Sebenza + Harsh Winter?

M

missin_hobo

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Aug 9, 2007
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Recently I've started carrying my Seb during wintertime. Never done this before, so I'm curious how extreme an ambient temperature has to be before it starts affecting the temper of the blade.
This is probably nothing, but considering it's a Seb I figured I may as well ask. I'm living in Halifax right now; the winters here are only reasonably cold, but are accompanied by high humidity and high winds. Sometimes we get rain and snow at the same time. I wonder how much temperature flux a Seb can take before the metal starts weakening.
 
I saw -22 driving through Canada, and my Sebbie was fine. I have carried it up here in Alaska, and it has been just fine.
 
Extreme cold temperatures can cause a knife to warp. I've seen it happen to an old carbon steel bowie that my friend gave me. I asked him what was up with the blade and he said had left it in his freezer overnight to see what would happen. I straightened it up in a vice.

You could always ask CRK.

I always carry my knife very close to my body, so any temperatures that are going to affect it are going to kill me way before.
I'm more concerned about not getting all this damn road salt on everything. That'll rust stuff up good.
 
I have left several knives overnight in my car, spydie millie & endura as well as my sebenza once on accident at several degrees below zero (-6 to 0 F) with no ill effects.
 
Northern Minnesota here.
This last weekend it was down to -54f with the windchill.
I used my seb while getting my sister inlaw's car going. It worked as well as it always does. That's to say awesome. I sharpened it afterwards. Just as hard as ever.
I think heat, and lots of it, is more likely to affect temper.
I worried about stuff like that at first, because of the price, but these knives were made to be used hard.
 
This question has come across my mind in regards to my watches too. I'm waring an Omega Speedmaster and the temp here in Michigan has been in the single digits with below zero windchill. Watch has been running fine. Maybe do to fact this one is an automatic and doesn't rely on a battery that can freeze.

This past November I gutted my deer using my tanto large Seb and the knife preformed as need, better actually than I thought it would considering the blade. Anyhow it was in the cold for quite a long time with frozen deer tallo and blood left on it. I cleaned it later the next day, no problems. These knives are named Sebenza for a reason...they do WORK!
:thumbup:
 
I sympathize with that as well; I've got a Tissot, and it's seen more abuse than a Swiss watch should have to put up with.
These are all great answers, folks. I think I'll drop the Reeves a line, and see what they have to say on the matter.
I'll let you all know :D
 
I admit South Carolina winters are a tad warmer than the 'North'. But I'd think your body would be in greater danger than the knife from cold... even car bumpers exposed to the extreme temps survive just fine. (pardon, my mind wanders with questions like this :D )
 
The only problem i can see is that the titanium handle would feel cold, it will not hurt it, escpecially near the warmth of your body.
 
I have often used knives when its -35 here in Northwestern ontario for everything from gentle slicing to chopping, with no problems.

Perhaps using them in the cold gives them that cryogenic temper.
 
It's not just the cold; I should have specified earlier it's a very specific environment, and one I've yet to feel outside the maritimes. The temperature is generally low, but there's a lot of flux and the humidity is very high. It can go from snow-day weather to t-shirt weather in no time at all; sometimes we get rain and snow on the same day. All the resulting ice also means there's a good deal of industrial salt heaped in the streets. Just strikes me as an environment that may treat stainless steels with hostility.
 
Well we hit -50C here in Calgary a few weeks back, and I had to pull out my knife to do some cutting outside (with mitts on of course) and it didn't seem to have any problems :-)
 
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