Why I didn't, but now have a Sebenza – Scale hole!

If you've passed on this knife because of the hole in the scale, then you've missed out on an all-time great.

Why not try another model without the hole and experience the greatness?
 
The hole doesn't bother me and looks kind of cool. The "Made In Idaho" kills the design for me, so I focus my collecting on knives made before 2012. Ironically, the "Made in Idaho" is an intentional design choice, not a byproduct of production design so it doesn't need to be there, but I also don't need to buy any new knives from them. Except the Impinda which doesn't have it! Or at least doesn't have it on the surface, maybe it's hidden inside the scale where they can put all the ugly fonts they want!
 
bvo85 said:
The hole doesn't bother me and looks kind of cool. The "Made In Idaho" kills the design for me, so I focus my collecting on knives made before 2012. Ironically, the "Made in Idaho" is an intentional design choice, not a byproduct of production design so it doesn't need to be there, but I also don't need to buy any new knives from them. Except the Impinda which doesn't have it! Or at least doesn't have it on the surface, maybe it's hidden inside the scale where they can put all the ugly fonts they want!
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Made in Idaho is a choice..true, but speaks volumes. Immigrants from SA, they are proud to be in the states and more specifically, in Idaho.
More or less, a "thank you" from my interpretation of past comments and talking with them.
Certainly doesn't mean anyone has to like it; People may like the reason without liking the symbolism it represents.
Despite being from and currently residing in Idaho, I can say that it wouldn't bother me if it was there, not there or was another state..I just don't spend that much time looking at that side of the knife at all.
 
I don’t get tripped up on the hole. The Sebenza is an American Icon in the knife world. It is a fantastic knife!! I will enjoy it for many years and pass it down to my kids and my kids kids.
 
I think the Made in Idaho provides real word outdoorsy cred to a robust knife. If it had Made in Detroit I likely would think of my tanto-bladed Umnumzaan in a whole different light.

bhyde said:
Made in Idaho is a choice..true, but speaks volumes. Immigrants from SA, they are proud to be in the states and more specifically, in Idaho.
More or less, a "thank you" from my interpretation of past comments and talking with them.
Certainly doesn't mean anyone has to like it; People may like the reason without liking the symbolism it represents.
Despite being from and currently residing in Idaho, I can say that it wouldn't bother me if it was there, not there or was another state..I just don't spend that much time looking at that side of the knife at all.
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Sebenza knives are true classics. I’ve admired them for many moons and appreciate the entire marketing and design structure.

Been saving my loose change for a while and I am looking forward to having the opportunity to hold one in hand. The hole doesn’t detract from the aesthetics in my opinion, but rather lends to the story of Chris Reeve Knives.
 
bhyde said:
Made in Idaho is a choice..true, but speaks volumes. Immigrants from SA, they are proud to be in the states and more specifically, in Idaho.
More or less, a "thank you" from my interpretation of past comments and talking with them.
Certainly doesn't mean anyone has to like it; People may like the reason without liking the symbolism it represents.
Despite being from and currently residing in Idaho, I can say that it wouldn't bother me if it was there, not there or was another state..I just don't spend that much time looking at that side of the knife at all.
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I think the rationale for why they put it on there is awesome, and I applaud their patriotism.

I just think the typography chosen as well as the shape it's formed in is hideous and significantly detracts from the overall simplistic aesthetic of the knife. It's like if someone immigrated to America and was really proud of it, and got an ugly neck tattoo that said "Proud to Be American".

Of course that's just my opinion and others may like the typography. For the most part, it seems like people are split into two camps though. It seems like 90% of people don't mind it, 10% of the people hate it, and almost no one has said "I love it, I'd refuse to buy a knife that didn't have it on there". Given that Sebenzas were meant to be about simplicity and function, it seems like a terrible design choice to add something on, that at best people "don't mind" but hey, I love CRK as a company and will continue to buy their old pre-Idaho knives as well as any new knives they put out without ugly lettering on the side like the new Impinda. I think their customer service is top notch and even though I think the Idaho stamp is a poor design choice, I still love them.
 
red mag said:
Maybe an Inkosi could help? ;)
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This was exactly my point and how I came to appreciate at least some of CRK knives. In my mind both the Inkosi and Umnumzaan have achieved the pinnacle of design. It is interesting, however, with the tight CRK tolerances how at least break in can vary. My Umnumzaan was 'flickable' to open within 72 hours but my small Inkosi after a week+ and likely 1K+ openings and closing and a cleaning has loosened up quite a bit but still cannot be flicked open. It is mostly from the tension created by the lock bar. I have read others have had differing experiences. Anyway, I'll keep at it. My Umnumzaan is so big and rugged feeling but my little Inkosi is truly built like a tank. I love that I can have the Umnumzaan tension set by the pivot screw so that with my particular style of flick the blade is just about stopped at the end of the flick as the lock bar pops to lock the tang, nearly silent with the sound dampening O-rings. Perfect lock. I love that I have no concern with any heavy duty cutting action with the Inkosi it is so solid with such a beefy blade on a small knife... a perfect EDC. Its a shame about that Sebenza scale. I'm glad most can look past it. I can't unsee it.
 
laizhekezhui said:
I don't hate that hole, but it looks better if without that hole.

BTW: Most of the handmade Sebenzas without that hole, here are 3 handmade Sebenzas of mine: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bm8JmuRg1ys/
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Those look infinitely better. Never liked the scale hole. Knowing they can make a perfectly fine knife without it makes it even more annoying.

Tseg said:
This was exactly my point and how I came to appreciate at least some of CRK knives. In my mind both the Inkosi and Umnumzaan have achieved the pinnacle of design. It is interesting, however, with the tight CRK tolerances how at least break in can vary. My Umnumzaan was 'flickable' to open within 72 hours but my small Inkosi after a week+ and likely 1K+ openings and closing and a cleaning has loosened up quite a bit but still cannot be flicked open. It is mostly from the tension created by the lock bar. I have read others have had differing experiences. Anyway, I'll keep at it. My Umnumzaan is so big and rugged feeling but my little Inkosi is truly built like a tank. I love that I can have the Umnumzaan tension set by the pivot screw so that with my particular style of flick the blade is just about stopped at the end of the flick as the lock bar pops to lock the tang, nearly silent with the sound dampening O-rings. Perfect lock. I love that I have no concern with any heavy duty cutting action with the Inkosi it is so solid with such a beefy blade on a small knife... a perfect EDC. Its a shame about that Sebenza scale. I'm glad most can look past it. I can't unsee it.
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It's mostly likely a difference in the pivot tension vs. lockbar tension, although the large washers on the Inkosi probably slows things down a bit. You can adjust the pivot tension on the Inkosi just the same as the Unnumzaan.
 
There’s a trick to it, when adjusting. Listen to your hands and fingers...
 
I do not mind the hole in the Sebenza. What really annoys me is the notch on top of the Inkosi. To me, the hole just seems part of the design while the notch looks like a mistake.
 
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