDC my BM 943 that I've owned since it came out. It's still just as nice as the day I got it, but now with a few 'character' marks on it. All I'm saying is, a Sebenza is a great knife, but it's still just a knife. If the fanboys would quit building it up to be something it's not, and stop feeling like they have to attack anybody that questions one, things would be a lot better around here. JMHO.
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I did the same thing with a Hinderer.... they are extremely hard to find, prices are so jacked up because of demand, they are the best of the best.. and I just so happen to have on land in my lap one day.

I opened up the knife and was like "errrr.... what is all the crazy hype about?" it is a mighty fine knife, but nothing special to me. I didn't like the looks of it at all, and I like the SMF much more as a super tough knife. I traded off the XM-18 for the SMF and couldn't have been happier. I think sometimes crazy hype will ruin a knife with some people because they are expecting a magic cacophony to explode from the knife when opened, and nothing happens... overhyping some knives ruins them.
 
Incahiker said:
I did the same thing with a Hinderer.... they are extremely hard to find, prices are so jacked up because of demand, they are the best of the best.. and I just so happen to have on land in my lap one day.

I opened up the knife and was like "errrr.... what is all the crazy hype about?" it is a mighty fine knife, but nothing special to me. I didn't like the looks of it at all, and I like the SMF much more as a super tough knife. I traded off the XM-18 for the SMF and couldn't have been happier.
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Shame on you!! :eek: Please if you're a man of faith go to confession for saying a Strider is bigger, badder, tougher, prettier than an XM-18! :D

Happy Hinderer lover here. Just kidding - to each his own. I will defend your right to choose a sub-par knife in exchange with my last breath. :)
 
Ive owned many, new and used. when you buy new they will be a little stiff and need to be worked in. I would say buy a used one in good condition, the knife will come broken in. the main thing about a sebenza is the simplicity of the knife and the pivot like so many knives does not have to be adjusted. the blade will be centered every time.
 
The only problem I have with Sebenzas is that they are highly addicting, I begin to coordinate my daily outfit with the knife in my pocket (crazy I know). For me it's always been about customer service, a company can claim that they are the best for whatever reason, but if their customer service is crap that reflects on the brand. As many have stated before, Chris Reeves customer service is stellar and that in itself is worth the price point IMO.
 
Medic1210 said:
.......It's the fact that it's so over hyped (and often viciously defended) by owners, that folks reading about them build up a mental image that they're the holy grail of knives. Then, when they decide to save up and drop the coin on one for themselves, they're a bit underwhelmed when they take it out of the box for the first time.....
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Well said. I was also underwhelmed when I took it out of the box. After a while I started to enjoy it. A CRK has a certain meaning to me that I cant explain. It carries a lot of pride for me.

It is only a knife and it cuts just as well as this one...

PA220012.jpg




On buyers remorse. Here is a great post! that I like to put with a graph I made that I saw someplace.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showpost.php?p=8679649&postcount=74


You wont see much improvement performance wise between a R1750 knife and a R5000 knife when doing cutting tasks. The difference in steel can increase the price, fit and finish, materials used for handles.

The best way I can show this is by using this graph.

Pricevsperformance.jpg


Between a R300 knife and a R1500 knife there is a big difference between fit and finish, design, performance while cutting, steel etc. But as the price goes up the performance tend to plain out and you start paying for aesthetics, materials such as ivory and engraving etc.

In all fairness a slipjoint will cut just as well as my Sebenza that costs twice as much, but the Sebenza in its appeal and what it means to me is what makes it worth twice as much. I know we should not put so much value on material things but aaah well. It is my luxury item. I dont see the need to own R6000 cellphone, a R13000 computer, my friends do, I dont. Its difference in taste.

At the end I still like my signature on the matter on price.

All companies have lemons sometime or the other, one can easily do a search on the matter.

As to problems with a Sebenza....If there are any, CRK will sort it out. Lemons happen with every company. From A to Z. How they sort it out is important IMO
 
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Big Picture
I own 2 Sebenzas. The first one was bought new and was a little stiff but smooth. After a short time it was less stiff and very smooth. The second one was puchased used. It was already very smooth. The Sebenza is not a
gravity knife but is very smooth and consistent.
 
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