Thanks for your help on Sebenza

M

marlin39d

Joined
Sep 26, 2004
Messages
68
First off let me say I'm very impressed with this forum and the people who frequent it!!!

I'm the guy that was asking if you thought the Chris Reeve Sebenza knives were worth their asking price. I received 65 responses very quickly mostly pro sebenza. Even the people who said that there were others knives close to or equal to the sebenza quality for less money did so in a respectful manner. I appreciate that.

Well, to make a long story short I just got off the phone from ordering a small classic Sebenza (plain). Like I said, this knife is over twice the amount I've ever paid for any knife (that won't keep me for using the hell out of it). I would not have bought it without some help from people who know knives and know them well.

Thank you,

Chris Flanagan (marlin39d)
 
I found your original thread quite interesting in that I would bet you could have asked about almost any other knife and not gotten nearly as many responses in such short order. CRK's Sebenza has a very loyal following. I hope you are very happy with your purchase.
 
Marlin, you will love it.
You said you ordered a small classic Sebenza (plain).
Does that mean you ordered a Plain or a Classic? - they are different knives.
 
Does that mean you ordered a Plain or a Classic? - they are different knives.
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Don't know what he meant, but I read that as a Classic Small Sebbie, without unique or computer graphic handles.

The Sebenza is offered in Classic or Regular, so I'm assuming the "plain" describes the handles.
 
I have no doubt that you will greatly enjoy your Sebbie. Be sure to post a pic or two and your impressions over on the CRK sub-forum.
 
I ordered it through One Stop Knife Shop and that's their terminology I think. By plain they mean it has the "stonewash" finish on the blade and blue anodized single thumb stud; no graphics, high polish blade, Damascus blade, or any other option.

It is a Classic though. A lot of places were calling the new style Sebenza "regular Sebenza" or just "Sebenza" with no other description .

I don't believe I've ever seen or heard of a production knife with so many variations and options. It was getting a little confusing. But it's the bare bones Small Classic Sebenza that I will be getting early next week.

This winter the knife will be used daily to cut the nylon string off of round bales of hay. The string tends to get muddy or caked up with dry sandy loam and some clay from being in mud so we'll see just how good this S30V stainless stuff holds an edge. The crud off that string really is hard on knives. I'm not expecting magical steel but hopefully it will do better than the run-of-the-mill knife.
 
marlin39d said:
The string tends to get muddy or caked up with dry sandy loam and some clay from being in mud so we'll see just how good this S30V stainless stuff holds an edge. The crud off that string really is hard on knives. I'm not expecting magical steel but hopefully it will do better than the run-of-the-mill knife.
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It should be better (much better, even), but it might be harder to sharpen, since the factory knives use soft, low carbon stainless, while this is going to be harder and the vanadium in the steel will also make it somewhat more difficult to sharpen. I guess you have to compromise some things for performance. :)
 
Glad to hear you getting a new sebbie, its an awesome tool. Your going to love it, good luck and enjoy it.
 
You got the terminology correct. The Sebenza's come in regular and classic versions (describes the handle and blade shapes) and plain, decorated, wood inlay, etc. styles (deals with the handel treatment with regards to decoration)

Great choice, I don't have one currently but the small classic is my favorite of all. Currently have a large classic and small regular, but once had a small classic wood inlay as well. I find that size to be a perfect EDC.

Please let us know what you think when you get it.
 
Chris,
Good luck with it. You won't need another knife of that size/design...ever. But then, 'need' and "want" are two different things!
Steve
 
congrats on ordering a sebbie...I cant wait to have enough cash together to order one myself :D
 
It's hard to sharpen a knife that's had its edge worn down to really dull, but maintaining an edge through hard use is a lot easier. Get a Spyderco Sharpmaker, practice on a few old kitchen knives, and you'll see how easy it is to keep your Sebenza sharp.
 
That's great to hear Marlin. I expect the knife will exceed your expectations. Chris makes his knives to use. Assuming that you wipe the blade down at reasonable intervals and don't leave it dirty overnight, it should serve you well. Part of the price of the knife includes great customer service and I can say from personal experience that if you are in anyway unhappy with the performance and/or anything else about your new knife, CRK will go very far out of their way to keep you a happy camper.

I think that you will really appreciate the ability to take the knife apart and give it a good cleaning and lube job. It really surprises how much crud can build up in the pivot area. The first few times I broke down a Sebenza for cleaning were a little frustrating for me but now I can do it my sleep. The tolerances are tight as you will find out and you need to put everything back together exactly right or the knife will not open right. If you have any problems putting it back together, give a shout as many of us here are happy to share our experiences with fellow knifeaholics (Sebenzaholic?).

For sharpening, I have had fantastic results with the Edge Pro Apex. It's more expensive that most sharpening devices but I find that like with most things in life, you get what you pay for.

Welcome to the madness! :eek: You're in for the ride of your life! :D :cool: ;) :p
 
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