Sebenza or Umnumzaan

knifephan

knifephan

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So I have decided my next knife should be a CRK and now the hard part. My question for you guys with experience in the area is should I get a Sebenza or Umnumzaan and why? I will likely not get another CRK for a while so lets just assume it is one or the other forever and will be used in my EDC rotation. I would also consider an Mnandi, but the other 2 have struck my fancy more for some reason, maybe the Mnandi's just look less like user knives and more likely to be shown off and kept safe and clean.
 
I would personally take the Umnumzaan over the Sebenza Classic/21 every time, but I would be less quick to pick up the Umnumzaan if it was a Regular Sebenza we were talking about. :):thumbup:
 
I choose Sebenza. Umnumzaan is a great knife but I personally find it very uncomfortable to unlock. Maybe the new version with the Hinderer stabilizer is better but the original is a no go for me. The best way is to try out both, it boils down to a matter of opinion and we cant make those for you. :thumbup:
 
I should have mentioned in my original post that I am over seas and can not handle either knife before purchase so this will be sight unseen (unheld). Haze I didn't realize there was a "regular" sebenza, I just saw the large and small versions.
 
I think both a Sebenza and the Umnumzaan are very fine knives indeed and I'd be happy with either if I could only have one knife. From my personal experience, and reading of others here on the forum, I think the Sebenza is a much easier knife to be satisfied with as soon as you open the box. The Umnumzaan generally takes a little growing into. I can open and close my Umnumzaan with ease, but it does seem more difficult than a Sebenza which did put me off at first, but now I enjoy.

If I you go with the Umnumzaan, be prepared to give it a little time to grow on you and you'll be very happy that you did, it's a fantastic knife!
 
i only have one chris reeve knife and i chose the small sebenza.
seems really solid and nice.
 
I like both but if I had to chose I'd take the Large Sebenza 21. Really doesn't matter cause after you get one you'll find a way to buy the other.
 
Sooner or later I'm sure I will end up with both, but there are so many other knives I want from so many other makers I can only justify one for the foreseeable future.
 
Top 5 reasons I select Sebenza as a consideration:

1) Opening the Sebenza is similar to other knives you may have that utilize the thumb stud;
2) From what I've noticed on tracking second-hand sales, Sebenzas tend to retain value a bit more;
3) Sebenza, to me, seems to be their flagship product, so why not own one of those at least at first;
4) If you want embellishments, Sebenza is the way to go, i.e., graphics, inlays, damascus;
5) Sebenza is easier to say. :)
 
knifephan said:
Sooner or later I'm sure I will end up with both, but there are so many other knives I want from so many other makers I can only justify one for the foreseeable future.
Click to expand...

The trouble is once you own your first CRK, other makers knives seem much less apealing IMO.
 
I say go for the Sebenza 21. You'll be pleased with it. Then after your third or fourth you'll end up getting the Umnumzaan anyway and I'm sure you'll be pleased with that aswell:)

Either way you'll have a solid knife you'll be proud to own.


The Regular is a discontinued version of the Sebenza and to my understanding is only produced as the Annual. Regular models pop up on the secondary market, but seeing as they are discontinued people are more apt to hold on to them.
 
Chris Reeves edcs the zaan or so I am told. I like my zaan its a great piercer nice glass breaker just in case as well lol. If you want to pry sebenza can handle it a bit more than the zaan. It all comes out to what you like. Both are great honestly so just choose what feels more "you"
 
I have a small 21 and a small Insingo. I also have a large Regular so the Umnum is my next target:)
I love Sebenzas but i never held a Umnum so i can't really help you with this one.
However i find the Umnum very beautiful and can't wait to play with one:D
As i said before, once i buy the large Insingo and an Umnum i will stop the buying CRK, hopefully:D
 
Ive come to the point where I decided to keep a small classic African blackwood Sebenza for dressier wear (it was an edc for a couple of years though) and my umnumzaan for edc. I liked my large sebenzas but I like my umnumzaan more. Zero regrets.
 
Well my first CRK was the Umnumzaan; but now I have three Large Sebenzas as well:
Regular(discontinued),
Insingo and
Classic Ebony inlay (same as the 21 ftmp)

My take:
It's true that the Sebenza is easier to disengage but the Umnumzaan is more ergonomic to the human hand. This is true for a variety of grips as well. The thumb fits nicely on the first groove of the spine for tasks like peeling an apple, and the forefinger fits on the second groove near the tip for detailed work. The handle itself is also more ergonomic fitting more naturally into the hand.

What does all this mean? Well imo If you are going to do hard cutting for extended periods I think the Umnum has a slight edge. If this will be more of a fondeling knife, that you will open and close hundreds of times a day, and you plan on using cheaper "beaters" for the big stuff, go with the Seb. In all reality, they are both great for both types of tasks and these differences are slight.

Styling is also a consideration with the Sebenza being the more classical of the two. If you like the more aggressive styling of the Umnum, it's a great choice. You really cant go wrong with either.
 
my first CRK was an Umnumzaan, still my favourite folder of all

Umnum if large, small seb if small
 
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