Will I regret not getting a Sebenza?

firefighterguy

firefighterguy

Joined
Sep 30, 2014
Messages
596
I’ve been set on a large Inkosi for awhile and have been waiting along time to finally get my first CRK. This will be my one and only. I know it’s been said before but this is my one and only shot at a CRK. In fact I’ve gotten rid of most of my other knives and plan to carry this pretty exclusively for a few years.

So as I’m about to pull the trigger I start wondering am I going to wish I had gotten the quintessential CRK and the one that has stood the tests of time (Sebenza 21).

The Inkosi appeals to me because it seems to be a little more robust and has a thicker blade.

Help me out.... if I’m only getting one, should it be the Sebenza or am I crazy for getting an Inkosi?
 
I am a dedicated Sebenza owner-love the simplicity of design and maintance, but if you are only going to own one you will just have to choose. You shouldn't regret buying Inkosi and not the Sebenza any more than buying the Sebenza and not trying the Inkosi. You can't go wrong with any CRK, and will hardly suffer through life picking the wrong model. Both would serve you well.
 
Last edited:
My first CRK was a right handed Umnumzaan. Did not like it at all because I couldn’t open it with my left hand. Sold that one and was able to get a left handed Umnumzaan. It made all the difference in the world to me, to finally have a knife that was made for a left handed person. That enticed me to get a 21, didn’t matter if it was right handed as long as it had double studs. Loved the 21, still do. At first, I was more cautious with the 21 because in my mind, the thinner blade would be more prone to damage. I was wrong about that, the 21 can take more abuse than you think. Then, the 25 came out. A 21 and Umnumzaan combined into one knife. The best of both worlds, from there, the 25 was retired and the Inkosi was evolved from the 25. The Inkosi is one of the smoothest knives out of the box I’ve ever had.
IMO, if you chose the Inkosi for your one CRK, you’ll know when you get it in hand that you made the right choice. Oh, you’ll wonder about the 21 no doubt, but that will dissipate when you use the one you have and it becomes yours.
 
Peter Hartwig said:
I am a dedicated Sebenza owner-love the simplicity of design and maintance, but if you are only going to own one you will just have to choose. You shouldn't regret buying Inkosi and not the Sebenza any more than buying the Sebenza and not trying the Inkosi. You can't go wrong with any CRK, and will hardly suffer through life picking the wrong model. Both would serve you well.
Click to expand...
Peter mentions maintenance.
Obviously I don't know your abilities in this regard but I feel this should also be part of your decision. I have found maintenance to be infrequent and fairly straightforward with CRK's but there are differences in the two models.
Here is a link to the CRK videos about cleaning and reassembly. The video for either model can be selected by clicking the "hamburger" in the upper left corner of the video screen. CLICK HERE
Hope it helps.
OG
 
Myself, for whatever strange reason, cannot get over the Sebenza 21. I own other CRKs and other brands, but when push comes to shove, I’d rather own two 21s than a 21 and something else. Maybe that’s why I have 4 large 21s and 4 smalls.

So for me, I would regret not owning a Sebenza 21 as there is a certain appeal about that knife that I do not feel as strongly in other offerings. I think it just really suits my uses, and has become an extension of my everyday life. Quite honestly, I mostly consider “what 21 do I want to carry this month”, not what knife do I want to carry?

I realize having written this how bad my obsession is, but I haven’t bought a 21 in just about 2 years, so it’s more of an obsession with the knives I already own. Nothing else feels quite right, and the 21 always feels right.
 
firefighterguy said:
I’ve been set on a large Inkosi for awhile and have been waiting along time to finally get my first CRK. This will be my one and only. I know it’s been said before but this is my one and only shot at a CRK. In fact I’ve gotten rid of most of my other knives and plan to carry this pretty exclusively for a few years.

So as I’m about to pull the trigger I start wondering am I going to wish I had gotten the quintessential CRK and the one that has stood the tests of time (Sebenza 21).

The Inkosi appeals to me because it seems to be a little more robust and has a thicker blade.

Help me out.... if I’m only getting one, should it be the Sebenza or am I crazy for getting an Inkosi?
Click to expand...

They are both great knives. Personally imho the biggest advantage the Inkosi has over the Sebbie is it comes stock with dual thumbstuds. It is also in some ways better for disassembly becaise you can’t pinch a washer. Also your inkosi will likely need some loctite since unlike the sebbie you can’t just crank down the pivot as tight as it will go. They include some purple loctite which is the best for knives cause it is easiest to break with open. Also I find the big ceramic lockface/detent ball doesn’t lend to great flicking action. You need a tiny bit of purple or blue loctite in the pivot or the pivot will unscrew as you open and close the knife like most knives.

The main advantage of the sebenza is the pivot bushing which lets you crank the pivot all the way down which on most 21s will prevent the pivot backing out. Once my small 21 broke in it flicks very well but CRKs typically don’t flick great.

Also on the small knives the inkosi has abit shorter of a handle than the 21. I prefer the 21 for the small knives and the inkosi for the large.
 
I started with a small Sebenza then a large Seb followed by a small mammoth ivory and two large mammoth ivory Sebs. I am down to one mammoth ivory Seb 21 and do not regret the journey. Treat yourself to a great knife...
 
kidcongo said:
Myself, for whatever strange reason, cannot get over the Sebenza 21. I own other CRKs and other brands, but when push comes to shove, I’d rather own two 21s than a 21 and something else. Maybe that’s why I have 4 large 21s and 4 smalls.

So for me, I would regret not owning a Sebenza 21 as there is a certain appeal about that knife that I do not feel as strongly in other offerings. I think it just really suits my uses, and has become an extension of my everyday life. Quite honestly, I mostly consider “what 21 do I want to carry this month”, not what knife do I want to carry?

I realize having written this how bad my obsession is, but I haven’t bought a 21 in just about 2 years, so it’s more of an obsession with the knives I already own. Nothing else feels quite right, and the 21 always feels right.
Click to expand...
I agree with kidcongo. I can’t speak for anything other than Sebenzas 21s and Mnandis. I bought my first 21 in 1999 and closely watched subtle refinements over the years. I believe the 21 has been scrutinized more than any model and its still their benchmark knife. Everything they build is A++ you can’t go wrong with any of their knives...
 
My situation is pretty similar to that of firefighterguy firefighterguy . I’ve been wringing my hands over the decision for a while, my first 21 (small) is scheduled to get to me on Tuesday and I’m already planning on getting a large 21 in a few months. Now I can see there’s probably an Incosi or two in my future as well. Thanks to the seasoned CRK owners for your inputs.
 
Chances are you'll end up trying both eventually anyway, so just get the one that appeals to you more first. Like others have said, can't go wrong either way. Personally, I prefer the 21.
 
I've owned approx 20-30 small and large Sebbies...including the various types of decoration on the scales...favorite is inlaid exotic woods. My large hand can only use a large Seb, but the smaller ones, with wood inlay, actually seemed more beautiful so I bought those also, just to look at.
Have two Zaans...great alternative. I preferred to carry a large plain Classic Sebbie for the smoothness.
I have one Zaan and one Regular (collector) Sebbie in the safe.
Had a fella ask the other day what a Sebbie measures behind the edge. I got out my Regular to measure it...(~0.028"). It felt SO GREAT in my hand that I put it back in the safe and IMMEDIATELY bought a large Sebbie on the Exchange...which I'm now carrying...(again). That might answer your question.
 
Thanks for all the input. I do have a store about 30 mins from me that has CRK knives. They didn’t have any plain Inkosi but I did handle one with Micarta inlays. I handled plain large and small sebenzas but not as much as I should’ve.

I suppose I need to go back and put hands on them again.

Another question, how long has the Inkosi been around? It’s my understanding that it replaced the Sebenza 25. Were there issues with the 25 that the Inkosi improved upon?
 
firefighterguy said:
Thanks for all the input. I do have a store about 30 mins from me that has CRK knives. They didn’t have any plain Inkosi but I did handle one with Micarta inlays. I handled plain large and small sebenzas but not as much as I should’ve.

I suppose I need to go back and put hands on them again.

Another question, how long has the Inkosi been around? It’s my understanding that it replaced the Sebenza 25. Were there issues with the 25 that the Inkosi improved upon?
Click to expand...

Think it had mostly to do with the Sebenza name. It was causing confusion-was it going to be a replacement for the iconic 21.
25 mid 2012
sm Inkosi 2015
Lg. Inkosi June 2016
There is a history sticky
 
firefighterguy said:
Thanks for all the input. I do have a store about 30 mins from me that has CRK knives. They didn’t have any plain Inkosi but I did handle one with Micarta inlays. I handled plain large and small sebenzas but not as much as I should’ve.

I suppose I need to go back and put hands on them again.

Another question, how long has the Inkosi been around? It’s my understanding that it replaced the Sebenza 25. Were there issues with the 25 that the Inkosi improved upon?
Click to expand...

Inkosi has angled pocket clip away from lockbar, floating stop pin through front scale, oversized washers that locate off of the stop pin, (and early models had a ball groove on the blade tang). Otherwise the same as 25.
 
I've had a large Inkosi. Liked it due to it being different than the 21.
I'd say save up & buy both. Try em both out. Due to the resale value, you shouldn't lose any $ if you decide to sell one. I know spending $600+ is a bit much, but like they say; "a blade in the hand..." ...or was that a "bird"?

Did I mention this hobby is a sickness?
 
I started with a 25, it just felt right, but a little large for every day carry. I then bought a small 21. Carried it for a little time but never fell in love with it. When I acquired a small inkosi,it just seemed perfect for an everyday carry. It has hardly left my pocket for the last six months.The real point of this post is," If it feels right, don't look back.Just enjoy it."
 
firefighterguy said:
I’ve been set on a large Inkosi for awhile and have been waiting along time to finally get my first CRK. This will be my one and only. I know it’s been said before but this is my one and only shot at a CRK. In fact I’ve gotten rid of most of my other knives and plan to carry this pretty exclusively for a few years.

So as I’m about to pull the trigger I start wondering am I going to wish I had gotten the quintessential CRK and the one that has stood the tests of time (Sebenza 21).

The Inkosi appeals to me because it seems to be a little more robust and has a thicker blade.

Help me out.... if I’m only getting one, should it be the Sebenza or am I crazy for getting an Inkosi?
Click to expand...
My suggestion is to make peace that this will not be your one and only CRK. It may be your first, but the stars will align eventually for you to acquire another, somehow...

Inkosi is a phenomenal first choice, as is the iconic Sebenza. So pick that which feels best, or is calling you now. Love it, use it. Don't "need" anything else right away, but be ready when you have the chance to add to your stable. You cannot make a wrong decision, so get what's calling you now.

And enjoy your well earned steel.
 
You really can't go wrong with any of them, and once you carry it for a while I am pretty sure that given time you will get another. If you buy used, it takes a bit of the financial sting out. I have been carrying a zaan as my utility knife for about 6 months. I love how beefy it is, even though taking it out at work can get a few looks.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top