Sebenza and hard use

PartialSerrations

PartialSerrations

Joined
Nov 22, 2001
Messages
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I was wondering if any of you have ever used your Sebenza for hard use like cutting a fan belt, manila rope, or something of that nature. I've had knives that were so razor sharp that they would shave hair easily but once I used them for a hard cut, the cutting was so thin that I could see where the edge would need to re-shapened due to the steel breaking off. This was a major disappointment. It's not like I abused the knife either. Can you share with me your stories. Were you able to get that edge back again once you used it? I wasn't able too with this knife. Thanks!!!




IF WAR IS HELL, TAKE A BETTER PITCHFORK THAN THE DEVIL
 
I put an Edge-Pro edge on my Mnandi and used it to cut down 5 tomato plants in my backyard. I didn't saw mind you but I went throught the branches clean as they dropped in to the trashcan. I've also been using it to open mail and very recently to open Christmas presents. It still will shave hair though not like it did just prior to sharpening. I sharpened it 4 months ago. I might have touched it up with the Edge Pro very fine stone but I don't think so. So in my opinion it will take hard use. Wether or not you can bring back the edge, I think that depends on your sharpening ability.
 
Last week I cut a 3000VA (=thick!) UPS power cable with my Sebenza. After a touch up on a white (fine) Spyderco benchstone it's nice and sharp again. It doesn't shave (only did once out of the box), but I'm not shaving with my Sebbie anyway... ;)

Ted
 
Manila rope is not a problem at all. I use my Sebenza even for kydex tracing and trimming (now that's hard use!) and I have no problems at all. I could have used at least 10 different knives for that (Spyderco Dodo is great for this job and I use it sometimes), but Sebenza is just the closest knives around... simply sits in my pocket :) And I'm too lazy to look around for different tool :cool:

Scott, I've used Mnandi as well for the gifts :D
 
Fan belts???? Fan belts???? My definition of "hard use" is cutting the car's battery cable, not the fan belt! :) Fan belts are normal use IMHO! :) I tore the heck out of a KO Leek on a fan belt a couple months ago (before I bought and started carrying my LC Sebbie). Haven't had the need to do such a thing with my Sebbie yet but I sure am curious how it would handle it. Better than the Leek I'm sure... but how well exactly? Whats the HARDEST you guys have used yours?
 
Brian6244 said:
Fan belts???? Fan belts???? My definition of "hard use" is cutting the car's battery cable, not the fan belt! :)
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I would have to agree with Brian on this one.

I've been interested in purchasing a Sebenza for some time now, but I wonder how it would hold up under hard use, what with everyone gushing over what a precision instrument it is. From reading these posts, it appears that a good number of Sebenzas spend lots of time in safes or pockets -- I guess due to the replacement cost of breaking or losing one.

Does anyone really use/abuse these knives? What is the toughest job you've ever subjected this knife to? And how did its tolerances hold up?

Thanks, -Alex
 
I use a large Seb everday in my profession. It sees a lot of work, but I don't cut car battery cables ;)

I use it constantly to strip away romex to bear electric wiring, pop open paint cans, dig metal components out of fire debris, cut 6mil plastic, scrap burnt debris away from objects I need to get, cut boxes down, cut electric power cables out of burnt carpet. Are there other tools that I could use, sure. Every tool is limited in some repect. If I need something that requires a fixed blade, then I will use one. But in a pinch, I will use the Seb.
 
I used to cut cables for welding electrodes ,when i worked at the welding suppy store.I would just give it a few swipes on my sharpener and it would be fine.Go ahead use the knife,thats what it was made for.
 
My small Sebbie goes everywhere I go and gets used for lots of random stuff. Cardboard boxes to cut? It does em. Rope, twine, mail? Sure. I wouldn't call my use "hard" use (when I hear hard use/abuse, I think pounding and prying), but more normal and regular use. Not sure I recall what the most serious job I've used it for, but I suspect it was mortising out oak doors for latches. I suppose I could have used something else, but I would have had to go out to the garage. The Sebbie was right there in my pocket. :-) I wouldn't tend to *abuse* my Sebbie, unless I needed to - then I wouldn't hesitate. And, I suspect it wouldn't let me down! :-)

-john
 
ccdog said:
My small Sebbie goes everywhere I go and gets used for lots of random stuff. Cardboard boxes to cut? It does em. Rope, twine, mail? Sure. I wouldn't call my use "hard" use (when I hear hard use/abuse, I think pounding and prying), but more normal and regular use. Not sure I recall what the most serious job I've used it for, but I suspect it was mortising out oak doors for latches. I suppose I could have used something else, but I would have had to go out to the garage. The Sebbie was right there in my pocket. :-) I wouldn't tend to *abuse* my Sebbie, unless I needed to - then I wouldn't hesitate. And, I suspect it wouldn't let me down! :-)

-john
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Sure it would, haven't you read the thread in the Knife Review Forum where Cliff Stump and Brownshoe (BS) say the Sebenza is fragile and not capable of hard use, you know, like a production Emerson is? :rolleyes: :barf: :)
 
I use mine to cut 16G 4 conductor fire wire on a regular basis if I don't have my cutters on me.
 
I've had my small sebbie with a damascus blade for almost 5 years now and carry it every day for regular stuff like the mail, rope, twine, packages box cutting. Then every chance I get in the summer I take it camping and cut down small (1/2 - 3/4") branches for my whittling time in front of the fire. I use it like for pretty much everything a knife should be used for. I've never once pried, hammered or cut anything which would notch the blade. I've had no problems bringing the edge back to shaving sharpness with my Spyderco sharpening system.

The only thing I have to do is watch to keep the damascus oiled - of course not such a big deal with BG42 or S30V.
 
Brian6244 said:
My definition of "hard use" is cutting the car's battery cable,
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Well after about 2 minutes the results of push cutting a battery cable and as can be shown, it still shaves hair from my arm. Oh no not my Sebenza, not yet anyway, this is the BM 630 Skirmish.
 
Hard use? I've split kindling with my large Sebbie, using a chunk of wood to baton down on the blade. No problem.
 
Megalobyte said:
Sure it would, haven't you read the thread in the Knife Review Forum where Cliff Stump and Brownshoe (BS) say the Sebenza is fragile and not capable of hard use, you know, like a production Emerson is? :rolleyes: :barf: :)
Click to expand...

I guess I'm just foolish, then! :-)

-john
 
I used my BG42 model to cut very hard plastic trim to frame white boards. This is the kind of hard trim that makes a border around paneling. It seems flexible in eight foot lengths but not to the blade. It actually snaps when the blade penetrates. I used it constantly for three hours, then expecting to have to sharpen it, dragged my thumb across and found it as sharp as when I started! No chips, no runs, no errors!

Bruce
 
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