Why is the Sebenza so popular?

B

Bladeswinger

Joined
Jul 1, 2001
Messages
1,297
I can't figure it out!
-It looks plain
-High price tag
-Only a 3.5" blade
please tell me why, I'm not dogging it by any means, I just do't understand?
 
When I first got one I remember opening the box and saying to myself, "I paid HOW much for this thing?"

Well, the knife is a VERY nice thing. I advise you to get one and see for yourself. If you study a Sebenza for awhile you will appreciate the meticulous engineering that goes into it. No detail is left unattended and for a relatively simple object there's a lot more there than you might think. :)
 
Built like a tank, solid lock up, absolutely dependable, at the price, there is quite honestly, nothing that compares. You have to have used one for a short time to appreciate it's qualities. For EDC a 3.5" blade is sufficient for most needs, why would you want one longer?

Regards,

Doug
 
Quality, fit and finish are immaculate. At first glance it appears the same in fit and finish to some other knife companies but let it soak in a little bit and the differences will become clearer.
 
I'm wrestling with this right now, and here's the dillemma. I've seen several sebenza's sell for $260, and I have the money now, so have been tempted to get one. The only thing that's stopped me, is it's plane appearance, for $100 more I could afford a plane custom, for $175 more a Sebenza with the Stars and Stripes graphic I like, and for $250 more, a fancy custom with exotic scales, file work, etc... At this point, you say to yourself, yeah, but the plain Sebie is a damn nice knife, and it's half the price of the fancy custom. Do I really want to pay twice as much just for looks? Then I think, I'll only be able to justify affording one such knife for a long time, and it will likely become my EDC for years to come. When I pull it out of my pocket to use it, how do I want to feel about it. Do I want to think to myself, "This is a nice knife, and it only cost me half what that fancy one would have. I'm glad I didn't spend all that extra cash on cosmetics.", or would I rather think to myself "Damn this is an awesome knife, I'm so glad I didn't cheep out". Wichever one I choose, I know I'll probably be telling myself that, ten thousand times over the next few years. I'm a winner either way, but it's hard to decide wich argument you want to hear in your head ten thousand times!
 
Originally posted by JDBraddy
I could afford a plane custom, for $175 more a Sebenza
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As much as I love Sebenzas, I would have gone for the custom plane:D :D :D

Matt;)
 
>"For EDC a 3.5" blade is sufficient for most needs, why would you want one longer?"

===================================

For EDC, a $45 Delica is sufficient for most needs, why would you want to spend all that extra cash!? ;)
 
Bought one, brought it home, and returned it the next day. Yes, it's solid as a rock, but it didn't do anything for me. The blade was not sharp enough (it barely took any hair off my arm) and the opening action wasn't smooth even after I cleaned the pivot area out and lubed it. Also, the allen wrench that came with the knife didn't fit the screw that holds the pocket clip in place. Maybe I got a lemon, but would I buy one again? Probably not. Feel free to flame away, I don't care.
 
Well that is a question that has plagued the forums since it's inception I would imagine! A good question as it is a lot of money for what the parts are that you can see...

And that is one of the beauties of the knife, you Can see the parts on the knife at a glance, nothing to really go wrong or hidden places for junk to gather and go unmissed, easily cleaned and they provided an allen wrench to take the knife apart to give it a complete cleaning if needed, don't know of anyone else that does that...or would want you to...

Strength, a blade is a blade is a blade right? suppose so, lately my growing love is for a production knife by Benchmade, the Red handled Boron Carbide coated blade designed by Warren Osborne and brought to me by our own Dwiekum...thanks again D! Now while I truly LOVE that knife, I also have on my hip a Large Sebenza...why? well as much as I love that 941, the model number, the axis lock is strong but I feel that the Integral lock on the Sebenza to be superior and if ever called on for life threatening use, no fixed blade around, I wouldn't hesistate to put the large Sebenza into action, it is just that solid a knife.

Handle shape and feel, It's nic name has become, by some, as the Grey T.u.r.d but you can buy varying price breaks of the more beautiful versions if the looks offend, to me the handle promotes a solid grip by it's retangular shape, meaning it doesn't try to turn in your hand when you are using it, some of the more Contour stylish designs, while they fit the hand when static, tend to move and twist in the hand at times you might not want them to...

There are MANY knives out there for less and for MORE money, it is smart to question the whys before spending your dollars. So take what you can, read as many posts as you can and if you need some searches done, since the function is down for non gold members, you can email me with specific questions and I'll do what I can to find existing posts for you...

G2
 
And what about the Stryder AR, or the buck/Stryder folders? Theres a hefty knife that will take anything! I would check into the Stryder
 
When I buy a Sebenza, I know that I'm going to get a knife with a good blade steel, a blade that is exactly and precisely centered between the frame, lock-up that has zero and I do mean zero blade play, making the Sebbie feel like a small fixed blade knife. And what really sets the Sebbie apart is that every one that comes from CR Knives is consistently with all of the aforementioned characteristics. There are no rotten apples in the bunch every one is built the other. Then there's the great customer service, the ability to have the Sebbie resharpened or refurbished for minal costs, etc. etc. etc. Try to find a knife store that has one and hold it in your hand and you'll see what I mean. Better yet, pony up and buy one, you won't regret it. BTW, have you looked at the wood inlay Sebenza's, the decorated Sebbies, and the Mnandi. Certainly not plain looking.
 
It's popular because it's primarily a status symbol, even in used and abused form. People buy the sebenze as their first step up from the world of lower end production, not quite wanting to break into the custom knife world. Sad thing, if they would shop around, they would find better knives for the same prices in the custom world. Knives that don't sale for 70% of retail a year later. Knives who's maker stands behind the knife every bit as much as CRK. For my money, there's no choice, it's custom all the way. I get what I want in the materials I want and the size I want. I'll say it again, if you want a framelock, get an Obenauf. Better prices, holds value better, more blade shape options, blade steel choices, etc... Hell, JW Smith was selling his framelocks for $375! There's far too many better custom choices in the sebbie price range to make the sebbie an option for me.

JR
 
Comments from a previous thread: "There are no rotten apples in the bunch every one is built the other. Then there's the great customer service, the ability to have the Sebbie resharpened or refurbished for minal costs, etc. etc. etc."

No rotten apples? BS. Even CRK will admit that a lemon slips through. It's human nature. I don't hold this against any maker or company, as it is the willingness to fix any problems that truely matter. And CRK is more then willing to fix the problems, that was never an arguement.

Next point, refurbishing and resharpening. This is not a service exclusive to CRK. Most custom makers will do this, many of them for free. The sebbie is not as different as many people want you to believe. It's simply a production folder that sales for about twice what it's worth.

JR
 
Originally posted by Gary W. Graley

And that is one of the beauties of the knife, you Can see the parts on the knife at a glance, nothing to really go wrong or hidden places for junk to gather and go unmissed, easily cleaned and they provided an allen wrench to take the knife apart to give it a complete cleaning if needed, don't know of anyone else that does that...or would want you to...

I can see everything on my AFCK axis and it has smooth perfect action. And easy as pie to clean!
Click to expand...
 
as usual, i am going to go against the grain here!
to me the sebenza would be a super deal for $200. they would sell a lot more and volume would make up for per unit cost. it just ins't worth $100 to $150 more than any other comparable production knife, in my opinion. why? because 15% more quality doesnt seem to be worth 50% more money. that seems to be backwards economics! it has been said here that ocasionly a lemon slips by them. well if you paid $150 more to NEVER NEVER get a lemon, maybe some people would like that idea. but, it is'nt so. also, i feal their blade geometry is not in any way superior, and they leave the s30v too soft to really show the quality of that metal. all in all it is a great knife. but, is it worth $300? hmm, i'd pay $300 for a decorated one. for $375 - $400 you are in the custom world, so why is it worth it? don't get me wrong, i have several crk knives. but, for someone buying one knife to love and cherish i would get a custom for that price. actually, if you like william henrys they are probably even better quality then crk, IMHO. william henry STILL employs only 13 people! so they have a tighter leash on quality control. benchmade on the other hand is like going to las vegas. 5 out of ten of them stink. but, there will always be ONE, that makes you scratch your head and say "dang this is nice". the trick is finding that one.



thank you,
holdanedge.
 
Originally posted by Bladeswinger
I can see everything on my AFCK axis and it has smooth perfect action. And easy as pie to clean!
Click to expand...
Be sure and put the scales back on before you use it:p

I think the Sebenza has such widespread popularity because it has an appeal for so many different groups of people. The decorated and inlay models, and even the plain ones appeal to collectors+anyone who is a serious user will like the uncompromising lock, and practical blade shape. It's not as expensive as a good custom, and though it is priced higher than most production knives, it is "within reach" for people who are willing to spend extra money for greater quality.
It's a great all-around design. I've had both large and small plain Sebs. Sold one, traded the other. Not that there was anything wrong with them, just that I found other knives that I felt suited my particular needs better. If I had to start over tomorrow, though, and wanted ONE folder to fit a variety of uses, I'd buy another Sebenza without a second thought or regret.
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