Sebenza, I just don't get it!!!

I just have to get my say in on this! I have gone through PLENTY of knives over the years, factory and custom. Many of the customs are/were from the top tactical makers. These were some of the best made customs on the market, at least in the tactical genre. The Sebenza beat all of them as far as precision of build. It was only by a gnats hair, but it was there! I have never had a knife, factory or custom, that has the overall precision of build. I know it comes from CNC machinery, but the total fit has to have some "hand-work" involved. I carry a large wood-inlayed Sebenza on a daily basis. The overall feel of opening, lockup, and closing is the very best I have experienced! Now I know some of you will flame me over the customs, but I can't help what I "feel" and see to be one of the finest folders available today!
 
I have had a few Sebenza's. Sold them all except one. The precison, fit, and finish is incredible. I really respect the knife because of that. It isn't very comfortable to me though. I would like to see more contours.

For the money I would rather have one of these:

wegner1.jpg
 
Ah... Dennis, I must congratulate you on a fine choice there! Those Wegners are a peculiar weakness of mine.
 
Tip down carry capable and framelock?!

Dennis, is that a "standard" model? What is current wait time? Cost if you don' t mind. E mail me if you prefer. Sorry to stray off topic. Thanks.

Nakano
 
Absolutely the Sebenza is not for everyone. But I take offense to those who would say that they are sold on their hype. If people go out and spend $350 of their hard-earned money on something because of hype, well, then, they get what they deserve. But in this case they will get a knife of UNDISPUTED quality. Yes, there probably are better values on the market, but if you want ALL of the Sebenza's attributes: precision of manufacture, consistent quality, top grade materials, the best customer service in the business, resale value, and so on, then the choices come down to two: Chris Reeve Sebenza, or custom.
Maybe the "hype" is really just the growing sound of the multitudes who have taken the plunge and found satisfaction in their Sebenzas, and are singing its praises! Read the Chris Reeve section of this forum, and you will not find a more cohesive group of people who have found a high degree of satisfaction in their purchase. If the Sebenza failed to live up to its high expectations, you would read about it in that section. There are issues of incomplete satisfaction on ocassion, but they are rare.
Check out the Sebenza for yourself, and decide. Take it or leave it, it is up to you. It is not an insignificant purchase. But take some time to examine the details. The perfect thumb serations and micro bevels. The radiused and polished blade spine. The bank vault lock up. The polished, convex cutting edge that is at once thin, yet strong. The recessed clip. The mirror polished screws. The perfect centering of the blade in the scales.
And there are the details that are not so obvious: the heat treat on the tip of the integral lock to minimize wear. The consumate skill of the craftsman who HAND GRINDS the hollow grinds on the blade, and the convex grind of the cutting edge. The consistently superior heat treat of the BG-42.
The Sebenza does not pretend to be a custom (visit their website), but it does compete with customs in the areas above. Small details to be sure. And yes, we pay more for the Sebenza because of them.
So you people want evidence as to why the Sebenza costs so much? As is said over and over, it is in the last 10% that adds significantly to the cost. But for many, its that last 10% that they no longer are willing to sacrifice, and that is obtained on custom knives and botique production houses at similar or higher prices.
In the end, I would suggest that the Sebenza, at least to the legion of customers that have committed to it, is a solid value, even at $350.
In the end, you can take all of my Benchmades, Spydercos, Microtechs, William Henrys, and yes, even most of my customs, but you can't have my Sebenza.
 
Absolutely the Sebenza is not for everyone. But I take offense to those who would say that they are sold on their hype.
Click to expand...

I couldn't agree more. You can sell anything on hype for a while, but not year after year. Even before the Internet word got around eventually! Sebenza's are solid. Funny how some 5+ years of knife collecting has gotten me to a place where I use only three knives most of the time (not counting cooking). Two of the three are Sebenzas, the other is a Dozier. Of the rest, there are a couple of others I use under special circumstances, very dressy, or traveling by air, but such occasions are rare these days.
 
BlackRazor,

I'm glad you made your own decision about what knife to get. Remember, talk is cheap.

JK
 
Thanks for sharing your observations with us Robert. For what it is worth, the stiff lock and action is something that will probably go away after some cycling. I know that my lock bar disengages very smoothly and the blade will actually free-fall when released. It is very smooth. So now you know what SOME of the fuss is all about ;)
 
I love my custom folders, but in fairness to the one large Sebenza I own, your description sounds nothing like it.

First, it is as smooth as glass to operate. I'd be hard pressed to name a knife that glides more smoothly, and I've experienced many.

The lock is a joy in terms of both its security and the positive feedback it gives upon opening and closing. No difficulty whatever with one handed openings or closings.

The thumb stud works best when gently pushed forward as opposed to "raised". (Some folks seemed to have some difficulty until they learned this.)

Large? Not particularly, and compared to what? I have several customs larger, and there are many larger still.
(I guess it boils down to what you need or want the knife for.)

Still like the Benchmade better? Well, okay. But I gotta tell you, that sounds to me like you just needed to convince yourself that you made the right choice. ;)

I have a bunch of Benchmades and carry, use and enjoy them, but better than a Sebenza? Well, okay, if you say so...

I am glad, however, that you found the custom that you cherish. A good custom knife is a joy to own.
 
Also, for what it's worth, I still like the BM 940 better.
-Robert [/B][/QUOTE]

Now you're showing your ignorance, Robert. :rolleyes:
 
Actually, I kind of like the action on the Sebenza. After using my Seb, all other frame locks feel kind of wimpy. I've grown accustomed to the legendary Sebenza vault-like frame lock. Yes, it’s stiff at first, but it does ease up over time and use. The lock still resists unlocking, but unlocks more and more smoothly as you use it. I think of the Sebenza vault lock as a pro, not a con.

The opening and closing is much different than most folders. The Sebenza isn’t a toy flicking knife. You must intentionally open the knife. Would you want anything less in a tip-up carry? The Sebenza opens smoothly and evenly, just not loosely. There’s a difference that you only come to appreciate after a bit of use.

I do here that some people have a problem controlling the thumb stud. I don’t, but that’s just personal preference. Some people dislike disks over opening studs. I love’em all.

As for trying to make the Sebenza as strong a fixed blade as possible……. I don’t know what to say, but you’re correct. Chris Reeve tried his best to make the Sebenza as strong as possible. That’s the name of the game here. You can make a toy knife, a rock solid knife, or something in between. Mr. Reeve went for rock solid, which is the reason I purchased it. This may sound odd to some, but I can’t always carry my Dozier fixed blade. When I can’t, I want as strong a folder as possible.

Yes, the Sebenza comes stunningly sharp, with a convex bevel. That does mean something. You can’t get that kind of bevel with a Lansky or a Sharpmaker. The Sharpmaker can touch up the edge of a Sebenza many times before flattening the bevel. Once the bevel is flat, I’d just send in the knife for a general cleaning and sharpening. The convex bevel, IMHO, is far superior to a standard Vgrind.

Last, but not least, I’d die to have a Mayo. I just can’t afford one. It was a bit of a strain buying my large Seb for $290.00. A couple hundred more might not see mlike much to you, but it’s almost double the price to me. When you look at the price in this light, the Seb sounds like a real bargain. :)
 
Black Razor, since you brought up cutting performance as it relates to value, does the TNT really CUT better than folder with similar sharpness and edge geometry for a much lower price?
 
I finally got one...........I now understand!!!!!!!!!!;) I have two more on the way..........................:) Need a loan........:(
Truthfully,
 
Why I will buy another Sebenza instead of a TNT.
I'm perfectly happy with the Sebenza and I'm sure I'd also like the TNT but the TNT is out of my range. Plus, the Sebenza is tip up carry and the TNT only comes with tip down.
 
Comes stunningly sharp but it doesn't matter because you still have to sharpen it after using? Well, I got news for you. My small sebi has been used pretty hard and fairly often for 9 months and it still has not been sharpened and doesn't need it yet. Still shaves hair and shreds paper with ease.

When I first opened the box I remember thinking "I paid $275 for THIS?!" It looked like nothing. But like they say, after carrying for a while I fell in love with its subtle charms. A truly great knife and I will never sell mine.

My 1999 graphic Umfaan is my favorite little gents knife. Eventually I will get a large as well. And a TNT!;)
 
Black Razor,

Since you and I are both fans of Talonite and Stellite, here's one you might enjoy and it will be a departure from the arguing for a moment or two. ;)

Kit Carson made this. It's all titanium, including the screws, and there is a small carbon fiber back spacer. Blade is Stellite 6K.
(I also enjoy Talonite in a couple of my knives by Rob Simonich.)
 

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