Sebenza or Handmade?

F

fishbulb

Joined
Sep 18, 2001
Messages
1,196
I have recently found myself with a desire to own a knife that is a bit nicer than the Benchmades I usually carry.

Since I have recently also been interested in framelocks the first thing I thought of was a Sebenza. I've been divided in my opinions of this knife before, but it is indisputably quality and that is what I'm looking for.

I then thought (as is often mentioned around here) that for around the same price as a Sebenza I could get a truly handmade knife. I could likely find something that would be much more unique, as well as more closely matching just the sort of design that I am looking for.

Any suggestions?
 
If you actually have some specific charecteristics that you are looking for than it would probably be best for you to look into having a knife made... Otherwise I'd say get the Sebenza... you know you want it :D
 
Go with a custom knife. A Sebenza is nice, but having a custom made is so much nicer! You get to talk to the maker and specify everything you want in a knife.
 
You won't find a knife made "better" than a Sebenza. It also has a great general purpose blade.
The advantage of the custom is that you can get one made that's made in the size you want, and specifically suited to the kind of cutting you do, not to mention having a great time dealing with the maker, and choosing your materials.
The relationship with the maker is what really makes a custom knife special, IMO. Choose a good maker.
I love my DDR CF EDC. Even sold my large Sebenza because the EDC was getting all the carry time. It's wonderful for the kind of cutting I do most, and fits my hand like a glove. All that aside...if I had not had a pleasurable experience with the maker, it would have been sold off immediately on delivery, and the Sebenza would be in my pocket right now. I highly recommend you look for a good maker instead of just looking for the cheapest price, because your opinion of the guy behind the knife will reflect on how much you enjoy owning and using the knife, not to mention keeping in perspective the wad of cash that knife purchase represents.
I think of Darrel, or Trace Rinaldi, every time I pull one of their knives out to use, and it makes me smile. I think if you're missing out on that part of a custom knife, you've really missed out.
Just my .02

Sorry to get so emotional:yawn:
:)
 
Even though it is more money, you should take a look at the Lochsa from Scott Cook. It is a beauty.

eba00270142f00000007.jpg
 
I have many custom's, mostly high end ones and yes i have used some for sure, but i have a Large Classic Sebbie in my pocket, it cuts like a dream and it's built like a tank, no kidding it's a truly great knife, like they say buy one and find out. BTW look in the Knifes for Sale Forums for a good deal on a Sebbie..

James
 
This would be a rough choice for me, I am currently the one holding the Sebenza passaround until tomorrow morning:( And to say that I was impressed and like it would be an understatement. However there is just something about knowing a knife is Handmade. Rough choice, but the good news is you'll be happy with either path you choose.
 
If you don't mind waiting - Mayo/Buck TNT - Feb 2003 MRSP 280-300
Knife handle - TI handle Framelock -drilled hole
blade material - S30V


Have a look at the buck forum if u want to see the pic.
 
Just get a Sebenza and send it to Mr.Mayo to be customized. That way you have the best of both worlds.:)
 
Originally posted by TheBadGuy
Just get a Sebenza and send it to Mr.Mayo to be customized. That way you have the best of both worlds.:)
Click to expand...
Cheers Bad Guy, i have one of those myself, a Mayonized Large Classic Sebbie with a way cool S30V HP blade!

James
 
The Lochsa and Buck/Mayo are nice! :)

For the last month or so, I've owned and used daily, a Mike Obernauf framelock S30V.

I can thoroughly recommend it. Beautifully designed, beautifully crafted. It compares very, very favourably to the Sebenza I have in the same size.

The Sebenza is not without it's advantages, namely: Easily taken apart and self-serviced, much easier to open left handed (this is probably a fault of mine, rather than the Obernauf's).

However, get this, the Obernauf was substantially cheaper than the same size (small) Sebenza S30V Dual thumbstuds. And you get that "it was made for me" pleasure of ownership from the handmade.

I have to add, that owning custom framelocks has made me appreciate just how good a knife the Sebenza is.
 
"I have to add, that owning custom framelocks has made me appreciate just how good a knife the Sebenza is."

Great comment, jsun. To me that sums it up nicely.

Here is my take:
If you want quality and performance, get a Sebenza.
If you want character, get a custom knife.
 
I've gone the full circle from custom knives to sebenza's and back to custom knives. Here are my thoughts. If you want the most precisely made and best engineered knife available go with the Sebenza! The Classic series are my favorite and with the wood inlays available at just a hair over four bills it is a great deal. Custom will allow you to do some designing but many makers have standard models and it can cost big bucks to do a complete knife from the ground up. JW Smith makes a framelock that is absolutely gorgeous and has some of the best fit and finish of ANY knife available today. He puts the same fit and finish regardless if it is a $400.00 tactical or a $2000.00 art knife!! :D :cool: :)
 
If you like the Sebenza blade shape, get a Sebenza. Very precise engineering and it holds value pretty well.

If you have any qualms about the blade shape, go custom.

If you want something a bit fancier than a Sebenza, don't blow your money on a dressed-up Sebbie, get a custom knife.
 
The Sebenza is the most solid and precisely engineered folder there is. There is just no way that kind of precision can be done by hand. I personally prefer the "built like a tank" feel of the Sebenza with absolutely NO play in the blade to "the hand of the maker", etc. that you get when ordering a custom knife. I have come full circle on this issue from Sebenza to customs and back to the Sebenza. I have a Large plain on its way and will be purchasing a large Classic and a small plain this year. The only custom knife I have is a DDR Carbon Fiber Apogee. I like it because it is well-made, not necessarily for some esoteric reason like "the hand of the maker" is in it. It's a precision-made folder of good materials and comfortable in the hand. If the blade had any play in it, I'd get rid of it. It's that simple for me. I can't live with any flaws in a $350-$500 knife. The Sebenza doesn't have any. Just my two cents.

Leo G.:D
 
I got lucky recently and got two Darrell Ralph knives, a 3" EDC and a 4" Apogee, both anodized titanium scales. One of them cost me money, the other cost me a Sebenza. (mschwoeb and wam03 are both great guys to deal with!)

I like to carry a few knives, so I take a small Sebenza with my Apogee or a large Sebenza when I carry the EDC. I agree with Leo: if any of these knives were less than perfect mechanically, I'd let them go.

fishbulb, if you are going to continue collecting knives :) I would suggest going for the Sebenza now, getting to appreciate its perfection and utility, and then checking out the tremendous variety of customs, both standard and special ordered. There's so much to learn about customs, don't rush into it, take your time -- but you'll find few of them outdo the Sebenza by much more than appearance.
 
I would say go for the Sebenza now, and order a custom later on. I see this as a type of evolution; you start out with cheap POS knives, find some good factory knives, then the Sebenza, and finally custom made. You learn somehting with each type. The Sebenza is a very well made knife. Fit, finish, and action are all flawless. It will show you just how good a knife can get, and in my mind, what to look for in a good custom made knife. Why spend $300+ to get a knife that has flaws like a sloppy lock-up or rough action? I don't think spending that amount of money on a knife is justified just because you can say it was custom made for you, when a factory made piece can do the same at a much lower price.
 
This depends on the result you would like to obtain. As been specified previously – Sebenza for quality and performance, handmade for character.
I then thought (as is often mentioned around here) that for around the same price as a Sebenza I could get a truly handmade knife
Click to expand...
But not at the same quality!
Visiting quite extensively European knife shows I had a lot of opportunities to consider some quite natural (thinking carefully) rule, something like production versus handmade. For the same price handmade more than likely will have worse quality or the same quality you can get for noticeably higher price.
Maybe at American knife shows this stands differently, I don’t know...
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top