Sebenza - I just couldn't do it...

RetiredGuns said:
Didn't read through the entire thread as every single thread like this is the same. It's not always about price/value/looks. etc.. I can buy an $800 Marlin lever action rifle that functions, shoots & serves me well. I can also buy a $5500 customized gun that does all that a little smoother, gives me a top notch warranty & pride of ownership above and beyond.

We're all at a certain place with our means, wants, desires & needs and to many $350-$400 is not really an expensive knife. CRKs, Hinderers, etc.. are pretty pricey to many but they are also better than the dollar right now.
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what did I just read.
 
DShiflet said:
Just for the record, I don't think anyone has argued that the knives aren't well made...just some of us view them as not being worth the price because for us, the differences in QC aren't going to be noticeable enough to justify paying 4x as much than (X other brand) knife. Yes, the ZT/Spyderco/whatever knife may not have quite the same tolerance as a CRK...but at least for me, I know that the odds of me needing or noticing that difference in tolerance is about the same as the odds of me being struck by lightning while engaging in a threesome with a pair of supermodels. If you want to pay that fine, if it appeals to you, so be it. Some people would never pay the money for a Rolex, or a Porsche, or whatever, other people would. But please don't assume we were saying CRK makes poor quality knives or anything like that, it's just for me(and others, apparently), the tighter tolerances aren't enough to justify paying twice or more the price of whatever other knife it is we prefer.
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Maybe not enough for you to justify, but if you go to the Kershaw sub forum (not sure about Spyderco) there are many threads dealing with quality issues, and how frustrated people are.
There is a thread in the Emerson sub forum where a guy goes on an absolute tirade and demands his right to 100% quality inspection.
I understand and respect anyone's decision to not spend high dollars on a knife or anything for that matter, but some people owe it to themselves to give them a try.

As far as the difference in quality being negligible, I too am fine with adding locktight, constantly tightening pivot screws to eliminate sloppy blades, and having blades off center, but when I get sick of all that, my Sebenza is on my nightstand, and if I wanted to, I could completely remove the pivot screw and still have a rock solid lock up, not that the screws will ever come loose, but if I wanted to, I could.

Funny thing, I have a $20 Byrd Cara Cara as well as a $260 ZT 0261, and they both have sloppy blades when the pivot comes loose.
 
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Reignman said:
what did I just read.
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Meaning that it is extremely easy to sell or trade a Sebenza as they are always in demand and hold their value very well. Many pricey knives do not fare as well.

I agree about these threads, always gonna be opposite opinions. It's the same 'ol "Why do you need a $750 automatic watch that loses 2 seconds a day when you can get $100 G-shock that kicks its butt?" If that is your opinion then get the G-shock.
 
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Sebenzas aren't for everyone, that's why we have so many other good choices out there to buy, and other models from CRK.

I am not a big fan of the Sebenza either, but I do like and own 2 Umnumzaans...

Different strokes.. ;)
 
Let's look at this another way, you can buy a bottle of cheap cognac for$15 or ya can spend $150 for Hennessey XO or Remy Martin XO both between $120-$200 a bottle both will provide the same end result but the XO is way more complex in flavors, you can taste the different flavors that make up a great brandy.

Personally I'd rather save my money and buy the expensive cognac and really enjoy every snifter than get 10 bottles of cheap brandy and have the volume.

It's a personal choice, BTW I don't look down on the guy buying the cheap cognac but I will try to educate him so he understands why the XO is 10X more expensive just as I would try to educate someone about the Sebenza but if they choose to buy the Buck 110 over the Sebenza that's their choice and I won't put 'em down for it.
 
Haven't tried any CRKs
would like to though
Love the look of the Umnumzaans
 
I have handled a Seb and just the feel I had from 10 minutes of holding it made me want one. I will likely never own one because a 300+ dollar folder isnt something I will ever be able to afford. I think a bunch of people who say bad things about the Seb is because they cant afford one. I cant afford one so I make due with lower priced knives that do everything a Seb could do but I dont have to skip my cable bill for a month to be able to afford them.
 
PatrickKnight said:
I have handled a Seb and just the feel I had from 10 minutes of holding it made me want one. I will likely never own one because a 300+ dollar folder isnt something I will ever be able to afford. I think a bunch of people who say bad things about the Seb is because they cant afford one. I cant afford one so I make due with lower priced knives that do everything a Seb could do but I dont have to skip my cable bill for a month to be able to afford them.
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It took me about 6 months to save up, but only because I didn't have enough discipline to stop buying other knives.

What finally got me to my goal was a couple of things.
1) I had just about every knife I was interested in, so quit buying.

2) I bought a gold membership and sold quite a few knives on the exchange.

Like most people, much of my paycheck is spoken for, but I knew what I wanted, and came up with a plan to get there.
 
RetiredGuns said:
Meaning that it is extremely easy to sell or trade a Sebenza as they are always in demand and hold their value very well. Many pricey knives do not fare as well.

I agree about these threads, always gonna be opposite opinions. It's the same 'ol "Why do you need a $750 automatic watch that loses 2 seconds a day when you can get $100 G-shock that kicks its butt?" If that is your opinion then get the G-shock.
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Dude... Thats rather far fetched. In times of need, I'd venture to say majority of people wouldn't have a clue what a sebenza was and if someone came up to me trying to trade me a knife for 40 lbs of rice I'd punch them in the nuts.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
Let's look at this another way, you can buy a bottle of cheap cognac for$15 or ya can spend $150 for Hennessey XO or Remy Martin XO both between $120-$200 a bottle both will provide the same end result but the XO is way more complex in flavors, you can taste the different flavors that make up a great brandy..
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Yeah, the thing with your example is, you can actually taste the difference with the alcohols. I've handled a Sebenza, I've handled Spyderco. Aside from the obvious differences(say, g10 vs titanium), there was pretty much NO noticeable difference. And since there was no noticeable difference other than the materials, I personally found no reason to buy a Sebenza, rather than say, a Spyderco with a titanium handle(if I actually wanted a titanium handle, I don't like metal handles generally).

And to cncpro I haven't had any issues with pivots coming loose, or needing to add locktite, or anything else on the Spyderco's(or Kershaws, for that matter, though I forsee that potentially happening on some of the cheaper ones, then again, I've had a $5 gas station knife I carried for 5 years without it ever coming loose or developing play either, so maybe they won't) either, so, again, to me at least, paying 4x as much to ensure something won't happen that's pretty much unlikely to happen anyway is just not worth it. It'd be like if you could pay money to guarantee you'll never be hit by lightning. I mean sure, if you have the money and want to be as safe as possible, go for it. But for me, knowing how unlikely I am to ever be hit by it in the first place...I'd have to pass.
 
Reignman said:
Dude... Thats rather far fetched. In times of need, I'd venture to say majority of people wouldn't have a clue what a sebenza was and if someone came up to me trying to trade me a knife for 40 lbs of rice I'd punch them in the nuts.
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You obviously aren't getting it. I'm not talking about choosing between feeding your family and owning a Sebenza. This is a KNIFE forum, we talk about KNIVES. Some of the knives are expensive, some hold their value very well such as a CRK.
Do you hold the same opinion if someone pays $1000 for a Hinderer? The new space-age ZT is going for $700+. If people want them, can afford them, they buy them. Someone mentioned that many folks who'd like a Sebenza can't afford them yet they own 10 or more $100 knives. It's all about personal preference, patience and desire.

Hopefully you never need to punch anyone in the nuts for offering you a Sebenza for rice.
 
DShiflet said:
Yeah, the thing with your example is, you can actually taste the difference with the alcohols. I've handled a Sebenza, I've handled Spyderco. Aside from the obvious differences(say, g10 vs titanium), there was pretty much NO noticeable difference. And since there was no noticeable difference other than the materials, I personally found no reason to buy a Sebenza, rather than say, a Spyderco with a titanium handle(if I actually wanted a titanium handle, I don't like metal handles generally).

And to cncpro I haven't had any issues with pivots coming loose, or needing to add locktite, or anything else on the Spyderco's(or Kershaws, for that matter, though I forsee that potentially happening on some of the cheaper ones, then again, I've had a $5 gas station knife I carried for 5 years without it ever coming loose or developing play either, so maybe they won't) either, so, again, to me at least, paying 4x as much to ensure something won't happen that's pretty much unlikely to happen anyway is just not worth it. It'd be like if you could pay money to guarantee you'll never be hit by lightning. I mean sure, if you have the money and want to be as safe as possible, go for it. But for me, knowing how unlikely I am to ever be hit by it in the first place...I'd have to pass.
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1) I am not trying to get you to buy a CRK, so no need for you to pass.

2) you say that you own Spyderco and ZT among others, but you have a $5 gas station knife that works just fine for you.

3) this tells me that you a willing to pay about 20x more for a knife when a $5 knife would suit you just fine.

4) I am willing to pay 4x more when a $100 dollar knife would suit me just fine.

Uhm...who is the bigger snob here?
 
dkb45 said:
So nice to see people not drooling uncontrollably over a Sebenza. Don't get me wrong, they are nice. At $200 they would be killer, $250 not too bad. Once you hit $300, though, they lack that certain "oomph". I know the tolerances are high, but that doesn't warrant a price tag of double what a production version would cost. My big turn off is the blade steel using something a little more premium would NOT kill them. I'm not saying use S110V, but some Elmax or something else wouldn't be a bad idea.

Put it this way if your options for a car are a standard Corvette, or something identical to a Corvette that is made a little better at twice the cost (with 0 style or performance increases), which would you choose? I would opt for the cheaper one, and if I was going to spend the money anyways get a second Corvette (in this hypothetical I am filthy rich) or a suped up version of the standard.

I will reiterate- the Sebenza is not a bad knife. It is just a bit overpriced.
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Alright, Nutnfancy.
 
The Sebenza's I own are worth every penny I paid for them. Watch The Youtube videos of Chris Reeve and you will understand.

Their style is not for everyone, and everyone cannot afford to buy expensive knives, but for those of us who like CRK's and can afford them, they are value for the money spent.

I don't like the looks of Striders. They look like AK-47's. But for those who like them, great, enjoy!
 
getout87 said:
i smack my breitling on stuff every single day. there is not one scratch on the crystal. everything else can be re-finished.

there is something about knowing that there is something whirring away on my wrist in such a precise and exacting manner that makes me appreciate it. some people won't get it, just like the people that can pick up a sebenza and not fall in love immediately. form and function make the package for me, while for some, function is all that matters.
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I like watches too, and appreciate fine craftsmanship. What really perplexes me is, for a watch that is supposedly made to very precise tolerances, why is it that they don't keep time as accurately as a Timex ? A watch is made too keep time, and be appreciated while wearing. If it doesn't perform its main function any better than a 30 dollar Timex, what it the point ? IMHO, a 2-5,000 dollar watch, should keep time more accurately than any other watch...

I know people always mention the tolerances when justifying a CRK knife. Seriously ? It's a folding knife. There are very few components to the knife.
The parts are being produced on a cnc machine, and finished. It isn't like they take rough products, and do all the work by hand... Granted, Ti isn't cheap, but still.

Yes it was smooth, and I like the way it felt when opening the blade. The knife has a pleasant sound and feel, when it locks.

I admit I haven't owned one, but did spend some time ( about 2 hours ) fondling one at a local knife shop, some time back. I had decided I wanted to buy one, and after reading all the praise here, and I thought I would instantly see what all the hype is about. I had convinced myself I was buying one that day, but I didn't... Ya, it's a nice knife, but there really isn't anything magical about them... In all fairness, many do like them, and CR has more than his share of awards for his knives, but I think it came to a point where a lot of what you are paying for, is the name.
Not that there is anything wrong with that. When a maker pays his dues, and his products become popular, they should be able to charge more for the products. It's that way with anything, not just knives...

Yes it was smooth, and I like the way it felt when opening the blade. The knife has a pleasant sound and feel, when it locks.

It sounds like they do have great CS, and they should. However, Buck has CS that others should use a standard. It doesn't matter if the knife cost $20 or $100... They go WAY above and beyond, and truly want the customer to be happy. So you don't have to spend $300+ to get the best CS service in the business.

I'm not trying to take anything away from those that love CRK, or the company and it's products. Truth be told, I really like some of the other non- Sebenza knives CRK makes, and maybe someday I will actually buy one. I won't however, try to justify the price paid. I either like it, or I don't.
Nobody is forcing me to pay the price....
 
If a company can sell everything they produce, their product is not over priced.
 
Like many of you, I have a problem with the Sebenza as well. I can't stop buying them.
 
cncpro11 said:
1) I am not trying to get you to buy a CRK, so no need for you to pass.

2) you say that you own Spyderco and ZT among others, but you have a $5 gas station knife that works just fine for you.

3) this tells me that you a willing to pay about 20x more for a knife when a $5 knife would suit you just fine.

4) I am willing to pay 4x more when a $100 dollar knife would suit me just fine.

Uhm...who is the bigger snob here?
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Actually if you read more closely you'd see I said I needed something a little larger than the gas station knife, which is why it didn't work for me anymore. I was simply making the point that, in reality, these "ultra tight tolerances" people keep using as justification for buying a CRK(rather than "I just like it") and acting like this is gonna ever really matter, is not actually something that's really EVER going to make a difference for them. Which, as I said, paying for these extra tolerances is like paying extra so you can have "lightning insurance", even though your odds of ever actually needing it are basically non-existent. Sure, if you LIKE the idea of having insurance in case you ever get hit by lightning fine, go for it. But arguing that it's actually needed?

Aside from that, I buy for aesthetics primarily. Sure, I want to be able to use them if necessary, but actually using them is NOT something that will ever be done for many of my knives(I mean, a doubled edged 5.5 inch karambit is NOT something daily use calls for). I'll also buy knives that are pretty junky, if I find something about them pleasing(I don't really expect a S&W knife to be a long lasting hard use tool but I still own some). Pretty sure you don't want me to answer the last question.
 
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