Sebenza vs xm18

S

Sasso

Joined
Aug 16, 2017
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I have recently discovered the wonder of CRK, I picked up a BM ti because it was m390 and I have been impressed with the steel and that lead me to the sebenza. First one off ebay a small hat I though was a large and then a large insingo from a member of the forum. I finally got one in the mail yesterday the large insingo, the small regular is waiting st the post office for me to pick up.

First impressions wow...built like a tank and sexy as a super model who's likes guns knives hunting and is into guys in their mid 30's. Needless to say I immediately bought a small insingo...

Now I have a line on a nice xm18 at a good price. Can any one compare the xm is feel quality etc to the sebenzas. I don't feel like I need another high end knife, the sabenza is pretty much all I could want but at a decent price it might be worth a try if it's as close to the sebenza.

Any thoughts are appreciated.
 
To overuse the phrase-comparing apples to oranges
But the XM is a well built knife-heavier stock then the Sebenza, different grinds, different handle shape and materials, Teflon washers vs PB(which seems to matter to some, but really is no big deal) and most are flippers, but there are some non flippers. Both can be disassembled and re-assembled pretty easily, but the Sebenza is easier. I like the 3" non flippers a lot. At a good price and if you can afford it, I would say try it and see how you like it. They both have avid fans and many own both.
 
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I had a xm-18 non flipper slicer grind and it was a beautiful knife. Very well built with strong detent. It was just a bigger feeling knife and thicker if I remember correctly. Comfortable in hand. Just slightly too big for me to carry daily. But it was beautiful. Kinda miss it. On the lookout for a similar 3" non flipper.
 
The Sebenza oozes with quality, but the XM-18 will cut up a car. Both have their place, and are great at what they're designed to do.
 
You may find that the handles on the 3" & 3.5" XM-18s have a different feel than the Sebenza handles. The Hinderers seem to have slightly wider handles with a bit more curve to them than the fairly straight line CRKs do. In my hands, the G10 presentation scale on the Hinderers also helps change the feel and the grip that you get on the XM-18s compared to the CRKs.

Whether the Hinderers or the CRKs feel / fit you better is something that only you can decide. I don't think there's much difference, if any, in dependability and performance between the brands. Both shops produce knives that will perform reliably far beyond anything most of us are likely to present to them.
 
Sebenza is more refined in styling and I find fits in the hand perfectly thanks to more squared & straight edges. I prefer fixed/one location for the clip as opposed to alternative mounting locations with fillers. The XM-18 is utilitarian and less refined, but more hard use. Example is the lock bar relief external to the frame. The curve of the XM-18 fits your hand good, but it does require you to adjust how you hold it. To me, my brain naturally knows where the tip is based on the "paint stick" geometry of the Sebenza. I would also swap the XM-18 G10 scale with a titanium one, but they cost some decent cash. I have also found the action on the Sebenza to be smooth from day 1 whereas the XM-18 needs some break-in.
 
Well dang after reading everyone's response I had to pull the trigger and give it a try. I guess if I hate it I'll send it down the road, that's a lie I have a couple shelves in my safe full of knives I haven't sent down the road and are never touched but I think I can find a place in the rotation for it reguardless.
 
I have a small 21 with an Insingo blade and Micarta inlays and had a 3" slicer grind XM18 with a flipper and I felt the opposite was true. The Sebenza feels bigger in hand than the XM18 did and don't see the latter being that much more overbuilt than the former. That said, in my humble opinion this comparison is more Granny Smith vs. Mcintosh than apples vs. oranges.
 
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