Sebenza - What am I missing?

A

anotheruser

Joined
Aug 26, 2005
Messages
12
I'm new to the forum and relatively new to knife collecting. I've been buying knives that are well reviewed here and in the magazines, but are under $100 or so.

I recently decided to see what a higher end knife was like, and after reading all the great comments went for a Large Sebenza. Three hundred and whatever dollars later it arrived.

Uh, OK. The Sebenza is a nice knife. The blade opens and closes well. It has a nice feel to it. It seems to be very well made. The blade is bit rough and not highly polished.

The same day a Spyderco Byrd knife arrived (about $20). It is a nice knife. The blade opens and closes about as well as the Sebenza. It has a nice feel to it, but is heavier because it is steel. It seems to be very well made. The blade is highly polished.

When I compare the two I'm sure it is my inexperienced eye that is letting me down, but I just don't see much difference between them. I have a Buck Strider and a few other decent knives, so I compared them to the two new ones as well. The difference between all of these and a $10 cheapie is obvious: no blade play, edge evenly ground, consistent bevels, no flaws, etc.

What should I be looking at to tell the quality difference between these better knives?
 
You're not supposed to get it. A knife is a knife is a knife.

A watch is a watch is a watch.

So basically a timex is the same as a rolex: keeps time, no hassle, right?

So...why the huge price difference between a timex and a rolex?

In terms of function, there's practically no difference.

In terms of style and execution, HUGE difference. The look, feel, and overall package of a sebbie is worth it to quite a few people. If it didn't matter to enough people, Reeve wouldn't be able to price them the way he has.

If style and execution in a folding knife matter to you, then a sebenza is worthy every penny.

If those things don't matter to you in a folding knife, then skip the sebbie.
 
It would be very easy to see Sebenzas as overrated and overpriced but this would be looking at them in the 'wrong' way.
Essesentially Sebenzas have become cult objects and as such are 'beyond good and evil'.
To the afficianados, nothing else will do. This is not because they are necessarily the best knife of their type but rather because in the mind of the devotee they represent a transcendent ideal.
The same principle holds true of all kinds of things such as sports cars, fine watches even retro video game systems.
I think you might have jumped into Sebenzaland too soon in your collecting career. The love must grow slowly, be nurtured gently, then fanned to a raging passion of desire. Then you buy the Sebenza (or Scagel or Moran or whatever lights your fire)
I actually pity those with enough money to indulge every collecting whim as they will never feel the true satisfaction of the zealot.
 
And there you have it, folks, once again we have been treated to the incontrovertible wisdom of the ignorant.

popcorn.jpg
Getcha hot popcorn and sit right down to watch the fun! :D

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anotheruser, welcome to Bladeforums!

You just stepped on a virtual third rail, but as you may (not) have noticed, it doesn't hurt a bit. Relax and enjoy the flood of ... comments.

And enjoy your Sebenza -- or sell it, as you please. It's a great knife, but it may take some time for you to appreciate its solid, workday virtues.

The materials, execution (constant awards for manufacturing excellence), and design are a bit better than most knives on the market, but for the difference, you do have to pay.
 
It took me a while to appreciate the sebbie also. a LONG while.

Took me months to realize that, once opened, it's virtually a fixed blade.
 
Jockohomo said:
I think you might have jumped into Sebenzaland too soon in your collecting career.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately I think you are right. The Sebenza was big purchase for me, and one that don't fully appreciate because I don't fully understand what it is that makes it so popular.
 
Gary007 said:
red alert! shields up! :eek: Comparing a $20 knife to a Sebenza. Incoming!
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Please! I'm not comparing a $20 knife to a Sebenza! I'm stating what my untrained eye sees when I look at the two objects. I don't want to give anyone the impression that the Sebenza isn't a great knife, or isn't worth the money or that the Spyderco is better or as good or.....

Anyone considering buying any knife shouldn't base their decision on my ill informed appraisal of it.

I'm looking to the experts so I can learn the differences.
 
Almost every custom I bought had one issue or another that required adjustment or fixing. Every Seb I ever got was exceptionally well made. There is more detail others might share. But I know what you mean regarding cost. One time, I bought a super-high dollar fancy custom for the pleasure of owning. It was not meant for cutting. Soon thereafter, I tired of it once all my collecting friends expressed appreciation and subsequently sold it. It was not for me. With the Seb, you have a great knife that will last a lifetime and once it's been beaten practically to death through use, you can return it for refurb and it will arrive back in new condition. Then, start the process all over again. I wish you a lifetime of enjoyment in your daily cutting chores.
 
Use them both equally hard for a few weeks and form your own opinion.
 
The easiest way to answer your question is through experience.

Can you take each knife apart to clean it?

Does it void the warranty if you do?

How long does the edge last?

How does it sharpen?

With use does it loosen up and have blade play?

Unfortunately one can't always "see" advantages, they must be understood, usually through experience.
 
Yeah about 4 years ago I didnt get it either, then I bought I a few benchmades, spyderco's, microtechs, protech's etc: I gradually started appreciating the little things and thats when knives like the sebenza,willian henry and striders and other high end knives made sense. plus when your in high school 3-400 is alot for anything. But yeah you probably just bought one too early to care, but you'll get it.
 
[Byrd vs Sebenza]

anotheruser said:
...I just don't see much difference between them.
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If you compare a Byrd Meadowlark vs small Sebenza which are similar sized knives a few things stand out from basic inspections.

-the Sebenza has details such as rounded spine and insides of handle slabs
-the primary grind is deeper and higher on the Sebenza
-the blade steel is higher alloy
-the handle slabs are Ti which make it lighter

If you compare the knives in use there are positives to both :

+the Sebenza is generally easier to open and close one handed
+the Sebenza has a "pointier" tip
+the Sebenza can be taken apart and the pivot adjusted

+the Meadowlark has a more secure lock in regards to torques and impacts
+the tip is stronger and the blade more robust
+the opening hole is easier to use with a gloved hand

Edge retention generally favors the Sebenza for slicing on abrasive materials, on other materials that are more based on edge deformation then both are similar. Ease of sharpening generally favors the Byrd's NIB as the edge angle is more acute so it touches up easier on jigs and v-rods.

Cutting ability favors the Sebenza on some deeper work as the primary grind is deeper, however the more acute edge on the Byrd's give it an advantage on shallow cutting. Of coure you can adjust the edge profile on either to make it directly outcut the other. My adjusted Meadowlark will readily out cut a NIB Sebenza many times over.

The highly contoured handle on the Meadowlark gives a higher grip index but the handle is slick, neither grip is very secure and both are ergonomic in some respects and not in others, this is also depend on the user grip size and methods of handling.

-Cliff
 
Hi Anotheruser,

Your definitely in the right place to get some expert opinions, that's why I am here as well.
So I'll make this quick so we can hear more from them.

The reason why I have a Sebenza, and recommend it to others, is extensive, a few reasons are: framelock design, the blade steel, it's ergonomics, and since I am a hobbyist wood worker - one of my favorite features that has in itself made it worth the price tag, is the rounded spine.

It makes it by far the most comfortable knife I have used in prolonged whittling/ carving.

And by the way, please don't worry if you feel that it's not for you.
The real pleasure in a purchase can only be determined by the owner thereof.

There are plenty of folks here that love sebs, and plenty that don't.
Those that do would gladly relieve you of the Seb if you so choose via trade etc.

It's also fun to do a search on Sebenza/Chris Reeve, or most any other knife you wish, so you can learn all you want at your liesure.

Be well,

sp
 
Barrabas said:
The reason why I have a Sebenza, and recommend it to others, is extensive, a few reasons are: framelock design, the blade steel, it's ergonomics, and since I am a hobbyist wood worker - one of my favorite features that has in itself made it worth the price tag, is the rounded spine.
It makes it by far the most comfortable knife I have used in prolonged whittling/ carving.
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True, unlike most knives it does not have a rounded spine.
BUT for a working knife, if you don't care that it comes out ugly, this is a very easy modification that you can do yourself on any knife. (and if you take a little more time it can even come out looking nice) Yes, the sebenza has many nice small feature on it that makes it an excellent knife, but for the most part I don't feel that it's worth it. Then again, that little issue never did stop me from buying 4, but all were sold off.
 
Having owned and used 3 Sebenzas thus far, I have to say that I understand your being underwhelmed. The ugly truth is that its a knife, and nothing else. It's a very NICE knife, and VERY well made, but it is out there on the arc of diminished returns. It all depends on what's important to you.

I didn't care for the thumbstud as I found it harder to open than my Spydercos- or even my Strider-Buck with its more pronounced thumbstud. Maybe you did buy it too early in your collecting, but I wouldn't let it bother you. I'd also have to disagree with Cliff that the Sebenza is easier to open and close compared to most spydercos. I know on my Delica all I had to do was push the lockbar down with my index finger and the weight of the blade would cause the knife to close most of the way. That, and I dare say that a knife with an opening hole is easier to open than ANY knife with a stud.

Maybe you could just put it away for a while and not take it out for a while to see if it starts to grow on you. At least that way you wouldn't have to go through buying another one.

Sincerely,
Anthony
 
stjames said:
Use them both equally hard for a few weeks and form your own opinion.
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Several of you have talked about how well it performs in actual use. That's a really good thought.

I've been basing my opinion on visual differences. Maybe the real difference between is in how they perform and hold up in actual use.
 
"Another User"?

M1Marty, is that you? Gig? K.V.?

Somebody's messin' with us. I FEEL IT in my bones. :cool:

.
 
Hi anotheruser. This is my first post here (hi all!), but I've been a long time lurker. This thread made me register. Anyway, I had always heard and read about how nice sebenzas were, and wanted one for quite a while. I finally bought one last year, and was underwhelmed. To me, the knife is ulgy. It's very plain and boring. It's also the most difficult one hand knife of mine for me to open. That being said, the sebenza is very well designed, and the fit is second to none. I just don't think it's worth $300.00. I actually gave mine away a couple of weeks ago. I pefer my $40.00 spyderco delica to it.

I'm not going to apologize for not liking the sebenza, it's just my personal opinion.
 
It's always a little strange to me that people seem to be surprised that the Sebenza is just a knife. They seem to expect it to do amazing things that other quality production folders dont. Like the example used earlier with watches. Same goes for anything. Does a $300 Coach purse actually function better than a $30 no name? Or when you buy the new Kobe basketball shoes do you actually jump higher and run faster than if you were wearing other basketball shoes without the name attached to it?

But the thing is that i've never seen a girl with an expensive purse saying to her girlfriends "Ya know, i just dont know what all the fuss is about, this Louis Vuitton purse doesnt hold my makeup any better than my cheap purse."

With most things in life we understand this, but with knives people always seem to be surprised or disappointed that a $400 knife cant really function much better than a Spyderco Manix or a Benchmade 710, etc, etc.
 
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