Why Are Sebenzas So Popular?

In all seriousness, the Sebenza requires a lot of hand fitting and finishing, which is just plain expensive. The large gun manufacturers have eliminated models, such as the Colt Python and have tried to minimize the required about of hand work that goes into an individual piece. The Python required 45 min to an hour of hand polishing back when they had the nice Royal Blue, but even that became cost prohibitive. Most modern products receive very little human touch. The amount of steel in a gun or knife doesn't cost much, a CNC machine doesn't pay FICA or require worker's comp, or much more importantly, doesn't pay union dues (and I'm not slamming unions).

Add that to the fact that the fixed costs of a business are what they are. Fixed. Lower production numbers from a handmade product means a higher chunk of fixed cost in each product. Also need to build a higher profit into each unit in order to make being in business "worth it". Thinking along these lines will make you realize why a Sebenza can cost as much or more than a SW 686. Here's a Sebenza done by Chris. There's a noticeable difference in the fit and tolerances between one like this and the new ones. It's glass smooth.

Pete
 
Nice..1993 huh, thats the 1st pre BG-42 sebenza I have seen...Anyone know when Chris 1st started making these knives?
 
Confederate if you want to argue price control, that's cool, but that's a whole 'nother thread.

In that whole 'nother thread we get to talk about how Benchmade treats online sellers, we get to talk about how each step in the supply chain from manufacturer to retailer almost doubles the price. We'd get to talk about the whole fiction/myth/hype of MSRP that tries to signal to the user they're getting a quality piece at a discount.

In '92 or '93 I bought a new ATS-34 small sebenza for $260. About two weeks ago I sold a small BG-42 sebenza for $250. Where the heck were all the price complainers then and why didn't you buy my knife?
 
From Sebenza FAQ:

We introduced the large Sebenza in 1990. These early Sebenzas were pretty much hand made - in so far as each handle and blade was cut out individually and profiled by hand on the grinder. They were all marked H followed by a serial number.

In mid-1991, we entered the rather scary world of computer controlled machines and bought a CNC machining center. At the time, it was a major step financially and we were not sure whether it would do what we wanted it to do! The rationale behind this was to enable us to produce more knives (and keep the cost reasonable) and to ensure that our tolerances were kept very tight. Machining on the mill ensures that the holes are in exactly the right place, the profile is exactly how we want it.
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When you take into consideration that gun manufacturers (at least usually) have more layers of distributors, taxes, and liability insurance cost than the typical knife maker, manufacture items consisting of many more parts, and that their products require an amount of human movement, polishing, fitting, etc. that can't be dramatically less than even some of the higher end production folders (I actually suspect more in some cases), it's even more insane that the two products often aren't priced that far apart.

Sebenza aside, I always think that some of the craziest pricing is found in some of the fixed blade knives I see offered for sale that in reality are little more than sharpened metal stakes made out of powder coated 1095 with some para cord wrapped around the handle. Some really nutty pricing goes on there.

It always just seems that there are economies of both scale and modern manufacturing techniques, that for whatever reason aren't reflected in the knife market.
 
Allex said:
You guys, with all [this discussion] and pictures about Sebenza... you made me order one.
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Great. What kind? Are you going to use it or sock it away to preserve its good looks?

Hope you come back and post your first impressions.
 
I personally think sebenzas are UNDERrated. I finally got to handle one, and it is more amazing then everyone says. To each his own though.
 
DaveH said:
Confederate if you want to argue price control, that's cool, but that's a whole 'nother thread.
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Agreed, but thought this was interesting (kinda old I know, sorry).

Ruling may hurt discount pricing

By Christine Dugas, Jayne O'Donnell and Laura Petrecca, USA TODAY

Bargain hunters may find fewer deals on high-end apparel, accessories and electronics following a Supreme Court ruling Thursday.
The 5-4 decision overturned a 96-year-old law that prevented manufacturers from setting minimum retail prices. The majority wrote that lifting the pricing ban could benefit consumers if retailers offer better service or selection.

Richard Doherty of technology market researcher The Envisioneering Group agrees, saying the price ruling could lead retailers to use more free products and better service as sales incentives. "It's sure to be to consumers' benefit this summer and through Christmas."

Others predict a different result. "Many prestigious brands will use the decision to require retailers to sell at a specified price," says Washington, D.C., antitrust lawyer Steve Feirman. "Suggested retail prices had to be suggested to be lawful. Now, they can be mandatory."

Consumer advocates say that will be costly to shoppers. "Over the long term … discounters will be squeezed out of the market," says the Consumer Federation of America's Mark Cooper.

Antitrust lawyer Joe Sims expects limited impact from the ruling. Manufacturers now may set prices, but it will be costly to monitor and enforce that price distribution, says the Washington, D.C., lawyer. And, he adds, if the price is too high, they'll lose customers.

The lawsuit arose when Leegin Creative Leather stopped shipping its Brighton tooled-leather accessories to Dallas-area shop Kay's Kloset because the store was selling the goods more cheaply than Leegin wanted. After Leegin cut the store off, PSKS, parent of Kay's Kloset, filed an antitrust lawsuit.

Burlington Coat Factory, which filed a brief supporting PSKS, worries about the impact on the off-price chain. Burlington attorney Stacy John Haigney called the decision "an open invitation to manufacturers and full-price retailers to fix retail prices at a higher level. It will be detrimental to our business, but I really can't tell how much."

The Consumer Electronics Association says it supports the court decision because, it says, "sales training, industry marketing and after-sales service" are what many TV and audio gear buyers look for in electronics stores.

Bill Gates, of golf equipment maker Ping, says, "Not every consumer is a bargain shopper. Some consumers are looking for quality, innovation, personalization and customer service when they shop."
 
I quess they are not to popular out our way. Until I joined the BF, I had never heard of them.
 
udtjim said:
I quess they are not to popular out our way. Until I joined the BF, I had never heard of them.
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True...outside the knife community you will be hard pressed to hear any talk of a knife outside of about $70 or so...the only knife tlakmI ever hear from non knife people are about Buck knives, gerber knives, winchester, and the "elite army knives" made by CRKT, and that about the most I ever heard of knife chatter outside the forums, a knife shop, or a gun/knife show...

In the sheeple world the sebenza does not exist...
 
I had heard of the Sebenza looooooooong before I joined any forum! I had read about them in magazines, and handled my first one at Nordic Knives. In fact, I bought one then too.
 
T.K.C. said:
I had heard of the Sebenza looooooooong before I joined any forum! I had read about them in magazines, and handled my first one at Nordic Knives. In fact, I bought one then too.
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knife magazine or gun magazine? I can't imagine seeign an ad for a sebenza in people magazine, or the TV guide, lol...
 
I honestly can not remember if it was gun or knife magazine. I am thinking knife magazine though.
 
I took your advise, Confederate, and it will be the last time! bought me a magnum instead of a Sebenza. Sucker doesn't cut apples or bagels worth a darn and is worse at spreading cream cheese and peanut butter. I pulled that red thingy out of the front sight and it left a hook that works ok for cutting open taped boxes, but it gets real noisy if I'm not careful. One good thing is when I got a really tough hunk of meat at the steak house I pulled that sucker out. You shoulda seen the "sheeple" diving under tables and such.
 
T.K.C. said:
I honestly can not remember if it was gun or knife magazine. I am thinking knife magazine though.
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Ahh, ok, because I see about 6 or more ads for the sebenza in an average issue of blade magazine, and I see it alot in tactical knives too...Not sure about knife illustrated though? Thats more for custom knives...But not entirely...They just happen to feature more customs than the other 2 mags in my experience reading them...
 
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