Umnumzaan or Sebenza

I never held any of the CRK knives, but I am seriously thinking about buying one. I have researched a lot, and came to the conclusion that the small Sebenza is perfect for me. I don`t like the looks of the zaan. Speaking out of personal prefrences.


I`d vote for the Seb.
 
small sebenza and an umnumzaan is the best of both worlds IMHO. There is a lot of overlap between the large seb and the umnumzaan Id never know which to carry lol.
 
I have a large regular and an umnumzaan and I find that I like to carry the umnumzaan a lot more. So here's another vote for the zaan.
 
I thought a one-time buy - a CRK/Wilson Combat 'StarTac' Umnumzaan would be it, 9/2010. Nope - Santa brought me a fb Nyala, in S35VN. Last summer - on my birthday - I got a new small plain Sebenza, also in S35VN. Now I can evaluate the two, seen below with two other 'keepers', a Buck 172 Mayo TNT, my first 'nice' knife, and a Benchmade 480-1 Shoki, my latest:

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The Buck was first - and still is a fine knife, even if it is no longer available. It isn't a CRK... but, it is close - with it's Ti framelock & Bos heat treated S30V blade. The 'zaan was next - wow! A new standard - and thoughts of ""I'm not worthy...". Then the small Sebbie - another wow - but it is a totally new application, as the 'zaan is a real pocket knife - large enough to open serious bills... or to slaughter & fix lunch while you are in the boonies. The small Sebbie is a great Gent's knife - but not 'fragile' like most examples. The BM Shoki is a better Gent's knife - definitely not plain, with it's CF scales, blue anodized Ti liners, file-worked backspacer, black chromes hardware, and Bohler m390 steel blade. NakLok - linerlock with a push button release - is neat, too. Really very well made and, like the Buck, sharp (The CRKs are ultrasharp!).

So, which would I get, 'zaan or small Sebbie? If I wanted a usefully sized knife, the Umnumzaan. If I wanted a Gent's sized knife, I'd consider a small Sebbie, but only after looking over the Benchmade 480-1 Shoki - the money you save can go towards the Umnumzaan! All of them are proficient here as EDC's... apple cutting to 16# catfood bag openers alike.

I remove the clips, or, in the BM Shoki's case, the clip on it's included sheath. The CRK sheaths are extra cost as are the blank covers for the milled clip base hole - which isn't worth the cost or trouble, as it really doesn't match the color of either CRK. The sheaths are handy for in the pocket protection.

Stainz
 
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As has been said, its not which one to buy... its which one to buy first :D

I personally favor the umnumzaan (big secret here :p)
 
It almost came down to a coin toss for me , so I let my wife pick one.
But if you like the more tactical style knives , I think you might like the umnumzaan better. I've had mine for 2 years and haven't bought a Sebenza yet.


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If I could only have 1 then it would have to be the Sebenza. 1 tool to break the whole knife down, and no messing around with the pivot tension. Just tighten it. No lock tight needed or a special tool.

Also the Sebenza unlocks a lot easier because of the cutout in the frame
 
So far, we've got 15 votes for the Umnumzaan and 6 for the Sebenza. There's several posts not counted that are waffling, like "either or," "either one is great" or "I'm confused" (my personal favorite non-vote :D).

Looks like the owners if they do indeed own both, agree it's hands down Umnumzaan - for you OP.
 
Ok...ok...UMNUMZAAN for me!

cziv said:
So far, we've got 15 votes for the Umnumzaan and 6 for the Sebenza. There's several posts not counted that are waffling, like "either or," "either one is great" or "I'm confused" (my personal favorite non-vote :D).

Looks like the owners if they do indeed own both, agree it's hands down Umnumzaan - for you OP.
Click to expand...
 
I think the sebenza looks more elegant and refined, i like how the blade sits in the handle and the lines of the handle. I think it carries better because it's a little thinner, it slices a little better too because the blade is not as thick as the umnum. I think the umnum is a little more ergonomic, but i think the clip gets a little bit in the way when you grip because it's set a little lower on the knife.

I like the sound of the sebenza opening, i actually don't like that the umnumzaan is quiet when you open it. I think the umnum is a little easier to open and close than the sebenza, that's kind of the opposite of what some people think lol, the sebenza is not hard to open or close either though. I like the function of the umnumzaan blade, it's cool how you can put your thumb on the spine and index finger too, so in that regard the umnum is more versatile in the grips you can utilize compared to the sebenza.

I like both but if i had to pick which to buy first i'd always pick the sebenza.
 
Im lucky to have both - each great knives but this is an easy decision....the zaan
 
I have the small Sebenza and the Umnumzaan. I like the design of the sebbie for the smaller knife, and the zaan for a larger blade. You'll love either, but my vote is for the Zaan.
 
The pivot bushing alone makes the Sebenza superior for me. No loctite is another plus. If I had to pick on it would be the Sebenza but it really would be like picking a favorite child.
 
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