Totally new to Knives.. Sebenza or Umnumzaan??

Check your hand-size; make sure that you get a "small" or a "large" Sebenza, whichever fits your hand. I cannot control a small; my hand is too large. I've had many small and large Sebenzas; they are are great. However, I carry the more "tactical" model, an Umnumzaan, each and every day.
Do your research before you buy.
 
Check your hand-size; make sure that you get a "small" or a "large" Sebenza, whichever fits your hand. I cannot control a small; my hand is too large. I've had many small and large Sebenzas; they are are great. However, I carry the more "tactical" model, an Umnumzaan, each and every day.
Do your research before you buy.
 
To answer your question the plain 21 would get my vote.
However, without first handling a few run of the mill production knives you wont "get" what all the hype is about. I carried a buck 110 for some time and would have told you it couldn't get much better than that. I had no clue about blade play, centering, and over all fit and finish, which are all the things that set CRK apart. I realize it's your money, and quite frankly you could go spend it on a blind 400lb 3 legged hog for all I care.
If you want a good high end knife the Paramilitary 2 is a great option. They're definitely highly regarded and sought after.

This is one of those -One and Done- deals.
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Yeah about that, I've been telling myself that for sometime now, but it typically goes "I swear, one MORE and I'm done"
 
Haggard616 said:
I'm not a collector.. I'm looking for a tool I can use everyday. This is one of those -One and Done- deals. I don't "need" to know about the knifes history or pedigree, I just need to know its the best for how I'm going to use it. I do appreciate that some people care much more about the "essence" but I'm not here for that.
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I don't think anybody is insulted that you want a Sebenza as your first real knife. They are one of the most highly recommended folders out there.

I don't think you need to know a knife's history, pedigree, or "essence" to enjoy it either, however, i think it would be wise to buy something cheaper that is about the same size as your new Sebenza, so you can "learn on that one", for lack of a better term. If you don't, and you jack up your brand new Sebenza doing something you shouldn't have, or trying to sharpen it incorrectly, or what have you, you're going to be on here crying about it.

I say if you want a Sebenza, go for it. Nothing is holding you back, and nobody is going to tell you it's a bad knife. I think you ought to buy some training wheels to go along with it though. Definitely sounds like a wise idea to me.
 
Umnumzaan or Sebenza I love mine I have both its splitting hairs. I like the simplicity of the Sebenza. And you can get them in a tanto or a sheeps foot. I like DMT clamp on sharpener never lets me down and is small and easy to pac into back country. What ever you get you wont be getting a bad knife.
 
I'm with the other guys saying that it would be wiser to ease into the hobby. The Sebenza won't cut, look, taste, or smell any better than any other good knife. You have to know what you're looking for to get the maximum out of it. It's like a new drinker filling up his glass with 20 year old Pappy and coke, it's his money, but it makes you sad.
 
plue said:
It's like a new drinker filling up his glass with 20 year old Pappy and coke, it's his money, but it makes you sad.
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Awwwww hell naw!!!!

I honestly think I might slap the glass out of their hand! Pappy Van Winkle is Sacred Nectar of the Gods.
 
While I didn't specify the size, the best advise would be to try and handle the knives before you deceide.
Chances are you'll get more than one.
From my knife-buying experience I can say there are a few I would not buy again.
So I see nothing wrong in skipping those...;)

"The best knife"......
There sure is a best knife for a certain task, the hunt for "the best knife" is a little bit like the hunt for the gral.
A knife has many dimensions and is therefore always a compromise - to find the one that fit's you best is a blessing.
While I've come a long way I'm not sure if I'll ever find it.
In the meantime the Sebenza fit's the bill. :)

red mag

PS: I think I see an EP in the future.
 
Haggard616 said:
Im going straight to Sebenza because I want the best. I don't see how that can be insulting to the die-hards here. I don't need to have tons of experience with a knife, or Ferrari for that matter, to have fun and appreciate it in my own way. The Sebenza has caught my attention because its spoken of by the experienced people on this forum and others. Now, if we were talking about some knife of historical significance, like Lincolns congress knife, and I were to buy it just to use for an EDC.. I can see people getting offended and probably yelling at me to get a Sebenza for an EDC! lol
I don't really know anything of knives.. If all the experienced members here give me the advice that a Sebenza is the best.. I'll take their word for it.
I'm not a collector.. I'm looking for a tool I can use everyday. This is one of those -One and Done- deals. I don't "need" to know about the knifes history or pedigree, I just need to know its the best for how I'm going to use it. I do appreciate that some people care much more about the "essence" but I'm not here for that.
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Okay, I get it. At this level of knife you'll get some advice from die hards to gradually move up to the CRK line. Same will happen when and if you ever make it over to traditionals. You'll hear about "soul" and knives talking to you, and 'reading' vintage models. And fixed blades too. Edge retention, corrosion resistance, toughness, etc. ALL TRUE.

In the end, buy what YOU want. But more importantly, buy what fits your needs.

I've done exactly what others keep suggesting you do. I went through hundreds of folders to get to CRK. I now own two. The small 21, and the Umnumzaan. I still own Emerson, Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, etc. I went through a ton of fixed blades to get to Busse, regarded by many as the 'best' fixed blades. I still own Survive GSO's and other customs.
I love CRK but will ask you a different question. What will you use the knife for? Do you cut a lot of things at work? Need a more tactical knife because you frequent a bad part of town for work or something else? Spend a lot of time outdoors or do you live or work on a farm?

CRK folders are the 'best' at a lot of things but may not be the 'best' in every application. An example would be self defense. I'll take an Emerson with a wave for quick deployment over any CRK, on any given day (I frequently carry my small 21 and my Emerson Mini Comm at the same time).
If slicing things is what I will use it for all day, then something thin, with a high end supersteel, in full flat grind from Spyderco, might serve you better.
Hard use out in the woods or around the farm for tough and dirty work, I'll use the ZT, either the 0200 or the 0350.

You get the idea. Have fun and enjoy your new CRK. There is nothing about any of them that will not serve your needs to a degree. They are the 'best' in many areas and have been for a long time.
 
As usual Ronnie makes a lot of sense.

I say buy a 21 large. I have a small and large. The small seems to small for full on outdoor use. The large never seems to large for anything. I bought my small first and it gets carried in khakis and dress pants now. My large gets is part of my EDC rotation. I cannot make myself carry just one knife every day. If I did however it would be a large sebenza 21.

I like a sharpmaker a lot to maintain blades but a wicked edge is a great peice of kit. It seems like a waste to buy a WE just to service 1 knife. But to each their own.
 
Dangerously said:
Whatever you get, make sure to also get a less expensive knife to learn sharpening on. It's possible to take off a lot of metal with one of those sharpening systems, and CRK replacement blades are about $130.
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I would also recommend this
 
I would also say that knives are like guns find the one that best fits you and your task. Just because it has a good reputation does not mean it will feel right or preform the way you want. I have bought plenty (to Many to count O the money wasted) of High end knives only to sell them once I found I did not like the blade or the feel of the handle (no small thing) or the way it sat in the pocket. It has taken a long time and a good deal of cash for me to find exactly what I like in a knife.
 
Haggard616 said:
Im going straight to Sebenza because I want the best. I don't see how that can be insulting to the die-hards here. I don't need to have tons of experience with a knife, or Ferrari for that matter, to have fun and appreciate it in my own way. The Sebenza has caught my attention because its spoken of by the experienced people on this forum and others. Now, if we were talking about some knife of historical significance, like Lincolns congress knife, and I were to buy it just to use for an EDC.. I can see people getting offended and probably yelling at me to get a Sebenza for an EDC! lol
I don't really know anything of knives.. If all the experienced members here give me the advice that a Sebenza is the best.. I'll take their word for it.
I'm not a collector.. I'm looking for a tool I can use everyday. This is one of those -One and Done- deals. I don't "need" to know about the knifes history or pedigree, I just need to know its the best for how I'm going to use it. I do appreciate that some people care much more about the "essence" but I'm not here for that.
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To be completely honest with you, if you aren't a knife guy and you don't have the least bit of interest in getting into knives beyond getting a single knife for use as an Edc tool, I really can't see why youre going for a sebenza..... You're gonna pay 350+ for a knife that does it's job very well, but still no better than a lot of 100-200 dollar knives. What youre paying for in a sebenza is the level of fit and finish that goes into it. You aren't getting a light saber because you spend 400 on a knife.... There's a limit to how well something can cut. Over the 300 dollar mark in production knives, you're really only paying for better materials and tolerances.
If you just want something to use, these minute details will be lost on a non-enthusiast like yourself because they have very little effect on the actual performance of the knife. If this truly is a "one and done" situation, then the sebenza is just not going to be the same value to you as it would be to someone who devotes time to learning about knives and can fully appreciate the finer aspects of CRK's.....

That is to say, you're wasting a couple hundred bucks because you heard that a sebenza was the "best" knife, meanwhile, for your purposes, you could grab a spyderco for much less and still have more than enough knife. A sebenza won't cut any better than a 150 dollar spyderco, and you sure as he'll won't care about the tiny differences in fit and finish if you aren't a knife enthusiast.

Another thing worth mentioning is the materials used in sebenzas. S35vn (run pretty soft too) is not exactly a super steel in today's world. For a little over 100 bucks, you can get a manix2 s110v that will absolutely destroy the sebenza in terms of edge retention. And there are a bizzillion knives in the sub 200 dollar range that use materials just as good, if not better than sebenzas. Again, what you are paying for is the fit and finish. Something that only a dedicated knife guy really cares about

I guess I just don't see the point, but get whatever you want bro. Not my money
 
Come on 58-59 RC is not soft.
What are you trying to proof?
Is a stainless steel superior to a non stainless?
It all depends what you expect it to do.
Just a thought.
red mag
 
red mag said:
Come on 58-59 RC is not soft.
What are you trying to proof?
Is a stainless steel superior to a non stainless?
It all depends what you expect it to do.
Just a thought.
red mag
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That's what you focused on? That was a very minor afterthought. I was merely pointing out the fact that sebenzas don't cost so much because of the materials used. That combo of materials belongs in the 150-250 range. The seb is more because of the fit and finish
 
Today you can learn a lot from the web and can safe time and money.
There is some experience you can skip.
If the solution fits you target ==> you'll need to find out yourself.
red mag
 
I really like the look of KnifeArt's carbon fiber scaled small sebenza 21. Almost pulled the trigger on one. Got a TSF Beast instead.

 
Large 21 is a great choice and it won't be your last! It's a great knife easy to clean without using loctite and they look great but are a beast when you need the kinda like a wolf in sheeps clothing! Buy 1 you'll love it!
 
If you're only going to get a couple of knives and can afford it, you just can't go wrong with either the Sebenza or the Umnumzaan. They're both fantastic quality knives and it really comes down to which design you like better.
I've got an Umnumzaan, and it's a great, well made knife, with superb fit and finish.
I'm particularly enamored with the CF Sebenza, and am resisting buying one right now. ;)

Good luck and let us know which you choose! :thumbup:
 
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