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Sage II - question, comparison

Z

zlorf

Joined
Apr 10, 2014
Messages
27
Hi guys
I'm new here and have belt carried a Rod Garcia SBT 5 days a week for close to 5 years now. I worked in horticulture and i'm moving over to an agricultural gig.

I'm looking to replace it with a folder. I want to buy once, and do it right the first time. Other than a Spyderco UKPK which I keep for vacations/travel, I haven't had any experience of folders.

So, I narrowed it down to a Sage II (cheaper yet adequately strong), or a Sebenza 25 (lifetime warranty).

My question is: A few months back I saw a Youtube video of a guy who had disassembled his Sage II to reveal something about the internal mechanism, and was saying "So, as you can see, this is why the Sage II is vastly superior to the Sebenzas in this regard". I can't remember what exactly it was he saying, nor can I find the video.

Does anyone out there know what he might have been referring to, and if you agree with it?

Many thanks in Advance
- Z
 
For me, Spyderco's Sage series of knives have better ergonomics than any of Chris Reeve's folders and the Sage II offers more "bang for the buck" than the Sebenzas but, aside from considering the Spyderhole superior to any thumb stud, I honestly can't think of any way the Sage II could be mechanically superior to the Sebenza.
 
Maybe he the guy on Youtube is not a big fan of CR's pivot style, and prefers the simple design of the Sage 2. Just a guess.
 
The Deacon said:
For me, Spyderco's Sage series of knives have better ergonomics than any of Chris Reeve's folders and the Sage II offers more "bang for the buck" than the Sebenzas but, aside from considering the Spyderhole superior to any thumb stud, I honestly can't think of any way the Sage II could be mechanically superior to the Sebenza.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the answer. I appreciate it. It's amazing how this forum sucks you in - just spent 2 hours on here. I'm now a little perturbed about spending so much money on a Sebenza after watching the jdavis rope cutting video and reading his comments. On some days I use my knife much harder, and for longer, than he does in the 10 minute video. I'm cutting a lot of poly rope, saplings, plastic ties, tape, bamboo and plastic canes, etc. on a daily basis.

I guess I'll have to look a little harder.
 
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Further reading on the Spyderco website forum says that jdavis's experience with his Sebenza's very poor performance (edge rolling like crazy) cutting rope was an isolated incident, and in fact, s35vn is fine for a real world task, hard-use blade? Can anyone confirm or deny this? It has started to make my head spin a little :eek:
 
zlorf said:
I want to buy once, and do it right the first time.

So, I narrowed it down to a Sage II (cheaper yet adequately strong), or a Sebenza 25 (lifetime warranty).
Click to expand...


You can't go wrong with Spyderco, any Spyderco. If you are using the knife for work, you would probably be better off with the less expensive knife. Losing a Sebenza in a field or barn would really hurt, you can buy about 3 Sages for the price of one Seb. Rather than the Sage 2, you could even buy the Sage 1 for a little less money. And there isn't much internal mechanism in any of them.

The Sage is a relatively small knife for a working knife, would you be better off with a Paramilitary 2, Manix 2 or even the big Military? Or are you in an area that restricts size?

Other options for good working knives- Paramilitary 2, Manix 2, Stretch, Endura.

Ooops I forgot- Gayle Bradley folder is another very good choice for a working knife.
 
I am using a Sage II these days as my EDC working knife. I think it is excellent for my purposes but from the work you describe I would not recommend it. I think you might be happier with an Endura with a 3.4" or Delica with a 2.9" serrated or combo edge blade. They are both near sized enough to the Sage II but with a more aggressive blade style in a VG-10 steel which you can read about on another active post in this forum. I really used my Endura hard as an EDC and have no reluctance to recommend it. The back lock does give a bit more resistance to opening than does the Reeve integral lock but that does not detract from its quality.

Can't speak at all to the merits of the Sebenza.
 
zlorf said:
Thanks for the answer. I appreciate it. It's amazing how this forum sucks you in - just spent 2 hours on here. I'm now a little perturbed about spending so much money on a Sebenza after watching the jdavis rope cutting video and reading his comments. On some days I use my knife much harder, and for longer, than he does in the 10 minute video. I'm cutting a lot of poly rope, saplings, plastic ties, tape, bamboo and plastic canes, etc. on a daily basis.

I guess I'll have to look a little harder.
Click to expand...

I'm going to go ahead and recommend you the Gayle Bradley. Can't be beat for the price and you sound like you would benefit from CPM M4.

IMG_6054_zpsa980aa1d.jpg
 
From what you describe, the best knife I could possibly recommend to you would be a serrated edge Salt. Either the pacific salt or salt 1. Tough as nails, no liners to trap dirt, simple design, impervious to rust and the serrated edge h1 will hold a working edge longer than just about any steel out there. And best of all, if you lose it, you're out $65. I have some very expensive full ti knives and I appreciate them, but it's my pacific salt that goes to work with me everyday...and I love it more than any of them!

That's the "best" knife for your needs. Period. Now, if you feel like you need something more fancy then I would agree with others who recommend the Gayle Bradley. It's an unbelievable knife for the money and built like a tank.
 
I'm a big Sebenza fan, but there's nothing to disagree with here. I'm actually not sure I'd go for a 25. To me, the most unique attribute of the Sebenza 21 and earlier models is the true pivot bushing, which the 25 has eliminated. The Sage 2 is a very nice knife that's very satisfying to use, and a great starting point for framelocks.

The Deacon said:
For me, Spyderco's Sage series of knives have better ergonomics than any of Chris Reeve's folders and the Sage II offers more "bang for the buck" than the Sebenzas but, aside from considering the Spyderhole superior to any thumb stud, I honestly can't think of any way the Sage II could be mechanically superior to the Sebenza.
Click to expand...
 
zlorf said:
Further reading on the Spyderco website forum says that jdavis's experience with his Sebenza's very poor performance (edge rolling like crazy) cutting rope was an isolated incident, and in fact, s35vn is fine for a real world task, hard-use blade? Can anyone confirm or deny this? It has started to make my head spin a little :eek:
Click to expand...


S35VN is a fine all around steel.

edit- Here's a pic with a small sebenza. The Sage 2 fits the hand much better IMO, but not as well as a large Sebenza.
The Sage 2 is a really great knife for the price. Haven't seen many people that didn't love it.




As others have said, for your needs a Gayle Bradley would be great for the work you describe.
 
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zlorf said:
A huge thanks to everyone's input so far. You're definitely not making this an easy decision!

What do you think about the new Manix 2 Lightweight in s110v? http://www.spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=878
Click to expand...
Lot of people like the Manix, but the finger separator in it's grip makes it feel weird in my hand. For me it's too big for one finger, but not big enough for two. Feel odd when my index finger is in it, and even more unnatural when I choke up to use the 50/50 choil.
 
I love the Manix2. I have several. It's a real solid knife with a great feel. I definitely recommend it as a back pocket carry as I find it a bit too much for a front pocket.
 
The warranty offered by CRK is fantastic and the reason I purchased a Seb 25, actually. I like titanium framelocks, it's my preference when choosing, so the Sebenza seemed like a natural fit for me. However, if you're a person who uses their knife daily or likes to play with their knife at all...the Sebenza isn't right for you. If you like to do light cutting tasks only, it would be fine, but I don't know that it would outperform most any Spyderco at real world tasks like cardboard cutting and such. If you just want to do really light cutting duty like opening a package once in a while and things like that, it would be fine, but it's far too big for that role IMO (no small Seb 25 last I checked). Most knives won't outperform the frequently recommended Spydercos, however, so it's not to say the Sebenza is a bad knife. It's a safe knife because of the spa treatments and re-sale value.

Many custom makers offer long warranties if you want to spend more than on the Sebenza, and for less, you have countless options, as well. Spyderco has the Techno, Sage II, and a few new knives coming out that are really exciting (the names escape me at the moment) which are comparable with the Sebenza in ways. The new Manix in FRN should be great, but it's completely different from the two knives you mentioned initially. Different lock, materials, and S110V requires more work to sharpen.

As for S35VN, it's a fine steel if properly heat treated. It's not my favorite steel in it's price-range, as I prefer CTS-XHP, AEB-L, 14C28N, and probably a few others that are equal or less money, but that's just me. I would probably go for S110V if cost isn't a factor.

And for that comment about JDavis being told not to post in a BF circle, that holds no weight. Many of the most knowledgeable users in the knife community have been banned from BF. Nobody wants to hurt the business of companies putting out poor products (not talking about CRK). JDavis is a more knowledgeable Cutlerylover (YouTube guys). Everyone seems to love him.
 
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