Sebenza or Umnumzaan

[RiverRat84]

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:

+1:thumbup:

 

[Usagee]

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:

And provided this company is still flourishing for decades to come, I surmise that the Umnumzaan will be named among that list.

 

[JNewell]

And provided this company is still flourishing for decades to come, I surmise that the Umnumzaan will be named among that list.

It may, and I hope you're right, but even so the Sebenza is somewhat unique in its design and engineering. I don't know of any knife* that is designed and manufactured to tolerances that allow the user to tighten the pivot screw all the way with no need for adjustment or Loctite as the knife comes from the manufacturer right out of the box.

* for convenience we'll include the Umfaan and Mnandi in the "Sebenza" category

 

[kreole]

It may, and I hope you're right, but even so the Sebenza is somewhat unique in its design and engineering. I don't know of any knife* that is designed and manufactured to tolerances that allow the user to tighten the pivot screw all the way with no need for adjustment or Loctite as the knife comes from the manufacturer right out of the box.

* for convenience we'll include the Umfaan and Mnandi in the "Sebenza" category

I carried my Um for months without loctite, and it never moved, so (assuming that is true across all of them) it is not a necessity . Not having to consider how tight to make the pivot is nice, but IMO being able to choose how tight or loose the blade feels is nicer.

 

[Shadow213]

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:

+2.....:thumbup: :thumbup:

I've owned both but traded off my Umnum and now only have my Large Regular Sebbie. After carrying the Zaan for a while, I found the handle to be just a bit slim for my tastes and the increased nick on the lockbar wasn't as comfortable to use as the cutout on the Seb. While the Zaan is an awesome knife, the Sebenza won out overall due to the ease of use(pointy thumbstud, more comfortable grip, lock easier to disengage, etc...), at least for me. My favorite perk with the Sebenza is that a simple allen wrench is all that's needed for disassembly/assembly, compared to the take down tool kit that must be purchased separately from CRK.

I just sent mine back in for a long overdue spa treatment, along for some other goodies.

 

[Usagee]

It may, and I hope you're right, but even so the Sebenza is somewhat unique in its design and engineering. I don't know of any knife* that is designed and manufactured to tolerances that allow the user to tighten the pivot screw all the way with no need for adjustment or Loctite as the knife comes from the manufacturer right out of the box.

* for convenience we'll include the Umfaan and Mnandi in the "Sebenza" category

Curious. Why wasn't the Umnumzaan's pivot screw designed like the Sebenza's; meaning, full pivot screw tightening without inhibiting blade action?

 

[Cynic2701]

Curious. Why wasn't the Umnumzaan's pivot screw designed like the Sebenza's; meaning, full pivot screw tightening without inhibiting blade action?

It's speculation on my part, but just from examining the contact areas of the screws/pivots on the respective knives it seems unnecessary. I, for one, prefer to be able to tighten or loosen a pivot.

 

[Usagee]

It's speculation on my part, but just from examining the contact areas of the screws/pivots on the respective knives it seems unnecessary. I, for one, prefer to be able to tighten or loosen a pivot.

Unnecessary to the point of adding extraneous cost to the Umnumzaan? How do you like the pivot blade action on a Sebenza? Is it too loose or tight for your preferences? If not, one could assume that you'd be more than satisfied CRK's preference for pivot tension once it's broken in.

 

[Cynic2701]

My Sebenza's a few years old now; it's very smooth. I like to have a lot of resistance to opening, however. I can flick my Sebenza open as fast as an Axis lock Benchmade--some people might prefer that, but I worry about people perhaps thinking that it is a "gravity knife." In general I prefer just about everything about the Sebenza over the Umnumzaan (by a very small amount), but I feel that I prefer the adjustable and huge pivot of the Umnumzaan.

 

[MANOEL Veiga de CARVALHO]

Hi flks,
I just received my small plain sebenza. It is a gem, perfectly made.
Congratulations to Chris & Anne. Thei are making the best folders ever.
This one will be just nou my EDC.
Best regards.

 

[Sonnydaze]

I see the Mnandi as a pure gentleman's knife; not for me, although it can be a gorgeous knife and a nice blade-shape.
The Umnum appears to be a perfect shape of blade, IMO, and the tip seems to be stronger than the Sebenza's. The Sebbie is a nice, "simple" blade-shape and extremely popular here, though obviously not my favorite.
My only CRK is the Umnumzaan, and I'm happy with my choice...for now.
Certainly, I agree with Shadow 213 that the Umnum's lockbar "nick" isn't nearly as easy to operate as the cutout on the Sebenza. But, it only affects the closing of the blade, when the quest for speed is over.
Sonny