Why Are Sebenzas So Popular?

kgriggs8 said:
I agree with the original post. There is no reason a production Sebenza should cost as much as a S&W 686.
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Well, there are mitigating factors, I must admit. Even so, I can't bring myself to change my mind. People sometimes buy quality just because they like quality. BMWs, Ferraris and Volvos in the car world, Smith & Wesson 686s and Colt Pythons in the revolver world. What still slows me down after all is said and done is that with these other things, there's usually a practical return. The better cars last longer, go faster or are more comfortable; the top revolvers shoot longer and more accurately than the cheaper ones. One would expect a more expensive knife might offer a better return in some way. But the handle is built around the blade, and the whole of the knife is greater than the sum of its parts. And that's true up to a point. But $350-$450+?

What does a Sebenza do that a quality production knife can't do just as well, if not better? Can it peel a piece of fruit better? Is it better for self defense? Is it more durable in the sense that you can do some batoning with it? Aside from quality, what does it offer us? And as far as I can ascertain, the answer doesn't have to be anything in particular. Does a Rolex keep better time for all its quality? Not like a good quartz crystal for a fraction of the price.

The idea that a Sebenza can take the place of all your other knives and thus keep you from spending your money on others is...well, I don't need to tell the folks here that, as the great Gen. Douglas MacArthur once said, "There is no substitute for an entire knife collection!" (No call for references, please. No one can prove that he didn't say it.) After all, a Ferrari is the last thing you'd want in a major snow or ice storm. And if one found himself stranded in the woods for a few days, chances are their first choice of a folder wouldn't be a Sebenza.

Either the gun is being sold for a loss or the knife is being sold for a HUGE profit.
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Read the rest of the post! While there are only 18 parts in the Sebenza, or so I've been told, more guns are sold than knives. The argument is that if gun production were lower, they would be much, much more expensive than the knives. But good guns aren't like Rolexes. They do have actual returns. Not so much for the Sebenzas, alas.

Not everyone can afford a Ferrari or a BMW, but most of us, when it comes down to it, could afford a Sebenza. Thus, if they can afford a Rolex, the also can afford a Sebenza. And if they can't afford a Rolex, they probably can afford a Sebenza. So either way, Sebenzas win.
 
it's supply and demand, square up. Obviously CRK appeals to a lot of people. They have a reputation for excellent customer service, superior craftsmanship, a wondeful overall reputation. Still, you wonder how long it takes to redesign and reissue the Umfaan? Some of it is clearly hype. And as long as Spyderco is around, I think my money is better spent elsewhere. To each their own.

Tai Chi.
 
What does a Sebenza do that a quality production knife can't do just as well, if not better? Can it peel a piece of fruit better? Is it better for self defense? Is it more durable in the sense that you can do some batoning with it? Aside from quality, what does it offer us? And as far as I can ascertain, the answer doesn't have to be anything in particular. Does a Rolex keep better time for all its quality? Not like a good quartz crystal for a fraction of the price.
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Fruit peeler - best out of all my folders.(though I have re-profiled them to about 15 degress. (based against benchmade, Strider, Sog, Spyderco and assorted others)
Self defense - comfortable in any grip, lock is trustworthy, and it is comfortable to hold in your hand closed for use as non lethal impact weapon.
Batonning - have great experience with mine in that regard.

In short, it's the most usable, and versatile knife I have ever owned to date -that's why I buy then, carry them, and recommend them so readily :thumbup:.

sp
 
Confederate said:
What does a Sebenza do that a quality production knife can't do just as well, if not better? Can it peel a piece of fruit better? Is it better for self defense? Is it more durable in the sense that you can do some batoning with it? Aside from quality, what does it offer us?
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Aside from quality? That statement makes me laugh. Aside from quality, what does a custom knife offer over a production knife?

The Sebenza is about quality. The fit and finish is absolutely top notch and the parts are very precisely fitted. The bushing feature is also very nice because it makes taking it apart and putting it back together very easy with zero guesswork. That is something that none of my other folders offer. You aren't paying extra for a lot of extra function, but for the high level of craftsmanship put into the knife which is miles ahead of the production pack.
 
They all cut. But, some you just like more than others.

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Barrabas said:
Fruit peeler - best out of all my folders.(though I have re-profiled them to about 15 degress. (based against benchmade, Strider, Sog, Spyderco and assorted others)
Self defense - comfortable in any grip, lock is trustworthy, and it is comfortable to hold in your hand closed for use as non lethal impact weapon.
Batonning - have great experience with mine in that regard.

In short, it's the most usable, and versatile knife I have ever owned to date -that's why I buy then, carry them, and recommend them so readily :thumbup:.

sp
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This is where you lose the Sebenza-questioners. (Of which I'm not one--just observing.)

--Best folder for peeling, after you reprofile it!? Presumably, you could have bought one for less with that profile...

--Comfortable in any grip, trustworthy lock, comfortable to hold--so are almost all of mine. Not all, but most.

--Good experience with batoning--me too, with most of mine. Not all, but most.

So for someone questioning, you haven't said anything at all but that the Sebenza, after you've modified it, does what many of the other knives that many others have, does. :confused:
 
Silly question, but what keeps the Sebenza closed when it's closed? I watched a video on YouTube that shows the disassembly. They certainly are simple.

But I noticed there doesn't appear to be a spring or anything to keep it closed. My Benchmade 705's axis-lock holds it closed while being carried. Am I missing something?
 
one thing is for sure,as i look at my classic micarta sebenza;there is not a flaw i can see on this knife,it is as perfectly made as one can get.at least for your money you are getting something perfect & flawless......
 
Q-What keep the Sebenza closed?
A- The frame-lock exerts pressure on the blade in the closed position. I believe there is also a ceramic ball/detent in the frame/blade.

I'm smitten by my Small Regular and am considering getting a Large soon, just can't decide on micarta or not. :)

As was mentioned above, the machining is second to none. When I took mine apart the first time, I went over every part with a 10X magnifier and did not see a single flaw. All the parts fit together with unbelievable precision.

Sometimes it's nice to have something exceptional. Life is short.
 
ehhh said:
Aside from quality? That statement makes me laugh. Aside from quality, what
does a custom knife offer over a production knife?
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Quality is like anything else. Then it reaches its point of diminishing marginal return. A knife can get
only so good, then any additional quality begins to return less to the user, and it takes longer to
produce for the maker. As you yourself state, "The Sebenza is about quality ... and [all 18] parts
are very precisely fitted." But as you also noted, "You aren't paying extra for a lot of extra function."

Again, most knife enthusiasts can afford Sebenzas. That's one of the great things about it. I've seen
photos of them and I just don't particularly like their looks. I suppose if I did, I might find a rational
reason for buying one...or at least I'd find a reason for rationalizing it! ;)

But let me ask you guys this: How much money would they have to charge for one of these before
you'd draw the line? If it was $600, would that be too much? At what point would that return not
be worth it? I'm not spoiling for an argument, I'm merely curious.

Cheers!
 
Confederate said:
Quality is like anything else. Then it reaches its point of diminishing marginal return. A knife can get
only so good, then any additional quality begins to return less to the user, and it takes longer to
produce for the maker. As you yourself state, "The Sebenza is about quality ... and [all 18] parts
are very precisely fitted." But as you also noted, "You aren't paying extra for a lot of extra function."

Again, most knife enthusiasts can afford Sebenzas. That's one of the great things about it. I've seen
photos of them and I just don't particularly like their looks. I suppose if I did, I might find a rational
reason for buying one...or at least I'd find a reason for rationalizing it! ;)

But let me ask you guys this: How much money would they have to charge for one of these before
you'd draw the line? If it was $600, would that be too much? At what point would that return not
be worth it? I'm not spoiling for an argument, I'm merely curious.

Cheers!
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i bought my first large classic for about 300.00 brand new in the box. i couldnt justify the retail price, and found a gun dealer who had a couple sitting in the case for quite some time. he discounted it because it wouldnt sell.

after that, i came to believe it was worth the retail price, i only had to own mine a short time to change my attitude.

my unique graphic was acquired in trade, though funds permitting, i certainly would have paid retail for it.

if the plain sebenza was 450+ i wouldnt go near it. it seems to fill a niche between general production knives and customs, and that is where the price sits. call it semi-production, semi-custom, whatever, there is no question that there is more care in its assembly than true production knives.
 
It's just what one is willing to spend, granted. Someone might rather have a decent fifty-dollar knife
and a really good digital camera. Or they might want to settle for a decent hundred-dollar knife and a
really good digital camera

Or, they might want save a few more pebbles and get this Herb-Derr custom beauty like this, and then
a fifty-dollar folder.
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I can see paying hundreds of dollars for something exceedingly well made and easy on the eyes.

Different people value different things, and I'm going to at least go out and find a Sebenza to heft and
inspect. Of course, I reckon if I had a lot of money, I could buy anything I wanted!

Bye, all. This is my last post in this topic! I promise.
 
Who knows.

500 is tops for me with a knife at this point and has been for a while.

I would spend alot more on a gun that sits in a safe and rarely gets used. I could not tell you exactly why. I can tell you that these kind of buys are emotional and usually impulsive. But I personally am always looking to find something that a current knife is missing in any aspect (ie. quality, blade.....Lock.....) when I purchase a new knife.

I can tell you that gun buys are in hand emotional events. I might just put out more than 500 for a knife if it was in my hands and I could not let it go..... I have never gone to a knife show....anyhow...

I have certainly never bought anything in my life to impress anyone but myself. What the ++++ do i care what other people think of the knife I use or the car I drive. I am the one using the knife and driving the car everyday. I buy things for myself so I really think that argument goes out the door atleast for myself.

You could buy a handful of sebenzas for the cash it takes to heavily modify a 600 dollar 1911.

I think there are alot of different reasons that people do the things they do. I think this is good. I love to learn from other people. Whether it be direct or not.

I just bought a sebenza. Why? Because I wanted one for reasons of my own.

I made a thread to ask sebenza owners, current or not, how they compare to a knife I already own. This was in hopes that I could attain general knowledge of the knife from a large sample of people that own a sebenza (and hopefully my knife also.)

Maybe I will be sorry, maybe I will not. I am thinking not.

Furthermore, I did not buy the knife because I stumbled accross a thread about sebenzas or thought I needed a more expensive knife. I started the thread becuase my 500 dollar knife was getting on my nerves. I have read about the quality of them. Most people do not have the luck of finding a knife that they really like for 60 bucks. I have tried but with anything (not only knives) Quality can be addictive.....blah blah....

By the way if the only way I could have a pistol that I liked was to spend 3,000 I would buy it.

Buy what you like and like what you buy.... or atleast try to.

................Kevin................who knows.........:thumbup:

If I could afford an Enzo there would be one sitting in my non existing 100 car garage as we read.
 
Confederate, I hope you can try both the standard and classic versions of the Sebenza. They feel very different in the hand. The difference is more noticable in the large models, IMHO.

The Sebenzas look simple. It is after using one over the years that I've come to really appreciate the design.
 
Lots of good comments so far. What sells me on Sebenzas, and CRK products in general, is the excellent customer service. For example, I picked up a small leather inlay Sebenza in a trade once. The previous owner had clearly used the knife hard. It was in good shape, but the handle showed lots of scratches and dings, etc. I sent it to CRK with the $35 fee and I got back a knife I swear was brand new. They even apologized for taking so long because they wanted to replace the inlays with pieces that matched better!:eek: That kind of service sold me on them. You are investing in more than just a piece of steel and titanium when you get a Sebenza.
 
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