Why Sebenza vs other customs knives?

DRider said:
The Sebenza has a stellar reputation. And I love framelocks. But if you were to have around $500 to spend on a really good folder, which will be a using folder, then what would make you get a Sebenza
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I’ve had the same question on my mind so the comments here have held my interest. Thanks for asking it. The Sebenza sounds solid and some of the handle designs are awesome. I wonder if it a good first step into upscale folders to provide a benchmark for comparisons to future custom folders?


nozh2002 said:
Sebanza is not a super performing knife - it is statement. From performance point of view there are many better knives for much less price
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DRider made it clear that his budget for a really good knife was $500. Rather than try and “derail” the thread in an attempt to force the discussion that a Sebenza is overpriced please tell us what is a much better value for $500.

nozh2002 said:
Sebanza is not a super performing knife - it is statement.
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Based on this quote:
DRider said:
but I've always wanted to have a least one really good knife, a custom knife. Like a Lexus rather than a Toyota.
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a "statement" is part of the equation. What aside from the Sebenza makes the same kind of a statement in the $500 price range?

nozh2002 said:
I always hear this simplicity story - Yes, it is true, but I can not understand why to pay so much for simplicity? Should not it be vise versa?
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Who can account for other people’s “taste”, often times simplistic elegance is preferred and is more costly. It is very hard to hide errors or flaws in simplicity.
 
nozh2002 said:
Simpole - comfortable handle, comfortable carrying, solid reliable lock, durability, easy to sharpen (I mean straight edge - recurved is pain to sharpen). But of course most important edge holding.

My favorite knife for long time now Yuna Hard II. And I use it on 100% - I cut everything with it - drywall, stubs, grass, boxes, wood etc - whatever I need to cut. I also cut out splinters out of my fingers - I keep it hair whittling sharp and can do this without drawing blood... It is ideal knife to me now.

Yuna-Hard-II-004.jpg


Yuna-Hard-II-003.jpg


It is not excellent performer, but looking way better then Sebenza - more sophisticated I guess, but I like it.

Before my favorite was ZT-302:

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Also good performer, excellent slicer because of fine grind. And nice looking as well.

And nice looking not because of decorative stripes but as whole piece!

And before ZT-302, I was carrying MOD Mark II for few years. Not as good in edge holding, but unbeatable in terms of usability to this point in time handle design.

MOD-Mark-II-19.jpg


Sabenza is just one knife among many others, to my opinion.

And I have very simple model as well:

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Also excellent performers with Shirogami steel and hamon... And for some reason this simple knife which can left NASA crying behind in simplicity contest cost just $15-$20!

Thanks, Vassili.
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No offense but IMO those knives are loud, heavy ,gimmicky and not pleasing visually to put it lightly.

But I'm sure in your mind they're beautiful.
 
If there was no such thing as cost, and I could have any knife for free, I'd still take a ZT over a Sebenza.

I think it all does come back to the fact that value is subjective. Still, if we were basing this on pure performance, the ZT would be a much better value than a Sebenza, since it performs close to the same for half the cost. I'm not denying that paying an extra $150+ for the Sebenza is worth it to some people, but those people have other reasons besides getting the best cost/performance ratio. If someone wants to pay a million dollars for a Sebenza and that was their retail cost, could you still not tell that person that they are overpaying? I guess not, but it seems to defy common sense....
 
As far as I'm concerned, the proof is in the pudding, and the pudding in this case is the vast number of Sebenza owners who are very, very satisfied with their purchase. I doubt very strongly this is a case of the emperor's new clothes - clearly Chris Reeve has hit upon something that resonates with folks looking for a stylish, robust, superbly usable and well-engineered folding knife, albeit at a price point that many others are unwilling to pay. That doesn't make Sebenzas a poor value; it just means that there are many differing ideas about what constitutes value. I have nothing at stake here; don't own a Sebenza nor am I really interested in one (not a big fan of folders in general). But I sense a great deal of backlash from people who don't own Sebenzas toward those who do, and not necessarily for entirely rational reasons. Live and let live, and all of that, right?
 
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I have a Yuna Mini Hard 1, and it IS an excellent performer! The blade is ZDP-189, and IS one of my sharpest knives.
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I've had customs from just about all the big makers out there (excluding one or two I'm sure) and some of them were truly great knives. Very few however can match the fit and finish of a Sebenza. My Seb is perfect. The lockup is perfect, the blade centering is perfect, the pivot tension is perfect (and I don't have to worry about it changing), and I just like the knife. There are four makers knives I've had that have matched or come close to matching this perfection and that is all really. The rest were nice, but only a few were at that lever. One reason I ended up choosing the Sebenza (it's now my only knife and the one I carry every day) is because it's thin and I like the pocket clip better then anything else. Plus I've carried it every day for over a year and a half now...I've become fairly attached to it.
 
nathan310 said:
No offense but IMO those knives are loud, heavy ,gimmicky and not pleasing visually to put it lightly.

But I'm sure in your mind they're beautiful.
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"Beauty is in the eye of the beholder"

"What is beautiful to one,may be down right ugly to another"
 
nathan310 said:
No offense but IMO those knives are loud, heavy ,gimmicky and not pleasing visually to put it lightly.

But I'm sure in your mind they're beautiful.
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No offense but IMO you just came up with this to replay this way without even look close. I'm sure in you mind this is smart way to perform intelligent discussion. But urgly it is to you or not - they performs extremely well - best I would say, and I do not need to push and work hard to convince myself that they are better then everything just because I overpay in a big way.

Thanks, Vassili.
 
Ramm9, good questions.

The plain Jane Sebenzas aren't $500. The Small Regular and Classic Sebenzas are $330.
The Large Regular and Classic are $385.

However, you can get embellished Sebenzas that can cost well over $500.

Small classics with wood or micarta inlay are $400.



Small Plain Classic with Raindrop Damascus blade, about $460.
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Small Regular with Unique Graphic and Zebra Damascus blade, forgotten the exact price, but over $500.
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It took living with a Sebenza for a few years before I came to appreciate what a fine knife it is.

The plain Sebenzas are plain looking knives. The factory edge is a little thick, and when new, the blades don't flick open easily. However, they are sturdy. They are also comfortable to use and carry. They are easy to take apart and put back together. You don't need to keep re-tightening the pivot screw. The Sebenza is a nice reliable knife work knife. A Sebenza should last many years with reasonalbe use. The factory is very good about refurbing Sebenzas if you want that factory new look again.

Even the fancy versions of the Sebenza are well built knives that can take plenty of use.

Rich
 
Rich357 said:
Ramm9, good questions.

The plain Jane Sebenzas aren't $500. The Small Regular and Classic Sebenzas are $330.
The Large Regular and Classic are $385.

However, you can get embellished Sebenzas that can cost well over $500.
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Thanks. Naturally it would have to be the etched styles I'm leaning toward....ugh.
 
nozh2002 said:
No offense but IMO you just came up with this to replay this way without even look close. I'm sure in you mind this is smart way to perform intelligent discussion. But urgly it is to you or not - they performs extremely well - best I would say, and I do not need to push and work hard to convince myself that they are better then everything just because I overpay in a big way.

Thanks, Vassili.
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So, to be sure I understand, the knives you have shown are lower in cost than the Sebenza?

If that is correct, what knife do you suggest that is worth the cost of the Sebenza. To ask another way, in your opinion, what folding knives are worth $500.
 
Abacus said:
If there was no such thing as cost, and I could have any knife for free, I'd still take a ZT over a Sebenza.

I think it all does come back to the fact that value is subjective. Still, if we were basing this on pure performance, the ZT would be a much better value than a Sebenza, since it performs close to the same for half the cost. I'm not denying that paying an extra $150+ for the Sebenza is worth it to some people, but those people have other reasons besides getting the best cost/performance ratio. If someone wants to pay a million dollars for a Sebenza and that was their retail cost, could you still not tell that person that they are overpaying? I guess not, but it seems to defy common sense....
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For normal EDC I'd never pick a ZT over a Sebenza, unless maybe I got paid to carry it. I admit they are great values and solidly built knives, but the ZT is sort of altogether a different sort of knife, one that I hardly see need to carry. It is bigger and bulkier, not nearly as elegant, and seemingly designed for a completely different audience than the Sebenza crowd.

The knives that are closest to ever replacing my Sebenza for EDC are the humble Spydercos that joined my collection long before the Sebenza did, and in fact today I am carrying the UKPK in my pocket because it is a little more inobtrusive in my pocket and lighter.
 
nozh2002 said:
No offense but IMO you just came up with this to replay this way without even look close. I'm sure in you mind this is smart way to perform intelligent discussion. But urgly it is to you or not - they performs extremely well - best I would say, and I do not need to push and work hard to convince myself that they are better then everything just because I overpay in a big way.

Thanks, Vassili.
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Good for you.

You sure are working hard to convince people sebbies are bad and overpriced and your knives are good and a great value.
 
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