Sebenza 21, 25, or Umnumzan?

BMCGear

BMCGear

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For those who have carried all of these; what are the pros and cons of each knife? I am looking to purchase one of the above three and I'm not sure what to go with.

I've owned a 21 and I really enjoyed that knife. Ended up moving it and have regretted it. The 25 and Umnumzan both have the ceramic ball which could be considered an improvement, I think?

The 25 looks great but I'm not sure how my hand will fit the grooves in the handle.

The Umnum just looks lethal. Not as clean of lines but a beastly looking knife.
 
I was able to get a left hand 25 this week after many months of patient waiting. I recomennd it highly. It's the latest And greatest. It's not as tactical looking as the umnumzaan. The handles are nicely camfored. The only thing I would like better is to have one in micarta.
 
I have all 3. The umnumzaan isn't even carried and the 21 is used the most. The 25 is great just I usuall have a fixed blade also so don't need the extra beefyness it offers. But it's a great knife for sure. I rate them 21, 25, then the zaan. Jmo
 
I'm going to say Umnumzaan, I've never been a huge fan of the 21 as I've been so used to the Regulars. The 25 is nice but would still be a second choice to the Umnumzaan. The Umnumzaan and 25 are pretty close knives but there are some small differences that have the Umnumzaan out ontop, for me anyway. :)

You know you can't go wrong with any of them at the end of the day. I'm going to contradict myself here and say you should probably go for the 21 as that is the knife you miss. If you do feel like expanding the 25 and Umnumzaan will be there for a while yet. :thumbup:
 
I've had a 25 plain, Umnumzaan, a large 21 micarta ingingo.
Just my thoughts:

The 25 felt good in my hands.
Umnum was cool. A little aggressive on my jeans.
I like the micarta 21 the best; it fits my hands well.

I'd say it's all personal preference. I don't think you can go wrong; only personal preference.
 
One of each should suffice. The Umnumzaan for work, the 25 for bragging rights and the 21 for Sunday occasions. Yep, that is what you need.
 
I enjoy owning and using both the Umnum and the 25, but if I'm being honest with myself, an inlayed 21 would be what I'd grab for if the house was on fire and I could only save one knife. I think if you are a fan, you'll end up trying all three at some point, and they all have merits.

I have found I like playing with the 21s more because of the nice 'double-click' sound on opening that is missing on the other two models. If you fondle your knives a lot that might be something to consider. Pivot bushing adds a level of interest as well, at least to me.

I find the Umnum a little aggressive looking for some public situations, so sometimes feel hesitant to use it. I would argue that the 25 actually looks the least threatening of the three, with its slightly chubbier blade profile, so that is something to consider as well if you don't get the crowd-friendly insingo (again).
 
this lack of a consensus should, other than not answer your question, point out that you can't make a bad decision.
 
I appreciate the info so far guys. Honestly, I think I'll be going with the 21 or 25. While the Umnumzan is really cool; I think it may look more aggressive than what I'm wanting.

What's the major difference with the 21 pivot system vs the standard pivot in the 25?
 
The 21 with the bushing is a case of tighten things down and you're done. The 25 pivot takes a little tuning to find that sweet spot. :)
 
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Having had all three once I'd have to say the 21. The umnum just did not feel good in my hands at all. The 25 being the most comfortable to hold had it's limitations in griping when actual use was needed. The 21 although not the best ergonomic folder out there, accommodates all types of grips. I mostly use it in a hammer grip fashion and works out well. Also the 21 is just super simple to clean and maintain. Hope it helps!
 
I appreciate the help guys, I'm going 21.

Here's why:

I've had one and I dug it.
The 25 jimping looks severe; I don't even need jimping that bad (not nutnfancy).
The pivot is probably the coolest thing about a CRK, to me.
Umnumzan is too aggressive.
I don't like the finger grooves on the 25.
The Insingo blade shape is my favorite.
 
Scott Dog said:
I was able to get a left hand 25 this week after many months of patient waiting. I recomennd it highly. It's the latest And greatest. It's not as tactical looking as the umnumzaan. The handles are nicely camfored. The only thing I would like better is to have one in micarta.
Click to expand...

Not to hijack the thread, but I'm patiently waiting for a lefty 25; how long did you have to keep your patience?
Thanks
 
To be honest I don't really notice them. I have both a plain and a micarta 25 and to me at least they are not an issue.

I'll tell you what though, they are robust and if I had to have ONLY one, it would be a 25.

There is one on the exchange right now at a price that you could buy it, check it out and if you did not like it, you could recover every penny and probably the shipping also.

Might want to quickly check it out...
 
Fmendez: I waited about 6-7 months. I called CRK in March I think and they said they would call me when it came in. They just made 9 of them, Im not sure if they're all spoken for.
 
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