Started with an Insingo, now I'm here. What's next?

[ChazzyP]

Thanks for the congrats, man, and for not buying the knife either! :thumbup:

I fell in love with my large 21 Insingo Micarta user when I got that and have been checking out Inkosi's for a while. I saw Cjwknife's pics of his large/small natural Micarta pair last month and just started drooling. That large has been on the short list since I saw those pics and yesterday was just my "perfect storm" day with the blizzard here, then me snapping pics, listing, and selling my Sparrow in a few hours, and then finding this beauty the same day.

 

[wisemenofgotham]

As for a "home knife" - I don't really know what to think about that. The knife I use at home is the knife that's in my pocket for the day. I, personally, want as little pocket bulk as I can manage.

With limited pocket space in my dress pants and my actual daily uses, my EDC Skeletool CX will likely always be my choice. Any additional knife would be carried in a bag or inside my white coat/sports coat/overcoat. I'm curious to see how well the Mnandi "vanishes" in my pocket, but as an additional carry knife, I'm wondering if a large knife would be a better choice. The idea of a "home knife" would be one that I could carry in addition to my normal EDC, or leave at home and use to open mail, packages, etc.

I'm hoping to receive my Umnumzaan on Monday and it's likely a keeper/user, particularly because I help out my father with home renovation. He is a realtor and we usually have a few "fix and flip" homes projects every year. God willing, I will receive my Mnandi tomorrow afternoon. My 3-5 knife "limit" comes from my own personal opinions regarding collecting and owning too many items and not using them. For example, I owned 20+ firearms (pistols) and recently cut it down to three users and I'm much happier. The Umnumzaan can serve all my needs as my additional carry knife/user/"home knife", but I want a few more for variety.

After my experience with my Large Sebenza 21 Insingo and Small Sebenza 21 drop point, I've learned that I prefer the large size and the insingo blade. The Umnumzaan will provide a different action experience, which will swing me towards an Inkosi or another Large Sebenza in the immediate future. The choice of carbon fiber, Micarta inlays, wood inlays or Wilson Combat scales is still one that needs to be made. My experience with the Mnandi will determine if I actually want a small knife, or to go back to a small Sebenza/Inkosi. If I can find use with the Mnandi, that sounds like a pretty good rotation to me, with the Unmunzaan and another large CRK. If not, then it will likely be the Umnumzaan, a large Sebenza with inlays and other undecided large CRK.

While I don't "need" five knives, I can easily see myself buying two more based on appearance and variety. Thanks again for all of the suggestions/insight, I look forward to more opinions.

 

[wisemenofgotham]

Thanks for the congrats, man, and for not buying the knife either! :thumbup:

I fell in love with my large 21 Insingo Micarta user when I got that and have been checking out Inkosi's for a while. I saw Cjwknife's pics of his large/small natural Micarta pair last month and just started drooling. That large has been on the short list since I saw those pics and yesterday was just my "perfect storm" day with the blizzard here, then me snapping pics, listing, and selling my Sparrow in a few hours, and then finding this beauty the same day.

Thoughts of your Sebenza Insingo Micarta knife vs your Inkosi Micarta knife? Thank you.

 

[ChazzyP]

Thoughts of your Sebenza Insingo Micarta knife vs your Inkosi Micarta knife? Thank you.

Well, I'll let you know when I get it, man.

I'm particularly interested in the comparison between the 25 and the Inkosi. My Insingo is a 21 and the differences between that and my 25 are significant--the bushing pivot vs adjustable and the hardened lock-bar vs the ceramic ball interface. The Inkosi changes up the washers from the 25, making them larger with bigger cut-outs, and adds the floating stop pin, which to my mind should make a significant difference. The "advantage" of the adjustable pivot over the bushing style was offset by having to tighten the stop pin in the 25 all the way down to avoid lock-titing it. ("Stop pin" in the previous sentence is an edit, as I mistakenly wrote "pivot".) Honestly, though, I still love the bushing pivot of the 21, though I usually take the washers down a taste to make the action more to my liking.

The other big difference is the change to the larger radius hollow grind which should make the Inkosi a better slicer. Of course the Insingo is a helluva slicer in its own right. There's a lot to compare amongst the three iterations and I'm sure there'll be more to write going forward.

 

[wisemenofgotham]

I received the Mnandi Macassar Ebony knife this morning and it is stunning! I think for EDC and office wear, this little knife is a great choice. I prefer it over the small Sebenza that I previously owned.

 

[wisemenofgotham]

I started with a large and a small 21, and thought the small was about ideal EDC sized for me, but sold both. Now I have two Mnandis. ChazzyP is right, the Mnandi is small, and photo comparisons to the 21 don't really do it justice, BUT, in terms of functional blade, it's not that much smaller, and I've read reviews in which folks write things akin to "the Mnandi can do everything the small 21 can do, it just looks better doing it." Thinner blade stock, but that makes the knife better in my mind and use.

I completely agree.

 

[ChazzyP]

I received the Mnandi Macassar Ebony knife this morning and it is stunning! I think for EDC and office wear, this little knife is a great choice. I prefer it over the small Sebenza that I previously owned.

Nice one, man. I felt the same way you do, that the small Seb was too small to be a good fit for me, and if I was going to have a little CRK, it would be the Mnandi. That knife is just a little jewel and meets my cutting needs in the contexts in which it gets carried.

Here's my little guy clad in snakewood.

 

[blanco112]

Nice one, man. I felt the same way you do, that the small Seb was too small to be a good fit for me, and if I was going to have a little CRK, it would be the Mnandi. That knife is just a little jewel and meets my cutting needs in the contexts in which it gets carried.

Here's my little guy clad in snakewood.

That's a great looking mnandi.

 

[ChazzyP]

That's a great looking mnandi.

Thanks, blanco. Funny, I never much liked snakewood, but I saw that one on the Exchange and the look of it just spoke to me. I'm really glad I grabbed it.

Speaking of great looking, I just picked up the knife wmog were discussing above after I posted the seller's pic. I'm plastering shots of it all over BF. I think I'm shamelessly in love....

 

[wisemenofgotham]

Looks great, looking forward to hearing your thoughts vs the large 21 and 25. God willing, I receive my Umnumzaan tomorrow and it may be the lifer I'm looking for

 

[ChazzyP]

I've got my 'Zaan in my pocket as I write. It's definitely a lifer. I bought one for my son too.

 

[BilboBaggins]

Looks great, looking forward to hearing your thoughts vs the large 21 and 25. God willing, I receive my Umnumzaan tomorrow and it may be the lifer I'm looking for

My Zaan was my CRK gateway drug. It's part of my lifers at this point. I'm still blown away by it, every time I pick it up.

 

[wisemenofgotham]

My Umnumzaan is here! Initial thoughts- tactical and rock solid, like a fixed blade. Surprisingly, the Umnumzaan's method of opening and closing is more natural for me than that of the Sebenza. I love the extra grip on the titanium scales.

My CRK journey timeline has been the following: Large Sebenza 21 Insingo--> Small Sebenza 21--> Mnandi Macassar Ebony--> Umnumzaan--> Small Sebenza 21 Micarta Inlays. I feel like the Umnumzaan and Mnandi make an awesome carry rotation for all purposes. Now for the next CRK, I'm curious to hear opinions regarding the Inkosi versus a Large Sebenza 21. A Large Inkosi with Micarta inlays and a Large Sebenza 21 with wood inlays seem like good additions. Thanks for your time.

 

[Lone_Wolfe]

Get both!

 

[wisemenofgotham]

Get both!

Haha, of course you would say that :thumbup:

For those interested, this is a pretty good comparison video between a Large Sebenza 21, Sebenza 25 and Umnumzaan:

[video=youtube;ZgBu3Fzs-GA]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgBu3Fzs-GA[/video]

 

[ChazzyP]

Looks great, looking forward to hearing your thoughts vs the large 21 and 25. God willing, I receive my Umnumzaan tomorrow and it may be the lifer I'm looking for

You're gonna love that 'Zaan--it's just one helluva knife.

So anyway, I ate too much Valentine's candy, woke up in the middle of the night and can't get back to sleep. We're off to our woods up North later today, so I'll write now as everything from up there is off my phone with weak signal. This'll be a first impressions take on the comparison you asked for as it will take some time for me to actually use the new Inkosi--I want enjoy it's perfect brand-newness a while longer.

The thing with the Inkosi is that it's really the 25 re-branded and taken to another level. A lot of people thought that the 25 wasn't really a Sebenza as its adjustable pivot and ceramic ball interface were significant-enough differences that the 25 was really a new model. The 21 stands as the culmination of Sebenza development and the Inkosi now takes the 25 in the same direction.

I love the simplicity and purity of the bushing pivot on the 21. The knife is so well engineered and hand-fitted that you just crank the pivot down tight, the blade is perfectly centered, and the action is just the way the factory intended. That said, I like the action a little freer than the folks in Boise and take the washers on my 21s down .01-.02 mm each, re-polish them, and lately use W10 NanoOil instead of grease. Regardless, just tighten down that pivot and stop pin and the knife is rock-solid and immovable.

The Inkosi extends the design concepts of the 25 and follows the lead of the Umnumzaan with thicker blade stock and a large, adjustable pivot. The Inkosi adds the "floating" stop pin which solves the contradiction between an adjustable pivot and a fixed length stop pin. The larger washers add stability while the giant cut-outs reduce friction. My Inkosi was just the smoothest, freest CRK out-of-the-box that I've encountered and I likely won't be fooling with the action on this one. Overall, the Inkosi, like the 'Zaan is a more robust knife than my Sebenzas.

As to the blade shapes, each has it's place. I haven't cut anything with the Inkosi and so can't judge the new large-radius grind. However, the drop point blades have perhaps more utility with a fair amount of straight cutting edge, a generous belly, and a fine tip. On the other hand, I find the Insingo to be more useful on the job for minor wood-working touch-ups shaving, paring, and carving. The Insingo also seems the better slicer, but the two blades each have their uses.

So, after that wall of text, I think Lone_Wolfe has it right, as she usually does--get both!--though not everyone needs 125 CRKs.

PS: I just love the Micarta inlays on both my 21 Insingo and new Inkosi.

 

[wisemenofgotham]

Thank you for the input, it's greatly appreciated. With that being said, I think a Large Inkosi with Micarta inlays and an Insingo blade would be a great "modern" CRK to add. After that, of course I "need" a classic Large Sebenza 21 with wood inlays. Thanks Lone_Wolfe

 

[Officer's Match]

ChazzyP, pretty coherent thoughts for someone cranking on Valentine's candy. One thing though, if I'm not mistaken, the 25 also has the thicker blade stock like the Zaan and Inkosi. I do definitely think the "floating" stop pin (on the presentation side) makes more sense for the adjustable pivot tension concept. I also like the new washer design.

 

[ChazzyP]

Thank you for the input, it's greatly appreciated. With that being said, I think a Large Inkosi with Micarta inlays and an Insingo blade would be a great "modern" CRK to add. After that, of course I "need" a classic Large Sebenza 21 with wood inlays. Thanks Lone_Wolfe

I don't believe the 25 was ever offered with an Insingo blade, and looking at the CRK website I don't see that the Inkosi is yet offered with that option. That would be a nice combo.

The large 21 with wood inlays is a great choice for a "home" knife, though mine is a drawer queen and only gets fondled, wiped down, and put back to bed.

 

[ChazzyP]

ChazzyP, pretty coherent thoughts for someone cranking on Valentine's candy. One thing though, if I'm not mistaken, the 25 also has the thicker blade stock like the Zaan and Inkosi. I do definitely think the "floating" stop pin (on the presentation side) makes more sense for the adjustable pivot tension concept. I also like the new washer design.

You are indeed correct about the 25's blade stock thickness, OM, and I think what I wrote implied that, though my meaning may have been vague. As it was 4 in the morning and the 25 is no longer listed at Reeve's website I wasn't able to get the easy digital answer there and didn't elect to cast about the web to find out. I got the not-much-more-difficult-to-find answer just now as I dug out my calipers and checked.

If the Sebenza and Umnumzaan are cousins, the 21 and 25 were brothers. The 25 and Inkosi are fraternal twins--very similar but not hard to tell apart with their different stop pins and washers. The three knives (21, 25, & Inkosi) are three distinct family members. The 'Zaan makes four in the recent large folder category and I'm pleased to have at least one of each.