Sage and Sebenza

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flash900

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With apologies to those for whom this topic has been done to death: Does anyone here like the Sage better than the Sebenza?

I like a wider blade so I'm a fan of both Sage I and II. That said, I wonder what I'm missing re the Sebbie.

Just how well does the Sage Ti compare for those with both?
 
I wish my Sebenza had a round hole :o

ETA: The Sage II is a well built knife at it's pricepoint, but even Sal will tell you, the Sebenza is a work of art.
 
I have never owned a sebenza but I have owned a sage 2 and its a really solid knife. Excellent fit and finish and imo the best ergonomics of any folder Ive ever held. But I dont like Ti framelocks because I feel like you have to baby them so I sold it. If you are set on getting either one just go with the sage 2 and save 200 dollars. I would never pay more than 200 for a folder but then again I have never owned a sebenza or anything of that sort.
 
Sage series is my favorite knife design from Spyderco and the Sage 2 Ti is my favorite variant!

Here's is a video comparing the two.
[youtube]aHzK0_CMcY[/youtube]

Of the two the Sebenza is indeed the "higher" end knife in reguards to tolerances and fit and finish, but the Sage 2 is close to unbeatable in it's price range in my opinion.
 
I keep hearing so much good about the sage, I'm going to need to get one or two.

I do own a Sebenza, and it's an excellent product. I don't carry it as much as other knives, but that's not to do with the quality. I just don't want to risk losing it.
 
I'd suggest handling both and deciding which is best for you.

I find the Sage has better ergos for my hand. The Sage blade is probably a better fit to what I want in geometry and heat treat. YMMV.

The Sebenza has superior manufacturing tolerances which results in a stunning mechanical action if you notice and value that sort of thing.

I'd recommend the Sage2 and the large Sebenza for a pair.
 
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IMO the Sebenza is a much better knife. But it costs a lot more also. If I had to chose one or the other it would be the Sebenza hands down. But since we don't have to make that decision we can have both!

To be honest I carry a Sebenza everyday and it is my favorite folder.
 
I carried a Sebenza for seven years. (Large Regular....it was actually one of the limited edition flat ground blades that Chris Reeve made.) The Sebenza was a wonderful knife, as close to perfect when it came to fit and finish as any knife I am likely to ever own. The Sage 2 replaced it and is my current EDC knife, and I sold my Sebenza. let me tell you why.

First I have never liked thumbstuds for opening. not that they don't work it is that they just sometimes get in the way when deep cutting certain materials in certain ways. Such as deep cuts of cardboard when you are holding the knife at certain angles. I don't know where Spyderco got the idea for the hole but it is pure genius.

Chris Reeve Knives are a good value if absolutely precise tolerances are important to you. It cost extra money to put in the time and effort to build a more precise and finished knife. But honestly, the fact of the matter is the fine tolerances found in a Sebenza are not necessary to make a pocketknife that will easily outlive you. It's about what is important to you. I wanted a titanium frame lock pocketknife that had a premium steel blade, was comfortable to hold use and sharpen, and would last as long as I wanted to keep it, possibly until I die. Both the Sebenza and the Sage 2 fit that bill. (as well as others I imagine)

When I bought my Sebenza I had few choices in a titanium frame lock, there are many these days. I saved up the money and got a Sebenza. It was my primary EDC knife for seven years. (I actually bought a small decorated one for nicer occassions also. I gave the small Sebenza to my son)I saw the Sage 2 prototype at the Blade show in Atlanta (I forget which year) and knew that I would get one. To me it feels better in the hand and more importantly no thumbstud. Is there a difference? Actually in day to day use there really is no difference. I need to cut something, I grab the knife out of my pocket, open it, cut what needs to be cut, close the knife and back to the pocket. It's the same drill I have been using since I started carrying a pocketknife...about thirty years ago.

It all comes down to what you want and value. I don't mind paying for quality but nobody actually needs a Rolls Royce to get back and forth to work. If you want one and can afford it, have at it. I on the other hand drive a Toyota.

Grizz
 
Where's the beating a dead horse emoticon? :D The Sage 2 is a truly excellent knife. It is not a Sebenza, but it doesn't cost what a Sebenza does. There are some posts by Sal himself on the comparison, here and at SF.
 
Yeah,it has been asked and answered before. But since I never mind sharing my arrogant opinions, here goes.

I own and carry both a Sage 2 and a small micarta 21. The Sebenza is everything that is good about a well made, hand fitted, small folder. The materials and workmanship are outstanding and that is true from one Sebbie to another (I've had about 15 by now of all sizes and styles).

I've had two Sage 2s. I sold the first one, immediately regretted it, and latched onto another one. The thing I noticed about the two Sages that I personally held and used is that they were exact clones of each other. They both locked up in exactly the same place and the lockup never moved during the months that I had them. They were both fantastically sharp with very even bevels. They both had very smooth opening/closing action.

My opinion (and that's all it is) about the two knives is this. I'm really glad to own my Sebbies. I use the micarta 21 quite a bit and I have two dog paw Sebbies with all my dogs' ID disks on the lanyards that will go into my coffin with me (as a reminder of my dogs, not just because I like the knives). My wife's EDC for several years has been a small dog paw Sebbie and it's still going strong even with no return visit to the "spa" for a tune up. The micarta 21 is a bit more comfortable for pocket carry and EDC cutting tasks. It really feels good in my hand as long as I'm doing short and light cutting tasks.

The Sage 2 is my choice for heavier duty or longer term cutting with one of these two blades. I've found the wider Spyderco blade and the continuous curve to be very useful around the house, garden, and woods where I live. And I already knew that I liked Spyderco's curved edge shape for warehouse work. Spyderco's edges are the easiest for me to maintain of any brands that I've ever owned. They last a long time and they come right back with a Sharpmaker faster than any blade I've tried to sharpen. The materials and workmanship in my Sage 2s have been equal to any of the Sebenzas that I've had and I have a preference for Spyderco's edge bevels and their factory sharpening standards that I've stated many times before.

For me and me alone, The Spyderco is superior in function to the small Sebenza and is it's equal in materials and workmanship, making it a better dollar value to me. I do not think that the Sage 2 is a "Sebenza-killer" as was suggested early on in it's development and production. For a knife knut, a Sebenza is in a class by itself.

But then... so's Spyderco :).
 
I'd say, if you want a Sage 2 because it's like a Sebenza, get a Sebenza. If you want a Sage 2 because it's a titanium framelocking Spyderco, get the Sage 2.
 
I appear to be the odd one out. I shy away from Spydercos because of the wide blade for a pocket folder. They are great knives for the price point but just not to my taste.

Yes, the Sebenza is a Rolls Royce of folders but I'm of an age that I don't misplace knives and I can afford to own the satisfaction of something like the Sebenza.

Does anyone need a Sebenza? No, of course not but there is no other production knife I know of that never needs adjustment for pivot tightness and is held to such close tolerances.
 
misterjuiceman said:
I'd say, if you want a Sage 2 because it's like a Sebenza, get a Sebenza. If you want a Sage 2 because it's a titanium framelocking Spyderco, get the Sage 2.
Click to expand...

+1 :thumbup::thumbup: What he said.


I own a Sage I and love it. My one gripe (and this would be true of the Sage II as well) is that huge cutaway in the handle so you can access the spydie hole. It feels like there is something missing in the handle. I want to eventually own the entire Sage series, I love the concept.

I looked at and drooled over the SageII ever since I saw the first pictures of it a year + ago. It's been available for some time now, but I could never get myself to pull the trigger. When my Wife asked me what I wanted for Christmas, I showed here the SageII and almost as a afterthought I showed here the Sebenza (been drooling over that one for about 15 years :D) and said "...but that one's real expensive." She told me to just get it. :thumbup::thumbup: It was at that moment that I realized why I had never pulled the trigger on a Sage II. It was because it was as close as I was ever going to get to a Sebenza without having to pay $330. Long story short, I got the Sebenza for Christmas.

Absolutely thrilled I made the right choice. The Sebenza is 'all that' and truely lives up to its reputation (which is amazing in itself). The Sage II would have been very nice and indeed the fit and finish on my Sage I is great, but it would not have been the Sebenza I always wanted.

Thus, if you are looking at the SageII as an affordable Sebenza, get the Sebenza (you WILL NOT regret spending the money). If you are looking at it as a great Ti framelock from Spiderco then go for the Sage II.

ThumperACC
 
misterjuiceman said:
I'd say, if you want a Sage 2 because it's like a Sebenza, get a Sebenza. If you want a Sage 2 because it's a titanium framelocking Spyderco, get the Sage 2.
Click to expand...

Truth:thumbup:

Ive had both sages, and 3 sebenzas...while i love the sages and spyderco, i prefer my sebenza.
 
The best way to answer this question/comparison, is to buy a Sebenza and compare it yourself...
 
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