Sebenza question

J

John Puckett

Joined
Dec 10, 2000
Messages
418
I am thinking very hard about buying a large classic 2000 Sebenza. I was just wondering if all of the good things I hear about it is true? For the money, I want it to REALLY good. Thanks for all the info you can give me about them.
 
John,
The answer is yes, it is that good. Use the search feature for the word Sebenza in the Blade Discussion Forum (year 1, archive, it doesn't matter) and you'll turn up thread after thread where this is discussed ad nauseum. And hurry, before RGRAY gets here!
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John, my advice would be that if at all possible, see if you can handle one first. Yes, they are great knives, but for some they are an acquired taste. It took me a little while to warm up to mine. I didn't like the thumbstud at first and I'm still not all that fond of it, but I was in the "quick flick" stage where rapid deployment of the blade was what I thought was the main purpose of a folder.
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Now I use it for what it was really designed for. A very tough, dependable, smooth, tank-like slicing machine. Easy to clean and maintain. A good user.

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Hoodoo

I get some pleasure from finding a relentlessly peaceful use for a combative looking knife.
JKM
 
I agree with Hoodoo completely, and do hold one first, and get the feel of it, As he said. I would even say to hold, and try any knife that you are buying as a user. You have to like the knife in your hands.
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Good Luck!



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BC... For those who fought for it, Freedom has a flavor the protected will never know... Semper Fi
 
John: IMHO the Sebenza is the best folder on the market, production or custom, regardless of price. They are also amazingly consistent from piece to piece--meaning that QC is remarkable. Backed up by great post-purchase support, there's nothing not to like. It may not be the sexiest thing out there, but as a user, it's thumbs up.
 
Save yourself $200+ and get a benchmade pinnacle. ATS34 , 6/4 Ti, frame lock. All the bells and whistles of the sebenza aside from the BG42 which isn't really that different from ATS34 and less than half the money.I've been beating the hell out of one for a couple months now and havent had any problems. Better ergonomics too
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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Matt Shade:
Save yourself $200+ and get a benchmade pinnacle. ATS34 , 6/4 Ti, frame lock. All the bells and whistles of the sebenza aside from the BG42 which isn't really that different from ATS34 and less than half the money.I've been beating the hell out of one for a couple months now and havent had any problems. Better ergonomics too
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I will have to respectfully disagree. The Benchmade 750 is a good knife with a lot of bang for your buck, but those bells and whistles you are talking about include a much finer fit and finish, better customer support and far easier maintenance on top of the added V in the BG-42. The stonewashed finish is much more resistant to scratching or wear, the rounded spine easier on the hands, the lockbar engages more of the tang than the current design of the Benchmade, and you don’t have to send the knife back for a proper sharpening as soon as you take it out of the box. Quality Control is the name of the game.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
The biggest problem I see with the Sebenza, aside from looks, is that those looks quickly become, in the eyes of many, even worse due to the soft Ti handles which scratch very easily.
Mechanically it's a great knife though.
I prefer something with a little more flair and better ergonomics.
 
Alrighty, and I'll disagree with you
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The lock on my 750 engages half the tang. Anymore than that is not good because you have no room for wear. The bead blast handles are very grippy and don't show scratches much at all. Not to mention the dull gray finish being another factor in that. The blade is a satin finish but he said he's going to be putting it to use so no matter what, scratches should be expected.
BG 42 may have more vanadium but the blade is ground with an extreme hollow grind that is going to wear alot faster than the beefy full flat grind of a 750 that still cuts good enough for any task short of some of the "Look what I can do" tricks like cutting toilet paper.
Buy whatever you like but don't sell yourself short, check out a 750 too. You may find you like it better for one reason or another and you can save a lot of $.
Oh yeah, BM sharpens to a steeper angle than most people like. That just means a half hour or so at the stones putting the edge you like on it.Why would you send it back to them to have the same steep angle reground
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They still come sharper than alot of production knives. I don't think its that big of a deal. It would be nice if a $100 knife came as sharp as you expect but the edge is useable. Its just sharpened at an angle that provides longer wear over performance.

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I may not be the sharpest knife in the drawer... but I've got the sharpest knife in the room.
 
I HAVE A SMALL SEBENZA THAT I HAVE OWNED AND CARRIED OFF AND ON FOR 6 YEARS SINCE PURCHASING IT FROM CHRIS IN 95. I HAVE BOUGHT OTHERS INCLUDING CUSTOMS AND HAVE GONE BACK TO THE SEBENZA. I OPEN AND CLOSE THE KNIFE CONSTANTLY WHEN I'M SITTING AROUND AND IT JUST KEEPS GETTING BETTER. AS FOR THE WEAR AND TEAR, EVERY SCRATCH IS MORE CHARACTER. MY KNIFE IS ATS34, WHICH IS WHAT CHRIS USED BACK THEN AND IT GETS "SHARP AND STAYS SHARP" FOR A LONG TIME.

YOU CAN CALL IT A PRODUCTION KNIFE IF YOU WANT, BUT THE WAY THIS KNIFE WEARS IT'S LIKE CALLING A WINSTON CUP CAR A "PRODUCTION CAR". MINE'S CUSTOM TO ME!!!!

 
I agree the Pinnacle is most certainly not a knife to look over, but if you're looking for a Sebenza you just won't find one in the BM. Handling your Sebenza before you buy it may not be convenient, but is the way to go if possible. Happy purchasing!
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You could put nacho cheese sauce on it...
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Matt Shade:
Alrighty, and I'll disagree with you
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The lock on my 750 engages half the tang. Anymore than that is not good because you have no room for wear.</font>
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Actually, I was refering to the width of the tang, not the depth. The 750 originally had a nice, wide lock bar, but Benchmade narrowed it to make production simpler. The wimpy little lockbar they use now doesn't match up to the Sebenza, it keeps it in a class with the CRKT S1 or that SWAT framelock. It is the best in its class, but that's all.

And why should I have to sharpen any NIB knife? Spyderco seems to deliver a razor sharp blade no matter the price range, why oh why can't Benchmade? I mean, we buy the things to cut, right? I just want the damned knife to be able to right out of the gates. Is that too much to ask?



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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
Hello, all. I'd like to understand something about what is being discussed: when you talk about Benchmade grinding edges to a "steeper angle than some people like," does that me that the V of the edge is narrower, or broader, if you look directly at the tip of the knife head-on? I got confused when someone said that they grind steeper, and then said that it was for longer wear over performance. Does a "steep" angle result in a MORE or LESS acute V to the blade?
 
PJ: Edges on benchmade knives are left thicker, i.e. the V of the edge is wide. Many people here post something like, "I got a new Benchmade today, and AFTER sharpening it..."
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Sebenzas are sharper out of the box, Benchmades need a bit of work.

Sebenza, Benchmade, they all will get scratched and need re-sharpening anyways!


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"Come What May..."
 
I've got three Benchmades -- a 975 Emerson, tanto, of course, a 730 Ares, drop point, and a 650 Spike. All of them came so sharp you couldn't touch the edges without getting nicked.

I agree that BM is more interested in a working edge than a demonstration of sliced air molecules, but even Sal Glesser on his Sharpmaker video makes a point of how to put a working edge on a knife, and not sharpening it beyond what it needs to do the job.

Benchmade may have gone through a period where their quality control let some knives go out without the best possible edge, but I think most people complaining about how sharp they are not out of the box are being very finicky. (Which we have a right to be for the money we pay!)
 
Did I mention? I wouldn't trade my Sebenza for anyone's Benchmade. It's a different class of machine altogether.
 
I have had both and I just like the Sebenza more. It is hard to explain but it just feels better in my hand. Also the blade on my 750 developed wiggle after about 8 months of moderate use.

Rich
 
Personally, I prefer the small Sebenza. I highly recommend anything from Chris Reeve. His customer service is outstanding and that is part of the price you pay. More accurately, the market determines the price and the market seems to indicate that the Sebenza is worth it. Benchmade makes a decent knife but they are a big company and they churn out knives by the thousands. My personal experience is that the Sebenza is a knife worth more than the asking price. I have been very pleased with mine. Their quality is out of this world and they really care about and take care of their customers. Benchmade is like a Chevy and a Sebenza is like a Mercedes. You get what you pay for.
 
I'm with Matt. BENCHMADE Pinnacle overall design, handling comfort, durability, performance and quality are more than enough for heavy duty knife.
The only justification of extra costs I can see is if you want to have Sebenza.
 
I am going to have to agree!

While I LOVE my Large Plain Classic MM Sebi

My BM Monolock is a great knife. For one third the price it is an amazing knife! I really like it.

Like a Ford and a Merc, both do the same job just as well. The Merc has more attention to detail (god you pay for that!) just like a Sebi! Well it must be said, I do think the Sebi is overpriced a bit ($75-$100) After getting my LCC I started to look twice at the Sebi. Which knife is my now daily carry? The 750, the lock was hard to disengage at first, but it is better now. It is not as sharp as the Sebi, but that is EASY to fix. I own a Sebi because I WANT TO!!! Simple as that.

Guess I am a little odd then.
But then that is no surprise?
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W.A.

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