Sebenza 21,25 or Umnumzaan ?

TheFactor

TheFactor

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Need some help trying to decide between the above .
I'm leaning towards the Large and have felt all in my hand and they all feel great although opening was a little challenging for me but the 21 was much easier to open and was wondering if it was just the one I looked at or if that's characteristics for the 21 vs 25? If so then I like the 21 a little more but I do like some of the new features on the 25 . Anyway I've always wanted one and could never afford to get one and now I can but its a big investment and I'm having a hard time deciding and now to make things more difficult I've put the Umnumaan in the mix lol . I like the looks but haven't handled that one yet .
I have a modest collection of Spydercos and Bemchmades and recently picked my first ZT 562 . So I'm not a total newbee but have much to learn even though I've always loved knifes really started only getting into them seriously the last 7 years or so . A Chris Reeve knife would really be a nice addition to my collection and one I've wanted for many years .
Any guidance and advice would be much appreciated .
Thanks in advance :)
 
You have wrongly assumed that if you get the "right" Reeve knife you will be satisfied. The truth is once you get one of the 3 you mentioned you will shortly thereafter begin to think about how much you need the other 2 to round out your collection. Personally I would start with the basic Small Sebenza 21 , but then you will need a small Sebenza with an inlay , the one with a unique design, then one with a DAMASCUS steel blade ... And then maybe it's time to try a large Sebenza .... Hi my name is Pawmudduck and I'm a recovering knife collector. At the moment I'm not doing a very good job!

Now on a serious note. I personally find I prefer the Small Sebenza because when I pull it out at the office to open a package etc people don't jump back like they do because of the blade length of the large one.
 
Thanks for the insight lol and I hope your wrong but I know what you mean and have been there .
But yeah I like the small also and it actually was very easy for me to open . I did like it but I'm leaning towards the large for my "first one " lol . I do like the Inlay so might start with of of those not sure , I did just stumble on the 25 thread with some not liking the stop pin but I'll have to go through the thread a little more thoroughly .
 
I've had a couple of 21's that took some break in time, of the four 25's I have, they've been about the same. With the 25, you can adjust the pivot tension to get it to deploy easier. Most of the 21's I have really didn't require any break in time. They were smooth out of the box. I've have taken a couple apart and cleaned everything and re greased to get them smooth.
I would suspect it was just the one you handled. It could have been sitting there for a while and is stiff. Either one is a good choice.
I would recommend getting a used Sebenza first, may save some money, get one that's broken in. Of course there's downsides to everything.
You can post in the Want To Buy forum, or you can upgrade your membership and buy one from the For Sale Forum, if you don't like it, resell it or trade it. Just throwing that out there.
 
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The 25 is a superb knife and probably the better choice all said and done. I would be tempted by the Umnumzaan if there was an older/original knife on offer though. The 21 is regarded by many as "the" Sebenza although I have never been a particuler fan of that knife, I'm much more in favour of the Regular as "the" Sebenza. :)
 
Haze said:
...I would be tempted by the Umnumzaan if there was an older/original knife on offer though....
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Just to be clear, are you saying get an older Zaan knife from a price point of view? Or do you mean one with the old pivot style?

Thanks
 
I would say get a Large 21 first. If you get a small you will likely find yourself wanting more blade, as a lot of people do. Then you'll end up buying a large anyway. Why the 21 you say? Mainly because it encompasses everything that is CRK. It has the large thinly ground hollow grind, the precision machined pivot bushing, and that classic Sebenza shape. I'm not saying the 25 doesn't looks like a Sebenza, but the 21 just has that look. The Umnumzaan would be a close second depending on if you want a more tactical knife or more EDC oriented.

I bought my Large 21 over a year ago, and there's nothing I would change about it. When I get my next CRK, it will most definitely be an Umnumzaan. Nothing against the 25, it just doesn't really have that "Wow" that the 21 and the Zaan do to me.
 
I have owned all three sold the 25. I love the plain large 21 and I think for a first crk that would be the best choice. My 21 was a lot smoother than my 25. Also if the 21 is just a little to plain looking I would recommend the Umnumzaan. I love that knife as well to me it just looks the best out of all of them. I have the older pivot no lockbar stabilizer startac with a southard backspacer and it is sweet looking.
 
I'm saying that from the point of view that, IMO, the older/original knives are superior to the newer ones with all the additions. One would expect the price of a new Vs "like new" older knife to be much the same. :)

Vaporstang said:
Just to be clear, are you saying get an older Zaan knife from a price point of view? Or do you mean one with the old pivot style?

Thanks
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The 21 has a very solid lock, great detent, and excellent deeper hollow ground blade grind. It's smoother opening thanks to the pivot bushing design. You can get one with serrations, which Chris Reeve does very well with the teeth cut alternately from either side of the blade.

The 25 has a thicker blade with a shallower hollow grind, beefier pivot, and the incredible ceramic ball lock interface that both makes the lock "thunk!" open more solidly and makes the closed detent crazy strong (because of the size of the detent ball). The '25 makes the '21 feel frail in comparison, even though the '21 is in no way a weak feeling knife by itself.

The Umnumzaan is a lot like the 25, but with a harpoon blade and a wider handle and thumb studs for stop pins.

Micarta changes everything, if you like more handle to hold onto, or just like micarta you should try one. I wanted a US made micarta handled folder for years and absolutely love my micarta inlaid 21 and 25. I like the handle and blade shape and jimping of the 21, and the blade thickness and shallower grind and ceramic ball interface of the model 25.
 
A knife shop I hadn't been to in years is a CRK dealer. I went there yesterday, since I own a 25 and have never handled a 21 or Umnumzaan. I found that my 25 is as or smoother then the 21's I handled there. There is a thread, I think here on BF's that compares the pivot in all three and the difference between the old and new Umnumzaan's. He felt that that 25 had the best design compared to the new Umnumzaan's.

My take is the 25 is the evolution of both. But the 21 is classic Sebenza, the Umnumzaan is also a fantastic design.

Just get all three. :D
 
My first CRK was a Mnandi followed by a small Plane Jane Sebenza 21, sold all my other knives and got hooked on CRKs, now I am broke. I've tried very hard to stay away from the exchange but just can't. I think I need some kind of intervention.
 
They are all "Good" and personal preference in regard to feel will come into play. I own several of each Regular, Classic, & Umnumzaan Reeves as well as Hinderers & had a couple Sebenza 25. For my hand size the Umnumzaan has become my daily carry for the last couple years even with trying the others on rotation. Some are better slicers, stabbers, easier to manipulate but that is to your feel & practice in hand & carry to determine. Also on "smoothness " all can be worked to have an oil on glass feel even if they are not that way on the shelf from my personal experience. Anthony
 
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I have a 25, a 25CF, small 21CF and a small regular. The regular I bought years ago, the others more recently, I love them all. All are very smooth and great to use. I think any one you choose you will enjoy
 
Thanks everyone for your input , I'm still on the fence but going to go and check them out this weekend again so I can take another look and maybe make a decision hopefully !
 
I don't have a 21 yet, but I think it will be my next CRK. I own the 25 and Umnumzaan, and both are tough to open--and yes, that's even after breaking them in and following the opening directions. Both are great knives but for a daily user/carry knife, I prefer something I can open quickly without a sore thumb.
 
Jezza said:
I don't have a 21 yet, but I think it will be my next CRK. I own the 25 and Umnumzaan, and both are tough to open--and yes, that's even after breaking them in and following the opening directions. Both are great knives but for a daily user/carry knife, I prefer something I can open quickly without a sore thumb.
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I ran across the same problem when I was checking them out . I couldn't get the 25 open for the life of me with a thumb flick except for the small 21 and large 21 was much easier for me . But then this guy walked up I was talking to and he flicked it open multiple times with no issue and left me there scratching my head lol . I think and heard the angle has a lot to do with it and for the 21/25 it's more of Pushing the thumb stud more up towards the blade instead of out like you think it should go . I can flick many of of my knifes with index finger, middle finger , thumb and so on with no issue . But wow these these CRKs can be tuff if you don't know what your doing and I think even if you do lol . Maybe that's one of the reasons I want one so bad for the challenge 😎
 
It is a very personal choice, depending on your needs and preferences. Of the three you listed I would place the 25 solidly on top for EDC.
 
Well the verdict is in just got home from my favorite Knifestore "Knifes ship free "
👍
 
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