Sebenza Stainless Damascus vs Spyderco Military

[tillias]

Hello gents.

I'm in the situation when I need to choose one general purpose knife for a long time. I won't be able to resupply or send it in to the factory for maintenance / parts replacement etc. Once chosen this will be my only blade at home (except hatchet and specialized kitchen knives)

It will be used at home for food prep, minor home cutting tasks. No hard use (I've got hatchet for this stuff).

I've got two choices (don't ask my why -- that is the situation):

1. New Spyderco Military M390
2. New Large Sebenza 21 Stainless Damascus

Military pros: Better steel (?), better corrosion resistance, better cutter, better edge retention
Sebenza pros: Better maintainability

Can you help me please with the choice?

 

[The Aflac Duck]

How come sending in for warranty is an issue? Are you outside of the country?

CRK would send you some parts if needed, but major warranty repair (ie broken blade) will require sending the knife in. I don't know if Spyderco sends out parts like CRK does, maybe someone does?

 

[tillias]

How come sending in for warranty is an issue? Are you outside of the country?

CRK would send you some parts if needed, but major warranty repair (ie broken blade) will require sending the knife in. I don't know if Spyderco sends out parts like CRK does, maybe someone does?

Sending in will be an issue. I will be living outside the country. I won't be allowed to carry locking folding knife in a public at all ;-)

Only home usage

 

[Yo Mama]

Sebenza all the way. It's a sweet looking blade, and you'll be less homesick when you look at it

 

[MatthewSB]

Easy - Military.

Before I was "into knives" I used a Spyderco Military for several years for everything from landscaping to food preparation. What is maintenance? I just used the thing, and it always worked. Every once in a while I rinsed it with water. The Military is also lighter, it's surprisingly light for a 4" bladed folder.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Sebenza, but for performance per ounce and long term reliability the Spyderco Military is the perfect knife.

 

[rpttrsn]

If I had to pick which knife I would like it would be the Sebanza. (I own two already) For your scenario I think you would be better off with the Spyderco. I own the Para Military in D2. I think the Pros you listed would make your decision easier.
Ron

 

[The Aflac Duck]

Easy - Military.

Before I was "into knives" I used a Spyderco Military for several years for everything from landscaping to food preparation. What is maintenance? I just used the thing, and it always worked. Every once in a while I rinsed it with water. The Military is also lighter, it's surprisingly light for a 4" bladed folder.

Don't get me wrong, I love my Sebenza, but for performance per ounce and long term reliability the Spyderco Military is the perfect knife.

Some (like myself) prefer to be able to take the knife apart easily, and the Sebenza is great at that. 3 points of contact, that's it; and the pivot bushing on the Sebenza is a wonderful thing!

 

[unit]

1. New Spyderco Military M390
2. New Large Sebenza 21 Stainless Damascus

Military pros: Better steel (?), better corrosion resistance, better cutter, better edge retention
Sebenza pros: Better maintainability

Can you help me please with the choice?

Under Military Pros...what is this information based on? It looks to be questionable information in many cases.

Better steel? For what? The DT Damascus is really a lot better than some seem to think. As a guy that carries and uses it daily on fairly hard tasks, I can say it has some attributes that many here seem to not know about.

It takes a very fine edge and if a crisp maintianed edge is what you like, I would say it is better than the M390. If you want to maximize the duration between sharpening for a working edge, the M390 will be prefered.

Better corrosion resistance? Unless you are diving with these, I would sugges that this is a push. And even if you were diving, I am not sure one is better than the other. I Jog and wear my Sebenza IWB. I won't tell you how nasty that knife gets with salty sweat, but corrosion is something I have never seen on it. I take it down and clean it every 6 months (a lot less frequently than most) and it is fine!

Better cutter? Again, this statement puzzles me. What are we talking about cutting? A hollow grind is pretty well recognized as resulting in thinner stock behind the edge, and therefore it cuts thinner media better. Only in recent years with this "hard use" craze does it seem that we "need" full flat or saber grinds for stronger blades. Regardless, either blade is going to cut thick media based on its spine thickness (you have to separate the media to get it to clear the spine), but for thinner media (like most people encounter, if they are honest about it) will be more easily cut by a hollow grind.

Honestly, though...this really comes down to preference. What do you like better? The Sebenza will carry smaller, but heavier. It will look more interesting and less "tactical" to onlookers. Both knives are pillars of the knife community and probably belong in every knife collector's collection.

I have a few examples of both knives, and at this point if someone offered a choice of the two in the photo, I would select the CRK without hesitation. It suits my use much better. I have not carried a Military in over a year.

 

[MatthewSB]

Some (like myself) prefer to be able to take the knife apart easily, and the Sebenza is great at that. 3 points of contact, that's it; and the pivot bushing on the Sebenza is a wonderful thing!

I understand, but when living in the third world (or wherever OP is headed) practicality often overcomes preference.

I now enjoy being able to take my knives apart as well, but I went a decade just using Emersons, Benchmades and Spydercos and never disassembled one for any reason. It's not necessary except in rare circumstances like the single time I stabbed through a container of Loctite and had it run into the pivot.

 

[tillias]

Under Military Pros...what is this information based on? It looks to be questionable information in many cases.

Better steel? For what? The DT Damascus is really a lot better than some seem to think. As a guy that carries and uses it daily on fairly hard tasks, I can say it has some attributes that many here seem to not know about.

The point is that I have no idea how DT Damascus performs. There are few threads here and there about it... If I understand it correctly the DT Damascus is very similar to the good CPM-S30V. I've carried both M390 and CPM S30V Para2. M390 holds an edge better.

It takes a very fine edge and if a crisp maintianed edge is what you like, I would say it is better than the M390. If you want to maximize the duration between sharpening for a working edge, the M390 will be prefered.

Thanks, good point.

Better corrosion resistance? Unless you are diving with these, I would sugges that this is a push. And even if you were diving, I am not sure one is better than the other. I Jog and wear my Sebenza IWB. I won't tell you how nasty that knife gets with salty sweat, but corrosion is something I have never seen on it. I take it down and clean it every 6 months (a lot less frequently than most) and it is fine!

Thanks a lot. Awesome feedback!

Honestly, though...this really comes down to preference. What do you like better? The Sebenza will carry smaller, but heavier. It will look more interesting and less "tactical" to onlookers..

I don't need a "tactical" blade in my scenario. Weight is not a problem because it will be used at home.

All in all I will try DT Damascus. Which angle do you put on it? 15 per side? 18 per side?

 

[tillias]

Before I was "into knives" I used a Spyderco Military for several years for everything from landscaping to food preparation. What is maintenance? I just used the thing, and it always worked. Every once in a while I rinsed it with water. The Military is also lighter, it's surprisingly light for a 4" bladed folder.

I've been using S30V Para2 for almost two years. Then switched to S30V Military. Awesome cutters! I do like it much more than S35VN from CRK (especially HT-ed in 2012). But based on the feedback I would like to try DT Damascus.

 

[unit]

The point is that I have no idea how DT Damascus performs. There are few threads here and there about it... If I understand it correctly the DT Damascus is very similar to the good CPM-S30V. I've carried both M390 and CPM S30V Para2. M390 holds an edge better.


Thanks, good point.


Thanks a lot. Awesome feedback!


I don't need a "tactical" blade in my scenario. Weight is not a problem because it will be used at home.

All in all I will try DT Damascus. Which angle do you put on it? 15 per side? 18 per side?

I quoted you for no particular reason other than to show a direct response

Check the CRK forum, and search DT damascus. I have weighed in with several discussions and thread there regarding the performance of it.

I disagree that it is like S30V EXCEPT to say it holds an edge about as long, but there are some major differences. One big one being that S30V holds a working edge and looses that highly refined hair popping abilty pretty quickly....DT by comparison holds this fine edge longer, but degrades more "linearly" to dullness, where S30V degrades (stabilizes) quickly to a working edge, and it stays working sharp for a long time. So really they are very different....some would say one is better than the other depending on their preferences. If you like toothy working edges....you won't like DT as much as M390.

If tactical is not your thing, the DT should be way up on your list...that (to me) is thebiggest difference between these two knives....both great, just in different knife demographics (if you will).

One other thing I feel compelled to share. The Sebenza is notorious for being so smooth....this is not really the case with DT in that you will feel the detent move over the layers of steel as the kniffe deploys. In many regards it is very cool, because you can FEEL as well as see what is cool about this steel Even in the dark, you know you are deploying a special steel

If you want, search "DT Damascus unit" and you will see some of my other musings if you are interested. Im too lazy to repeat them all, but I am rather fond of the stuff and you will see that I am not afraid to use it or hand it over to someone that asks to use my knife. I do not treat it like glass, and honestly, it shouldn't be. That said, the purest super steel junkies are not wrong to say what they probably will say...I just think that at some point there is a LOT more to enjoying a knife than simply adding a few days between sharpening.

Oh, and I change things up a bit with edge angles. 15 per side is fine, but I convex mine so effective apex is likely closer to 20 per side and it will surprise you how well it cuts at 20!