so.. the sebenza.

Status
Not open for further replies.
A

aue123

Gold Member
Joined
Jul 10, 2018
Messages
250
granted i’ve never held a sebenza.. i feel like it’s a bandwagon knife. everyone (on forums) recommends it, but is it really everything worth $500?? i just don’t see the flair about it, looks like an ordinary knife, nothing special, but yet everyone swears by it. i’m trying to get a better understanding about what makes it so special besides being expensive, and yes to 80% of the forum members $500 is pretty darn expensive.

i’m stumped..
 
I have never had the opportunity to hold one, but there are a few things that I’ve gleaned from owners.

Outstanding fit and finish.
Ease of maintenance and disassembling/re-assembling.
Great cutting geometry.
Extremely high level of customer support and service.
Tons of options for scales and inlays.
Proven track record and history.
Exclusivity and panache.
 
YouTube Blade HQ Chris Reeve Knives and you decide.

Worth of a product is determined by you. Check my signature below. It summed up worth regarding it.
 
Same argument applies to Ferraris and Rolls Royces. In terms of getting from point A to point B, a Toyota can do the same thing just fine. But the Ferrari or Royce is on the market anyway because some folks are willing to pay for them, and that’s perfectly fine. You’re paying for the topnotch construction, quality materials, and customer service. It’s entirely up to the consumer if all that is worth it.

My Endura 4 will cut the same things that a Sebbie can. The difference in price does not reflect a drastic jump in performance or even longevity but the quality in construction and materials, which is admittedly barely noticeable in the world of user knives. Again, up to you if that’s worth it.
 
I don't own one, I have held and played with a couple as I tried to convince myself it was worth the money. Ultimately I have no desire to own one. Seems to me a lot of people buy them because someone told them they were really well built and everyone knows they are expensive. They ARE really well built, but don't offer me anything I can't get from other knives. If I'm jonesing to get my hands on precision engineered, precision built equipment; I'll just walk into the lab.
 
I think the answer is both YES and NO

the Sebenza is not worth its value and it is overpriced. You can get some incredible titanium frame lock with a better steel than s35vn for way less $$$
The action is good for a knife on washer but it is not a fidgety knife, so if you enjoy knives that fall shot you will be disappointed.
If money is not a definitive blocking point add push to $600 and get a Koenig.

on the other hand it is really worth the money. It is not for everyone and it is not following the trends of all the ball bearing 20cv fancy Knives that are everywhere. They do a very good s35vn and from them it is a well balanced user steel. The knife is so easy to maintain that you shall not be shy using it.
It is my favorite brand and I have many variation of the sebenza/Inkosi/Umnumzaan and if I can keep only one knife it will be a CRK.
The simplicity of the design is really appealing to me

Because you can see it worth or not worth it I can only recommend you to handle one in a shop or to order it from a shop where you can return it
 
If you're asking if it's worth it, you already have your answer.
At least for now.
It's all about YOUR personal preference. I have no problem carrying and using $500+ customs. While many folks here on the forums keep their Spyderco Paramilitary 2's as safe queens.
Neither way is wrong.

I find the best way to decide what price level is right for you is to start at the beginning. Research the hell out of what piques your interest, then get a knife that you feel comfortable using. At the price that you feel comfortable with. Whether it be a $10 Opinel, a $200 ZT, Or a $500 Sebenza. After a little while (sometimes it takes just a day, or less) you will either be perfectly happy with what you have, or you'll feel "The Itch" and want to experience something nicer. Sometimes it's a big jump. Sometimes you need to take multiple steps up that ladder of cost vs. value.

At least that's what worked for me.
 
thanks for all the reply’s so quickly, i totally understand the “worth is in the eye of the beholder” , i’m not denying that, i carry a socom elite and people hate that thing. I just felt like the sebenza was more of a bandwagon knife, someone talked it up and somehow it grew hype then everyone had to jump on board (you’re not in the cool club unless you take pictures of you EDC’ing your sebenza) ‍♂️. anyways thanks for all the input once again.
 
I think it's a better question to ask, "Among knives in its price range and category, is the Sebenza genuinely a better knife?"

At that price range it is arguably the benchmark for quality, fit and finish, and performance.

It is not a Toyota vs Rolls Royce question. It is a Bentley vs Rolls Royce question.
 
There may be a small contingent of Sebenza users who are "bandwagoning", but in my experience those who are fans are genuine fans. If you can afford to drop $500-$700 on a pocket knife, there are a lot of excellent choices. The number of Sebenza devotees speaks for itself; those folks could carry any number of knives and the choose the CRK. Many of us CRK fans have knives that are more expensive than a Sebenza and those knives haven't been able to kick the CRK out of our pocket.

It really is one of those things that you'll have to personally experience to understand if a Sebenza works for you.
 
aue123 said:
I just felt like the sebenza was more of a bandwagon knife, someone talked it up and somehow it grew hype then everyone had to jump on board.
Click to expand...
That's not entirely wrong, lol. The sebenza made waves when it hit the scene; and it was pretty much at the top of the production knife pile. Over 20 years have passed - for some, the sebenza is still the answer... for the others, there are more great knives than ever from which to choose.
 
It's a great knife and it's certainly has one of the best f&f of any knife. Is it worth $400+ - not to me. I have had many and sold them all. When I did have them I still found myself using a $30 SAK to do 90% of the cutting.....not sure if it was the cost or just preference.
 
Whichever price/budget range you're good with should be the cap for your choice of knives. Most people are good with that because it affords them a good collection of knives to choose from for their daily carry. All the folks I work with are happy with one knife, but they aren't members here.
What I've seen from members here is that in their journey down the rabbit hole, they want to move to the next level of knife collecting/using for EDC tasks. So, when they ask, a CRK is mentioned often. Hence, the perceived hype. IMO, the reason for that is, CRK has been around a long time and the knife has proven itself to be a well built, reliable tool that offers a person a variety of flavors. People are creatures of habit, when something new comes along, they stick with what they know. Therefore, if I'm willing to drop $500.00 on a knife, I want to have peace of mind that I'm getting the whole package deal, and not just part of it. In my humble mind, knowing that customer service, resale value, desire for the knife stays strong it's easy for me to choose a CRK.
Yes, there are other brands in that price range that match CRK, but I'll never know because I like to stick with what I know that has a proven track record.
 
We all establish price limits that we hesitate to cross for just about everything we buy. After that point, it's about what brings a smile to your face. I have three CRKs & they're all users. The only knife I own that gets carried more is my ever present Alox Cadet.

On the other hand, if you try a CRK & just don't think they're worth it, that's fine. A $100 Spyderco Native 5 will handle just about the same cutting chores as a CRK.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top