Sebenza Overrated?

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jill jackson said:
Sal himself said, if Spyderco was to make a knife with the close tolerances of CR knives it would cost just as much. So, if you want something very well made, seems it will cost you. If you don't want it and can't see paying for it don't. I can get by with cheaper knives, but I like the way my CR's are made myself.
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Thank you, very nicely said. +1 from me on that.
 
jill jackson said:
Sal himself said, if Spyderco was to make a knife with the close tolerances of CR knives it would cost just as much. So, if you want something very well made, seems it will cost you. If you don't want it and can't see paying for it don't. I can get by with cheaper knives, but I like the way my CR's are made myself.
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I especially love my Large Classic BG42 Sebbie. :thumbup::)
 
Noctis3880 said:
Have you used a Sebenza before?

I vaguely remember some people telling me that simply because the same steel is harder doesn't guarantee edge retention. Still, not sure if you could call S30V at Rc 58-59 "soft". I'd like to think that some makers keep their steels a bit on the soft side for better toughness. Though considering the ergonomics of the knife, perhaps a super hard and wear resistant HT would be better as I can't imagine what kind of hard use you could put that thin blade through.

But I was still under the impression that only the newer PM steels could be consistently heat treated to Rc 60+ like CTS-XHP, Elmax, M390, ZDP-189, and CPM-M4. At least in a production knife:rolleyes:.

Still, I suppose you have to walk into it with the idea that a Sebenza is sort of like a Rolex. It doesn't tell time all that much better than other watches(or your iPhone), it's just cool to have.
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Yeah, more than a few of them over the years, both large and small. :)
 
jill jackson said:
Saying S30V at 58-59 isn't any better than AUS8A, is right up there, too.
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Don't bet money on it Jill. ;)

Everything is give and take with steels.

Lower the hardness and you gain toughness and lose edge retention.

Lower the Hardness to make it easier to sharpen and you lose edge retention.

We just can't have our cake and eat it too with steels, it just doesn't work that way.

To gain something we have to give something else up.
 
Ankerson said:
Don't bet money on it Jill. ;)

Everything is give and take with steels.

Lower the hardness and you gain toughness and lose edge retention.

Lower the Hardness to make it easier to sharpen and you lose edge retention.

We just can't have our cake and eat it too with steels, it just doesn't work that way.

To gain something we have to give something else up.
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Sorry Ankerson, I just don't think you are the end all steel expert you try to come across as. ;)
Your points are all valid, but you don't know more than the people that manufacture knives.:)
 
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jill jackson said:
Sorry Ankerson, I just don't think you are the end all steel expert you try to come across as. ;)
Your points are all valid, but you don't know more than the people that manufacture knives.:)
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I never implied that I did. :)
 
get a bradley alias. lets face it, most people buy sebenzas and chuck em' in a safe until it's time to take pictures.. hahah.. spend 150, buy an alias and use the sh*t out of it. IMO it's as solid and smooth of a knife you'll ever need.
 
four_shore said:
get a bradley alias. lets face it, most people buy sebenzas and chuck em' in a safe until it's time to take pictures.. hahah.. spend 150, buy an alias and use the sh*t out of it. IMO it's as solid and smooth of a knife you'll ever need.
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I don't think that is correct.
 
I got one and carried it almost immediately. Every time I think "wow, I can't believe it cost so much" I use it and understand all over again. Then I have to convince myself not to order an inlayed version.

I have a number of Spydercos and they are all great, but there is just something about the Sebenza.
 
I guess one would have to own a Sebenza to say for certain whether it's overrated or not. Should have been a caveat to the original post...

I haven't heard of anyone owning a Sebenza and *not* being satisfied with it. I kinda like the look of the Mnandi better though. If/when I decide to take the plunge, that'll be the CRK for me, I think. :)
 
Ankerson said:
Don't bet money on it Jill. ;)

Everything is give and take with steels.

Lower the hardness and you can possibly gain toughness and lose edge retention.

Lower the Hardness to most likely make it easier to sharpen and you lose edge retention.

We just can't have our cake and eat it too with steels, it just doesn't work that way.

Almost always to gain something we have to give something else up.
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Exactly (although I changed it a little bit) :), although you seem to swing in favor of the optimum hardness HT, and are less than complimentary to those that don't maximize hardness and produce to the "tradeoff" you speak of here. IMO, neither is right or wrong, both can be pleasing.

darksiders...(shaking head)

Oh to keep on topic, love the Sebbie, certainly not overrated.
 
Thomas W said:
Exactly (although I changed it a little bit) :), although you seem to swing in favor of the optimum hardness HT, and are less than complimentary to those that don't maximize hardness and produce to the "tradeoff" you speak of here. IMO, neither is right or wrong, both can be pleasing.

darksiders...(shaking head)

Oh to keep on topic, love the Sebbie, certainly not overrated.
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Thomas,

Yeah you are right, I do love performance, the more the better and then push it even more and see what we get. :D

Come on over to the Darkside. :D

For S30V I like that 59.5 to 60.5 range and for customs it can be pushed to around 61 to 62 depending so yes I am slightly picky I think.

I have had really soft S30V (55 HRC) before and it was so bad it was like pot metal, well not that bad but you get the idea. :D

Jim
 
I've got a sebenza coming in the mail it should be here any day now all i have to say is this is the most excited i've ever been about a knife it's just simple yet so elegant.
 
A few years back I owned a LH Small Classic for several months. At the time, although I appreciated the simplicity and quality, I was somewhat underwhelmed and sold it off. Mine was chronically stiff and almost scale-rubbing off-center, so much so that the first buyer returned it. When I sent it to CRK for centering, I got it back still stiff, "resharpened" to less sharp than when I sent it in, and at 75%+ lockbar engagement (it was about 30% when I sent it in). I finally sold it at a moderate loss. I'm certainly not casting any blame anywhere, but that was my Sebenza experience. :shrug:

My perpetual frustration is that there are very few higher-end production ambi or lefty folders. Many of the standard solutions --Bradley Alias, BM Skirmish or MiniSkirm, Striders, higher end Kershaws, etc -- that otherwise appeal to me are righty only. I know that many left-handed folks use righty folders, but in a luxury item this is an unacceptable compromise to me. So I end up carrying, using, and greatly enjoying midrange Spydercos. I just wish there were a greater range of "prestige" folders for lefties. The fact that CRK offers lefty models really appeals to me.

However, I just spent a few days this week meeting and working with a fellow knife nut, and his Large Sebenza got me thinking about one again. There is certainly something about them...
 
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