Sebenza or Umnumzaan

Sebenza can handle prying more than a zaan? Care to explain that please? Seems like the umnumzaan's bigger pivot and thicker blade stock would = better at prying.

Chipped Karambit said:
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"
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Outside of posting this to get some BF feedback I have been reading and watching videos around the web. The idea of the sebe being better for prying comes from the fact that it has a thicker tip than the zaan. I do not really plan on using whichever I choose as a pry bar though, so for my purposes the point is moot. On an unrelated note, my most frequent EDCs are my 2 para 2 sprints. Since I have not handled any CRKs I am hoping they are as good or better than my para 2s considering the price difference. I do love my para 2s, so the CRK I get will have to be a super knife.

kawr said:
Sebenza can handle prying more than a zaan? Care to explain that please? Seems like the umnumzaan's bigger pivot and thicker blade stock would = better at prying.
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Either way you go you will be thrilled!! Thats a tough one! I love them both!! My locks on my Umnums work like butter! Dont know what that guys talkin bout?! I might just flip a coin!
 
The swedge gives the illusion of a thinner tip on the zaan than it actually it is and in reality they are about the same. Also if tip thickness is a big issue for someone I would just get the tanto umnumzaan :). Like others have said I honestly dont think you can go wrong with the sebenza or umnumzaan. As a serious Sebenza fanboy I've been coming around to see the appeal of a zaan. Mainly a more robust design with cutting edge engineering. If the Sebenza will last a lifetime the Umnumzaan will last multiple. The benefits of a Sebenza mainly revolve around ease of maintenance and idiot proof pivot design. Just pick what appeals to you more and you will be happy regardless.

knifephan said:
Outside of posting this to get some BF feedback I have been reading and watching videos around the web. The idea of the sebe being better for prying comes from the fact that it has a thicker tip than the zaan. I do not really plan on using whichever I choose as a pry bar though, so for my purposes the point is moot. On an unrelated note, my most frequent EDCs are my 2 para 2 sprints. Since I have not handled any CRKs I am hoping they are as good or better than my para 2s considering the price difference. I do love my para 2s, so the CRK I get will have to be a super knife.
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P1GEONPOO said:
The trouble is once you own your first CRK, other makers knives seem much less apealing IMO.
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Gosh, isn't that the truth? I just got my Umnumzaan a week ago, and nearly bought another one today on the Exchange forum. Whew! I was frantically thinking about just what I could sell to finance another Umnum. :)
Sonny
 
P1GEONPOO said:
The trouble is once you own your first CRK, other makers knives seem much less apealing IMO.
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This right here is, in my opinion, one of the most accurate of all the responses that I have read. I started with plain BG-42 small Sebenza, and while I carried it alot, I didn't really "get it'. Later, I recieved a mnandi from my wife as an aniversary gift, and while it was most definately nice, I still didn't really get it. A year or two later, I bought a small classic with desert wood. Another pretty knife, but what was the big deal about?!? Now a year ago, I finally got my first Umnumzaan. A TNK Polished Tanto to boot! Now I GET IT!!! This has not left my side yet! Well at least until recieving my regular Umnumzaan which is now the dailly carry knife! And finally, this week, I got my large 21 Sebenza, and to me, what a difference! It is night and day to a small. Both the Umnumzaan and the large Sebenza FEEL like quality, fine knives. Where as the smaller Sebenza ans Mnandi are beautifull to look at, but just don't have that feel to me. When I hold my Umnumzaan or now, my large Sebenza, They FEEL like a high dollar quality knife. If I could only have one, as hard as that would be, it would be the Umnumzaan, that knife feels like it was custom made for me and custom fit to my hand even! I love my CRK's and am so happy to have stuck it out, and purchased the larger knives. Because if I hadn't, I would have missed out on what I believe to be the best knives made period. And yes, I do own a bunch of Spyderco, which are nice, a few Benchmade, a couple of ZT's, and Kershaws, two Striders (SnG, SMF), and a Hinderer xm-18. Imho, both the Large Sebenza and Umnumzaan are a value for the money, and out of all the knives I have owned, the best! Thank you Chris Reeve!
Thanks, Chris
 
Funny you mention the tanto versions, all logical reasoning aside, I am really partial to tanto blades and will very likely get a tanto in whichever knife I initially go with. I find CRK grinds on his tanto blades to be very beautiful. If I had not found that the zaan is available in tanto I probably would have already decided on a sebe.

kawr said:
The swedge gives the illusion of a thinner tip on the zaan than it actually it is and in reality they are about the same. Also if tip thickness is a big issue for someone I would just get the tanto umnumzaan :). Like others have said I honestly dont think you can go wrong with the sebenza or umnumzaan. As a serious Sebenza fanboy I've been coming around to see the appeal of a zaan. Mainly a more robust design with cutting edge engineering. If the Sebenza will last a lifetime the Umnumzaan will last multiple. The benefits of a Sebenza mainly revolve around ease of maintenance and idiot proof pivot design. Just pick what appeals to you more and you will be happy regardless.
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I've EDC'd an Umnumzaan and small insingo (zero experience with the large Sebenza), and I prefer the small Sebenza. The Umnumzaan was a great knife, and I could open and close it just as quick as my Sebenza, but in the end, I didn't need the slightly larger blade, the small seb was a better pocket-rider, and the action on it was a bit smoother. I liked my Umnum a lot, but eventually sold it, because I just preferred carrying and using the small insingo... YMMV.
 
I have the Sebenza, I should have bought the Umnumzaan, just more ME. So I bought a Umnumzaan, it's almost here maybe a week or two!
 
I have 3 small sebenza's want a Umnumzaan bad but do to knife laws being 3" or less here doubt that will happen.
 
If i had to choose between the Umnum or Sebby.....:confused::confused::confused:

Umnum is winning by a nose:eek::eek::eek:
 
Sebenza being the flagship(and your first). I prefer the small sebenza over the large. But i love my Umnumzaan. For some reason the large sebenza feels awkward compared to the small or Umnum, i don't know why.

If though asking which i favor, the umnumzaan.

You'll be having both regardless, so the question is moot :p
 
Fast forward to the present and get the Umnumzaan; enjoy all the innovation and heritage from the Sebenza. You can go back to get a Sebenza if you want to backtrack on the CRK timeline.
 
I bought the Umnum first...the blade looks so cool....almost like a Klingon war dagger......and now ordered a sebenza today....you will end up with both. :D
 
I own a Large Sebenza 21 and an Umnumzaan Tanto with LBS.

The Sebenza is easier to live with on a daily basis due to the following:

1. Lighter weight
2. Slightly smoother action between my two blades
3. Standard allan screws for convenient take-down (Umnumzaan requires a special pivot tool)
4. No need of loctite during reassembly.
5. Rounded blade spine feels nice to the touch
6. Work of art

The Umnumzaan is a formidable knife for the following reasons:

1. Although heavier, it feels more solid (Not that the Sebenza lacks any rigidity)
2. Stronger blade (Tanto)
3. Added glass breaker feature
4. IMO, preferred blade deployment (Pushing thumb stud straight up parallel to the Ti slabs as opposed to Sebenza's outward sweeping motion)
5. Lockbar will last longer due to ball detent design
(Ball detent sits halfway on top of the lock bar whereby maintaining contact with the blade at all times as opposed to Sebenza's heat treated lock bar surface design) http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/624125-Sebenza-lock-bar-heat-treatment
6. Also a work of art

I usually edc the Umnumzaan for the reasons above; at least until my xm-18 and FXM arrive. We'll see how it holds up against the competition.

Hope this helps. Good luck with your decision.
 
I like Small Sebenza sized knives and blades where the tip is lower, so I bought a Small Insingo as my first CRK. I love that knife. I bought a Large Insingo later, but the Small was carried more.

When the Umnumzaan started to come out in S35vn, I bought an S30v version off the exchange...worst mistake of my life! :D It's bigger than I like, heavier and longer both, but I can't seem to carry any other frame lock knife over it, the beloved Small Insingo included. Whereas the beveling of the Sebenza 21 is flat, the Um's beveling is smooth and curved, which is much more comfortable in the hand and a very noticeable difference. The thicker handles also translate to being more comfortable and add extra purchase for your thumb (the extra strength, IMO, is meaningless--have you ever heard of someone cracking or even flexing a Sebenza's handle?). Not having a wearing titanium lock bar to worry about is a huge plus, too. Throw on the how smooth it is with that ceramic ball and how it is entirely silent with that and the o-rings, and you have a knife a step above any other frame lock, Sebenza 21 included. Of course, opinions differ :)
 
I much prefer the Sebenza. A simple classic design that is hard to beat.
 
When you encounter a knife like the Sebenza...or the Buck 110 or the Spyderco Military, Delica and Endura or the Benchmade 710...that has been around for 15, 20 or more years, you should be aware that there are very good reasons why the knife is still in production today. The Umnu is a great knife...but the Sebenza is a classic, and for many good reasons. :thumbup:
 
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