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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Sebenza
- Thread starter db
- Start date
- Joined
- Nov 13, 2001
- Messages
- 378
My question is: is it a good knife for the money, or it is a good knife because of the money? After spending THAT much $$$, I'll bet some people subconsously believe it's better because it "must" be better. Otherwise, why would someone spend that much money?
I bought the sebenzas with every intention of proving to myself that it WAS in fact people convincing themselves it was better just because it was expensive and I could never have ben more closed minded. I have since been trying to rid myself of the very fine collection of production tactical folders I spent 5 years trading for and purchasing. NO PRODUCTION folder on the market can surpass these things in terms of durability, quality control, customer service, 'customability' (meaning the ability to be customized by the factory ie; double thumbstuds, swedge e.t.c.), and downright overall quality.
What prodcution knife opens with the smoothness and solid feeling of the sebenza? You guys love your 710's and emerson commanders and MT LCC's e.t.c. but none of them have ALL the things the sebenza has, and I dont care what you say, NONE of them feel as solid to me as any size sebenza.
One little story, my brother, NOT A knife person, but someone whom has seen and handled every knife I have ever owned. First thing he says when seeing the small sebenza and opening it is "Holy sh*t this feels solid. THe lock is so much thicker than all the others." He went wild when seeing the large seb, he had ZERO prior knowledge of how much these sebenzas cost, and knew that most of my other knives cost around $100 so he had a vague idea of the price. What kicks me is that he just knew quality when handling it, the sebenza is just a sick knife. With the new steel, and the fact that you can have it brought back to new condition by the factory, you should pick up a used one to CARRY AND USE for a week or two, then sell it if you don't like it. No reason to bash somethign that you havent tried. I used to think the same way you did until picking up a seb, then another, now I feel I need to buy nothing else, other than more sebs. Good luck.
JC
What prodcution knife opens with the smoothness and solid feeling of the sebenza? You guys love your 710's and emerson commanders and MT LCC's e.t.c. but none of them have ALL the things the sebenza has, and I dont care what you say, NONE of them feel as solid to me as any size sebenza.
One little story, my brother, NOT A knife person, but someone whom has seen and handled every knife I have ever owned. First thing he says when seeing the small sebenza and opening it is "Holy sh*t this feels solid. THe lock is so much thicker than all the others." He went wild when seeing the large seb, he had ZERO prior knowledge of how much these sebenzas cost, and knew that most of my other knives cost around $100 so he had a vague idea of the price. What kicks me is that he just knew quality when handling it, the sebenza is just a sick knife. With the new steel, and the fact that you can have it brought back to new condition by the factory, you should pick up a used one to CARRY AND USE for a week or two, then sell it if you don't like it. No reason to bash somethign that you havent tried. I used to think the same way you did until picking up a seb, then another, now I feel I need to buy nothing else, other than more sebs. Good luck.
JC
- Joined
- May 9, 2000
- Messages
- 29,205
What is a Sebenza? 
- Joined
- Dec 10, 2000
- Messages
- 418
I agree with Jameson. My small Sebbie is my favorite knife. I take it everywhere. I'm currently saving up to buy another one. I think everyone should at least own 1. 
- Joined
- Jan 4, 1999
- Messages
- 3,000
DB,
value is something that everybody needs to define for themselves. What is a great value for one can be a poor value for others. The Chris Reeve folders are exceptional. They have flawless fit, finish and function and they will last a lifetime unlike most other folders. Do they cut better than other knives? No, as long as the comparison is with knives honed the same way. So it gets beyond utility to an appreciation of the finer things in life. Someone posted an image of a Mercedez Benz above and that's appropriate. A Mercedez Benz won't get you to the mall any faster than a Saturn but the experience along the way is noteably different thing. I think you could say the same thing about the Chris Reeve folders.
I think the Chris Reeve folders are a great value because I understand the work and quality control that goes into making them. I can say the same thing about a Mercedez Benz. The big difference in my case, though, is that I can't afford a Mercedez Benz so I need to settle for a top drawer folder. Take care.
value is something that everybody needs to define for themselves. What is a great value for one can be a poor value for others. The Chris Reeve folders are exceptional. They have flawless fit, finish and function and they will last a lifetime unlike most other folders. Do they cut better than other knives? No, as long as the comparison is with knives honed the same way. So it gets beyond utility to an appreciation of the finer things in life. Someone posted an image of a Mercedez Benz above and that's appropriate. A Mercedez Benz won't get you to the mall any faster than a Saturn but the experience along the way is noteably different thing. I think you could say the same thing about the Chris Reeve folders.
I think the Chris Reeve folders are a great value because I understand the work and quality control that goes into making them. I can say the same thing about a Mercedez Benz. The big difference in my case, though, is that I can't afford a Mercedez Benz so I need to settle for a top drawer folder. Take care.
Esav Benyamin
MidniteSuperMod
- Joined
- Apr 6, 2000
- Messages
- 90,915
Clint, I got my first Sebenza as a gift. I knew what it cost, and I knew its reputation, and when I got it, I was a little bit hesitant to use it.
That didn't last. It quickly crowded out my many other knives, which now have to settle for backup roles, if I bother to bring any of them along at all. I bought two more Sebenzas and an Umfaan.
It isn't the price. It's the reliability that comes from such high quality, both materials and workmanship.
What's money, anyway? Look at the rest of the market ... not customs like Tom Mayo's TNTs, of course they cost more. Just look at factory knives like the CUDA Maxx I just got. Great knife, but not exactly an EDC, and it costs half what a Sebenza does. How many knives do most of us own that we don't really use, spent a hundred dollars or so on, and could trade a few in on a Sebbie, and never miss them?
Not everyone likes that industrial, slab-of-metal style. Not everyone finds the Sebenza fits their hand. Not everyone has to feel that an expensive knife is the answer to their needs. But don't think any of us bought them to feel like we're rich. If we didn't feel they performed as expected, you've got to believe we really wouldn't bother.
That didn't last. It quickly crowded out my many other knives, which now have to settle for backup roles, if I bother to bring any of them along at all. I bought two more Sebenzas and an Umfaan.
It isn't the price. It's the reliability that comes from such high quality, both materials and workmanship.
What's money, anyway? Look at the rest of the market ... not customs like Tom Mayo's TNTs, of course they cost more. Just look at factory knives like the CUDA Maxx I just got. Great knife, but not exactly an EDC, and it costs half what a Sebenza does. How many knives do most of us own that we don't really use, spent a hundred dollars or so on, and could trade a few in on a Sebbie, and never miss them?
Not everyone likes that industrial, slab-of-metal style. Not everyone finds the Sebenza fits their hand. Not everyone has to feel that an expensive knife is the answer to their needs. But don't think any of us bought them to feel like we're rich. If we didn't feel they performed as expected, you've got to believe we really wouldn't bother.
On one level, I agree that it is a little nutty to pay so much for a knife, but I think there's a certain economic argument to be made for the value of a Sebenza.
Here goes: let's say a typical good quality production knife costs about $100. That puts a new plain Sebenza about $200-$250 over that. What do you get for the extra $250?
1) A knife, moreso than probably any other production folding knife, that you can count on to never break or fold on you. What is a severe injury worth? $250? How about permanent damage?
2) You can screw around with lesser knives, researching them to death and trying them out and trading them and modifying them until you finally get one you are happy with. How many hours of your valuable time did you spend? Probably more than $250 worth, assuming your time has to be worth at least $10/hour. If you started with a Sebenza and were happy, you saved all that time/money.
3) Many Sebenza owners report that once they got their Sebenza they stopped buying lots of other folders. That can save the typical knife nut a lot more than $250.
4) The Sebenza holds it's resale value better than most other production knives. Would you buy a car for $50K if you knew you could drive it for 20 years and still sell it for $40k? I think you would. The money you have invested in a Sebenza can be reclaimed, reducing the true cost of ownership. If you can sell it for at least $250, and you can easily, you have offset that extra $250 cost.
The only way the economic argument breaks down is if you lose your knives or you use them in a way that breaks them and you have to buy new ones regularly. Shelling out for new Sebenzas all the time would add up to real money eventually.
So that's the "justification" for the money. Whether the knife suits you is a different thing. By the way, this logic works when buying a TnT also.
Here goes: let's say a typical good quality production knife costs about $100. That puts a new plain Sebenza about $200-$250 over that. What do you get for the extra $250?
1) A knife, moreso than probably any other production folding knife, that you can count on to never break or fold on you. What is a severe injury worth? $250? How about permanent damage?
2) You can screw around with lesser knives, researching them to death and trying them out and trading them and modifying them until you finally get one you are happy with. How many hours of your valuable time did you spend? Probably more than $250 worth, assuming your time has to be worth at least $10/hour. If you started with a Sebenza and were happy, you saved all that time/money.
3) Many Sebenza owners report that once they got their Sebenza they stopped buying lots of other folders. That can save the typical knife nut a lot more than $250.
4) The Sebenza holds it's resale value better than most other production knives. Would you buy a car for $50K if you knew you could drive it for 20 years and still sell it for $40k? I think you would. The money you have invested in a Sebenza can be reclaimed, reducing the true cost of ownership. If you can sell it for at least $250, and you can easily, you have offset that extra $250 cost.
The only way the economic argument breaks down is if you lose your knives or you use them in a way that breaks them and you have to buy new ones regularly. Shelling out for new Sebenzas all the time would add up to real money eventually.
So that's the "justification" for the money. Whether the knife suits you is a different thing. By the way, this logic works when buying a TnT also.
I don't no .. I would spend that on a Dalton... I would spend that on a Microtech, and a Strider ,and a Busse. But with all the nice folders out there for half the money I just can't see it.. now TNT we are in a hole diffrent Galaxy sorry I almost did it a couple of years ago . Just can't doit no problem with the money .. it's that knife .. 