Seeking advice

This has been helpful. I am after my first CRK and know I want a large. Picking between a Sebenza, Inkosi or Umnumzaan is not so easy. Best I can tell from reading is the Seb and Zaan are hollow ground, the Inkosi the more flattened hollow correct? Ceramic lock on Inkosi and Zaan, original on the Seb and only the Seb has the bushing, the rest washers and the need to adjust the pivot. I am leaning towards the Inkosi but am I giving up something by not having the pivot bushing and/or the full hollow grind. This will be for light use EDC. I have other harder use large folders already but wanted something more elegant and well made

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I've said this a bunch of time and I haven't seen it disputed yet. As long as the grooves work for your hand, when you buy an Inkosi over a Seb you are buying the technologically superior knife as well as the smoother operating knife because of adjustable pivot, larger washers, reduced lockbar pressure from clip placement....etc.

This doesn't mean the Inkosi is the better knife, because what's better will differ from person to person, but it is the most tech advanced knife.

Also fwiw none of the three you are looking at are built for light use. You can beat the living daylights out of all three of them.
 
Amoo said:
I've said this a bunch of time and I haven't seen it disputed yet. As long as the grooves work for your hand, when you buy an Inkosi over a Seb you are buying the technologically superior knife as well as the smoother operating knife because of adjustable pivot, larger washers, reduced lockbar pressure from clip placement....etc.

This doesn't mean the Inkosi is the better knife, because what's better will differ from person to person, but it is the most tech advanced knife.

Also fwiw none of the three you are looking at are built for light use. You can beat the living daylights out of all three of them.
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Assuming for the moment that you're right about the Inkosi being "technologically superior" (which I'm not going to debate but not going to concede), for some people that's just not a factor. I was recently looking for a new watch. I looked at a lot of new watches and bought a 35 year old, no date, non-chronometer certified, Rolex Submariner. It is in every way inferior to a new Rolex, to any new quartz watch (which might have cost 1/1000th of this Rolex), to any watch with a date and to any chronometer-certified watch. But this watch is what I preferred, sought out, and paid good money for.

The Sebenza can be like that.
 
Thank you Amoo. I guess my indecision comes in choosing between the classic design of a Sebenza and its later evolution. I like the idea of improvements but almost always choose the older classics in most things. I also have trouble equating refined elegance with hard use. Good to know that these would be up to the task if the need arises. I appreciate the response

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I don't agree the Inkosi is technologically superior to the Sebenza. I consider it less apt to require a factory involvement after the sale, due to the ball interface (which is harder than the blade) and the "adjustability" of the pivot. I would also to consider the Sebenza to be a more precise tool, requiring hand fitting during manufacture - both on the blade lockup and the pivot bushing fitment. For these same reasons the Inkosi should IMHO be less expensive to manufacture than the Sebenza.
 
Officer's Match said:
I don't agree the Inkosi is technologically superior to the Sebenza. I consider it less apt to require a factory involvement after the sale, due to the ball interface (which is harder than the blade) and the "adjustability" of the pivot. I would also to consider the Sebenza to be a more precise tool, requiring hand fitting during manufacture - both on the blade lockup and the pivot bushing fitment. For these same reasons the Inkosi should IMHO be less expensive to manufacture than the Sebenza.
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This +1 !

"technically superior" is a matter of definition and set of criterias. To me, requiring more than 1 hex and loctite and not having the fantastic bushing the Sebenza has, is not a step forward. But again. Depends upon criterias and personal expectations.
 
This is why you can't say anything even remotely close to negative about anything at all. Is the Inkosi specifically designed with smoother operate in mind? YES, that as a statement of fact means it is technologically advanced....Dunno why I can't make a statement of fact like that without people getting their panties in a wad. In no way did I put down the Sebenza and gave props to all three knives. Put away the pitchforks guys...ffs.
 
Well. Making absolute statements like you did may call for other opinions ..... and since I am here at this place, this is appreciated among the members here.
 
I'm not saying everybody's opinion is not welcome. I even specifically said the "tech advancements" did not necessarily make the Inkosi a better knife...
 
For me, the Inkosi is THE best knife CRK has ever made. I have owned almost every knife the CRK has made.
 
I dont have a large Inkosi, just a small, and it is slowly losing favor with me. I love my Sebenza 25 though, so maybe it is just a size issue.

I don't think I could pick a favorite between the Umnumzaan, 25, and Large 21.

Or, more precisely, any one is my absolute favorite for about a week until I pick up and carry one of the others.
 
Amoo said:
I've said this a bunch of time and I haven't seen it disputed yet. As long as the grooves work for your hand, when you buy an Inkosi over a Seb you are buying the technologically superior knife as well as the smoother operating knife because of adjustable pivot, larger washers, reduced lockbar pressure from clip placement....etc.

This doesn't mean the Inkosi is the better knife, because what's better will differ from person to person, but it is the most tech advanced knife.

Also fwiw none of the three you are looking at are built for light use. You can beat the living daylights out of all three of them.
Click to expand...

Amoo said:
This is why you can't say anything even remotely close to negative about anything at all. Is the Inkosi specifically designed with smoother operate in mind? YES, that as a statement of fact means it is technologically advanced....Dunno why I can't make a statement of fact like that without people getting their panties in a wad. In no way did I put down the Sebenza and gave props to all three knives. Put away the pitchforks guys...ffs.
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Easy there partner. See anything amiss with the above quoted highlights?

Yes, I am in fact disagreeing with your assertion the Inkosi is "technologically superior". When I tighten the pivot down on one it can't be opened, so no, it is not in my humble opinion technologically superior to the Sebenza. One wrench, no threadlocker, plus the lockbar can't be "squeezed" vertically like a ball-locked RIL make the Sebbie more "advanced" as far as I'm concerned. That said, I think the Inkosi has it's strong points as well. It is definitely different, but not definitely better IMHO.
 
Not familiar with a Sebenza 25. How does that differ from a 21 or an Inkosi?

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Heirphoto said:
Not familiar with a Sebenza 25. How does that differ from a 21 or an Inkosi?

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Quick and dirty even though it's a bit more complex:

21 Smaller pivot with bushing no loctite needed, no handle grooves, and smaller washers. 25 larger pivot with smaller washers, requires loctite, handle grooves. Inkosi larger pivot, larger washers, , handle grooves, angled pocket clip wider backspacer requires locktite.

If I'm incorrect about this evolution somebody please correct me as I do not own a 25. But essentially the 25 was considered an update to the 21 and the Inkosi was considered the update to the 25. Basically if they named it the Sebenza "insert random name or numbers" there wouldn't be as much discussion about it as there is IMO.
 
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What knives do you own so we can give you an idea of how big the larges vs small are? Also if you have a knife store near I recommend going there and just getting the feel for it.

Well for a first time I would recommend a plain jane (just titanium handles no inlays or any graphics) or a Micarta inlay (but the micarta can increase your cost by almost $100, so take that into account).

Both the clip point and insingo are great blade shapes, its a matter of personal preference, but for me the Large 21 insingo plain jane would have been my first choice if I could do it all over again.

Also you mean to say "Sebenza 21 or INKOSI", basically the Sebenza 25 with a pocket clip change and some other small changes.

What are the size of your hands? medium-large-XL, etc.
 
The Sebenza 25 also had a flatter blade (primary) grind than the newer Large Inkosi. The earlier Sebbie's were a deeper hollow grind - the 25 near flat - then the Inkosi went somewhere in between, but probably a bit closer to the 25's near-flat grind.
 
I am going plain jane with any model as I like simple clean lines. XL hands. My other knives are large and will get no love here on Bladeforums.....Strider SMF, SnG and a Medford 187D. Had a few Buck Vantage 347 models before them.

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Good info Officer's Match. I knew the Grind on the Inkosi was different then the 21, but didn't know how it compared to the 25.

Heirphoto, you'll probably find in the CRK community we're a little less I dunno how to say it, we just care less about a lot of the things the general BF community seems to care about. If you like a Medford, SnG and SMF I've seen many posted and talked about with praise in the CRK Facebook group.

Again like the discussion about Inkosi vs 25 vs 21 Different strokes.

I can tell you for sure that we are a lot more picky when it comes to F&F and other things, but we've come to expect that with our CRKs. For example I got a Spider Monkey the other day and posted it on the facebook group along with a few other new CRKs. It's a $200 knife on PB washers so while sharing some things I expect something totally different out of it then I do my Sebs and Inkosis. I think most folks around here appreciate that.

My whole point is owning and enjoying CRKs is more then just the knife itself. We've got our own little niche community full of great people who are good folks and look out for each other.
 
Amoo, fit and finish is much of why I want to add a CRK to my small user collection. The others are much more basic in fit and finish but I know the CRK are much more refined. I have spent my entire career in aerospace manufacturing, quality control specifically, so I do appreciate the details and tight tolerances. One of these will be a nice departure for my other tools.

I have watched endless Youtube videos on the various models and am really starting to sort out which details are important to me and which are not. Right now I am still leaning towards the 21 and it's classic design and construction. This thread (and your comments) have been of great help.
 
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