Which overbuilt mouse trap? ZT0450 or Small Sebenza 31?

1

1980tugboat

Joined
Oct 24, 2022
Messages
4
Hi everyone! New around here and have a question. I’m on the hunt for a general purpose EDC knife. If I’m honest a Swiss Army knife is plenty of knife for me. I have a red Vic spartan, a black Climber, and a small Rambler on my keychain. All I use a knife for is the usual stuff, opening mail and boxes, breaking down boxes, general camp and hiking chores, whittling, etc… This knife will be a knife/slicer/cutter. If I need to pry something open I’ll use a tool on whatever Vic I have on me, or if that’s not strong enough I’ll go get a real prying tool. I won’t be using a knife as a hatchet either. Just regular EDC and general camp stuff. I keep my Vics in shape with a Sypderco Sharpmaker.

After an internet worm hole recently I thought it might be cool to have a nice pocket knife and ended up with a ZT0450. Nice knife, good action, solid lockup and all that. Don’t know why people say it’s not a good slicer, it makes quick work of tomatoes and receipt paper, though I did have to spend some time on my Sharpmaker to get it there as out of the box I wasn’t overly impressed. Plus it’s skinny, fits my hand well, and I don’t want anything bigger, bulkier, and heavier in my pocket.

But. It ended up being the closest looking knife in my eyes to a small Sebenza that was made in the USA, didn’t look like a pocket hog (Spyderco), and wasn’t a liner lock or a lock that relied on skinny internal springs (Benchmade), even if the ZT looks a bit more “murder-y” than the Sebenza. But it’s small And refined enough to take to the office or around town occasionally. Now that I’ve warmed to the idea of spending a wholly unreasonable sum of money for a box cutter/camp tomato slicer I’m thinking maybe I go ahead and get what I really wanted in the first place…a small Sebenza 31.

What reason would there be though to get the Sebenza vs sticking with the ZT? I’m willing to spend the money but not “just because”. If I get the Sebenza the question then becomes Drop point or Insignio…
 
Don't see any practical difference between the 2 for what you would be using them for, at least not enough to justify the $200 price difference.. besides getting it just bc you want it.

Having said that, the small Sebenza and Inkosi are too small for my hands. I do however really like the 3.25 Spartan Harsey folder. Feel like it strikes a good balance for an edc knife and the quality is right up there with Chris Reeve.
 
Corton93 said:
Don't see any practical difference between the 2 for what you would be using them for, at least not enough to justify the $200 price difference.. besides getting it just bc you want it.

Having said that, the small Sebenza and Inkosi are too small for my hands. I do however really like the 3.25 Spartan Harsey folder. Feel like it strikes a good balance for an edc knife and the quality is right up there with Chris Reeve.
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Second vote for the Spartan Harsey. I've got the full-sized variant, but as you're looking for something a bit smaller, the 3.25 should work quite nicely.
 
ZT are poor slicers
IMO a small sebenza or a Spartan 3.25 are better options
The 0450 is a good edc and it flips very well but the thickness behind the edge can be annoying if you are looking for a slicer
 
I figure if I can cleanly dice a tomato that’s slicey enough for me.

The Spartan is interesting, I’ll ponder that one too. A bit less “classic” looking than the Sebenza but then again so is the ZT. Thanks for the recommendation!
 
celticrogues said:
Biggest reason to get a Sebenza IMO is that you can get one with a really nice wood inlay on the handle :)

-M
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I own both, plain handles and inlaid on the small Sebenza and like the extra thickness they add. I vote this path also.
 
Many thoughts about what has been said thus far.

First: I see the ZT 0450 and the Sebenza as two completely different, like comparing apples and orangutans. The only thing they have in common is being a titanium frame lock.

I'm not a fan of CRK as many know, mostly because I don't like thumbstuds, especially their conical ones.

Not all ZT's are terrible slicers. This may have been true in the past. My 0470 does quite well.

I've owned quite a few titanium framelocks, and to be honest, I dislike most of them. I've kept four of them; 2 Spyderco's and 2 ZT's. I think maybe you should expand your horizons. If you are willing to spend Sebenza money, but like knives that are bearing flippers, the sky is the limit. I rotate from everything from an $80 Civivi to a $500+ Andrey Biryukov. I really like the Russian folders from Cheburkov and Biryukov, excellent slicers.
 
1980tugboat said:
What reason would there be though to get the Sebenza vs sticking with the ZT? I’m willing to spend the money but not “just because”. If I get the Sebenza the question then becomes Drop point or Insignio…
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If you're satisfied with the ZT, and " just because" isn't a good enough reason to buy the CRK, what is the question?
You already have the 0450. Reasons to get a different knife - other than WANT - vary by person; but I'll offer these.
Aesthetics - CRK's inlays make for a better looking knife (IMO)
Opening mechanism - maybe you want thumbstuds and the option of controlled opening
Different blade steel
Different blade shape
Better hand feel/ergonomics
Bragging rights (silly reason, but it works for some)


Since other options have been presented, I'll throw the Berg Iron Pup (non flipper) into the discussion. Pictured with a box elder 31, for comparison
View attachment 1968020
I'll admit that I sort of like the pictured 31, and I don't regret the purchase...but (BUT) I prefer the iron pup in just about every way. I find it far more comfortable in hand. I like the simpler look. It wouldn't be fair to compare action as the 31 is relatively new and has not smoothed out; but I doubt it will ever feel as good. (It bears mentioning that, on arrival, the Pup was stiff and I hated the amount of pressure it took to open it. Almost returned it, tbh...but now it middle finger flicks like a dream, and can be opened slowly when I have a mind to do so - just took a little KPL and a bit of use)
 
It really doesn’t matter what is suggested, you’ve already made up your mind that you want a CRK, that’s reason enough. You can buy a thousand other knives, but it won’t matter until you scratch the itch with a CRK.
For what you’ll be doing with the knife, the Insigno blade will be your better choice.

The magic of the Insingo.

I never cease to be amazed at the design genius of the Insingo blade shape. Not everything is immediately obvious about this blade shape, and one really needs time with this knife as their 'user' for the design to be fully appreciated. I have the Large size, but I can assume most of the...
www.bladeforums.com www.bladeforums.com
 
This is only my opinion…the ZT0450 is a nice knife, but only that.

The handle twists in any medium or larger sized hand upon hard use.

The grip has to be carefully placed to not put pressure on the lock bar. The slightest pressure on the lock bar makes the knife impossible to open.

The blade is a little thick and broad for a handle that’s 0.4” thick and the medium, flat grind makes it a poor slicer.

I’ve tried hard to love my 0450, but rarely carry it.

In my opinion the Small Sebenza is the pinnacle of EDC carry. I have a few 21’s, a 31 and a Small Inkosi and one of those will beat the 0450 every day that ends with a “y”.

It defines in every way what a small EDC should be, for me. Comparing an 0450 to a Small Sebenza is like comparing a Corolla to a BMW.

I see a lot of call-outs for the Harsey 3.25 by Spartan, and I love mine but also find it hugely disappointing. For the price point, the knife is terribly un-refined with sharp edges (where there are supposed to be none). The Harsey 3.25 doesn’t compare to the fit and finish of knives at a similar price.

I appreciate that it’s made in the USA and would be an awesome knife…ten years ago. When contrasted with the incredible finish on a USA made Tactile, for the same price, the Spartan is disappointing.

I rarely see any criticism of the 3.25, but I think it’s more a case of the Emperor’s New Clothes!

Good luck picking a knife.
 
The 0450 is a sweet compact knife with a great aggressive look. It has perhaps the best flipping action of any knife I've owned. I've never found it to be a bad slicer. My only gripe and it's very minor is that S35VN is in today's world slightly behind the times compared to S45VN, 20CV and M390. I've also owned the Small Sebenza 31 Plain Jane and it's exactly what you expect of a CRK. It's refined, buttery smooth and beautiful. I sold it because I found myself carrying other knives lately. No good reason otherwise. If I had to pick another knife, I'd very seriously look at the Hinderer XM-18 3.0. Make sure it has the tri-way pivot although mine does not and I still love it.
 
1980tugboat said:
Hi everyone! New around here and have a question. I’m on the hunt for a general purpose EDC knife. If I’m honest a Swiss Army knife is plenty of knife for me. I have a red Vic spartan, a black Climber, and a small Rambler on my keychain. All I use a knife for is the usual stuff, opening mail and boxes, breaking down boxes, general camp and hiking chores, whittling, etc… This knife will be a knife/slicer/cutter. If I need to pry something open I’ll use a tool on whatever Vic I have on me, or if that’s not strong enough I’ll go get a real prying tool. I won’t be using a knife as a hatchet either. Just regular EDC and general camp stuff. I keep my Vics in shape with a Sypderco Sharpmaker.

After an internet worm hole recently I thought it might be cool to have a nice pocket knife and ended up with a ZT0450. Nice knife, good action, solid lockup and all that. Don’t know why people say it’s not a good slicer, it makes quick work of tomatoes and receipt paper, though I did have to spend some time on my Sharpmaker to get it there as out of the box I wasn’t overly impressed. Plus it’s skinny, fits my hand well, and I don’t want anything bigger, bulkier, and heavier in my pocket.

But. It ended up being the closest looking knife in my eyes to a small Sebenza that was made in the USA, didn’t look like a pocket hog (Spyderco), and wasn’t a liner lock or a lock that relied on skinny internal springs (Benchmade), even if the ZT looks a bit more “murder-y” than the Sebenza. But it’s small And refined enough to take to the office or around town occasionally. Now that I’ve warmed to the idea of spending a wholly unreasonable sum of money for a box cutter/camp tomato slicer I’m thinking maybe I go ahead and get what I really wanted in the first place…a small Sebenza 31.

What reason would there be though to get the Sebenza vs sticking with the ZT? I’m willing to spend the money but not “just because”. If I get the Sebenza the question then becomes Drop point or Insignio…
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The bolded part says it all! Put your credit card back in your pocket, and forget you ever heard of this site. Run away. These people here are nothing but a bunch of enablers, and like nothing better than to help other people spend their money. You're welcome.:)

But yeah. If you think you'd like a Sebenza, then you should get one. If you don't, you'll be wishing you did every time you see one. If it's not all you expected, it'll be easy enough to sell on the exchange.
 
The only reason to get a Sebenza (or Inkosi) is because you want one. Period.

The two knives I own that come closest (for me)) to the small Sebenza are the Spider Monkey and Spyopera. Neither are titanium frame locks, but they are about the same size, are classy, well built, and fill the hand somewhat the same. They are not Sebenza replacements though. Every knife has something unique about it, which is why I have way too many knives in my safe.

The small 31 has been getting the majority of my pocket time since I got it, 4-ish months ago. But…I think today I’ll carry the ZT. It’s been a while.



If you have a Sebenza itch that needs to be scratched, it won’t go away until you try one. Some people like ‘em, some love ‘em, and for others they’re ‘meh.’ See if you can find a lightly used one on the Exchange for a good price (which still happens occasionally). But be leery of potential outcomes. 🤣

 
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Ironbut said:
The bolded part says it all! Put your credit card back in your pocket, and forget you ever heard of this site. Run away. These people here are nothing but a bunch of enablers, and like nothing better than to help other people spend their money. You're welcome.:)

But yeah. If you think you'd like a Sebenza, then you should get one. If you don't, you'll be wishing you did every time you see one. If it's not all you expected, it'll be easy enough to sell on the exchange.
Click to expand...
I have a bad habit of ignoring smart advice for some things. 😂 I got out of watches before it became too dangerous…interested in this but thinking a “one and done”. The guy who gets a Datejust or a Sub and moves on with his life kinda thing.
 
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