Sabenza. Is it worth it?

Every Seb thread needs the book...

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Rat 1 said:
Well, the Sebenza is more of a collector's knife. To be frankly sincere, my $30.00 Tenacious can cut everything the Sebenza can. I would never spend $400.00 on a knife because if you think of it... Are you really going to be carrying a $400.00 knife?
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I carry my $550 Strider SmF everyday. ;)
 
@J.T.W. Jr.:

Haha! At least this sebbie advice thread made me laugh. I think sebenza advice threads are like the common cold of this forum. Once you finally get past one, out pops another.

@OP:

I've carried a few knives before. The sebenza slices, and it slices well, just like any sharpened piece of S30V hardened to 58-59 RC. But seriously, the small sebenza was the only high-end folding knife I've ever owned, so I've got no similar experiences to compare to. Pretty much the only other folding knives I've owned were cheap plastic-handled trinkets from China. Whether or not you end up liking it is completely up to your tastes, regardless of what we say. I personally liked mine, but have no problem seeing it from a purely pragmatic standpoint. The number of sebbie "fans" can (in this case) be taken as a testament to the quality that CRK produces in its products. Yes, this knife (among others) might be a bit of a sore point for some people of either opinion on these forums, but at least a few of them are only that way because some jerk on the other side of the argument probably made some uncalled-for comment to them in a past incarnation of this thread (hence the groans when you asked what you probably thought was an innocuous and simple question).

You can take the previously used analogy concerning high-end cars for perspective on this. A car's primary purpose is transportation. For some, the only thing that matters is that the vehicle takes its passengers safely and reliably from one place to another. Others with different tastes might want more horsepower, or heated cupholders, etc. Some on either side might not understand the other's perspective, but in the end, the only person's opinion that matters is the owner's. People buy the vehicles that they do out of some combination of need and want. Like you, when I first joined this forum, I was hoping only to get answers to what I thought were simple questions from people who had the same interests and probably more experience. Ultimately, experience is the only thing I can pass on, and the rest is up to you. My (albeit limited) personal experience indicates that CRK has great quality control, and I think has won awards to that respect. I feel that in general, that's the consensus opinion on this forum as well (though we didn't put it to a vote). My sebbie was the most solid folding knife I ever held (again, pretty much all I owned before were low-end, mass-produced Chinese knives with little or no quality control), and the lockup was solid. The frame is made out of titanium, which scratches very easily against keys, etc. but I didn't really care about the aesthetics so it didn't bother me. There is no bladeplay (and after 6 months... still no wobble). Is it worth the money? Well, reasonable people can actually answer both yes and no to this and neither would be wrong, because it's based on what they individually value in a knife. But for me, the answer was a happy yes. Would I be just as happy with a good quality knife that is a quarter of the price? Probably, but I won't get to find out with certainty for a long while (hey, money's much tighter around here now).

Welcome to the forums. When I first started, it was to answer some of my questions. Now I find myself thinking "it's not that simple" or "it depends" as my first answer whenever faced with a knife-related question. But in the end, I stayed (though mostly as a lurker) because of the community. Yes, there will be members who might make you mad, but if you think of them as that embarassing friend who yells at the theather, but who's still your friend because they're actually decent people, then you'll be all right. Also, here's your obligatory warning: If you want to keep your money, you're only allowed to visit one subforum, and that is the Knife Laws section. I would permit a visit to the Current Events and Whine and Cheese sections, but that might be a bit too risky. Do NOT look at others' knife pictures. They will make you think you "need" more knives... I mean precioussssss.
 
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My friend let me borrow his for a while to see if I wanted one, it was the large version. My impression? It was a very nice knife, beautiful F&F and totally not worth anywhere near the money. I went out and bought a strider smf after trying the sebenza, I felt nearly the same about it, minus the F&F being good. I hated it to be honest, so I sold that and bought a ZT 0200 and 0300 and have been a lot happier with them for the money. Its hard to get 500+ dollars worth of performance from a folding knife. Other opinions certainly differ from mine.
 
i think they are def worth it! have my third one in route now!!! :) only have one strider only have one hinderer but i like the sebenza enough to want more than one !!! i say go for it.
good luck
 
Rat 1 said:
Well, the Sebenza is more of a collector's knife. To be frankly sincere, my $30.00 Tenacious can cut everything the Sebenza can. I would never spend $400.00 on a knife because if you think of it... Are you really going to be carrying a $400.00 knife?
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An old vw bug will get you where you want to go , do you need anything more ? Oh you want air conditioning ( yeah , I know some ( few ) had it ) , and power steering , leather interior , power windows and disc brakes too ?

Remember just because you wouldn't carry a $400 knife , doesn't mean others won't. Seems that you have to get upwards of $600-$800 before most knives stop becoming every day users , they might be carried daily , just not used everyday , they might in fact carry a Seb to save their true customs from wear...

At the end of the day , its a tool , a high quality tool. I use the tools I buy ( and in case the poster is wondering , no , I don't own any Sebenza's anymore ).

You do realize there are many who carry two ( or more ) high dollar knives don't you ?
 
if you dont want to spend that much but still want a ti framelock, look into the bradley alias. also check out spydercos new m4 ti military. if you want smaller check out spydercos leafstorm. or zt 030x. or even some of the galyean pro series. granted all these knives are not going to be the same as a sebenza, but theyre no slackers either.
 
wally@ferguson said:
This is probably the 7,963rd thread on the Sebenza value. The other 7,962 threads all agreed it was worth the money.

When you get one you will know.
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dang old Buck 110 will do everything a Sabenza can do. Cost for the Buck varies, but Gander Mountain had them for $26.95. :D
 
Is a Sebenza objectively 8 times better than an Endura? Not in my opinion. They each cut just fine.

Is it subjectively better? If you think it is, then it is. I have a Sebenza that I got just to see what the deal was. And I understand why folks like 'em. They feel good and look good and so forth, and there is some kind of intangible pleasure from owning something nice.

But in terms of pure cutting? Most knives cut pretty much the same, especially those of the same blade steel and general profile.

So I don't think it can be objectively demonstrated that a Sebenza is worth the cost. It is only worth it if the buyer subjectively believes it is worth it.

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Well I just don't like folders so for me no not worth it. I don't even want to pay $100 for a folder. But that is just how I am, can't see the beauty or functionality of a folding knife. Yep, I have my blinders. Now that professional soldier looks like one hell of a necker!
 
powernoodle said:
Is a Sebenza objectively 8 times better than an Endura? Not in my opinion. They each cut just fine.

Is it subjectively better? If you think it is, then it is. I have a Sebenza that I got just to see what the deal was. And I understand why folks like 'em. They feel good and look good and so forth, and there is some kind of intangible pleasure from owning something nice.

But in terms of pure cutting? Most knives cut pretty much the same, especially those of the same blade steel and general profile.

So I don't think it can be objectively demonstrated that a Sebenza is worth the cost. It is only worth it if the buyer subjectively believes it is worth it.

I agree...very subjective matter. For me, the Sebenza is a very expensive factory knife. When you get to $400, I'd rather spend it on a gun.
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I paid $2000 for my Volvo that I have used just about every day for the last five years, including about a dozen 600-mile trips each year with not one break down or any other sort of trouble. Does that mean a Porsche isn't worth its cost? If you say yes, don't buy the Sebenza. If you answered no, pick one up.

Many cheaper knives cut better, but cheaper knives can't do everything a Seb can either, just like my Volvo can't accelerate and maintain the speed of a Porsche. That's the long and short of it, IMO.
 
As many have probably pointed out, it's something you need to experience firsthand if a Sebenza is for you. The knife itself is a fantastic piece of craftsmanship that is on par with most customs (my opinion, anyway) and I believe it's worth the $400 price for a high-end production knife.

And if you don't like it, you can always sell it on the secondary market and get most of your money back...
 
I think that to many people the Sebenza isn't worth the money - you can buy a nice knife with good fit and finish and good steel for much less. For some the price is just too much. For some the knife is too expensive to carry and use. I think that I am one of those, at the moment at least. $400 is just way out of my budget and is too much to spend on one knife. I would rather buy a nice S30V knife like a Spyderco Military or Paramilitary for about 1/3 the money.

But then for other people $400 isn't such a big deal and they like owning something very nice & high quality.

I can't see the Sebenza as being something that anyone needs, but if it is what someone wants and they are willing to pay $400 to own it then who am I to say that they shouldn't?
 
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