What DON'T you like about your Sebenza?

I just handled a Sebenza for the first time yesterday at Paragon Sports in NYC. It was a large with black walnut scales on the handle. I have to say that for a while now, I've wondered what all of the hype is about with these knives because they don't look like anything special, and then I handled one. I think that I actually felt my blood pressure rise when I was inspecting this knife first hand. I would have to say that the Sebenza is THE nicest knife that I've ever seen. The fit, finish, grind, and lock-up are all perfect. I believe that I've officially been bitten by the Sebe bug. Now I just have to figure out how to afford one!
 
The Sebenza is a great knife but I don't like the....

~Thumbstud. It was very good at chewing up my thumb though.
~Lock. Mine would hit the other Ti. slab when it locked up.
~Design. I would tell my friends about this amazing almost flawless knife and they would look at it and say "so"? This doesn't happen with my SNG.
~Handle. Scratches very easily.

I really liked this knife but I sold it for a Carson M4 which ended up having a weaker lock. Go figure.:rolleyes:
 
Originally posted by DaveH
That's why I'm excited about the BUck/ Mayo, it takes care of both of these problems.
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Just a personal taste:
Buck/Mayo sure is one hell of a knife - and I'm going to get one - but I'm not a big fan of the holes in the handle.

So the search for the perfect folder continues...

Or - have I allready found it - is it after all the $67,50 BM Mini-AFCK? Can it be true? :eek: :confused:
 
I am amazed at what seems to be such a large proportion of soft, pink little thumbs out there. Yes, the thumbstud is metal ... and I wonder what technique you're using on it. I don't push the stud away from the handle, I push it towards the front of the knife. Doing it this way, if you're not careful, you can actually open it to lock in one painless, easy motion.

A lot of knives are like this, the Emerson Commander for one. It's so wide that trying to push the opening disc away from the handle may require a longer thumb than most humans possess.

Of course, Chris Reeve could soften that stud, but then you'd need a larger one with a hump on the blade to be able to open it under adverse conditions. Like with gloves.

I like a tipdown folder myself because I can clip it anywhere without having it open on me, but the detents on my Sebenzas seem pretty firm, and I don't make them share pocket space with something that could flip the knife out onto the floor, either.

I do have one problem, though. As a friend of mine was saying recently, if he carried all the knives he wanted to, his pants would weigh more than he does :D
 
The stud works well for opening the knife in my experience.
However, I would still prefer the option of an opening hole as it doesn't get in the way during cutting.
 
Originally posted by Turbo man
The Sebenza is a great knife but I don't like the....

~Thumbstud. It was very good at chewing up my thumb though.
~Lock. Mine would hit the other Ti. slab when it locked up.
~D

I really liked this knife but I sold it for a Carson M4 which ended up having a weaker lock. Go figure.:rolleyes:
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? weaker lock? I have had both and disagree. can you explain what you mean? Sure would like to know what you mean.
 
They don't come with detailed instructions on correct opening.

My complaint is that a lot of people (myself included) try them and declare the action "rough". We all know how to open a folding knife right? Well after Mr. Reeve called me on the phone to patiently explain it the answer is "apparently not". Sebenzas have unusually close mechanical tolerances. Any pressure on the thumbstud perpendicular to (into) the blade will tend to make the action sticky and rough. The top of the thumbstud is pointy. That should have been my clue. The "trick" is to push against the side of the thumbstud with the side of the thumb. All the opening force should be parallel to (alongside) the blade. With almost every other folder you can "get away" with an amazing amount of pressing onto the thumbstud without interfering with opening. Not so with the Sebenza.

The round polished edge is difficult to maintain

Not much of a gripe, really but still... I'm not going to get that round polished edge from my Sharpmaker. I've ordered strops and other items that might help (my difficulty in actually obtaining a strop may be the bigger issue here).
 
Thumbstud is mediocre at best, and if you are opening in a hurry it can be pretty clumsy. I don't have a problem with it hurting my thumb. I agree that a hole would be faster, easier, and more difficult to fumble.

That and I don't like tip up carry. That's why I've got a spydie clip on it for tip down!
 
Originally posted by tom mayo
The handle is rounded over! :p
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Well, if you don't like the handle the way it is ... I know! you could get someone to drill holes in it! :cool:
 
The initial thing that I didn't like about the Sebenza was that for almost a year I couldn't justify buying any other folder because compared to the Sebenza they were just inferior. I finally got over that and went on to buy and enjoy other folders. I don't like the fact that such an expensive knife gets looking shoddy with all the scratches you will get from daily carry. The thumb stud was a bit trying to get used to but I overcame that after a bit.

I would have to say, of all the folders I have, if I were going to be out in the wilderness with only a folder, it would have to be the Sebenza. I have a Benchmade 710 HS and a Spyderco Military PE but for shear ruggedness, the Sebenza wins hands down. I haven't had the opportunity to try the Strider AR but that folder looks like it could give the Sebenza a run for the money.
 
Originally posted by John Watson
I haven't had the opportunity to try the Strider AR but that folder looks like it could give the Sebenza a run for the money.
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John, I have the big Buck/Strider spearpoint, and it is very similar to the Sebenza in overall design. The blades are almost identical in outline, the back of the handle is open, the knife is reassuringly tough. It accomplishes this by overbuilding to the point it is obtrusive to carry, where the Sebenza all but disappears in pocket or hand.

But the Buck/Strider, and I'm sure the AR it was modeled after, are great knives. I look forward to the Buck/Mayo being equally reliable, and more compact.
 
I'm going to go ahead, be unoriginal, and say that I also dislike the thumbstud. I can open my small Sebenza without any difficulty, mind you, I actually flick it open a lot, but I still don't like the thumbstud, or rather thumbstuds (mine has two). Of the knifes I've handled so far, I like the thumbstuds on the Benchmade 710 Axis the best. If I could swap those on my Sebenza with those on the 710 I'd do it in a heartbeat.

The frame-lock on my Sebenza engages perfectly and truly makes the knife feel like a small fixed blade, but unfortunately it's nowhere near as fun to play with as an Axis lock. That said, the list of things I do like about the Sebenza would be much longer.

Dan
 
The only two things I can think of that are less than desirable on a Sebenza would be the anodizing wearing off the thumbstud (not that big of a deal, really) and the tip up carry, which I happen to really dislike. I solved the tip-up carry by taking the clip off and carrying it in a G2 pouch. Other than that, they're purrrfect :D ;)

- Mark

P.S. Hey, mine doesn't sharpen itself either. Did I get a defective one? Will CRK make it self-sharpening if I send it in? Oh, I can't stand to be without "me precious." Thems nasty dealerses lied about me precious. Bad dealerses, nasty dealerses. I shows them tricksies next times. I orders with bad credits cards for me next precious.

Bwaahaa. Get back on your meds, Mark.
 
i've just started collecting knives and i've been reading a lot on people praising the sebenza for it's solid lock up and its ability to be used hard...i'm wondering...whether it would matter if it had a seriously good lock up 'cos for that price no one seems to be using it the way it's supposed to be used...

to me a benchmade is sufficient in terms of cutting power...i don't think i can use it so hard that the lock fails...if i do need to abuse a knife it'd be a fixed blade...which would cost a lot cheaper than the sebenza...and a lot stronger...

although if someone gave me some cash...i would buy a sebenza just so i could tell everyone i spent that much on this small knife...hehehe...
 
Originally posted by Point44
i would buy a sebenza just so i could tell everyone i spent that much on this small knife...hehehe...
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Actually, eat your heart out :p, I got my first Sebenza for free, in an online knife giveaway from Bayou LaFourche. My latest Sebenza cost me $200 secondhand. They're not cheap, but most anyone who buys lots of other knives could have afforded one.

A good part of its charm lies in the precision, the excellence of its materials and manufacture, the beauty of a simple, functional piece of equipment. That it actually works better than most other knives is a nice bonus. :D
 
I don't have much to say about my Seb that is negative. I love almost everything about the knife, including the thumb stud. My only real change that I'd like to see, would be to raise the hardness of the blade a bit. I have a BG-42 model, and the edge tends to roll a little easily for my tastes. Bob Dozier's D2 must be going to my head. :D
 
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