Sabenza. Is it worth it?

[A.P.F.]

No folder is worth that kind of money in my book.

I agree. I can get too many fine folders under $250 to even consider four bills. But then, that is just me.

 

[kungfucowboy]

Every one needs to remember quality and price is not on a linear scale. In general a quality $25-$30 (like a byrd, kabar doizier, benchmade redclass) knife is going to blow away $10 knife. A $70-$100 knife is going to be noticeably better than the $30 knife but you wouldn't say it is a giant difference.

For example compare a caly 3, a tenacious, and a $10 m-tech or other $10 folding knife of similar blade shape. The tenacious at 3x the price will usually be far better (even more than 3x better) than the generic knife by a huge amount. The cally 3 at,3x the price, will not be 3x better than the tenacious but it will still be an improvement (2x,1.5x as good). Then compare a caly 3 to a sebenza at 3x the price, you should can not expect it to be 3x or even 2x better than the caly, but it seems people do. I'm sure it's better in quality but it is unreasonable to expect it to be 2x or 3x better than a $100 knife.

Therefore i say a sebenza is not worth it to me since it is past the point of diminishing returns that is worth wile to me and not attractive enough ascetically to me.

You may need the extra quality.
You may appreciate the extra workmanship as a thing of beauty that is worth the extra cost.
You may find it to be beautiful enough to be worth the extra cost.

I don't agree but i understand the feeling since i feel the same way about the case bose dogleg i'm saving for

 

[tradja]

Alright Ive decided to get one for myself. Where can I get it at a slightly lower price? Any online vendors out there?

I've only seen used Sebbies below MSRP. I've never seen a new one for below MSRP.

If you're just test driving it, I'd recommend getting a used one. Otherwise, you might incur a loss of around $30-$60 on a large or small plain if you resell it.

 

[mrpinkbullets]

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?

That's a good point, but as nutnfancy puts it, the "POU" or philosophy of use differs for everyone. Am I going to carry a $400 knife? Well, I wear $200 shoes, $300 sunglasses, and a $3000 watch. No knife can ever be considered a "bargain" at that price (let's be reasonable) but I do carry my Small Seb (or my Emerson Mini 7 or Al Mar Falcon, depending on what I'm wearing) and I'm not afraid to put it to use. I always try to take care of it- I'm careful when cutting and I keep it cleaned and oiled. For $400, it's a lot of overkill for a knife that mostly opens letters and boxes and occasionally does some other light-duty jobs. I'm pretty sure my $25 Kershaw Skyline (a fantastic EDC, by the way) could do the job just as well.

If that's the case, then why get a Sebenza? Part of it might be the cachet of having what is generally considered the finest and most desirable folding knife ever made. For me, it's more about appreciating something for the way it's made and designed. That's why I pay what I do for the things I have- each item is special, excellent, and perfect in its own way. You can get a Seb for the feel of it as you hold it in your hand, or the smoothness of the action, or the sweet-sounding click as the blade locks open. And of course, you can always get it because if you have to, you can use it for some seriously abusive work, and it will instantly earn back all $400 you paid for it in that moment because it will do a better job than many other knives at any price.

I always suggest that people save up their money and buy the best they can find, rather than settling for something less. I'm also aware that I'm spoiled. Here's what I'll say to the OP: if you have the money for it, get the Seb. You won't be disappointed. If it's a purchase for which you'll have to strain yourself financially, then it's not worth it. Keep it on your wish list, put away a little money every week into your Seb fund, but no knife, however awesome, is worth a serious hit to your finances. No matter what, do not buy some interim placeholder knife unless you need it for some practical reason, or unless it's something you wanted anyway. Am I talking about the Bradley Alias? Who said Bradley Alias? There are few things I dislike more than people buying cheap replacements for something they should have saved up to get.

 

[J85909266]

I've said it many times, but I'll say it again: Yes, they are worth the money, and yes, the difference is apparent, especially if you truly carry and use one for a while. The little things really add up, so long as your personal standards are high enough to notice.

Here's mine:

Been carrying it for about two years now. It is probably my favorite material possession. I buy other knives still, but none of them last more than a week before my Sebenza hops back into my pocket.

 

[udtjim]

Working building construction for may years, I learned a lot about buying and using tools including knives. I never bought real cheap tools, especially drill bits and saw blades. However I usually didn't buy the most spendy stuff either. I have always found that the best value of cost to quality lies somewhere in the middle. I am also prone to loosing things so that enters in as well.