The Sebenza Experience

ExMachina

ExMachina

Joined
Nov 2, 2002
Messages
497
See if anybody here can identify with this?...

I've had my Large 21 for three weeks now and have been carrying it daily. When I first got the knife, I was underwhelmed--just another knife it seemed and certainly not 3-4-fold "better" knife that the price tag might imply. However, the Sebbie slowly grew on me, continually impressing me with all the small details that went into completing the proverbial "perfect" folding knife.

Yesterday, I suffered the SHOCK of realizing that the Sebenza had--over the course of three weeks--decisively mutated me into an entirely different type of knife user. That realization came when I decided to carry my Spyderco Military again, a knife which had heretofore impressed the hell out of me. Now all I can see is how the Spyderco pales in comparison to the Sebbie and I'm back to carrying the Sebbie...and probably won't stop :eek:.

So, unbeknownst to me I fell in love with my Sebenza and didn't realize it until I was faced with the reality of "another knife". The Sebenza conversion wasn't something that took place immediately but was more like falling asleep at the beginning of a long flight only to wake up on a whole different continent--I'm here now and really cannot imagine going back!

(And no, this is not a slam on the Military which is an amazing knife and a superlative value for the money. No way I'm giving up the Military either ;) )
 
Last edited:
Agreed. You don't really appreciate the Sebenza fully until you go back to some "regular" production folder. The difference in fit and overall quality is enormous.

I sold my small micarta Sebbie a while back after convincing myself a Victorinox Classic is really all I need. I realised this isn't quite true and got myself a Spyderco G-10 Dragonfly a couple of weeks ago. It's a nice knife, but compared to the Sebbie, it just doesn't cut it. So now, I have a Mnandi on the way :cool:
 
My experience exactly - I was underwhelmed at first (I used those exact same words in a post on another forum). As my collection grew to almost 100 folders by now - I started appreciating the Sebenza more and more. I realize now that I was underwhelmed because I was uneducated in what to look for in a knife. The Sebenza helped to educate me. Lets hope this thread stays on topic and that like any post mentioning a Sebenza, it does not end up as yet another Sebenza vs Strider vs whatever debate and those appreciating the Sebenza not being branded as mindless fanboys.
 
Last edited:
The only knives i carry now are the CRK's, Striders and Hinderders XM-18's.






I have :
2 SNG's (regular and CC)
2 SMF's
2 Hinderders (3" and 3 1/2")
1 Umnumzaan
1 large regular Seb
1 small 21 graphic Seb
1 small regular Seb
1 Umfaan



While I love them all I carry the small regular sebenza the most.



My spydercos have all been sold with the excpetion of one Milli , 2 salts, ATR and Tenacious. The salts (Salt 1 and Pacific) get a lot of kitchen use because they have been Kreined.
 
Sebenzitis . . . showed full blown symptoms in 1991. No known cure.
 
Since getting my first Sebenza, I've been giving away my other production knives to friends as gifts. Nothing I have really compares to the Sebenza. At first, when I opened the box for the first time and took it out, I thought, "Man this is small. Doesn't seem like anything special." Then I started carrying it and I noticed how light and thin it is. I don't even notice it in the pocket. I started to appreciate its size. Then after using the knife some, I realized that this knife is THE BEST knife I've ever used. It will not be leaving my pocket any time soon, unless of course, I get another Sebenza.
 
I always had cheaper folders in the past such as buck, case, gerber, kershaw, spyderco, you name it. Hardly none were over $100 and I was fine with that, their quality seemed to be at the top..................WELL, when I finally decided to try a sebenza, I was absolutely amazed by the HIGH QUALITY, Fit & Finnish is second to none, absolutely outstanding. I have not carried anything lesser than CRK qualty since................About 3 weeks ago, I picked up my first of 3 striders. I have since sold one of them and am also selling another keeping the SMF. I love the SMF, it is an awsome knife. I carried it for about a week thinking this could get alot of carry time; I started playing around with my sebenza and strider and there is NO Comparrison. The Sebenza is Flawless, SMOOTH, Fit & Finish, I could go on and on; and as much as like the strider, it seems cheap compared to the sebenza. I am efinately keeping the SMF, but when I need to grab only One........its my Large Regular NCIS Sebenza ALL THE WAY !!!
 
Last edited:
Sort of the same happened to me as well. I really liked the seb when I first got it like I sually have when I get something new. I got a new para mili shortly after and carried it in rotation. However, over time I find the seb is all I feel like carrying. Whenever I opt for something else, I feel underwhelmed when I need a knife and my sebenza isnt ready for the cut=P
 
My same experience...I've owned Sebbies, Emersons, & Striders but the only 2 knives that are in my current EDC rotation are 2 Large Sebenzas (Plan & Micarta).

Wonderful knife and even better customer service!!!
 
I was in the same boat as you. I carried my Small Reg for almost 9 months and decided that I would try a Spyderco Leaf storm. Don't get me wrong, its a great small knife. G-10, Ti, S30V, what more would you want?

For the 2 weeks I carried it, I was always thinking..."How I wish it was as smooth as the Seb, as "solid" feeling as the seb....etc etc."
After about 2 weeks, I went to switch back and sure enough I couldn't find the seb. I was freaking out. Then it dawned on me that the Seb is much more then a knife to me, it has personal value. It was there to help me when I needed to baton through firewood and on Xmas eve.

I ended up finding it about a week later behind my TV out of all places. (I think I was thinking to myself that it would be a good safe spot to put it..funny how I tend to do that and forget about it)..

Long story short, I went out and bought a small 21 as my daily, and will use the small reg only on special days! :D

DSC00827.jpg
 
ExMachina said:
... (And no, this is not a slam on the Military which is an amazing knife and a superlative value for the money. No way I'm giving up the Military either ;) )
Click to expand...

The Military is a fine knife, a fantastic cutter, and easy to maintain, as are all the Paras that I have. So I'm not giving mine up either.

But I still carry my small micarta 21 everywhere I go and my wife carries her silver dog paw Seb every day. They are perfect for our EDC chores and they are easy to carry and use without scaring people that aren't used to knives. The design, materials, and execution of Sebenzas is the best I've ever found in a knife that suits our carry & cutting needs day-to-day. And it's nice to know that CRK backs them up the way they do.

We see them as different knives for different purposes, but each has its' place.
 
Last edited:
Similar experience here too. The first two regulars that I owned I really did not use so I sold them. Ended up buying a large and small classic and they grew on me. Now they are by far my most carried.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top