Trouble ahead

J

JediMike

Joined
Apr 11, 2011
Messages
51
Welp, after many years of ogling over CRK's. I finally took the plunge into a new Umnumzaan (no pics yet). I really like this knife but it needs a sibling. I have put up a few discontinued Benchmade knives and sprint run Spyderco's to fund another CRK. I think i've contracted the illness. Trouble is not sure if I want to go with a large Sebenza 25 or large Sebenza 21 with micarta inlays. A question looms over me though. Is the 21 pivot bushing as stout as the pivot on the 25 and Zann?
 
Welcome to the family (Addiction)

The Zaan is a great knife, I have two.

I recently acquired the 25 and man oh man is that a stout totally awesome knife. I also have a few large 21's, I totally prefer the 25 F&F is perfect IMHO.

I'm sure soon you'll have both so you'll see for yourself which you prefer.

Take care
 
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I personally wouldn't say strength should be a deciding factor. Both knives have pivots plenty strong enough for anything you would expect a folding knife to do. To answer your question, I would go with the 25. I really like the ceramic ball interface, the flat/hollow ground blade, and it feels much better in my hand. However, the Lg 21 feels significantly lighter even though it's not much lighter.
 
I like my inlayed 21 more, because I HATE HATE HATE HATE fucking with the pivot on the 25 and feeling OCD about the tightness
 
I don't have a 25 anymore, but I still have several 21's. There isn't a day that goes by that I wish I still had my 25. love that damn knife.
 
Or you can wait until the 25 comes out with micatra inlays, even though most don't like the picture on the CRK web site of the 25 with micatra inlays.
Then you have the best of both worlds !!!
 
I just ordered my second large 21 insingo with micarta. Lost the first one a couple months ago. I have also had the umnumzaan and the 25, but prefer the 21, especially in micarta. All 3 pivots are very strong. I think that if you really stressed any of the knives, something else would brake before the pivot.

Since you are already getting the Umnumzaan with the ball interface, I would suggest the 21 with the pivot bushing so you can experience both types.
 
Thanks for the input guys. If I had it my way the knife would be built like the following. 25 handle shape, 25 blade shape and thickness, 25 lock interface, 21 style inlays and 21 pivot.
 
Since you have an Umnum already with the non-pivot-bushing pivot & ceramic ball interface, you should get a 21 to enjoy that element of the CRK experience too. :)
 
I got my hands on both the 21 and 25 when picking my first CRK and I liked the 21 more hands down. More comfortable, liked the grind more, a bit smoother, and only one screw size with the screwdriver in box is a nice touch. It's a perfect knife IMHO. The 25 has a lot of the lines of the 21, but not the features that really make a Sebenza what it is in my opinion. I'd be more likely to pick up an Umnumzaan than a 25 just because I don't feel that the 25 offers anything over the 21 while the Umnumzaan takes the more "tactical" features a bit further and is more appealing in that regard.

YMMV. If CRK changes the 25 so that it has the bushing and goes back to all the same screw size I'll be more likely to buy one.
 
After much debate I'll be picking up a 21 with micarta inlays. My Zann is nice but the legendary Reeve smoothness was not present it this knife. I mean, my ZT 561 is way smoother. Now I have to wait till I sell off some knives.
 
You can't go wrong with any of them. They each have something cool about them.

My 25 pivot is just as good as my 21s are. I have found the sweet spot on mine and as the whole thing rotates in the handle when properly set I don't understand the big deal.

I use a small dab of Locktite, tighten both sides simultaneously just until the blade is centered with no blade play and then test by rotating only the deeper side of the pivot, the female side, clockwise with one Allen wrench. If the whole pivot rotates in the handle it is sorted, meaning it is not too tight.

Thankfully one model does not have EVERYTHING or we'd all have it and not the collection of CRKs we do have! :)
 
Since you got a Zaan already it was the right decision (I see a 25 in the future).
The micarta inlays are cool and sturdy, I sure love mine.
red mag
 
I'm in trouble as well. I started out with a small 21 and was like, "yeah I just need one". Then a couple weeks later I had a large 21 which is my go-to EDC, and was like, "yeah, I'm happy with these two 21's, they're my favorite CRK". Now, I'm looking for a freaking Sebenza 25! My coworker has one, and to me it has a little bit of that Zaan slimness in the hand (slightly more comfortable than the 21) with that awesome 25 blade. I know it'll never happen, but if a 25 with a pivot bushing came out tomorrow, I'd be all over it.
 
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