Sebenza or 3 Knives??

the4th · Dec 29, 1999

Get an Apogee

drac noroc · Dec 29, 1999

Sebenza.

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Drac Noroc

"But if I ran the zoo,"
Said young Gerald McGrew,
"I'd make a few changes.
That's just what I'd do..." Seuss

AKTI # BA00013

Smoke · Dec 29, 1999

Get the Sebenza or Apogee. You can always go to the local dealer and fondle the rest.

Phillip · Dec 29, 1999

I agree with Misque's post. There seems to be an esoteric mystic surrounding the Sebenza. I too handled one and I did not see the big deal. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice knife, but it just did not do anything for me.
The Sebenza is a production knife too, and some may argue that it is semi custom. But I feel that for that kind of money, CR had better do all the work himself. I realise this is impossible given the demand for his work. I guess I won't be getting a Sebenza anytime soon.
Shane, eventually you will come across one knife that will do it for you. It will become your primary carry knife. It will take time and you may wind up with a box full of knives. My girlfriend is a perfect example. She has around 60 production knives, and she rotates carry every few days. Her favorites are her Emerson Specwar and BM Mini Axis. That doesn't stop her from carrying anything else but I have noticed that after she got the Mini Axis she has not expressed much interest in buying anything else.

stjames · Dec 29, 1999

Shane, if you are interested and can afford it, by all means purchase a Sebenza. It is an excellent knife, and retains a much higher resale value than your other choices should you change your mind. I have found this to be an important consideration in my recent knife purchases, as I left the need" for another knife behind long ago.

It doesnt help that I am not all that fond of the three knives that you mentioned. I dont think that any liner lock qualifies for hard use, and the Nimravus has a coating that is easily scratched. For the same three hundred, you could get a Dozier or Griffith fixed blade and the Axis lock of your choice. Now that would be a quandary.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA

RGRAY · Dec 29, 1999

SEBENZA, it's the folder all others are compared to. WHAT'S THAT TELL YOU!
Something to hand down to your children and service comparable to none.
If you buy one used but like new, you can probably save $50.
My first one comes today. A plain small left hander.
My plain large left hander comes Monday.
If I don't like them I know I can sell them for about what I paid for them.
stjames has been very instrumental in my decision. Thanks James

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RICK Left Handers Unite

[This message has been edited by RGRAY (edited 29 December 1999).]

JoHnYKwSt · Dec 29, 1999

Shane,

I think you should go handle all the knives if you can. If you can't handle the knives then I definetely suggest you get the sebenza. If you dislike the sebenza you can always sell it and only lose a little bit of your investment. If you bought the other three knives and wanted to sell them, you would lose a lot more money.

Most people that handle a sebenza love it. Other people don't see why it is so great. There's probably a greater chance that you'll like your sebenza, but if you don't you can just sell it and resort to your second option knowing that sebenzas are not for you.

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Johnny
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Cougar Allen · Dec 29, 1999

How about 30 Opinels?

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-Cougar Allen :{)
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This post is not merely the author's opinions; it is the trrrrrruth. This post is intended to cause dissension and unrest and upset people, and ultimately drive them mad. Please do not misinterpret my intentions in posting this.

automantic · Dec 29, 1999

How about a few hundred sets?
http://www.bladeauction.com/os/itemhtml/ht514361.shtml?514361

Later,
John

JoHnYKwSt · Dec 29, 1999

Misque,

I see your point, and it is a good one. But when you compare a Military to a Sebenza, the Sebenza's quality is far better than the Military's. That's mainly what you are paying for, is the quality. Functionally you could argue that a sebenza isnt' really that much better than a Military other than the linerlock vs integral lock, but if you appreciate quality, then the extra money is worth it. I think to everyone on this forum, knives have become more than just tools. It's like compareing a Honda to a Mercedes. Both get you where you want to go but a Mercedes will get you there in style.

Phillip:

The Sebenza is a production knife too, and some may argue that it is semi custom. But I feel that for that kind of money, CR had better do all the work himself.

If Chris did do all the work by himself again, the price of a sebenza would be much greater than it is now. Also, the quality would probably drop some. Being "Production" isn't necessarily a bad thing.

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Johnny
[]xxxxxx[]=============>

Brian C · Dec 29, 1999

Shane, you definitely have a happy problem.

I have a Military & just got a Sebenza for Christmas courtesy of Roger from Bayou La Fourche. I love my Military and the other two have fine reps; however, if I suddenly had $300 but no knives, it is the Sebenza that I would replace.

Others have spoken of the Sebenza's quality, so I'll approach your problem from another perspective: economics. You may find yourself with a bit of extra cash from time to time that would enable you to spend a $100 or so for a new knife. $300 extra is much harder to come by.

Good luck & have fun with your decision.

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Cheers,

--+Brian+--

aka Dagda the Insatiable, Member of the Terrible Ironic HORDE
"I may be goin' to hell in a bucket, Babe, but at least I'm enjoyin' the ride."

HarlowJ · Dec 29, 1999

Shane: What are you going to want after you get a Sebenza? That will probably make you not want anything less than $250 or so. Are you ready for that? I'd like to know what the "Sebenzenistas" do after they get theirs. What was their next knife?

DaveH · Dec 29, 1999

I'm glad my sebenza almost completely cured me of wanting $100 knives. What do "we" want as our next knife?

Another Sebenza of course!

DaveH

Matt Shade · Dec 29, 1999

Have you ever let someone borrow your knife? I do it all the time, I usually hand them a trapper knife I made that cost me about 15 bucks. Its hair poppin sharp and a decent knife, but it doesn't bother me at all to see someone walk away with it for five minutes. Would you let someone walk off with a $300 sebenza? Would you really want to do anything that would include a risk of either damaging the knife or losing it? $300 bucks is hard to come by. I wouldn't want to carry something that expensive for daily use or ever. I beat the hell out of my knives sometimes. Its the best tool I have for cutting fiberglass insulation, would you do that with a sebenza? I can't see risking losing 300 dollars every time I want to use my knife, and I can't see spending $300 on something thats going to sit at home.

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Fix it right the first time, use Baling Wire !

JH225 · Dec 29, 1999

I have never got involved in the "Great Sebenza Debate", so I guess now is as good a time as any.

The knives you mention are all fine knives and they all serve a purpose & while the Sebenza is also a nice knife, I think you have to really ask yourself if you are willing to spend $300 on 1 knife and are going to be happy with your choice.

Are you just going to look at it or are you going to use it hard. You might say, I'm getting a Sebenza and I'm going to use it, but then when you get it you might think, Damn, I spent $300 on a knife and I'm not going to ruin it.

I personally do not think the Sebenza is "The Pot of Gold". Although they are nice and I will eventually get a decorated one, it is not on the top of my "must have" list. A lot of people think otherwise, and that is just fine.

I also do not like the Spyderco Military. I don't like the fact that it has a projection on the right side slab that digs into your finger and does not allow a complete grip. I like the Calypso much better.This again is just my opinion and I know I am in the minority, but I never was one to follow others.

I think it comes down to doing what you are comfortable with.

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C.O.'s-"It takes balls to work behind the walls "

dogboye · Dec 29, 1999

If you are in an area where you can carry the Nimravus Cub legally, I'd buy it and forget about the rest. I have the Military and the Cub, but not a Sebenza or a Stryker. I have not evolved enough to buy a blade that I won't use, and a Sebenza costs too much for me to use. If you want a tanto blade, why don't you talk to Lynn Griffith, he makes nice tanto fixed blades. The Military is worth the money if you want a folder. Remember, in the end, unless it is a fixed blade, it is designed to fold.

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"Absolute safety is for those who don't have the balls to live in the real world."

Longden · Dec 29, 1999

I agree with David Rock. Flip a coin.

If you're any kinda real knife-knut, then in the grand scheme of things you'll end up with all of them anyway. It's just a matter of time. Get one choice now and the other one later.

I don't have any of the listed knives, tho I expect to get a Sebenza in 2000 (if Drew ever resurfaces to help me put a spacer on it to keep the loose change out of the blade slot). It's a lot of knife for a lot of money, but the best decision depends really on your needs. And while no one doubts the high quality of the Sebenza, for many people it an issue of whether it's cost-effective in doing the intended job, or over-kill.

Personally, I pack a $55 Buck 501 Master Series folder with a BG-42 blade, but hey ... no one ever praised me for my style

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Longden Loo - Ventura, CA
Technology's the answer, what's the question?

Greg Clem · Dec 29, 1999

I have the Military and the Stryker, and have owned my small Sebenza for a week now.

I am also paranoid to carry such an expensive knife that I might loose or beat up.

I don't regret buying it, and I doubt that I will buy another folder for a long time.

For me, I probably get more use out of my Delica or Wegner Jr.

Gary W. Graley · Dec 29, 1999

It's only money! and you'll have more later on, my vote is to buy the one that will suit your needs, and it sounds like you need to be convinced to buy the Sebenza? I held off getting one for a long time and sorry that I did, yes I know, another Sebenza fanatic, but I guess that's what I am, I like Benchmade's stuff, there's an M2 AFCK in my right front pocket as I type, but there is also an Umfaan on my belt, today, yesterday was a large Sebenza.
You can also find deals out there, just post in the Wanting to Buy forum and someone will come to help you out. I had two of the large Sebenzas because I knew it would be good trading material, always keep the one though!

Good luck, as others above have stated, buy and don't look back, and as I said, you'll have a $100 later to by one of the others if the urge hits you.

G2

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"There are no dangerous weapons;
there are only dangerous men."
.......... Robert A. Heinlein, 1959

G2 LeatherWorks

[This message has been edited by Gary W. Graley (edited 29 December 1999).]

TANGUS · Dec 29, 1999

Well now Shane, it appears you have quite a dilemma there. I was posed with the same dilemma the first of this year. Why buy just one knife when I could get three really great knives. Well I bought the three knives and seven more after that. All during that time I did my research, handled those I could, and thought I made a good decision at the time. Two weeks ago I saw my first Sebenza (small one). Of every one of the knives I purchased earlier, I find that for my requirements the Sebenza out paces the other knives I bought. (P.S.-I own/have owned the knives you mentioned). I heard the same rhetoric about the Sebenzas from the "Sebenzaites". Well, I like the CRK Sebenza and when I go out I place it in the sheath I made for it (soft warm leather)--BUT--Just to spite those other guys--I called my small benza--"RALPH".

My suggestion? You buy those three knives and the following seven or eight. Sooner or later you are going to run across a Sebenza and for most of us--You're going to want one. If and when you get it, you'll measure your other folders by it. Or as the transmission people say--Pay me now or Pay me Later--Hope this helps (Regards me and Ralph)

Sebenza or 3 Knives??

the4th

drac noroc

Smoke

Phillip

stjames

Sebenzanista

RGRAY

JoHnYKwSt

Cougar Allen

Buccaneer (ret.)

automantic

JoHnYKwSt

Brian C

HarlowJ

DaveH

Matt Shade

JH225

dogboye

Longden

Greg Clem

Gary W. Graley

“Imagination is more important than knowledge"

TANGUS