Should I get an Umnumzaan?

I love my Umnum. One awesome thing about the ceramic ball in the lock bar is the lack of that annoying detent when opening and closing the knife. It's just pure buttery smoothness open to close. There is no hang-up when you go to close the blade.
 
I had a Para 2 and sold it for a Chris Reeve small sebenza. As a Chris Reeve owner and user of their folders, you should have no regrets buying a Umuz. Opening and closing takes a bit of time to get use to it, but once you do, this will stay in your pocket. Umuz or large sebenza will run around $380 to $410 range, but you will have a knife for a lifetime. Just buy a strop and compound and use it with each use and the blade will stay razor sharp.
 
Had an early one, sold it, bought late/current one last December. Your answer is: yes, you should buy one, and the later ones are much improved in a number of small but important ways.
 
Yes but like previous have said, handle one first because you might end up wanting something else if it doesn't end up being what you want.

I think its one of the best "heavy use" EDC blades.

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keep your knives... sell a kidney on the black market and you can get all kinds of cool stuff.



fortunately, i still have both kidneys.
 
Well currently I edc a m390 custom pm 2 but i just need a good hard use that I can put extra force into. Is pick up a st but I just hate their shape and would never have use of it. I like the piercing and the awestruck of the umnumzaan a lot. Swedge I would use a lot. But I'm still on the line. More knowledgible though. I'm glad I posted this in general so I'd find negs. People say I need to hold one but there is no south Carolina umnumzaan seller that I know of so cant test. Now to ask the worst knife sin ever. Can the zaan pry bit?
 
I have one of the tanto Umnumzaans and it is a fantastic knife. Opens incredibly smooth and feels very streamlined for the size yet still sturdy enough that I'm not ever afraid that it will break. Mine is s30v and not the newer steel, but it still stays sharp for a long time.
 
Chipped Karambit said:
Well currently I edc a m390 custom pm 2 but i just need a good hard use that I can put extra force into. Is pick up a st but I just hate their shape and would never have use of it. I like the piercing and the awestruck of the umnumzaan a lot. Swedge I would use a lot. But I'm still on the line. More knowledgible though. I'm glad I posted this in general so I'd find negs. People say I need to hold one but there is no south Carolina umnumzaan seller that I know of so cant test. Now to ask the worst knife sin ever. Can the zaan pry bit?
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If your Para2 is M390 I wouldn't let go of it. It also depends on how you pry. I pried a bit of that papaya tree, though the inside is hollow. Basically stuck it deep in there before I pried so that the stress is on the tang of the blade near the handle rather than the very tip itself. It should be noted that the tip is a good deal thinner than the Sebenza, so I'd avoid tip prying.

Seriously though, is it too much to ask to use a Ka-Bar for prying instead? It's thicker, the steel is softer, and it's carbon steel to top it off.
 
I cant carry the kabar. The blue pm is s30v. Just for minor prying like cans? I need a swedge and a sturdy knife the blade shape of the zaan is appealing I find sebenza rather ugly to carry. No offense great knife and all but not my bag
 
Thanks for the thread. Seems like there's been a lot of silence on s35vn since the dust up over the cut tests. Can't seem to find a good review -even in the CR forum. Starting to think about first CR knife but wary. What's the word?
 
The Umnumzaan is my ultimate, and favorite folder for EDC... I have been around the block so to speak, and the umnumzaan is what I ended up with. I have been EDC'ing it for a couple years, and it is just fantastic. Both as a work knife, and a lighter duty EDC. I am so happy with the umnumzaan in fact, that I have since sold off all my other EDC type knives, except for my Murray Carter neck knife.

I no longer feel the need for another folder. I am completely happy with it. The semi sharpened swedge is great for all sorts of things, like opening packages, scraping stuff, striking a firesteel, you name it. It essentially functions like a heavy duty utility edge. I used it with drywall, and I think the swedge is perfect for scoring and shaping it. Also, unless your planning on spine whacking your umnumzaan repeatedly, the lock is plenty strong enough (I can't think of any practical reason for spine whacking a knife, so you'll be fine.)

I have compared this to all the common choices (and many not so common) and just love it. Its not too heavy to actually have with you all the time, but it is big enough to handle most jobs with ease. It is a little rough handled for long term bushcraft usage, but if you want to do that, get the right tool, and get a fixed blade with a good ergonomic contour to the handle.

To sum, the umnumzaan is my absolute favorite folding knife. This is such a hit or miss knife, that the only way to know is to try it yourself. I strongly suggest giving it a go. And dont give up on it just because it feels a little hard to open at first, you can customize the pivot tension and lock it in with lok-tite. That's one of the perks of the design.

So should you get an umnumzaan? Yes :):thumbup:
 
The_Guide said:
The Umnumzaan is my ultimate, and favorite folder for EDC... I have been around the block so to speak, and the umnumzaan is what I ended up with. I have been EDC'ing it for a couple years, and it is just fantastic. Both as a work knife, and a lighter duty EDC. I am so happy with the umnumzaan in fact, that I have since sold off all my other EDC type knives, except for my Murray Carter neck knife.

I no longer feel the need for another folder. I am completely happy with it. The semi sharpened swedge is great for all sorts of things, like opening packages, scraping stuff, striking a firesteel, you name it. It essentially functions like a heavy duty utility edge. I used it with drywall, and I think the swedge is perfect for scoring and shaping it. Also, unless your planning on spine whacking your umnumzaan repeatedly, the lock is plenty strong enough (I can't think of any practical reason for spine whacking a knife, so you'll be fine.)

I have compared this to all the common choices (and many not so common) and just love it. Its not too heavy to actually have with you all the time, but it is big enough to handle most jobs with ease. It is a little rough handled for long term bushcraft usage, but if you want to do that, get the right tool, and get a fixed blade with a good ergonomic contour to the handle.

To sum, the umnumzaan is my absolute favorite folding knife. This is such a hit or miss knife, that the only way to know is to try it yourself. I strongly suggest giving it a go. And dont give up on it just because it feels a little hard to open at first, you can customize the pivot tension and lock it in with lok-tite. That's one of the perks of the design.

So should you get an umnumzaan? Yes :):thumbup:
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That actually answered a lot of questions. That makes me feel confident that I want to get one. I just now have to wait for someone to trade me
 
I owned two pcs Umnumzaan by my friend's strong suggestion around half years before. I really like it very much and treat it as one of my best folding knife in my collection. In fact, the steel is not very hard, I mean, compare to other big brand produced knife making by S30V or 154cm ( ex: benchmade...); however, it's very good for every day carrying and using, it is no need for a knife to be super hard for the steel because you can easily sharp it all the time, you can always keep it sharp!

However, the most advantage it the fantastic design in outlook(especially the false edge) and the fine work in all the details, which make me feel different:p
 
Tim616 said:
I know I have one, the ball is still treated, and still stronger than the compression lock. For anyone who's wondering, that's fact not speculation, the umnum lock can hold more weight than the para 2. Not saying the para 2 isn't strong, it's just not as strong as the umnum.
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If you can provide written or other proof of the ceramic ball being heat treated I would love to read it.

When Titanium is heat treated as knife makers do the surface of the titanium becomes near ceramic hardness, but as far as I know ceramic can not be heat treated.

I am not interested in debating lock strength.
 
Hay how you doing, Blade ? Good to see you post here at last ! :p:thumbup:

Blade Yang said:
I owned two pcs Umnumzaan by my friend's strong suggestion around half years before. I really like it very much and treat it as one of my best folding knife in my collection. In fact, the steel is not very hard, I mean, compare to other big brand produced knife making by S30V or 154cm ( ex: benchmade...); however, it's very good for every day carrying and using, it is no need for a knife to be super hard for the steel because you can easily sharp it all the time, you can always keep it sharp!

However, the most advantage it the fantastic design in outlook(especially the false edge) and the fine work in all the details, which make me feel different:p
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I have carried an Umnumzaan every day for a couple of years + now and will carry it for many more years to come. There is a particular design philosophy that goes along with CRKs, some people agree with and get it and some don't. :)
 
Beyond You said:
I'd say no, I hated mine, rough to open and I doubted the strength of the lock, If i hadnt sold mine id sure trade it for a blue para 2 straight up. The para2s a much more thought out design and useable knife.
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I have to say something here. I can't help it.
Do you realize what you're saying? You sound so ridiculous. The para2 is a "much more thought out design"?????

Don't misunderstand me here, the para2 is a great production knife, of course. I own one. But seriously, you need to get your head checked when you say that you would trade a CRK for something that costs a quarter of its value. So stupid. You could buy four para2's for one Umnumzaan. You can't tell anyone here that Chris Reeve did less "thinking" when he designed the Umnumzaan than the designers of the Para2, or any knife for that matter. He didn't just slap it together overnight. The thumb stud doubles as an additional lock bar, and the tang of the blade doubles as a glass breaker. But ya, he didn't really think it over very well...

And you don't trust the strength of the lock? Based on what, may I ask? Your years of hard use and testing? How many times did this absolutely unique locking mechanism fail on you?

You're allowed to have your own opinion here, but don't be ridiculous.
 
The blue (M390 sprint run) Para 2 at $180.00 is a little under half the price of a new Umnumzaan, not a quarter the price.
 
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