Sebenza vs. Umnumzaan: which should I buy for EDC?

dcmartin said:
Remembering when i went to buy my first Sebenza, I held both the large and the small... I remember originally wanting the Lg but i went with the Sm for some reason...I think i thought that the Lg was too big. I eventually traded the small for a Lg Tanto and never looked back. Go with your gut man! I liked it so much (size wise) that soon after i traded my SNG for an Umnumzaan. I personally love both of these blades and couldn't pick one over the other.

If you like the Para 2, I think you're going to like the Lg Sebenza a bit more than the Umnumzaan... The Umnum has a very textured feel to it whereas the Para 2 and the Sebbie feel somewhat similar but in the end like I said, go with your gut.

The Sebenza comes apart with an supplied allen wrench and the Umnum requires a kit ($12) no biggie

Best of luck brutha!

photo4-9.jpg


photo1-14.jpg


photo2-14.jpg


photo3-12.jpg


photo5-7.jpg
Click to expand...

I LOVE that Tanto Sebenza...that's what I wanted...however I ended up with a standard blade. I will get one...hopefully sooner than later. It'll go great with my tanto umnumzaan.
 
Thanks for the advice guys. I have decided on the large sebenza, felt hand. I would like the Umnumzaan but can't find a left handed model and CRK is back ordered from the factory. Will post pics when I receive the knife!
 
Gearguy said:
Thanks for the advice guys. I have decided on the large sebenza, felt hand. I would like the Umnumzaan but can't find a left handed model and CRK is back ordered from the factory. Will post pics when I receive the knife!
Click to expand...

Yeah, left handed Umnumzaan's are hard to find. Large felt handed Sebenza's, on the other hand... ;)
 
Whoa! I didn't realize the new ums had something to prevent the lock bar from overextending! I really like the way they did it, it really keeps with the looks of the rest of the companies pieces
 
I say hold them in your hand before you decide.
Different people hold their knives slightly differently and also like different layouts.

Here's what I did.
I held all of them.
The Sebenza has a straight shape with a high point, which put the point up too high for my taste, because straight shape of the handle made the point go up high like that when I held it. Didn't like it. Point not where I wanted it.
The Umnumzaan was better in that regard, because the tail end is a little more rounded-off, and the blade tip is dropped lower on the Umnumzaan. I think it was to overcome that issue that I felt with the Sebenza.

And in the end, I bought a Bradley Alias, because it felt better in the hand than either of the CRK knives did, IMO. It has a slightly more curved shape to the tail of the handle with put the knife in a much more natural position for me, and the spearpoint blade has enough drop to put the point exactly where I want it. It felt way better for me.
And it has a top notch titanium framelock and S30V blade, and killer construction quality by Benchmade, and feels just as quality to me as the CRK. And it fits my hand better. Plus, it's more than $100 cheaper. Maybe it sounds like "heresy" to CRK people, but it was my personal experience.

On the other hand, there's the AG Russell Acies, which is something similar again, but different its own ways. ZDP-189 blade with a high 64 Rockwell hardness, if you like that. Some people prefer that one too.

So, I'm just pointing out that there may be more to the decision than the brand name.
I'm actually happier with my Bradley Alias than I would be with either of the CRK knives. Mostly because of fit in the hand.
Shop around.
 
Last edited:
TWL brings up a good point that there are other quality TI frame locks out there at good prices. Some other good ones are the Buck Waimae, Buck Mayo TNT, the Benchmade Skirmish, Spyderco TI Sage, SPyderco Leafstorm. I have handled all these and my personal preference was still the small Sebenza for my daily needs and how it fit my hand. Eventually I am going to get the large Sebenza though. I have an um and like it a lot, the pivot is a little stiff for my preference though.
 
+1 for Large Sebenza. The Sebenza 21 is one of my favorite knives, but I find the Small to be just a hair to small for my hands. Because the Sebenza is so thin, my hand wraps around the small too much and just isn't as comfortable. The Large is great and not too big. It can actually ride in the little coin pocket in my jeans just fine, or it will disappear into a side pocket because it is so slim. The Umnumzaan will serve you well too, I just greatly prefer the design of the Sebenza.
 
Last edited:
1SHOT1KILL said:
I LOVE that Tanto Sebenza...that's what I wanted...however I ended up with a standard blade. I will get one...hopefully sooner than later. It'll go great with my tanto umnumzaan.
Click to expand...

Nice! I've been wanting a Tanto Umnum but just can't seem to find one. I think TKN may have one .... I'll trade you my umnum for yours LOL.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top