why sebenza?

P

pineywoods

Joined
Jul 14, 2003
Messages
14
From reading the board, it seems that the sebenzas are highly favored. I have never handled one and am wondering what makes them so great. Especially before I plunk down the bucks. Are they as good as a custom handmade of about the same price?

Is it hype?

In comparison I carry a small custom cpm 440v 1.4 oz. micarta handle as EDC. I use a BM 690 for hard dirty work. I hunt/fish a lot and clean lots of game, mostly deer.

(shoot me straight...no company reps)
 
wow, this thread is going to get interesting. I think that the common consensus is that a sebenza is as good if not better then most of the custom knives out there. The fit and finish are top notch and the simple design lends to both strength and elegance.
 
You'll either love it or be indifferent to it. I'm sure some of the responses you'll get will bear this out. Keep in mind that if you want to try one out, they hold their value incredibly well. You can probably carry one for a month and as long as you don't abuse it, easily sell it here for $50 less than you paid.
 
I like the Sebenzas. I have a large and a decorated small.
It is a very inividual taste. There has been lots of flames and other crap over this issue.
Find someone who has one, or go to a show and handle one. Make your own decision. The range of human experience is very broad and the people who are likely to respond will be at both ends of the spectrum. The truth is probably somewhere in the middle.
I will tell you that I strongly believe it is worth exploring. You can make your own mind up.

I suppose I can offer some knife related comments.
I like the S30v steel, Holds an edge well and is reasonably easy to keep sharp on a sharpmaker. I have largeish hands and the large is a nice fit for my hand. I like framelock.
The decorated versions are very attractive whether it is wood inlay or engraving. The scale present a nice "canvas" and some people have done some very nice work on their knives. In effect, you get an artistic knife that can be used very hard.

Edit to add:
Many people are also loyal consumers by both enjoying the knife and having had an opportunity to have met some of the people, even briefly, at CRK. They are extremely nice people and provide very nice customer service. When I had a chance to see stop by the shop in Boise, they were cleaning house and in the middle of a lot of work. Chris Reeve still tok the time to chat with my wife and I as well as show us around the shop. I had the large Sebenza first and when I could afford it, bought a small pheasant tail Sebenza for the reasons above.
 
You won't find a better quality knife for the money. In fact, I don't believe you will find better quality, period. Both the large and small Sebenzas would make outstanding folding hunters. Just pick your size preference.

Paul
 
Some people like the Sebenza design, and some people don't. It's a matter of personal preference. Few people question the excellent service of CRK, the materials, or the fit and finish. The Sebenza is a well crafted work tool, meant to be used. I personally love the Seb. Mine will stay with me as long as my heart keeps beating.
 
As RR wrote, some peeps love sebbies, some may not. I 'll say this, the fit and finish on a sebenza might be impossible to beat KNIFE For KNIFE. By that, I mean that sebenzas are highly consistent as to the quality , fit and finish when a seb leaves Idaho. Not all companies / manufactors are quite so consistent in the QA / QC depts.
I have other knives that I also think highly of, Strider, Buck / Mayo, BM, but none is BETTER, (maybe equal) that the seb in fit & finish. However, some knives are better at being "tools" than a sebenza (maybe).
CRK sells his knives as a cutting tool, not a prybar or whatever.
But, to answer your initial question, yes, I think that sebbies are worth the $$.
Yes, I do own 2 sebs.
 
Just about everybody who buys a Sebenza (I've owned 2 for over a year)
becomes a "Company Rep" anytime these sort of questions are posted anywhere on the net! :-)

Larry S.
 
Heh, I switch roles because I feel kinda bad since the other side isn't here yet...

First of all it's not very ergonomic, just two grey flat slabs, it's not pretty either, for that kind of money I expect some flash, geunine natural materials, something!

It's made by machines! For that much money or a little more I could get a custom!

There's no way it can cut 5 times better than my AFCK, so people that buy one are clearly deceiving themselves.

Further, the owners of sebenzas are often arrogant and smug, touting that either you get it or you don't, which really is just intellectual dishonety because they won't admit the error of spending that much on a knife.

:p :p

-----

Ok seriously, if you have doubts about the sebenza, take it slow, buy a spyderco Ti Salsa for around $80, if you like it pick up a buck/mayo for around $150 - $170.
 
Ill echo whats been said, i honestly dont feel the fit and finish of a Sebenza can be beat by any knife at any price, because its tough to beat perfection, and this is coming from someone who owns and loves high-end customs, but the Sebenza is possibly the most precise folder made, and the consistancy of quality is second to none. In the world of customs, no maker im aware of doesnt let a few slip by that arent what they should be, in my years of knife buying, i have seen hundreds of Sebenzas, and not ONCE have i seen one with even a hint of blade play, or a bad lock, these are things i have seen from just about every custom maker at one time or another, how he maintains this level of quality is remarkable, and in part explains the prices he charges, its expensive to maintain near perfection on a mass produced product.

Also, lets not forget that all Sebenzas are designed to be EASILY taken apart and cleaned and lubed, most production knives arent so easy to strip and maintain. Anybody can learn in about 5 minutes how to do it, even if you STILL cant set the time on your VCR, and youre ready to go. This makes the knife even more appealing. The quality of the knife and its strength are evident to all who care about quality and precision the minute you examine and play with one, the smoothness, the very well designed and executed lock, the perfect bevels on all edges, i will always praise CRK until they give me a reason not to.

I do admit though that i wish he would make at least one other model, and no, the Umfaan and Mnandi dont count because theyre too similar to Sebenzas, id like to see a bolster model, something different, i doubt it will happen, but i give him grudging credit for this, he chose what he feels is the best design and perfected it.
 
I bought my second Larg Plain Seb today... What the he!! do I need two for!?!?!? :D

...buy one and you'll understand. It's just the right formula for me... and a whole lot of others. I could ramble on forever on this one. Every aspect of this discussion will be touched on over and over again, and it's right on every time.

out,
Cris
 
I have never owned a Sebenza, but have had the opportunity to examine a few. My conclusion is that when the day comes that I can afford one, I will buy one, I like them a lot.
 
It took me awhile to buy a Sebenza. Large, Regular, slightly used and slightly cheaper than new. I do not think it cuts better than most other high end folders. The materials and workmanship are as high as it gets. Period. I feel they are slightly overpriced, but, if thats what he can sell them for and thats what people pay for them, then they are indeed priced right...

A decent Quartz watch will keep time better than my old self winding Rolex. But, I like the idea of all those little precision parts working together on my wrist. Feeling the fit, finish and smoothness of a Sebenza is much the same. From a purely "I need a good knife to carry around for whatever I might need it for" I cannot justify the Sebenza. For the pride of ownership, I can justify it.

If price were no object, I would buy a few more. And, I will eventually buy one or two more because the quality is really that good.

You can order a Martini...or you can order a Bombay Sapphire martini. Both will have the same effect. The taste is not that much different. I prefer the Bombay Sapphire Martini properly shaken in a Sterling Shaker and the dollar difference is worth it to me.

On the other hand...you may not like the feel of the Sebenza any more than you like the taste of Gin....You may prefer Bushmills Black label and a Stryder!
 
I didn't buy my Sebenza because it looked better than anything else, there are definintely prettier knives (although, I do like its looks). I bought it because 50 years from now it will be the same knife it is right now, with a few more dings and dents of course. There is NOT another knife out there with tighter tolerances than the Sebenza. I believe that the Sebenza will outlast any other folder there is at the momment. That justifies the price to me.
 
I just wanted to say thanks to pineywoods and to everybody who has posted so far because...well i too had the same question and was afraid to ask for fear of hearing all the gasps of horror...;)It seems I really need to visit the local store and seriously consider buying a sebbie
 
I like the size and the weight of the small Sebenza. It locks up solid. If used for hunting, its easy to clean, although I prefer a fixed blade for such tasks.
I would have saved some money spent on other folders if I bought a Sebenza earlier, but wouldn't have had the enjoyment of the search.
If you don't like it, it holds its value pretty well on the used market.
Jim
 
Further, the owners of sebenzas are often arrogant and smug, touting that either you get it or you don't, which really is just intellectual dishonety because they won't admit the error of spending that much on a knife.
Click to expand...

Uh huh, I'm so much into "intellectual dishonesty" that I committed this particular error seven times (inasmuch as I have seven Sebbies). :rolleyes: DaveH, do you own, or have you owned, a Sebenza? If not, you're not qualified to comment. THAT would be intellectual dishonesty.

Now, I'm not going to say the Sebenza is perfect. I've got a couple little gripes about it. I'd like a tip down version, for example, and I think the dual thumbstud should be standard. But no other production knife comes close to the Sebbie in terms of flawless execution, tight tollerances, perfect fit and finish. Yeah, it's not flashy looking. If that interests you, don't buy one. If you're looking for a great user , think Sebenza.

I could say more, but this topic has really been done to death. Try doing a search, pineywoods, and you will find many, many threads on the Sebenza.
 
Well, what can I say.

To me it's got a perfect fit and finish, everythings correct, no flaws. It's also a bit more 'sheeple' friendly compared to for ex. a Strider SnG or Buck Mayo. Probably due to the low-profile grey Ti handle slabs and the 'cute' blue thumb-stud / backspacer.
Some don't like the thumb-stud, but it works very good for me.
I also very much like the blade-shape. Real classic shape.
All materials (BG-42,Stainless Steel,Titanium,Bronze) will last more then a life time.
CRK has excellent customer service, but you can void your warrenty in some cases (flicking, abuse, material adjustments)
One of the best things is that you can dis- and re-assemble for cleaning (see my thread on this here http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?s=&threadid=260685 )
Also something you see very rarely in a production knife is the use of bronze washers and a bushing. (A bushing is a small tube around which the blade pivots, that means no adjustable pivot tension, so no blade play and always smooth action)

Some things could be better, the handle shape could be a bit more rounded at the butt, and the guard could be a bit bigger and nicer shaped, but then you could always decide on the Classic type's.

The clip is probably the worst thing. It doesn't hold very well, and it's tip-up. Spyderco clips are much much better. So I've bought a clip-insert for mine and carry it in a (nylon) sheath.

I never regretted spending my money on it.

Ted
 
also remember that titanium can be anodized, bead blasted as it is or you can have it polished and get even more vivid colors. I don't have a Sebenza, but I've held many, many of them, and I'd say yes they are definitely worth the money. I DO have a buck/mayo, which has Ti frame and S30V blade and it cuts like a banshee. The 'Benza has phosphor bronze washers instead of Teflon ones and that makes it even tougher:)

Being that you hunt deer and fish a lot, I think you'd like the 'Benza or the Buck/Mayo. The Ti won't corrode and they can both be taken apart and easily cleaned.

Steve
 
I would opt for another knife in S30V that has been tempered to around 60RC. This steel will hold an edge a lot better when it is tempered to this hardness rather than the 58RC that the Sebbie has. I have sharpened a couple of Sebbies several times and I have a knife in S30V that is in the 59.5-60RC range and it will hold a edge better than the Sebbie does.
 
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