Taking the CRK plunge

A

agile_1

Joined
Dec 2, 2012
Messages
485
Hello team. I am giving serious thought to buying my first Chris Reeve Knife. This is a major investment, maybe a once every two or three years kind of thing for me - maybe a one timer - tbd.

Anyway here is the thing. I don't really know of any CRK dealers in my area, and I would really like to at least handle ONE CRK model before I place an order. If there are any CRK owning forum members local to my area (east central MA, Boston/Worcester area) willing to meet up and show off your CRK's I would be much obliged. Lunch is on me....

Outside of that, this what I am leaning towards. Your comments/observations/expertise are required ;) to help me make a decision....


  • A Large 21, probably with a graphic
  • A 25, probably with a graphic. (graphic not available on the 25 :() Not sure about sharpening the hollow grind tho - more comfortable with a flat grind but open to expanding my sharpening horizons
  • Umnumzaan - how does the shock absorber concept play out in the field? Are o-ring replacements commercially available or are they custom parts?


Thanks for reading.

Stay sharp.
 
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For your first CRK, I went with a Large 21 that was purchased on the exchange here. If you are not in a hurry, used ones pop up often on the forum & if you don't like it you will get most of your money back reselling it. Another great thing is you can send it back to CRK for "spa treatment" & it will come back looking like new, I have not done this yet, but CRK customer service is supposed to be one of the best in the business. Another thing for me was getting used to opening the knife properly, coming from flippers & spydercos it took a bit of practice to open it smoothly with the thumbstud. I recommend buying used first & going in with the right expectations, CRK was a "grail" knife for me, I will likely purchase another model once I acquire my last must have which would be a Hinderer.
 
The 25 is more of a flat grind than the 21. Just so you know. Hollow grounds aren't any harder to sharpen in my opinion though. I was lucky enough to handle one at Blade Show before I purchased mine (a 25). But like stated above, if you don't like it you'd probably lose less than lunch costs if you resold it.
 
Unfortunately this forum does not allow one to help out by giving the names of non-paying dealers. But, go the the CRK website's list of dealers, there is at least one dealer in MA. More if you are willing to take a day trip. I got mine by stopping in at a dealer when I was driving across country. Wait for it...it's worth it.

I'd suggest buying a new one, not really that much more than someone's used, god-only-knows-how-many-times-it-was-sold knife.

I'd also suggest getting a computerized graphic one. The prettier handle and the polished blade is worth the extra cash.
 
I'm going to be very honest here. I have all the big name production knives one sees here on the forums. I won't mention names in good taste and out of respect for this sub forum. That said, I bought a large 21 in carbon fiber. When I received the knife, I thought it was beautiful, simple, smooth and the detail in the fit and finish was amazing. I was not "wowed" by it, it didn't make me want to get rid of my other knives, nor was it or is it still my favorite. It's one of my favorites, but its not any more special than the knife I carried before it. I have an adoration for how simple yet hard use it is. There is not one measurement on this knife that isn't exact, you can put it together with your eyes closed and it will still function the same as when you got it. After reading all about the sebenza, I expected to be so blown away that I got rid of all my other knives, bought another sebenza and those were my two lifetime knives. It was very overhyped on the web that my expectations were too over the top that when I got it I was kind of let down (expectation wise). You won't find a better out together knife though. Chris knows his stuff. I would never get rid of my crk, but odds are I won't get another. You may be different. Either way, I think you ought to get one and have a well thought out design. The 21 requires nothing but the tool provided and some grease. The 25 requires an additional hex key and some loctite, and the umnumzaan requires a special tool for the pivot and loctite as well. None of them are a bad choice for a knife though. I don't regret my purchase, I regret reading so much about it that I thought it was the be all end all knife. Good luck and let us know what you get! I'm sure I'll get criticized for this reply lol. Just playing, CRK people are friendly, and the company is very helpful.
 
I ordered my first sebenza having never handled one. The hardest thing for me to decide was wether to get a large or small. I couldn't find enough comparison pics to knifes I had or have handled before. I wound up ordering a small insingo, then picked up a small reg, then got an umnumzaan, then a large 21, and another small in carbon fiber. Not to mention the mnandis. They can be addictive. I would recommend buying new for your first so that you get a 100% accurate representation of what the sebenza is. If you don't find anyone to meet up with don't hesitate to ask for comparison pics, we all love to show off what we have.
 
After having handled, carried, and used both the large and small Sebenzas I have determined that I am definitely a small Sebenza guy. The small is more than sufficient for my wants/needs. My absolute favorite Seb is the small 21 Insingo and I give it my full endorsement and recommendation.
 
MostMenAreRuthless said:
After having handled, carried, and used both the large and small Sebenzas I have determined that I am definitely a small Sebenza guy. The small is more than sufficient for my wants/needs. My absolute favorite Seb is the small 21 Insingo and I give it my full endorsement and recommendation.
Click to expand...


Yep...my thoughts exactly.


Chris D.:D
 
Great comments all. I appreciate it.

So I am coming from a ZT flipper/assisted opener background. I can open my 550 and 200 and even the 560 using a thumbstud. Not a big deal afaic. Am also fond of the overbuilt hand feel of the ZT's.

Good to hear about the flat vs hollow grind. I do not want to botch the edge on a CRK (did a number on one of my 560's).

I think that I am being realistic with my expectations. My real concern is that given my fondness for the overbuilt ZT line, that a CRK might feel like it's a little small. Even with a 3.625" blade. That's kind of why I would really like to handle a couple before buying. I don't expect the earth to move, but I would expect this:

There is not one measurement on this knife that isn't exact, you can put it together with your eyes closed and it will still function the same as when you got it.
Click to expand...

Good solid engineering and knife design. It's not going to change your life but it can't hurt.

And like you all say - the resale value holds up pretty well. I am selling off a lot of my smaller less expensive folders to fund the CRK buy and in general am lucky to recover 75% of original cost. If I am disappointed (and I doubt I will be) I can always sell it.

Pics? Show em if you got em. I have seen some CRK's across the forum but would love to see what you have and hear what you like about it.
 
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SuzukiGS750EZ said:
I'm going to be very honest here. I have all the big name production knives one sees here on the forums. I won't mention names in good taste and out of respect for this sub forum. That said, I bought a large 21 in carbon fiber. When I received the knife, I thought it was beautiful, simple, smooth and the detail in the fit and finish was amazing. I was not "wowed" by it, it didn't make me want to get rid of my other knives, nor was it or is it still my favorite. It's one of my favorites, but its not any more special than the knife I carried before it. I have an adoration for how simple yet hard use it is. There is not one measurement on this knife that isn't exact, you can put it together with your eyes closed and it will still function the same as when you got it. After reading all about the sebenza, I expected to be so blown away that I got rid of all my other knives, bought another sebenza and those were my two lifetime knives. It was very overhyped on the web that my expectations were too over the top that when I got it I was kind of let down (expectation wise). You won't find a better out together knife though. Chris knows his stuff. I would never get rid of my crk, but odds are I won't get another. You may be different. Either way, I think you ought to get one and have a well thought out design. The 21 requires nothing but the tool provided and some grease. The 25 requires an additional hex key and some loctite, and the umnumzaan requires a special tool for the pivot and loctite as well. None of them are a bad choice for a knife though. I don't regret my purchase, I regret reading so much about it that I thought it was the be all end all knife. Good luck and let us know what you get! I'm sure I'll get criticized for this reply lol. Just playing, CRK people are friendly, and the company is very helpful.
Click to expand...

I bought the same knife and feel the same way, I really like the knife especially its lightness and simplicity. Mine was dull from the belly to the tip and required some sharpening, there are also three indentations along one side of the rounded spine of the blade. They are faint and do not affect the knifes function and are really the only cosmetic flaw I could find. I need to keep carrying and using the knife more to really to see if my impression changes. I am not unhappy with the knife, but I feel that the brand is so talked about that it made me think I was buying an almost mythical knife like an excalibre of folding knives.

I like CRK's costumer service reputation and that also sold me, I feel confident I can use my knife and have it forever and when it needs service I can send it in and have any issues fixed. I would not have spent so much money on a knife without the ability to eventually, if needed have it refurbed. I think this adds to the knifes legendary reputation and that was what really sold me on buying a sebenza.
 
I would recommend the 21 for a first CRK. It's bushing/pivot system makes it very fool-proof and even invites regular maintenance. Many will disagree, but I sincerely wish there was a 25 that retained the bushing pivot (otherwise all other features of the 25).
 
Officer's Match said:
I would recommend the 21 for a first CRK. It's bushing/pivot system makes it very fool-proof and even invites regular maintenance. Many will disagree, but I sincerely wish there was a 25 that retained the bushing pivot (otherwise all other features of the 25).
Click to expand...

Thanks - am considering it. Is the large 21 roughly the same size as a 25? Based on dimensions given on the CRK website I'd say they are pretty darn close.

alwayscarryaknife said:
Here's my 25 with my 0550. Since you're a ZT guy.

5DFCC9F5-4C7F-44CE-A333-6190E3EE1746-1718-000000F67ADDC4AD_zps9304d93d.jpg


It is much thinner in the hand than the 0550. But it fits my hands well, and is comfortable in the hand.
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Nice - thanks for the comp.

Looks like the 25 would have roughly similar dimensions as a ZT0560 then, since the 560 is a bit larger than the 550.
 
agile_1 said:
Thanks - am considering it. Is the large 21 roughly the same size as a 25? Based on dimensions given on the CRK website I'd say they are pretty darn close.



Nice - thanks for the comp.

Looks like the 25 would have roughly similar dimensions as a ZT0560 then, since the 560 is a bit larger than the 550.
Click to expand...

The handle is almost the same length as the 0550 but there's more blade.
 
Officer's Match said:
I would recommend the 21 for a first CRK. It's bushing/pivot system makes it very fool-proof and even invites regular maintenance. Many will disagree, but I sincerely wish there was a 25 that retained the bushing pivot (otherwise all other features of the 25).
Click to expand...

SuzukiGS750EZ said:
...
I think you ought to get one and have a well thought out design. The 21 requires nothing but the tool provided and some grease.
...
Click to expand...

MostMenAreRuthless said:
....
My absolute favorite Seb is the small 21 Insingo and I give it my full endorsement and recommendation.
Click to expand...

Based on comments, recs and other reading to date I am starting to lean towards a large 21....

unique graphic....

birthstone cabochon....
 
agile_1 said:
Based on comments, recs and other reading to date I am starting to lean towards a large 21....

unique graphic....

birthstone cabochon....
Click to expand...

I don't think you will go wrong with that choice. I am really glad I took the plunge. I found my EDC. Other knives will make it in occasionally but the CRK will be in my pocket 9 days out of 10. That 10th day will probably be my Father's Day Delica.
 
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Making sketches for a graphic... anyone have any good sources of existing designs that I can use for inspiration ;) ? I have found a few dealer websites that have some. Lots of beautiful designs.
 
I would say the 25 is the most "built"of the current Sebenza line. I didn't care for the finger grooves but YMMV. The ZT 550 defiantly has a thicker blade and a thicker piece of ti. But the Sebenza is not that much less "built" I think the blade lends itself to slicing and everyday chores much better then the 550. I had the same issue as you never seeing one in person, before buying one. My expectation were high, so I was really let down. Now I own 4 CRK and will buy more as time goes on, they really are a simple utilitarian design, and so far every other knife I buy, has its problems compared to a sebbie.
Good luck on you journey.
 
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