School me please

C

CaseyD35

Joined
Aug 5, 2018
Messages
10
So about 12 years ago i worked with a guy who got me into knives. I never went off the deep end just budget knives to be honest. But he definitely was the one who sparked my interest. He used to talk about this "grey turd" that was super expensive but was considered the best folder ever made. He was referring to the Sebenza. So all of these years later i find this site and im like hell yea a bunch of knife guys perfect. So ive found the perfect place to ask this question and hopefully get a more educated answer than "it just is":D:D

What makes the Sebenza so good? To an average person it looks extremely simple/boring but to a knife person its like the holy grail.

Im not asking to start argument im just really curious what sets this knife apart.

Thanks guys, looking forward to responses.
 
I almost feel like you need to buy one or find to one to handle/use to understand. I know that is not a great answer but that is all I have.
 
Mines just smoother than other knives I have in that price range. Only CRK I have right now is a large Sebenza 21 and it’s just smooth, recently back from a spa trip!
 
Well, other makers have caught up to the Sebenza whereas before, o one came close. So the gap has been closed. HOWEVER, there is just something about CRK knives. I have had knives in the thousands and I always come back to the sebenza or the Inkosi. The knife is smooth and well built. I LOVE the simplistic ergonomics and while the large Sebenza is a large knife, it fits so compactly into the pants pocket while clipped.While refined in its mechanics and simplicity....its such a great utilitarian knife that can be used to it limits because the CRK warranty and team over there are fantastic. If there ever was a reason to make a warranty claim, they stand behind their product and return your knife looking like a brand new knife. No worries about getting it covered in blood, grease, dirt or any other type of goop because taking apart eh sebenza is encouraged and was designed that way. That is when you start to develop and appreciation and relationship with this dependable tool.
 
Well I guess the real true answer really is “it just is”. What a great compliment to Chris Reeves Knives. Maybe one of these days I’ll just have to pick one up. Thanks for all the answers guys.
 
CaseyD35 said:
So about 12 years ago i worked with a guy who got me into knives. I never went off the deep end just budget knives to be honest. But he definitely was the one who sparked my interest. He used to talk about this "grey turd" that was super expensive but was considered the best folder ever made. He was referring to the Sebenza. So all of these years later i find this site and im like hell yea a bunch of knife guys perfect. So ive found the perfect place to ask this question and hopefully get a more educated answer than "it just is":D:D

What makes the Sebenza so good? To an average person it looks extremely simple/boring but to a knife person its like the holy grail.

Im not asking to start argument im just really curious what sets this knife apart.

Thanks guys, looking forward to responses.
Click to expand...

To put it simply when a manufacturer produces knives each one is a little bit different due to minor variances in production.

When Chris Reeve designed the Sebenza he didn’t just design the knife. He also designed the machines that would produce the knife. Because of this he was able to make each Sebenza extremely repeatable and perfect each time. I have heard it said that the tolerances on a Sebenza are only as thick as cigar smoke!

The design is simple and works because it is a great knife. There are many other designers that would kill to come up with such a simple beautiful design. The quality is simply on a level rarely seen in production knives.

I honestly think if you hand a Sebenza to a person who wasn’t into knives they wouldn’t be able to tell what makes the knife special.
 
CaseyD35 said:
Well I guess the real true answer really is “it just is”. What a great compliment to Chris Reeves Knives. Maybe one of these days I’ll just have to pick one up. Thanks for all the answers guys.
Click to expand...

You certainly answered your own question as well as anyone could.

The Sebenza is a design that achieved a lot with a little. It’s appeal, in some ways, lies in its contradictions.

Just intricate enough to be interesting, and just simple enough to be timeless.

Just beautiful enough to give you pride of ownership, and just plain enough that you are not afraid to use it.

Just pricey enough to be “exclusive”, but affordable enough that if you really want one it’s likely within reach.

A graceful, gorgeous blade, that is at the same time a bear......tough enough for a lifetime of use.

Great knives!!

Right now I’m carrying a PJ Damascus 21 as my daily, and when I wake up in the morning, I don’t even consider grabbing another blade. After maybe 5 years of mostly carrying a 21, while at the same time buying all the other CRK options, and knives from other makers, I still find I am most satisfied with a 21 for its usefullness and ease of carry. My only concession to being a knife geek is I carry a Damascus version because I get a real kick outta putting that beautiful looking blade to real world use (which furthers the contradictory appeal of the 21 for me).

That’s my ramble on the subject.
 
It is a knife for someone who appreciates elegant engineering design. It's form and it's function are perfectly executed.

It is one of those knives that you can admire over time and see the simple design details are each, individually suited for some specific purpose. Then, the whole is greater than the sum of the parts, and the knife will amaze you all over again.
 
At least for me, when I hold and use a CRK, it feels like a solid slab of material. It almost feels like a fixed blade. I never feel like there is a pivot or other moving parts involved. It's feels solid.

With other typical production and mid tech knives from other companies and no matter how well they seem to be built, I always seem to be aware and feel like the blade, pivot and scales are all separate parts that are mechanically put together. They might be built like tanks with perfect fit and finish but I'm always aware they are fitted together.

Not sure that makes sense to everyone?
 
I've swapped blades in Sebenzas that are as much as 10-12 years apart that worklike they were made that way... Try that with any other brand... repeatable quality tolerances!
 
Quality, integrity, pride of ownership.
The design gives you a great cutting tool, nothing to add nothing to leave away.
No need for an update each year - it is 100%.
 
Lapedog said:
I honestly think if you hand a Sebenza to a person who wasn’t into knives they wouldn’t be able to tell what makes the knife special.
Click to expand...

I’ve witnessed the opposite in actual life. The steel is lost on them but they notice something about the knife when they see or hold it. Who knows what that says about my company.
 
loon#r said:
I’ve witnessed the opposite in actual life. The steel is lost on them but they notice something about the knife when they see or hold it. Who knows what that says about my company.
Click to expand...

Most my friends who have seen one can’t tell what makes it special from a 10 dollar metal handled knife.
 
kidcongo said:
You certainly answered your own question as well as anyone could.

The Sebenza is a design that achieved a lot with a little. It’s appeal, in some ways, lies in its contradictions.

Just intricate enough to be interesting, and just simple enough to be timeless.

Just beautiful enough to give you pride of ownership, and just plain enough that you are not afraid to use it.

Just pricey enough to be “exclusive”, but affordable enough that if you really want one it’s likely within reach.

A graceful, gorgeous blade, that is at the same time a bear......tough enough for a lifetime of use.

Great knives!!

Right now I’m carrying a PJ Damascus 21 as my daily, and when I wake up in the morning, I don’t even consider grabbing another blade. After maybe 5 years of mostly carrying a 21, while at the same time buying all the other CRK options, and knives from other makers, I still find I am most satisfied with a 21 for its usefullness and ease of carry. My only concession to being a knife geek is I carry a Damascus version because I get a real kick outta putting that beautiful looking blade to real world use (which furthers the contradictory appeal of the 21 for me).

That’s my ramble on the subject.
Click to expand...
Very well said, Mr. Congo. I can add nothing else, except today I switched from my Hinderer Half Track (shorts carry) back to my (jeans carry) PJ 21.
 
Sebenza versus a generic $10 folder? I once new a guy who told me a Mercedes Benz isn’t any better than a Ford. I’ve owned both. Yes it is.
 
I would not accept "it just is" or you need to buy one to know and would not have purchased one of that's all i heard. What pushed me over the edge and what I will continue to recommend people do is check out YouTube and watch these two videos. You'll know what makes them special and either want one or not.
 
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