Sebenza like quality?

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will22

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May 13, 2002
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What knives would you guy place in the same catigory as the sebenza in terms of fit and finish, quality, reliability, and overall goodness?

Are there any production knives that come to mind that seem to have the same level of craftmanship? especialy at a lower price point?
 
Chris Reeve Knives is in a league all it's own. ;)

From what I've seen (based on the few I've handled), William Henry is as close as you can get. CRK has the edge in ruggedness.

Now, in all seriousness, I will add Victorinox into the mix. I know they are a different "class" of knife....but....the fit, finish, function, workmanship, and overall quality are mind boggling at the price point.

YMMV.......... :D :p

Paul
 
PWork said:
Chris Reeve Knives is in a league all it's own. ;)

From what I've seen (based on the few I've handled), William Henry is as close as you can get. CRK has the edge in ruggedness.

Now, in all seriousness, I will add Victorinox into the mix. I know they are a different "class" of knife....but....the fit, finish, function, workmanship, and overall quality are mind boggling at the price point.

YMMV.......... :D :p

Paul
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I agree, If a SAK was made with S30V steel and G-10, Ti or carbon fiber scales, but with the same fit/finish as it does now, it would be about as perfect as I can imagine. Either Vic's attention to detail is beyond impressive or they have been making them so long that they are just that good at it.
 
Custom Buck 110. Or if u r fortunate enough to get a Buck 560, have it send back to Buck and go for a BG-42 transplant. One well-made, solid lockback as the Sebenza.
 
I have a Microtech SOCOM Elite I got just before I got my first Sebenza. I put the MT away and haven't used it since, but it was impressively close in fit and finish, and it is a very strong knife, just not as clean a design.

I'm a big fan of the Camillus CUDA Maxx line. I've owned three of the bowies, and they are about as close as productions come to my Sebenzas, but close isn't the same as.

I don't know if we should call a Kloetzli a production knife, but I have a tiny one of theirs that might qualify. Still, it's a vest-pocket size, and they make very limited quantities of their designs. They are in a class with William Henry, very fine gentlemen's knives, perfection in an elegant package.

Considering the numbers of knives in different designs produced at such an astonishing level of manufacturing quality, both Victorinox and Wenger are in their own class, too.
 
At about the same pricepoint (which I know isn't your question) I have to say the Dozier Folding Hunter. I own and use both the DFH and the CR and think they are worth the additional money compared to nearly everything else I know of. Either one is all the knife I ever need.
With a big drop in cost that is NOT reflected in a drop of quality of the knife, I'd go with a Spydero. I still can't get over the quality of the Bob Lum Chinese Folder I got from them...and do not think you can do better for around a hundred bucks than Spyderco's Military.
Steve
 
I think that one of the things that distinguishes CRK is not only the quality, but the consistency. For example, Esav has had good luck with Camillus Cuda Maxxes. I have not -- the first two I got were blatently defective, and the third one is nice, but even that one doesn't have a centered blade. If you get a Sebenza, you can count on it to be perfect. I'm not yet aware of anything less expensive that you can say that about.
 
I'd say you'd have to get something from Obenauf or John W. Smith to get the consistant quality at about the same pricepoint as the Sebenza.

What really sets the Sebenza apart is it's renewability. It's about the only knife around that you can take apart without voiding the warranty. It's amazing how much crud builds up in the locking mechanism after a couple months in my pocket.

I can fearlessly use my Sebby to cut up vegetables for dinner knowing that I can easily take it apart to get out anything that has gotten in the locking mechanism.
 
I have only handled the one I own, but my Al Mar SERE 2000 is just as perfect as the Sebenza I got to handle on a passaround. Otherwise...it would have to be a custom to come close.

Nitin
 
Can't think of any other production knife that matches the Sebenza in fit and finish and especially in the consistancy of that quality. Chris Reeve's are deffinetly in a class of there own IMO.

I have handled some William Henry's that have come close, though they where a little to gentlemenly for my taste.

You really do get what you pay for and that is why there isn't anything cheaper that can match the Sebenza.

Now if your looking in the same price range and in the custom realm there are some to deffinetly look at: Obenauf, JW Smith, CJ Smith, JL Williams and Hinderer are the ones I have experience with who have amazing fit and finish. Obenauf and Hinderer somehow manage to do so while charging no more then a plain Sebenza which I think makes them some of the best deals in the knife world.
 
My first Benchmade, a 730, was just about as perfect as the CRK Sebenza I once owned...The fit & finish of the 730 was totally top-notch, and was smooth as butter.
 
for just a bit more than a nwe Sebby you can get yourself a Hinderer Firetac.

the Sebby is certainly what others are judged by. :D
 
customs, a Rick Hinderer firetac, Mike Obenauf m2 framelock,Scott Cook lochsa. But then again these are customs. no other semi-production company matches CRK. Every sebenza you look at has flawless,consistent,fit,finish,gind and lockup.
 
This is a good thread that has several production and custom knives mentioned that fluctuate in price at or near the cost of a Sebenza. Another vote for the Seb is availability. True, you can order and wait as with a custom maker, but there are many at dealer's sites. A vote for customs is the idea of how much customization you can have done.
 
I vote for the sebbie because of the ease in disassembling and cleaning. Some of the other customs use press fit parts (eg. Obenauf - I love his folders, altho availability is limited right now). Sebbies feature that bushing pivot too. So no matter how hard you tighten, the action is always consistent.

Hinderers are IMHO, better than sebbies in terms of fit and finish.

What would make the Sebbie perfect is if Chris would beablast the handles at much finer grit....like Tom Mayo's TNTs....
 
neetones said:
I have only handled the one I own, but my Al Mar SERE 2000 is just as perfect as the Sebenza I got to handle on a passaround. Otherwise...it would have to be a custom to come close.

Nitin
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That is good to hear, because my Al Mar SERE 2000 (095 of 200) is the start and finish of my knife collection; I have never needed anything else. Thanks to the people of this forum that 'directed' me to it. :D
 
If you can find one.., the Pro-Tech Integrity is as good in my opinion, and was an incredible deal when they were being made (1.5 years ago). Not easy to find now, but a great knife...
 
Thanks for all the good responses! I guess I was just trying to see if I already had a knife that would be considered on par with a sebenza. I have a few microtechs and benchmades and have always thought the fit and finish on them was excelent with the exception of certain BM's. I have yet to actualy see a sebenza in person and it's hard to judge these things from pictures. I've been thinking about ordering a Sebbie for a long time but just haven't taken the plunge yet. I heard of a store in my area that carrys them so I may just take a trip out there so I can see one first hand.

I've seen pictures of the locha and I have to say it's a great looking knife.
 
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