Umnumzaan too soon?

T

The Dude1

Joined
Dec 22, 2013
Messages
405
I started really getting into knives a few months ago. Partly because I wanted a titanium scale for my ZT 0560. Then I got into custom fixed blades, then Spyderco's. I had the opportunity to trade into a brand new Wilson Combat Umnumzaan a few days ago. This is the knife that originally caught my eye months ago, but I couldn't bear the idea of spending $400 on a knife.
Well I got mine today. I think maybe I got it too soon to be able to appreciate it. It's nice and compact. I'm just underwhelmed.
 
Many people are with CRK, the excellence is in the simplicity of it and often hard to see. There is really nothing to be overwhelmed by untill one uses it for a few years. :p:thumbup:
 
I got a 25 early on too. I loved it, but sold it. Tried a lot of other knives since then. IMHO CRK are the best production knives in all categories.

It will defiantly hold most it's value as long as you take care of it.
 
Haze said:
Many people are with CRK, the excellence is in the simplicity of it and often hard to see. There is really nothing to be overwhelmed by untill one uses it for a few years. :p:thumbup:
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Agreed, well said.
 
Welcome to the family (Addiction)....:thumbup:

The Zaan is a great knife!
 
I had a Star-tac Umnumzaan a while back. It wasn't my first CRK but I was underwhelmed. I'm not sure why, it was a great knife. But I love CRK, honestly my Sebenza 21 is my favorite knife I own.
 
Silvanus said:
I had a Star-tac Umnumzaan a while back. It wasn't my first CRK but I was underwhelmed. I'm not sure why, it was a great knife. But I love CRK, honestly my Sebenza 21 is my favorite knife I own.
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I don't see too many differences between the Sebenza 21 and Umnumzaan. What made the Sebenza a better fit? I'm not going to sell this knife. I feel like I needed to have it and somehow I feel accomplished by owning it?? Like now that I have it, I have something of a collection....
 
IMO the first knife to get to appreciate CRK is a 21. The Umnumzaan is of course a totally different knife than the 21 and so is the 25 although similar. The f/f, lockup, pivot bushing, rounded spine, and simplicity really make the 21 what it is, and it's my favorite knife overall.
 
The Dude1 said:
I don't see too many differences between the Sebenza 21 and Umnumzaan. What made the Sebenza a better fit? I'm not going to sell this knife. I feel like I needed to have it and somehow I feel accomplished by owning it?? Like now that I have it, I have something of a collection....
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No CRK collection is complete without a 21 or Classic :)

Just IMO the Umnumzaan is a luxury, and the 21 is a must have. Don't worry your CRK's will start multiplying soon. :)
 
People say CRKs hold their value, but you can you can lose money buying and selling them. Haze is right though. Keep it and use it for a few years and you will see the value.
 
Thanks guys. I wasn't prepared for the "keep it and buy a 21" although I should have. I do love the Insingo blade shape. I could see myself with one of those. I feel like I do just need some time with the knife perhaps. Most of my others are different ... Superhawk, Waved Matriarch 2, and so on so perhaps this is just more of a through and through knife. I am pretty lost at this point as to what to look for next. I'm now not interested in either of the Spyderco's I was eyeing as this knife fits in between them and can do what they can and look better doing it
 
Carry it around exclusively for a bit, and open it and close it a bunch to smooth it out. It will probably grow on you. It is a step above the ones you have in several areas (not taking away from any of those, they are good knives too) and you'll very likely grow to really appreciate it. Smooth and flawless, pretty much.

The flip side is to snap judge it, sell it off and then compare it to any other folding knife you buy later.

And you'll do that until you decide you want to try one again. And you'll get one. Chances are this time you'll love it, then have to buy more of different types of CRKs. A longer but very likely route judging by the path numerous others have taken on this forum. And justify each purchase.

Or do what I did, and many others have, too. Get it over with.

I'm left handed, thus some leftys...

25 first. Late November, early December of 2013. Really hard to find one. A challenge, actually.
21 left-handed micarta 21 two weeks later.
21 right-handed micarta Insingo four days after the lefty regular showed up. Love the look of the micarta on the 21s, and have a left and right 21 w/different blades.

Good to go for three months. "What about an a Umnumzaan?" I ponder.

Lefty Umnumzaan new pivot. Debate between new pivot Wilson Combat or regular Zaan constantly in mind. Go Zaan.
Find right-handed mint old pivot sans "Idaho Made" - you'll learn - have to jump on it. Do. Love it.
Return another WC knife (duplicate) for a Wilson Combat Startac. Decide to go right-handed on it. Arrives this week.

So now I have left and right handed new pivot Umnumzaans, one a standard CRK and the other a WC CRK, to go along with the pair of 21s. And the original 25 and the highly sought-after old-pivot Zaan.

So six CRKs, all a different knife, in less than six months. That can happen to you, that is why you are being warned! :D

Maybe you can resist and have only one. I could have, years ago. Not any more it seems. Now I want an old pivot WC Startac. Never ends but getting there.

So enjoy your WC Startac. It's a great knife!

It's all you really ever need (it's sturdy) so use the heck outta it. Later, you can send it in to CRK and for $15 they'll send it back looking pretty much just like new again - bead blasted, lubed, sharpened, and all after their "Spa" treatment.
 
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The Dude1 said:
I don't see too many differences between the Sebenza 21 and Umnumzaan. What made the Sebenza a better fit? I'm not going to sell this knife. I feel like I needed to have it and somehow I feel accomplished by owning it?? Like now that I have it, I have something of a collection....
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The Zaan just didn't feel right in the hand to me. I took off the clip and it helped but the handle is much more comfortable on the 21. Also, to me the jumping felt too flat. Really it was more personal preference to me than anything.
 
I think I bought my first CRK (small sebenza) at the perfect time. I had just bought and returned two pretty pricey production knives that had some QC issues that I wasn't expecting at that price point. I was a bit fed up, so I thought <expletive> with this, I'm getting that Sebenza I wanted instead. And I could appreciate all that the sebenza was that those other knives weren't.
 
I've decided to keep my eyes open for a large Insingo over the next few weeks. That way I can compare them hand in hand. The Zaan is growing on me. The pivot is broken in now so the blade flies open and rock solid lockup. I'm starting to like it
 
Keep it IMO, you'll come around to loving it. When I got my first CRK, a small 21, I sorta liked it at first...then felt unimpressed by the knife overall. I thought "I paid $XXX.XX for that??"

Put it back in its box and tried to sell it locally at a ridiculous price (I knew that the local market is much smaller for such a knife and thought hey if I can get that for the knife I'll let it go if not I'll have a bit more time to figure out how I like it).

Got a mini grip and the CRK sat in its box for a few weeks. I took it out and handled it after a while and I started liking it. Appreciating the details and craftsmanship. The subtle aspects.

I reflected on these knives and came to this conclusion:

CRK's are something special in this world. They're the absolute perfect, flawless execution of a design and they're functional.

While I'm not a huge fan of frame locks (I believe they're inherently less stable and strong than the axis lock or compression lock for example, but that's a whole other debate), the execution of the design and manufacturing are so exact, so precise and so flawless that I just can't help but feel that I have something special. Something worth holding on to. Not often do you come across objects that are absolutely perfect in life and when you do, you learn to appreciate them more and more as time goes by.

Every detail, part and material designed and selected are carefully and purposefully executed in these knives. No corners are cut. Everything "makes sense."

Fast forward a few weeks to this day, and I have an umnumzaan incoming. I can't wait to receive it and add another item to my short list of perfectly crafted possessions.

The flip side is that they're not for everyone. Some people see value in different aspects; ergonomics, blade steel, affordability etc. everyone is different and I would propose that value lies in the eye of the beholder. If you don't value what CRK knives are all about, they won't be for you. But give it a bit of time, and you may change what "value" means to you!
 
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The Dude1 said:
I started really getting into knives a few months ago. Partly because I wanted a titanium scale for my ZT 0560. Then I got into custom fixed blades, then Spyderco's. I had the opportunity to trade into a brand new Wilson Combat Umnumzaan a few days ago. This is the knife that originally caught my eye months ago, but I couldn't bear the idea of spending $400 on a knife.
Well I got mine today. I think maybe I got it too soon to be able to appreciate it. It's nice and compact. I'm just underwhelmed.
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Yeah, I don't like their umnumzaan, however I LOVE the 21's... both small and large... esp. the insingo blade style, amazing knives that I cant get enough of....

If your brand new to knives then you won't know how to really enjoy a "good" knife, if your first real knife is a CRK... I feel as though you need to progress from smaller, cheaper, knives...

I started my interest in knives years ago, and started with swiss army knives, then made my way into kershaw, ($20-$40) and then finally when I was craving something more, something "better" then what I had, I went to $100 with benchmade....

I was satisfied for a while (specifically with the BM 710)... then I wanted something even more..... I had around 30-50 "cheaper" knives, and just wasn't enjoying them, as everytime I spent more on one generally speaking it out shined the previous... (though there are exceptions)....

Finally I found myself looking at nothing else but strider/CRK/Hinderer, which is where I am today.... I can appreciate a cheaper knife, but at the end of the day I NEED my CRK... namely my small / large 21's... (insingo blades) .... To me they are the perfect knife, they cover any chores I need to do, and they complement each other so well!... Depending on the task at hand, you can carry one or the other, or both if you feel the need of course!...

All I know is, if I dont have my sebenza on me I feel naked.... unprepared for the things that the world may throw at me, HAHA ;) ...

P.S. I REALLY dislike the umnumzaan and the sebenza 25... Mainly I like the 21's I really do love them, and the mnandis are sweet blades too! ... believe it or not almost as much cutting edge as a 21, just in a much smaller package...

Later bro, (maybe get a 21...?)

Bottom line, I started buying $10-20 cheapo knives... then went to kershaw, $20-40 on those, then spyderco $50-95.. then benchmade $100.... then microtech, about $200+.. and then finally CRK/STRIDER/HINDERER, and I don't think Ill go anywhere else at this point, between thjose 3 companies, all my needs are pretty much taken care of.... I don't know I progressed through companies to be honest, i guess i just found a liking to a blade from a different company as time went by...

One company I really dislike is cold steel, the only little thing I own from them is a mini recon 1, just for kiks... (got it for $10)... but i wouldn't really suggest them, HOWEVER if you really want to be able to enjoy a CRK for what it truely is, in a hurry... EDC any cold steel knife for a week or two.... then you'll be crying for your CRK back I guarantee it ;)..

Im done I swear! haha LATER!
 
I probably should've waited, but I didn't. Have a large 21 with Insingo blade on the way, but I've become really attached to the Umnumzaan. It FLYS open and locks up with such a confident thwack. I can't stop looking at it or put it down. The problem is I have the 21 on the way and I know I will love that one too. I would've had some wiggle room, but also bought a Seiko I've been eyeing for a while. My wife will expect something to go....
 
jmclfrsh said:
So how do you like the Insingo?
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Unfortunately or fortunately for me, the seller understood my need to back out on the sale. I was injured on the job in May of 2013 and had to have a multi level cervical fusion. I will not be able to return to my prior position in Law Enforcement. My pension application was submitted five months ago and there is no hearing in sight. They will be terminating me in July when I reach MMI however. Disabled in the line of duty and instead of a pension (for a period of time at least) I will instead be collecting unemployment. I am only 34 and this may force me onto SSDI
 
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