Sebenza advice needed

Go to the CRK forum. That's No. one. No. two, get a Sebenza. No. three, report back. good luck.
 
Hey 2knife howya doin? Are you familiar with the Economic rule/concept of Diminishing Returns? A long time ago I used to buy ten and fifteen dollar knives all the time. One day I spent thirty or fourty dollars on a gerber. Man that was the Bomb. Easily three or four times as good as the el cheapo's for roughly twice the money. It stayed sharper alot longer, less blade play, etc. Then after buying alot of gerbers, some Bucks, and a couple less expensive spydercos, I splurged and spent about a hundred dollars on a Benchmade. The quality took another step up but it wasn't nearly the same magnitude of improvement. (maybe twice as good but even that may be a little of an exageration.) After a couple more years (in 2002) I bought the much admired Large Sebenza... and didn't buy another knife till this past christmas. (Bought a small decorated Sebenza) Quality better... But not substantially so. Edgeholding better... but this may only be due to the newer BG-42 steel compared to ATS-34. Now If I got my Sebenza stolen I'd have a replacement on the way faster than you can say, "Charge it." But is it worth it? The shrink wrap, and cardboard that I cut daily, could just as easily be cut with a Spyderco Native. (My boy has one, Awesome value on that blade at Wal-mart) Would either of them perform any better than the other? It may be Heresy to admit it, but in all honesty, probably not. I use the Sebenza because I can. I like it. I can't Fathom it wearing out within the next 50 years. I hope my son will cherish and use it when he inherits it. It's a tool. A well made tool, but don't expect magical properties. (except it magically causes you to check your pocket several hundred times a day just to make sure it's there.. when you're in my income bracket you don't lose a four hundred dollar knife.) If you've held one, like the feel of it, appreciate the quality workmanship, and can afford it, then by all means get it. (Also be aware most people just cannot understand owning and using a four hundred dollar pocketknife) I hope this helps GDWTVB
 
I'm lucky enough to own three Sebenzas. IMHO it is the folding knife by which all other folding knives must judge themselves against.
 
howdy, i've always been and still am a BENCHMADE guy, however , i recently took the plunge on a small,regular seb.
is it really worth it, ABSOLUTELY.i'm used to the axis lock so the frame lock is still awkward. my ONLY regret is that i should have done it sooner.
lots of luck
 
GDWTVB has it right. As in all things in life, the law of diminishing returns applies to knives, too. But I suspect that eventually you will get to the point that I did, where you want to move up to the next level of quality. The Sebenza is that level. Only you can decide if it is worth the premium; obviously, I did. As a cutting tool, it doesn't cut any better than some other knives that I have that cost half or a third as much, but the overall build quality is definitely superior.
 
As someone who has a couple high-end production folders I would like to share something I wish I had learned earlier- for the same price there are actually quite a few very good custom folders you can get. This is nothing against the Sebenza, just that you may want to shop around a little before deciding.

Have fun! Sometimes I think I like the "hunt" more than the "kill" anyway!
 
I have now been carrying my 1st Sebenza for just over a month. I really like it. I would say I love it but that sounds a little creepy so I'll leave it at like. The only problem is that now I want another one. I need a lefty for my other hand!
If you can swing it, buy one. If it turns out not to be "THE KNIFE" for you, you can easily find someone to give it a new home and then you can continue your quest for the perfect pocket knife.
 
2knife, I'd say it's worth the money. It also sounds like you won't completely sleep till you get one. Go get one.
 
Hey, if you like the Sebbie, go for it. But only if you really like it.

I'm one of those who can't see paying that much for a knife, and even if I were weathy, if I got $450 ahead, I'd buy a good handgun and a box of ammo and a decent knife with an S30V blade.

A gun is a friend. A knife is a pet rock. But that's just me. Everyone's different.
 
You know when you have to buy friends something is wrong in your life. ;)

That said, my Small Classic Seb has been my faithful companion since I bought it and it hasn't failed me yet. (Truth be told, no knife has "failed" me.) It's small and light, cuts well, is tough and comfortable to use. It also looks good! I couldn't ask for much more in a knife. I love my Spydercos but there's something special about the Sebenza that makes it my constant companion, whereas the various Spydercos I enjoy are rotated in and out of EDC. Right now I'm carrying my own Sm. Seb and the Bladeforums passaround Large Regular Sebenza and life couldn't be better!
 
Lycosa and Flip have some good points, the CRK forum is loaded with reviews (both pro and con) and, if you don't like it, you will lose very little if you decide to sell it.

Since I purchased my first one, my other folders have sat idle.

To my uncertain knowledge, no one does a similar folder with the bushing on the blade pivot shaft. Never having to adjust blade tension is very nice.
 
Geez, you've been here since 2002, you've been thinking about this knife for 5 years, you have 500 and some posts, this is an awesome knife. You have to buy the Sebbie.
 
The sebenza is awesome. Plain and simple.
Personally I prefer the Strider SnG, but that is more asthetics and maybe ergonomics (but both are often a matter of opinion) than anything else. Anything by CRK is going to be tops in quality. If you like the style of it, buy one, even at $400 bucks, you won't regret it.

If you work in an office, consider the Mnandi.
 
I was in the same position and decided to get one when I got a little extra money. I've had mine about 3 months now and love it. I think I made a good investment.

Good Luck.
 
I paid about half the cost of a large Sebenza for a Bradley "Alias I", and it's all the knife I'll ever need. I'm just not the kind of person that going to put $350-$400 into a folder. The differences between the Bradley & Sebenza are so small as to be negligible, so I just can't see spending the extra $$$$, but that's me, (& my opinion)
 
2knife said:
For the past 5 yrs. or more I've been batting around the idea of buying one.. seems like it might be an ideal EDC, except for a bit high dollar, compared to something like Kershaw.

Need "user reports" and advice. Is it worth the cash? Other recommendations appreciated.
Thanks,
David
Click to expand...

I've been a knife user for 55 years, but only a serious "acquirer" for the last 2 or 3 years. I also waited a while before I got my first Sebbie in a trade. Don't have that one anymore but I do have 2 new ones, a large classic and a small regular.

The large goes to woods with me, the small goes everywhere with me. I liked it so much that I gave my wife a small classic for Christmas. She carries hers everywhere, also. The other EDCs are now semi-retired.

BTW, I work in a warehouse (zip ties, wire insulation, cardboard, paper), spend all my non-work time with my dogs (paper bags, hair mats, clam packs, unmentionable stuff), and we spend a lot of our free time in parks and woods, weather permitting (bushes, fuzz sticks). My cutting needs are not heavy-duty, but the knives don't get babied, either.
 
There are knives that are acceptable, and there are knives that are right. Just find the most expensive knife that you are convinced is "worth it" and I'll convince you why the Seb is worth more.
 
A great deal has been written on similar threads as this. Personally, I got interested in Sebs as my knife collecting got more serious. I've always used or had a pocket knife of some kind since I was a kid. My great GrandFather & GrandFather gave me pocket knives when I was little (About 7 or so). I also remember playing with my Dad's Camillus Vietnam era Pilot survival knife from when he was in the Navy (He still has it).

The point is, I think there comes a time during your "knife adventure" when it starts to make more sense to get a Seb. Nowadays, you can trade for or buy a user off a Forum for a bit less than retail, just to try it out. One of 2 things will probably happen. You'll either decide it's just not your thing & get rid of it (Selling or trading it for something else you might like), or you'll really like it & probably get more CRK's (Whether they'll be more Sebs, Minandis, a FB, or a combinition thereof is up to you).

For what you use a knife for (At least from what you wrote), you can definitely get something far less that will do the job (A Bradley Alias I or II comes to mind), but I don't think you'll find a knife that has all the characteristics a Seb has in one knife (F&F, great design & lock, beauty, & consistency-every Seb seems to work the same, no different). Some have mentioned getting a custom for a similar amount of money, true, you can. While I have not had very many knives compared to many of the members here, I have had 2 custom folders. They were VERY nice, but what the Seb brings to the table is consistancy/performance that's the same for each & every Seb. You can't say that about "most" customs.

Having said all that, I'd really like to get a Hinderer, though. :D

Good luck with your choice & don't forget to post pics.
 
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