Wood inlay or standard?

pteron · Jan 20, 2000

I am about to purchase my first Sebenza and I'm having difficulty choosing between the simplicity of the standard and the elegance of the wood inlay!

Part of the problem is that I have seen and handled the standard Sebenzas but do not have anywhere local to handle a wood inlay.

The pictures of the wood inlay on the Chris Reeve web site are gorgeous, but I cannot tell if the titanium surrounding the wood is titanium coloured (goldish) or black as the whole picture appears to have a gold tint. Other pictures of the wood inlay I have seen have a very dark colour to the titanium. Can anyone help with a high quality picture of the wood inlay next to a standard? (From multiple angles would be even better!) Do they feel different?

All comments on the relative merits will be gratefully received

I want it as a general purpose carry all the time pocket knife.

Oh decisions decisions.....

regards
Andy

Hugo · Jan 20, 2000

Andy, I agree that most of the images in the net are very bad in terms of colors. The titanium handles are (afaik) polished the same way as the decorated Sebenzas. So if you can get hold of one of these I think it will be the same. I can't get hold of either where I live - I only go by the images on the net. I think one of the problem with these images is that they are taken with scanners and not cameras (I know James Mattis is good with scanner, but he has practiced a lot). Sometimes polished surfaces come out black on scanners. The images on CRK web site aren't from a scanner, but their colors are way of in many images (The Fly sebenzas...).

Hugo.

ps. I'm having same kind of problems here... Pheasant Tail or wood inlay, with damascus or not... or actually in which order should I get them...

tepstein · Jan 20, 2000

The above poster is correct; both sides of the wood inlay Sebenza are polished titanium, unanodized. The scalloped area under the clip is the only bead-blasted area, and appears dark gray. The knife does feel different than a decorated or plain Sebenza because it is slightly thicker on both sides- the inlays protrude. I owned one for a time, but sold it only because I ordered another expensive knife; but I preferred the feel to the plain. It seems to fill your hand better.

Hope this helps.

JoHnYKwSt · Jan 20, 2000

Get a plain before you get a wood decorated. It's hard to use a wood decorated sebenza because they are so nice.

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Johnny
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stjames · Jan 21, 2000

pteron, go for it! Wood Inlay, you know you want us to tell you to get it, so why hesitate? And get dual thumbstuds while you're at it

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA

floyd · Jan 21, 2000

I'd say get the woody. I've carried mine everyday for the past four months and the wood inlay is holding up wonderfully.

TheBeak · Jan 24, 2000

once again my thoughts on this issue:

if you can only afford one, make it a nice one...

its far easier to justify something cheaper than you already have. more expensive on the other hand is another leap.

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'Till next time,
Rich the kite guy

RGRAY · Jan 24, 2000

Hi Andy, let me give you a different perspective.
The wood insert small Sebenza is $490.
I bought a lightly used small Sebenza for $250 and a carried, but not used Large Sebenza for $ 275.
That's $475 and I don't mind using them.

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RICK Left Handers Unite

TheBeak · Jan 26, 2000

well yes, the woodie is expensive. but in the grand scheme of things, a used small is still expensive for a knife, right?

beyond a certan point (a point that occurs about the level of the nicer benchmades and spydercos, or arround 100 bucks whatever you prefer) anyway.. beyond a certan point, cost stops being the issue. for those of us who work for a living it is simply a matter of priority.

it must be said that for those who cut things daily (like me) it might be nice to have a used/abused version of a knife you really like to use for work.

<humph> anyone got a used/abused large seb. they want to donate to my cause?

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'Till next time,
Rich the kite guy

Wood inlay or standard?

Sebenzanista