Small Sebenza vs. Military

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-Lucky-

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May 11, 2010
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I'm looking at picking up either a carbon fiber/cpms90v military or a small sebenza 21 for EDC, and I want to hear some input on why or why not I should get either one of these knives. I'm interested to see what you guys think.

Thanks
 
Depends if you want a bigger knife or a smaller knife...Military is a fine offering, but that little Sebenza is a damn fine, solid little bugger.
 
do you like smaller or larger knives? for me the small seb is the perfect size, but i'd never want to carry something as large as the millie. also do you prefer frame locks or liner locks? ti or cf? opening hole over thumbstud? flat vs hollow grind? theres also the blade steel to consider.

only you can answer these questions
 
Kinda like comparing a Jeep and an H1 Hummer. Both will get you there, one just needs a much bigger parkng space.
 
the military is about double the size of the small sebenza.

the jeep-hummer is a good analogy. apples and kangaroos.
 
Apart from size, handle material (I like the textured CF and not Ti), opening method (down to preference and experience; if you've carried lots of knives with studs you'll prefer those)
, build quality (the Sebenza should be superior by a small but distinct margin, from all I've heard) and blade steel (S90V vs S30V) all play a part.

I would get the Millie for the blade alone.
 
Hahaha I almost put something about that in my original post. I know they are very different, size and materials wise. I just have been searching the forums and mostly all I hear is praise for both knives, so basically I want to know which you would carry, for what situation, and why. so that way I can kind of gauge how useful it will be to me. If that makes sense.

Thanks
 
Ok, this might piss off some of the Sebenzanistas out there, but the Military will outcut the Sebenza. I have owned many Sebenzas, in all of the different variations/sizes, etc... While they are excellent knives, none of them have come close to being the cutter that my BG42/Carbon Fiber Military is. The only Sebenza I owned that came close, was the small BG42 Classic that I reprofiled the edge on.

For what the Sebenza will cost, you can buy 2-3 Militarys. And, the size of the Military; don't let it fool you. It carries very well for such a big knife.

Again, this is not a knock against the Sebenza(great knives), as it's only my opinion, and is meant to be a testimony for the Spyderco Military.
 
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I switched from a Military to a Large Sebenza then to a Small. All are great knives but for EDC the Small works best for me.
 
Its tough to think of two folding knives that have less in common then the small Sebenza and the Military.

While they are both great knives (IMO among the best knives on the market) I really doubt that we’re going be able to give you meaningful advice without more information about what you want from your knife.
 
I EDCed the military in orange for about a month. It was a great slicer and carried very well. I felt it was a little too large for EDC. I personaly like the size of the large sebbie knife for EDC. The small is great if you have any concerns for larger knives.
 
I'd go Millie. But I face the constant threat of ninja assassins from a warring clan, so not sure if you're in the same boat.
 
I always carry my Military.. it does everything I want and really being thin and lightweight it never gets in the way.
 
It sounds like he doesn't want a comparison of the knives, he wants to know what each knife would excel at and why each knife would be good to carry. Then he can decide which would suit his needs best. A little backwards.

It might be easier if the OP let us know what his needs are in a knife and then a knife can be recommended but maybe he is not sure what his needs are?

I'm actually not a fan of each for various reasons but I would go with the Military for the blade steel if I had to pick between the two, assuming one can be found.
 
its about time people see that cr knives arent all that, there fixed blades are about as tough as stout kitchen knife.
 
I really wanted the BG42 Military with carbon fiber scales, but later on thought that those were too nice of an option for the Military model. The basic S30V/G10 model is a great knife. If anything, I would go with the Ti version framelock. I have had several Millies, several Sebenzas. Both are great knives. I have a Military and a small micarta classic Sebenza right now. I really enjoy both. However, they are vastly different. What would you need it for?
 
It is kind of hard to compare the Small Seb to the Mili. A better comparison would be a large seb to the Mili.

There are several factors that come into play. First what are your primary uses for the knife? What are the length restrictions of the area you will be carrying this knife? Are you going to be using this knife in public around the sheeple?

I have been EDCing a small seb for the past 3 years (I seem to get a new Seb every year). For me, it is the perfect size. Depending on what city I am in, the length restriction tends to hover around 3.5". With that said, the Mili and Large Seb would be out of the question. I have never encountered a situation where I wish I had a bigger knife with me. I even had to baton through 3-4 fire logs in an emergency a few years ago with my small CGG sebenza with no issues.

The small seb is right under 3" so there is no question if it is legal length or not. Moreover, it doesn't have a "tactical" look to it thus for me, it has been more sheeple friendly. My newest EDC is a small insingo and the blade shape seems to be less "scary" to non knife people. As with any CRK it comes with the legedary tolerances. To some, this makes the world of a difference, to others it doesn't wow them at all. Moreover, you get the solid "thunk" sound when you open the knife and know that it is in the locked position.

Furthermore, there are many options available for the small seb. Do you want a regular, classic, 21 or an Insingo? How about inserts, wood, bone, micarta? What about graphics? What color thumb studs and spacers, blue, gold or silver?

On the other hand, the mili is an overall bigger knife. As others have said, the mili is a demon when it comes to slicing. The s90v will preform even better at the said task. The ergos feel great with my medium sized hands and it fits well in the pocket due to its slim build. It has a very fine tip which is great for delicate work, but as with any fine tip, caution must be used as to not snap it.

I really suggest that if it is possible you get both of them in hand. To some people the stats and the reputation might be great, but when you get them in hand it is a totally different story.
 
Danbo said:
Ok, this might piss off some of the Sebenzanistas out there, but the Military will outcut the Sebenza. I have owned many Sebenzas, in all of the different variations/sizes, etc... While they are excellent knives, none of them have come close to being the cutter that my BG42/Carbon Fiber Military is. The only Sebenza I owned that came close, was the small BG42 Classic that I reprofiled the edge on.

For what the Sebenza will cost, you can buy 2-3 Militarys. And, the size of the Military; don't let it fool you. It carries very well for such a big knife.

Again, this is not a knock against the Sebenza(great knives), as it's only my opinion, and is meant to be a testimony for the Spyderco Military.
Click to expand...

my sebbs are sharp,though the mill's are good slicers..
 
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