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Korean Hog

Korean Hog

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I bought a CRK Small Sebenza 21 not long ago to give CRK a try and fell in love. I typically carry at least 3 knives. small serrated hawkbill, small utility folder, large utility folder. I knew the small sebenza and spyderco ladybug hawk were perfect for me, but I've still been trying out a few different larger folders.

Since the small CRK was perfect I figured I'd try a large one. I had my heart set on a large sebenza, but when I went to my local knife shop and held both large sebenza and inkosi the inkosi felt much better in my hand. Opening and closing was butter smooth, improved ergonomics of the handle really were an improvement IMO. I liked that the pocket clip doesn't rest on the lock anymore, the ceramic ball on the lock face and the updated flatter hollow grind all sounded and looked great. This thing really does open super smooth yet it's not loose at all. If you take your thumb or finger off when opening or closing the blade stops. I've had lots of assisted opening flippers and they're still fun, but when I'm working and around other people I like the controlled and smooth operation of a CRK, and I can still operate the knife one handed when holding strapping with the other hand or up on a ladder.

If any of y'all are wondering about a CRK being worth it...IMO they absolutely are and the longer you carry one the more you'll like it, they wear gracefully and as time goes on, design subtleties come out you didn't notice before other than the knife feeling great.
 
Excellent unbiased assessment. I looked at your post areas and saw you've only posted in the CRK forum once. That doesn't exactly make you a fanboy.

What was it that made you decide to try a CRK in the first place?
 
I've been around the horn with many good (or great) folders. Dollar-value ranged into the mid-$700.
Always, I find myself coming back to a large CRK.., the older, more "traditional" models...Sebbie Regular and Classic, and Zaan.
I don't touch my mint Regular, but several Classics and Zaan have been long-term EDC with me.
Recently, I picked up a Wilson "Starbenza" collaboration and find that the striations on the titanium grips allow a stickier hold than the plain slabs. I've tried many other Sebbie combo's with exotic wood inlays, carbon fiber, etc., but never found one that was comfy for carry...other than plain ti slabs. The Starbenza is with me now, and it is excellent. I've tried my "apple-slicing" test comparison with many other folders and fixed blades, but the ~1/8" hollow-ground Sebbie easily wins these contests, is superb and stays with me.
Obviously, manufacturing quality counts, but don't forget the old mantra..."Geometry trumps steel." M390, S90V, CPM-3V are worthless (IMO) if you can't slice an apple.
 
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Sonnydaze said:
I've been around the horn with many good (or great) folders. Dollar-value ranged into the mid-$700.
Always, I find myself coming back to a large CRK.., the older, more "traditional" models...Sebbie Regular and Classic, and Zaan.
I don't touch my mint Regular, but several Classics and Zaan have been long-term EDC with me.
Recently, I picked up a Wilson "Starbenza" collaboration and find that the striations on the titanium grips allow a stickier hold than the plain slabs. I've tried many other Sebbie combo's with exotic wood inlays, carbon fiber, etc., but never found one that was comfy for carry...other than plain ti slabs. The Starbenza is with me now, and it is excellent. I've tried my "apple-slicing" test comparison with many other folders and fixed blades, but the ~1/8" hollow-ground Sebbie easily wins these contests, is superb and stays with me.
Obviously, manufacturing quality counts, but don't forget the old mantra..."Geometry trumps steel." M390, S90V, CPM-3V are worthless (IMO) if you can't slice an apple.
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I agree that CRK make fine knives. But won t any hollow ground wide bladed knife slice an apple about as well as another?
 
Certainly, it will...in theory...all other parameters being equal.
But note that I also said this..."Obviously, manufacturing quality counts," and in my opinion, I have not found any other production folder that can equal CRK. You can find support for this by Chris Reeve's many-times winning-awards, by his peers, at BLADE...
 
Ajack60 said:
Excellent unbiased assessment. I looked at your post areas and saw you've only posted in the CRK forum once. That doesn't exactly make you a fanboy.

What was it that made you decide to try a CRK in the first place?
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I like the simple and refined look, really dig s35vn, heard good things about CRK, but the most honest answer would be is that I'm a knife nut and it was a company/ design I hadn't experienced yet. I figured I'd give it a whirl and if I didn't like it I wouldn't get another but the first one really blew me away. I only have 2 now, but they're really great and I think I'm just gonna use these for a while and see how they age. I like em enough that I don't really have my eyes set on any more blades at the moment. I would be looking at an insingo blade shape but my ZT 0770CF is damn near the same blade shape and a little carbon fiber and assisted opening keeps things interesting.
 
IMG_2431.JPG IMG_2631.JPG Couldn't agree more! I was also very pleasantly surprised!
Got my first 2 CRKs bout a month ago and count me totally blown away!
I love them!! Smooth as butter, great in hand excellent slicers!
And both of mine are fun flickers!!
The tanto 21 is amazing!
Joe
 
I agree the Inkosi is my perfect modern folder. I had all the variations of the 21 but none of them fit my hand as well as the inkosi. I have sold most of all my other modern folders because I found the Inkosi and a slip joint was what I carried the most.
 
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I'm carrying my small Inkosi right now. I like it much more than my small Insingo. I also prefer the large Insingo over the small Insingo. For a small knife, I find the Inkosi far more ergonomic than the small Seb/Insingo.

Interestingly enough, though the small Inkosi's blade is shorter than my Delica 4 FFG, it actually has a longer cutting surface/edge, mostly to do with the belly on the Inkosi blade.

I've been slowly saving up for a large Inkosi.

Jim
 
Yeah Seb 25/Inko are annoyingly reliable, low profile and tremendously efficient (once sharpened properly), and they do like to be molested to get scars and character. I wish I never had one :D
 
I started with Bms, then spydies, a few ZTs and every time I got one I already had the next one I wanted in mind, until I got a Sebenza. Haven't shopped for another knife since, and I think that speaks volumes. It also ruined my edc rotation because it's now the only one that gets pocket time. And when there's nothing to cut I'm probably maintaining or sharpening it because the pivot bushing, single size hardware, and Insingo shape makes all of that enjoyable.
 
Have you handled an Ink with micarta inlays? A very different feel, superior to full Ti in my opinion...
 
I love CRK; in fact the Umnumzaan is the only knife in my ever changing collection that has survived every single collection purge I've done over the years. There is a distinct "something" about them and I absolutely love the tolerances, simplicity of the takedown, never changing centering, and those big ol' thrust washers. To me it's the perfect collectors' working knife. Easy to maintain, easy to clean, easy to sharpen and above all... a stylishness that is just difficult for many to replicate. I don't even flick mine open with the thumb, there's something so joyous by simply slow pushing the velvety soft action from closed to open.

Deserving of every single award.
 
Thanks Cray!!
I am not either, but this one really caught my eye and I had to get it in hand. The edge grind CRK did is beautiful.
After using it for the last month.....I'm sold!
Joe

craytab said:
I'm not a tanto guy but that looks amazing!
Click to expand...
 
CRK's knives are definitely something to experience first hand. When I first joined the forum I read so much unanimous praise for them it almost put me off of them for a while. I finally decided to get a Mnandi and was very impressed. Then I got a Sebenza 25 a couple months ago and my first reaction was "meh. This is it?"
It was well made and all, but it didn't give me a sense of satisfaction, at first.
After using the 25 almost every day since, I can't imagine ever parting with this knife. I sharpened it with a V edge, adjusted the pivot tension just the way I like, and broke it in with use. It's become as reliable a worker knife as my ZT 562 in day to day tasks.
 
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