What's up with Small Sebenza pricing lately?

J

J. MacDonald

Joined
Jun 8, 2000
Messages
3,140
I've noticed a recent trend for plain small Sebenzas to be selling at historic lows on the secondary market. What gives? I'm not complaining mind you as I was fortunate enough to score a near mint S30V model for around $200.00 not too long ago. I thought it was an aberation and considered myself really lucky. Since then I've seen several more come up for sale used with a few of them selling for under $200.00!

CRK has always been very good at keeping their retail pricing at or near MSRP which always kept values way up even on used Sebbies. Why the sudden change?

A small Sebenza seems to be one of the best built knives in it's size class for any amount of cash, but at these prices, they're a steal!
 
Sometimes it will be someone trying to move the knife quickly. It can also be a person that bought the knife second hand and feels that it should be sold for somewhat less than he/she paid for it. Also, there could be quite a few on the second hand market. That will generally draw the price down.
 
I'm thinking the number on the secondary market is the probable cause.

Also in the equation is the quality of a number of current production knives. There are now a fair number of knives utilizing the same materials, lock, possess the same general use utility, and cost approximately the same or less.

Then, too, it could just be an anomoly of the times.
 
There are also usually big selloff before and after shows. Las Vegas was recently and blade will be coming up. I think there is at least some competition in Ti integral locks now too. So that will siphon off at least some of the demand.

It's a good time to buy used sebenzas, I'm keeping my eyes open.
 
orthogonal1 said:
Also in the equation is the quality of a number of current production knives. There are now a fair number of knives utilizing the same materials, lock, possess the same general use utility, and cost approximately the same or less.
Click to expand...

I heard someone else mention this awhile ago and I think it's a pretty good point.

I'm a huge CRK fan, but some of the production knives of late have been dang good. Really dang good. It's win/win for buyers these days for the most part.

I got my first ever Sebbie in 1997. It was a large with BG-42 steel (might have even been ATS-34 now that I thik about it). The edge was literally mirror polished. I mean if you looked at it wrong it'd cut you. At that point, it was hands down the most solid and by far the smoothest knife I owned or had ever seen. To me, there was an obvious and enormous gap between say, my trusty liner-lock ATS-34 AFCK from Benchmade and that Sebenza. Or the other production knives I had at the time. Most were by anyone's standards at the time, good quality knives, but man, that Sebenza was in a different league.

Nowadays, the gap isn't as great. The pivot bushing used in the Seb keeps it exclusive, but it won't be long before other manufactuers pick up on that as well.

It's still a heck of a great folder- no question- but it's commading lead in terms of quality is definitely being reduced by other factory made stuff.

And one can't discount the Reeves themselves- great people. And it's a 100% made in the USA product, with an extremely good warranty. I've always maintained there's a bit of a zen thing about them in the simplicity of the design, but not everyone is going to want to pay for that.

I think everyone should at least try one out. And that's a nice function of the secondary market, there are enough out there at prices that make them even sweeter.
 
Supply and Demand. It's as simple as that.

Supply goes down and demand stays the same = price goes up.
Supply goes down and demand goes up = price goes up even further.
Supply goes up and demand stays the same = price goes down.
Supply goes up and demand goes down = the price goes down even further.

You get the idea.
 
I find it good and i find it bad. Good because now I can pick up a sebbie for almost half was msrp says I should be able too. Bad because I payed full price at one point and hoped to see a return in some of my min investments. oh well.
 
It's really hard to say why the price is dropping. I sold a used one for about $200 a couple months ago. I only had about $150 in it, so the sell was still okay from a margin perspective and I needed the cash for another knife. I think part of the reason is competition. There are several other S30V-Titanium framelocks of very good construction that are very competitive with the sebenzas (i.e. Benchmade Skirmishes at $150 or so).
 
I LOVE them Sebenza's!! And I don't think there IS any production knife that comes close to the Sebenza!!
 
I was watching the History Channel not too long ago, and was struck by a thought. It occurs to me that CRK is running the risk of becoming the "Indian Motorcycles" of the high-end production knife market. What I mean by this is that Indian motorcycles were a good, solid, VERY well engineered/executed product which fell out of favor with people for lack of continued innovation (among other reasons- I never said the analogy was perfect). What I mean is that the Sebenza is a quality product (I've had 3 of them at one point or another), and I don't think you'll find one that's not put together well and engineered for a lifetime of service. Heck, you can't even beat their customer service. However, in a world where people are increasingly going after "what's new" and what has a "wow" factor, I think the Sebenza has the possibility of falling behind. That's just how I feel. I have my asbestos suit on, just so you know. It was a thought that occured to me when I was watching TV and saw this thread.

-Anthony
 
Well, to we youngins, we can't seem to find anything that special about the Sebenzas. They're cool, titanium, borderline custom--but I can get a lot of those things for well under 200. And they have all sorts of neat features, like G10, compression/axis locks, you name it.

Suffice to say, people like me, we don't "get it." I'd probably buy a 150 dollar small sebenza.

Of course, as a boy racer, I didn't get why anyone would pay two, or three times as much for a Porsche or maybe five or six times as much for a Ferrari to do what a Corvette could do (or less, both having been beat by the Corvette in Lemans for this entire millenium). But having been around the track a few more times, I get that some people want cars you don't see often--and I don't see Porsche 911 Turbos often, nor do I see Ferrari Modenas. Maybe a few times a year. I see maybe 15 Corvettes a day, in contrast.

So maybe I'll get it when I've been around the knife track a few more times. Maybe there's a similar analogy.
 
I think to some extent that's could be totally true.

For example everyone has jumped on the assisted opener wagon.

Another wagon is the super giant large folder that's 1 inch thick.

OTOH, qualiity and excellence has it's continued appeal, and if you are not after the latest trend then it just might be the thing.
 
Well, I'm not sure you'll GET the chance to "get it." What I mean by that is, like someone else already said, when the Sebenza first came on the market, it was LIGHT YEARS apart/ahead of its nearest competitor. Now, the distinction isn't as clear. Other manufacturers have just caught up. Consider also the necessary raising of prices of CRK (costs go up all the time for materials, etc.), and you can see how someone might have a hard time "getting it" in this particular time and place.

I already said I've had 3, and I didn't "get it" either. I have a Buck 172 and am completely happy with it. Oh, and I'd probably buy a $150.00 sebenza as well.

As for cars, I'm into really pretty cars (the Maybach and the concept Caddy 16 come to mind), but I'd much rather have a car that gets 40+ mpg.

-Anthony
 
I agree with the couple of people who observed that there are now knives of similar materials, design and quality for less money, which will pull down demand for the higher priced Sebenza. BM Skirmish and Camillus CUDA Dominator can both be had for about $150.
 
Well, I can't give you 40 MPG, but I can give you a quartermile in 14 flat with 35 mpg (highway). It's not corvette territory, but then, the Corvette can't go off road with my car either. I've beaten several classic Corvettes, but none of the new Corvette guys are ever up to race, no matter what I do.

Really though, as I recall, the C5 Corvettes (haven't checked on the new C6s) made 350 horsepower and got 29 miles to the gallon. That's really not bad at all. It's amazing what those LS1s are doing. Remember that the C5 (non Z06) Corvette weighed about 3150 lbs and had a pushrod 5.7 liter V8 (350 CI)--this was not the predicted combination for an efficent and powerful vehicle, but GM has it down. Now the new Z06 is putting out ~500 horsepower. It weighs 300 lbs less than the new 911 Turbo (came out today), makes about 20 horsepower more and cost 50k less. To illustrate my point.
 
Slatts said:
It's really hard to say why the price is dropping. I sold a used one for about $200 a couple months ago. I only had about $150 in it, so the sell was still okay from a margin perspective and I needed the cash for another knife. I think part of the reason is competition. There are several other S30V-Titanium framelocks of very good construction that are very competitive with the sebenzas (i.e. Benchmade Skirmishes at $150 or so).
Click to expand...

What???? You mean you made money on me???

Just kidding. Thats the one I was referring to and I'm totally happy with it. I also have a Buck 172 and have had other Ti frame locks like the Benchmade 750 and so far none of them have been in the same class of execution as the CRK offering. The Buck was roughly finished in comparison and neither had the kind of lock up that my Sebenzas have (had 3 total, still own two).

If you'v ealways wondered what all the Sebenza talk was about, it looks like now is the time to score one cheap and see what all the fuss is about.

IS it the worlds ultimate knife? Well to me, there's no such thing. But it is a knife that sets a benchmark in quality of construction and fit& finish and can be used as a good yardstick to see how other knives compare.

I can't believe it. I actually started a Sebenza thread. What was I thinking?
 
I consider myself a youngin, and to me there's a satisfaction to be had in owning something so well made and put together. I get the same feelin from holding a strider or a Darrel Ralph or Hinderer and other customs. I dont know where CRK would go from the Sebenza and thier fixed blades. It has become sort of a classic and the new ti-framelocks are cheaper. I must admit when I felt a Benchmade mini-skirmish i was impressed, solid lock up, no play, and centered blade, just didnt fit my hand & S30V. if it wasnt for the fit my hand thing I would still have it. The DR semi-customs are pretty cheap too and are nice. I would like to see CRK come out with something diff and new but to me there will always be a place for a sebbie, it was my first "high end" love so she's special. Ok nuff of this graba$$tic sentimental stuff.

I agree McDonald I think it will remain to be a yardstick but the line is definatley blurry.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top