- Joined
- Jan 7, 2016
- Messages
- 217
In the beginning, forty-four CRKs bore River of Fire blades and Syringa inlays. They were ten large Sebenzas, seventeen small Sebenzas, and seventeen Mnandis. And it was good.
It came to pass that CRK obsessives later learned of two additional River of Fire blades made in the Mnandi size along with the canonical seventeen. Collectors put the two into handles with inlays of California buckeye and mammoth bark. Eventually they joined the collection of The Mnandi King, Falco57. And it was good.
It came to pass that I learned of one additional River of Fire blade made in the small Sebenza size along with the canonical seventeen. It joined my collection, and so began my search for a handle. (Given that CRK did not join this blade to a handle, a Frankenbenza was inevitable.) I wanted a handle in which the two inlays were of markedly different colors, to emphasize the impression in the blade of two different materials mixing.
It came to pass that at Blade Show 2017, CRK sold a special, limited series of knives with inlays of Pale Moon Ebony. They were sixteen large Sebenzas, nineteen small Sebenzas, and nineteen Mnandis. And it was good.
And finally it came to pass this year that a new-in-box Pale Moon Ebony small Sebenza joined my collection, with inlays of markedly different colors. Man, was it good!
I thought it was a nice coincidence that there are now eighteen small Sebenzas with River of Fire blades, and eighteen Pale Moon Ebony small Sebenzas with plain blades.
I must also point out that the manufacturing quality and tolerances at CRK are so good that this blade from 2010 and handle from 2017 fit together perfectly, hand in glove. It operates, locks, and unlocks just as if it left the factory this way.
Here it is with the rest of my River of Fire collection:
Now where can I find a River of Fire Mnandi??
It came to pass that CRK obsessives later learned of two additional River of Fire blades made in the Mnandi size along with the canonical seventeen. Collectors put the two into handles with inlays of California buckeye and mammoth bark. Eventually they joined the collection of The Mnandi King, Falco57. And it was good.
It came to pass that I learned of one additional River of Fire blade made in the small Sebenza size along with the canonical seventeen. It joined my collection, and so began my search for a handle. (Given that CRK did not join this blade to a handle, a Frankenbenza was inevitable.) I wanted a handle in which the two inlays were of markedly different colors, to emphasize the impression in the blade of two different materials mixing.
It came to pass that at Blade Show 2017, CRK sold a special, limited series of knives with inlays of Pale Moon Ebony. They were sixteen large Sebenzas, nineteen small Sebenzas, and nineteen Mnandis. And it was good.
And finally it came to pass this year that a new-in-box Pale Moon Ebony small Sebenza joined my collection, with inlays of markedly different colors. Man, was it good!
I thought it was a nice coincidence that there are now eighteen small Sebenzas with River of Fire blades, and eighteen Pale Moon Ebony small Sebenzas with plain blades.
I must also point out that the manufacturing quality and tolerances at CRK are so good that this blade from 2010 and handle from 2017 fit together perfectly, hand in glove. It operates, locks, and unlocks just as if it left the factory this way.
Here it is with the rest of my River of Fire collection:
Now where can I find a River of Fire Mnandi??
