proof of sebenza toughness

Sking · Jan 31, 2000

Hello,I'am new to the forum but have been reading it for some time.Anyway there have been some questions as to how tough a sebenza is.Here's a story you won't believe.One night while my wife and I went to a movie our babysitter could'nt work our can opener so she decided to use a knife.You guessed it,my sebenza.She opened a steel can of spagetti-o's for my kids.The only way I found out about it is that I was playing with it like the rest of you do and noticed some nicks in tha blade.When I asked my kids what happened they told me and showed me the can.When I confronted the sitter she broke down and admitted it{she's only 13}.Now,you may think I would be upset but I wasn't.On the contrary I was more afraid of what might have happened had her hand slipped off the handle.Also,she inavertently proved to me that the knife this kind of punishment and keep on going.I sent the knife back to CRK to have the nicks removed and had it back in two weeks.Just ask Anne I'm sure she will remember this.The sebenza is a lg.plain new handle design with ATS-34 blade.I also have a shadow IV both purchased Oct 96.I'm sorry this story was so long but I thought this testament should be told.Thanks for listening.

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JoHnYKwSt · Jan 31, 2000

Sking,

To tell you the truth I don't think that's very impressive. Most any knife can do that, especially if you rest the point on the can and slowly "hammer" it through. Try it, you'd be surprised.

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Johnny
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RGRAY · Jan 31, 2000

Good story Sking, I am glad it all worked out. I'm surprised the babysitter knew how to close it. Their service is the best.

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RICK - Left Handers Unite

Humpty · Feb 1, 2000

Very true Rick... Those locks confuse the crap out of the regular person!

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-Humpty

AKTI Member # A000984
Proverbs 23:2

Cliff Stamp · Feb 1, 2000

If opening a simple can of food damages the blade enough for you to want to return it to Reeve that is not a sign of toughness it indicates fragility especially if it was by a 13 year old girl as odds are her wrist/grip strength is not especially high.

For example I recently did that with a WM. The edge was blunted and suffered one small chip about 1mm in length and .3 mm in depth at maximum. The chip came because I was torquing the blade as I was cutting open the can. I could have opened it without chipping the blade, I was just experimenting trying to generate the maximum level of possible stress, simulating a rushed situation.

For reference, the grind on the WM is a full convex resulting in a thin edge. To sharpen the blade required 75 strokes on fine emery cloth and then 25 on 600 wet/dry sandpaper resulting in a push shaving edge.

-Cliff

Sking · Feb 1, 2000

I just read some of the replies and I appreciate your input.As for for some of you not being impressed,I forgot to mention that the knife was still hair popping sharp.The nicks were so minute I could have honed them out myself,but sent the knife back for evaluation anyway.And the it wasn't hammered through the can it was repeatedly stabbed and pried.I'm not saying this is the greatest knife ever.I'm just saying it's a good strong all around knife.Of all the lock knives I've owned this is the strongest.The list is BM CQC7,Emerson Raven,MOD Trident,Spyderco Delica,Buck 110 and various Case and Schrades.I'm not putting any of these down,not by a long shot.If I thought these were poor knives I never would have bought them.I still carry them,it's just the sebenza fits myall around needs.

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Sking · Feb 1, 2000

I just read some of the replies and I appreciate your input.As for for some of you not being impressed,I forgot to mention that the knife was still hair popping sharp.The nicks were so minute I could have honed them out myself,but sent the knife back for evaluation anyway.And the it wasn't hammered through the can it was repeatedly stabbed and pried.I'm not saying this is the greatest knife ever.I'm just saying it's a good strong all around knife.Of all the lock knives I've owned this is the strongest.The list is BM CQC7,Emerson Raven,MOD Trident,Spyderco Delica,Buck 110 and various Case and Schrades.I'm not putting any of these down,not by a long shot.If I thought these were poor knives I never would have bought them.I still carry them,it's just the sebenza fits myall around needs.

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Ralf · Feb 1, 2000

As for abuse: my wife used one of my folders to ... open oysters with it!!! Fortunately she used the cheapest box cutter lying around. A large Cold Steel voyager with a serrated tanto blade (hey, I got it for free). Surprisingly the only damage I found after she had opened two oysters was some minor nicks in the tip of the blade. Not bad for an AUS8 blade. Lucky she didn't use a 'Benza for it!

As for opening cans with a 'Benza I would say it is remarkable. The can itself is quite soft, but if just the tip of the blade is stuck in it and being twisted, even a 13-year old can apply quite an amount of torque. Sure, can openers are made of average steel, but their blade is several times thicker and gets applied in a controlled manner without twisting. As Cliff probalby knows best of us, lateral force can be deadly to a knife.

Nemo · Feb 2, 2000

Hello,

In my family we open Oysters with a knife at the speed of light.
Even when we go to the sea, any shell is good to be eaten.

I have used my little Sebenza to open a lot of Oysters last Christmas.
I will continue to use it as my main Oyster opener as I bought this little knife to be a Worker.
The blade shown no scraches thanks to the stone washed and the edge did'nt chip.

Here in France we use our pocket knives for so many things around the kitchen.

The best way to lose your edge is by removing the cap of a bottle screw. But we are still doing it again and again, creating our own serrated edges...
Also plates are big duller.

Back to oysters:
There is absolutly no traces on my Baby Sebenza of that chore when I have expecting some scratches.
The only scratches I got on the blade came from fumbles during sharpening with an Arkansas Stone, near the tip.

But really if you like to open Oysters quickly the Sebenza is a good tool.

I have also used a Benchmade M2 Cub and the BT2 was scratched deeply when the Sebenza was immaculated! ;-)

I have also noticed, when people borrow my knife there use it without any pity.
For french a "beautiful" "precious" knife got wood handles or horn handles.
The Sebenza look for them like a piece of machinery.

No pity for the Sebenza. It desserves none.

cheers,
JM