Sebenza vs Bradley Alias

B

big_chief

Joined
Jul 25, 2009
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whats up yall, im shortly going to purchas either a large sebenza or an alias and am hoping you can clarify whether or not the sebenza is worth twice the cost and why? as far as i can tell they are pretty much the same so if you can help me make a better decision that would be cool. i would just buy the sebenza but then i start thinking i could get an alias and a bark river highland special and have money left over so im kind of torn. thsnks
 
If you love knives the yes it is and if you are just a casual user then you probably wont know in the way that i cant telthe difference between a a mustang and a saleen theyre both just fast cars to me. but to someone like me the alias just doesnt compare to the sebbie.

Id say get the sebb you can always resell it and buy the alias but to me and a fair chunk of knife owners the sebbie is pretty much EDC perfection for the man about town. I wish that every knif eowner could slip a sebbie into their pockets at leas tonce. its a rela tough decision for some people and a no brainer for other threads rage on for pages of flaming between people who worship the sebbie and people who cant see paying over 100 bucks for knife. personally if you cnat rationalize (i said rationalize not afford these are diferent things plz dont all attack me at once) the price of a sebbie i dont know if id actually call you a real cutlery lover, years ago i ate just ramen for a month so i could get a nice knife.

Ill reiterate i love the sebenza and plenty of others do as wel only you cnamake the decision but i urge you to try it out for yourself if only this once, maybe youll see it to. :D
 
I've owned both and while the Sebbie is no doubt the better folder its not two times better than the Alias. The Alias is really one of the better frame lock mid level folders around in my opinion. For about half the cost its not half as good its probably 3/4s to 7/8s as good based on my feelings about both. The only thing the Sebbie really has over it is a higher attention to detail for both the fit and finish as well as the pivot bushing.

Personally I liked the blade shape of the Alias better. I also did not miss the bushing at all because the Alias is smooth regardless of not having that built into it. It offers anodizing of the thumb stud and stand offs like the Sebenza and one thing it has over the Sebenza is tip up or tip down carry options. I would say the Alias is probably the better value offering more bang for the buck but the Sebenza is certainly a classy folder.

Its the little things that would make the Sebenza better, not stuff that is going to stand out to most lay people or I should say most end line users I guess. Things like the surface grinding of the slabs to build it to make it more uniform thickness through out, the anal retention of detail and focus on the lock being just right on a high percentage of them and overall fit and finish and attention to even the very minute details. This is why the Sebenza is the standard by which all others are judged.

STR
 
Still can't see how Titanium makes it that much more expensive. I don't think Titanium is much harder to cut than Aluminum, it is much much harder to weld, but you are not welding here...
 
IGotStabbed said:
Still can't see how Titanium makes it that much more expensive. I don't think Titanium is much harder to cut than Aluminum, it is much much harder to weld, but you are not welding here...
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Both if then are Ti framelocks ;)



The Sebbie is worth it to ME. YMMV :cool:
 
so can you open the bradley more easily then the sebenza? and in your opinions is ruggedness the same? i am the kind of guy that has a hard time being happy with something if there is something better out there but if its just tiny minute details and they are equally reliable and function equally well then ill get 2 knives for the price of one and feel fine about it. also since the bradley doesnt have the bushing does that mean you can overtighten it and cause it to be less smooth?
 
Both are made from the same materials, but as other mentioned the price difference comes from the attention to detail and pivot bushing system. For me the price difference in totally worth it, but I see my knives as a bit more than just a cutting tool. The Alias is a damn good knife too, but you really can't compare it to a Sebenza. It does put about 80% of what the sebenza is at a lower price point. Both will cut the same.
 
The Alias is a really good knife, and relatively speaking a good value, I looked at it because I wanted something like a Sebenza then I decided to quit that and just get one. Also when I bought my Sebenza (a used large regular for $270 which is much less then a new one btw) I bought it in part for the satisfaction of simply having a Sebenza, was it worth it? Yes. Would I have spent more? Yes. Do I plan on getting another when funds allow? Yes.
 
Owned both and like the Sebenza better. Not sure if it's worth twice the cost, but it does feel more rugged and better built.
 
I've handled both knives and for me Alias 1 is the one. Sure, CR Sebenza is probably the best production folder you can get, but they are way out of reach for most Europeans as the retail prices go up as high as 600 Euros for a regular Sebenza (that is 840 USD - no kidding :eek:). Even if I would buy from TNK it will cost me at least 580 USD including international shipping and outrageous European import taxes.

So, as long as the European retail prices for Alias 1 are around/slightly below 250 Euros (350 USD), the choice is made in favor of the Alias. Yes, Sebenza is the better folder, but for me it just don't justify the huge price difference.
 
I have both brands.
Is the CRK twice the knife of the Bradley? Not to me, and I can afford almost any production folder made.

CRK’s are nice, but so are Bradleys.

I would never suggest a CRK to someone who is tight on funds. They aren’t that great.

I bought a CRK and a Strider last year just so that I could see if I was really missing anything.

Since buying them, I have bought about a dozen other folders in the $150-250 range.
Some of these I like better than the CRK. Most have more pocket time than the CRK.
In other words, the CRK didn’t rock my world to the point of not wanting any other knives. The Strider didn’t either, but it’s a lot more unique than the CRK.

If I cared about having a status symbol, or wanted a knife that ‘would last the rest of my life’, I guess I might pony up for a CRK instead of 1 or 2 nice folders. But, I don’t care about status symbols, and I know that there will always be something better out there in the future. BTW, my CRK is all scratched up, I had no intention of doing the safe-queen gig so that I could sell it later.

It is more fun to have two or three good knives than just one, even if it is a CRK.
 
bearcut said:
It is more fun to have two or three good knives than just one, even if it is a CRK.
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+1:thumbup: The Sebenza, while having the best fit and finish of all production folders, is, in my opinion, not the best cutter around, it doesn't have the best heat treat, it doesn't have great ergos, and if you use it, it won't stay nice looking for long. I'm not saying it's not a good or even a great knife, I'm just saying that, for me, it isn't the 'be all, end all' of production knives. What it gains in quality of craftsmanship, it seems to lose in other areas.

Regards,
3G
 
THE PUNISHER said:
There is no comparision,blah,a kirby lambert perhaps..........
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I would agree here. D makes a point. I used to say "why are the sebenza so much more the Alias is just as good". I bought a Umnumzaan. It was over from there. since I have sold off most of my mid level knives and bought 2 Kirby Lamberts and 1 CRK
 
Get the Sebenza.:thumbup: You can get other knives when you have more money.
 
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