Why Sebenza vs other customs knives?

the sebenza is a titanium framelock with S30V blade. where the uniqueness comes in I still haven't figured out. I myself don't spend $300 to get a knife that looks the same as a couple thousand others (at least) I did recently spend $300 on a stainless doctor pattern interframe with ironwood inserts and a 1095/nickel damascus blade by Mike Alsdorf. Knives like that and my 15 year old Victorinox tinker keep me from the spendy sebbie.
 
If there are people (and there are many I think) who have no problem paying for a Sebbie (and think it isn't overpriced) and do not think the design is too simplistic (has a certain appeal to them) then I personally do not see a problem.

Although I can see the possibility that the Sebbie is a statement for SOME but that cannot apply to all of the owners. Generalization is never good (gettit :)).

You cannot satisfy everyone but as long as you satisfy yourself (and have no regrets) it's fine.

PS: Perhaps it is important to highlight the high tolerance of the manufacturing and the use of a timeless (as well as a tried and tested design) design instead of just comparing a custom to a Sebbie.
 
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With CRK you also get the benefit of great customer service and warranty. I've never had a custom made knife or anything but from what I can tell it takes a really long time to get something like the Hinderer xm18. Now imagine if something goes wrong with yours and you have to send it back. With CRK you just ship it back and they fix it up in a week or two.
 
I don't own either a custom or a sebbie, but have handled a sebbie and do own a CRK Green Beret. Reeve knives seem to combine the best of both the custom and production features, IMHO. There aren't many times when I can step out of the $100-$150 dollar range for even a used knife, but Reeve's knives seem to have both production quality and the intangible "soul" of a custom.

Although he may consider himself more a tool maker than an artist, Reeve has something else in common with custom makers: he often seems to be misunderstood as to his methods and reasoning. It takes some effort to appreciate his work.
 
I've never completely understood the fetish surrounding the Senenza, but you have to admit it's a really well made knife. That is if you've seen one, held one, etc. You wouldn't have to admit anything if you'd never seen one, and you could plead the fifth if someone asked you under oath....

Some of them are absolutely breathtaking, but those knives can be very hard to get, and very expensive, above and beyond what I already consider to be a fairly expensive knife for what it is.

I wouldn't mind owning a Sebenza, I've thought seriously a few times about getting one, because they are really and truly fantastically made knives, and it seems like they've engineered so much out of them that at this point not much can be done to make it better, for what it is.

Some people don't really understand that simplicity sometimes is the highest form of an object. A person might like a very fancy knife with a lot of design elements, but it's really hard to make a knife like that really sturdy and tough. I don't think the Sebenza was ever designed to be art, but to be a really incredibly sturdy useful tool that sometimes happens to be decorated. Even the decorated ones are incredibly sturdy. Some knives aim for beauty first and utility second, and I think the Sebenza is famous for the opposite; it is what it is, and makes no bones about it.

The little things are also the things that always take the most time and thought. Ask any craftsman or artist what takes up the most time and thought, and it's always the tiniest details that most people don't even notice. Sometimes those little things are tiny design elements like an eyeball looking askance in a Bernini sculpture, and sometimes they're a dovetail joint between a couple pieces of wood in a fine cabinet. When you look at a Sebenza, there's almost nothing to see; only a handful of parts, and a few features that most people wouldn't even notice consciously. You put the thing in your hand, and your hand feels the simplicity through utility and ergonomics. It's not just a simple design, which is what turns some people off, it's a purposefully simple and minimalistic design that leaves nothing to chance, and includes only those things necessary for function.

The only way to ever really know what to buy is to play with a few. If you're lucky enough to have a really nice knife shop in town that has Sebenzas and customs, go take a few hours and goof around. Maybe there's a knife club in town that you can join and some of the guys will let you dink around with their knives, including Sebenzas. If you really want a custom, and there are absolutely wonderful custom knives around, then you need to figure out if you really like those knives either; a lot of people choose Sebenzas instead of customs simply because if they were to choose customs, then it becomes an issue of "which custom, for how much, designed how, from whom?" and becomes a lifelong process of discovery and conquest. People know what they're going to get with a Sebenza, whereas they don't always know that with a custom knife.

I've been no help. Well, truthfully other people in this thread have already said it; the only person that will know what will be the knife that makes you happy is you, and unfortunately you have to do a little work before you can make the decision.
 
I have some nice custom folders and I have a bunch of Sebenzas. I like 'em all, use 'em all. On a practical level, I will say that I find myself carrying my CRKs a lot more than, say, my Mayo TNTs.

I love the Sebenza's simplicity and tight tolerances. And, no, simplicity does not cost less if it's the result of painstaking design development and production.
 
While I don't abuse my Seb, it's not pocket jewelry, either. That's why I'd go with a Seb over a custom at the moment. When I bought a Wilkins Leafstorm a couple years back, it became obvious I wouldn't use it the same way as my Seb, so I sold it within days of getting it. Since then, I've looked at customs, but usually got cold feet for the same reason as before. At this point, I'm unable to justify owning multiple high-end knives that won't see any real pocket time. I think you have to figure out what your real plans are with the knife and decide what best fits your needs from there.
Good luck.
 
There's something about the Sebenza. It's Perfection, in a folding knife. I'm lucky to own one just to own one.
 
Well I guess it is easiest to knock the top dog production knife CRK Sebenza. Great quality and if it isn't right, they make it right without question.

Funny you don't see similar threads from other production companies versus customs?? There are plenty of similar priced production knives that can not pass the scrutiny like CRK.

BTW I carry three EDC's in rotation these days:

CRK Small Seb
Cook Lochsa
Mayo TMX

All are perfect for my needs.
 
disclaimer: I've never held a sebenza

Yeah, yeah, sebeza is precision milled etc. Tolerances are light years above other knives etc. It's fairly classy, yes. But are such details really noticeable to a user? Can you really tell the difference between some other good knife and a sebenza?

I'm sure lots of people will chime in and say 'of course you can!' -- but then again, lots of people have told me they 'can see the difference' when using Monster Cables and similar products. I have to wonder if the same thing is going on with the Sebbie, which definitely seems fetishised around here.
 
Funny you don't see similar threads from other production companies versus customs??
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my guess is , the comparison is there due to its price.

Sebby is a very well made knife without a doubt , I can't see how anyone can argue that it isn't. Is it the be all end all of production knives ? Purely speculation.

To me: The Burke production Rockstar will give the Seb a run for it's money in fit and finish and in performance , and at a lower purchase price. The BM630 gives the Seb a run for it's money at 1/2 the price.

It would be solely a matter of opinion of is it better or not. Never follow the crowd , handle as many knives as you can ( GET TO A SHOW ! ) and you can make your own decision based on your experience.

Whether the average Joe can tell the difference between a Seb , BM630 or BM630 , Rockstar (production ) is hard to say.

Have a person , who has no idea what either of them cost , and ask them to rank them in order of highest to lowest price , I think you would be surprised at the outcome.

I have to say my Sebby just aint doing it for me , not like it once did , perhaps it is because of owning BM630's , 635's , older BM Pinnacles and just not seeing enough of a difference TO ME to make it worth keeping.

I do have my eye on one of those Mnandi's though. :)
 
There are some really great customs out there, and to buy the Sebenza and completely ignore the custom world is to do yourself a disservice. My current goal for this year is to either score a Terzuola or a Lightfoot. And yes, I have and love the Sebenza.

What I like about the Sebenza is that there are so many of them and because Chris Reeve has an established company you will never have to worry about losing or breaking one. Replacement will always be easy as long as you have the cash.

With customs, this is generally not so much the case. When I get a Terzuola I will treat it with a little more respect than my Sebenza and carry it less frequently. But I don't like expensive safe queens and there are many customs out there meant to be USED.
 
Well I bought a large classic to try out because everyone always says if you don't like it you won't have any problem getting your money back. Well I don't like it as much as some others so I listed it for sale at more than 10% off than I paid New Graham. No takers yet. We will see.
 
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The Sebbie IS a great knife, and to which all others are held up to for a lot of people. I love mine.

But, I collect/buy/use custom knives. (And CRK's.) Custom knives ARE very, very special. You get a piece of the maker with the knife. If you buy from the maker, you get an amazing experience as well. I have made some really neat friends. You are doing yourself a great disservice by not checking out some customs. Get to a knife show!
 
The only problem with getting into customs,as i have done, is once you get some,production knives start to look inferior.i used to love crkt,& since i got some customs, i couldnt even look at them anymore & sold them all off.
 
bobofish said:
I've never completely understood the fetish surrounding the Senenza, but you have to admit it's a really well made knife. That is if you've seen one, held one, etc. You wouldn't have to admit anything if you'd never seen one, and you could plead the fifth if someone asked you under oath....

Some of them are absolutely breathtaking, but those knives can be very hard to get, and very expensive, above and beyond what I already consider to be a fairly ...QUOTE]

I'd say it is more a "cult" phenomenon than a fetish. But I completely agree. I was hooked on the various mnandi permutations for a while, and I have several plain sebbies and a few umfaans. They are nice knives, but as many have said it depends what you want. Personally, I carry a modified Victorinox Yeoman with a long nail file and pliers and a ZDP-189 Leek. I have at least 90 handmade knives that run the gamut from Jeff Cover to Ron Lake and Buster Warenski, and at least 300 production knives. Needless to say, I have ecclectic tastes. For daily users it's tough to justify more than $300, since you've already discovered that's just below where the custom market begins. It's really up to you. Sure, the sebbie's a nice knife, but is it worth the price? New, probably not, particularly if you want to use it daily. If you really like it try and find one previously loved in good condition and you'll be better served, and the wife will certainly be happier!

Good luck.
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+1 to marcangel.

Sebbies seem to fit a real niche for a lot of people. I finally picked up a "previously loved" one and must say that it is at least as good as my Spydercos and Benchmades, though not nearly as much fun as my Axis locks. Also, for the price, I'm not nearly as comfortable doing some things with it as I am with a less expensive knife.

This is not a knock on CRK- my Mnandi is one of my top three favorite folders and I find it much more impressive than the Sebenza for the same price. All the same quality and tight tolerances, much classier appearance (to me), plus a really good amount of edge in a very light knife. When I let people handle my knives, they all seem to love the Mnandi.
 
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