Would you do this with your Sebenza?

H

harrydog

Joined
Feb 29, 2000
Messages
332
I have a small plain which is a daily carry but I also intend to use it on camping/backpacking trips as well. In the past when camping I have used knives to open tin cans of food. There is no prying involved and it never seemed to hurt the blade. But I am hesitant to use a $290 knife to do this if it could damage the blade. What do you think?
Bill
 
I'm sure it would be ok, but if it were me, I'd pick up a cheapo, or even a Spyderco (Delica maybe) to do this chore, and leave the Sebenza for it's intended purpose, which does not include cutting metal.

-AR

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- AKTI Member ID# A000322
 
I dunno' if it would hurt the Sebenza blade, but it seems inappropriate to use a good knife for cutting open tin cans, EXCEPT in an emergency. Why not carry a small can opener. A military ripoff costs about $0.25 and weighs less than an ounce . ..
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Don't mess up today with yesterday . . .

ralph
 
I haven't cut any tin cans with my small sebenza, but I have hacked up a bunch of soda cans with it. I even pushed it through the thicker top of the can. Didn't phase it a bit.
 
Seems as if there would be better way to put "character" scratches on the blade
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One of the first things I did w/my lrg Sebenza when I bought it two yrs ago was open a can, split small pieces of wood w/it, and make small shavings on a backpacking trek. Did all three things well and kept a very nice edge.

Didn't need to, but it was my first "nice" knife purchase and wanted to see if "this Sebenza thing" was as good as it was touted. Would I do this w/a folder now? Probably not, but I was "stupider" then. Nice to know it will work in a pinch.

I assume the small Benz would do just fine. But opening cans IS much more efficient and effective w/a can opener, even the ones on a SAK or any decent multi-tool.

Give it a try if you want to test it out, but any cheapo opener will do better.

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Thank me -- my posts make yours sound smarter.
 
Open a can with your Sebenza? Are you crazy? Even if it doesn't hurt the knife, do youself a favor and carry a small can opener. Take care of your knife and it will take care of you.
 
A $290 can opener...........
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Very interesting......... Rambo used his knife to open cans....... That was understandable! It was a movie!
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I "use" the h#ll out of my Sebenza's (OK, only 2). Never opened a can nor envelopes with any of my Sebenza's!

To each their own but I prefer to open my cans with a $1.50 can opener.....

Unless I get around Rambo......
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GigOne
"Livin' Life - Full Throttle"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I don't suffer from insanity. I enjoy every minute of it."
 
I guess I'll have to get one of the Busse folders when they become available. I'm sure if I had posted this same question on the Busse board about their folder the response would have been, "Opening cans? Is that all? Surely you can find something more challenging to use your knife for, like cutting the tops off of old 55 gallon drums, or prying spikes out of old railroad ties."
But then, that's the type of abuse they were designed for. I'll probably take the $1.50 can opener with me and use the Sebenza for more appropriate tasks.

Bill
 
Harrydog :

[opening a tin can]

But I am hesitant to use a $290 knife to do this if it could damage the blade. What do you think?
Click to expand...

Open the can and if the blade gets damaged (I would be very surprised if it did) when your other ones didn't, ask yourself why you spent $290 on the Sebenza. As for the Busse Combat folder, considering the edge profile on the Battle Mistress, the edge on the folder will be as acute or more than the one on the Sebenza and yes I severely doubt Jerry would have a problem with you opening a can with it. You could always discuss it with him, I asked him once if I needed to make sure the edge on the Battle Mistress was not perpendicular to the grain of the wood when I was prying with it - he eventually answered when he stopped laughing .

-Cliff

[This message has been edited by Cliff Stamp (edited 04-07-2000).]
 
I would agree with most by saying, I personally would try to find something else to open the can with first, but its your 290.00, and use it how you see fit. I've opened cans with my basic #5 but then again I think most would find that acceptable. You can't kill the tip on the basic as I have done full power stabs on concrete, plywood, trees, and have dropped it twice from twenty five feet, (give or take a couple) all with no damage. The project 1+2 also have strong tips. I just don't know about plunging a sebbie into a can though. Later,Jeff
 
No, no, no, no, nope, nope, huh-uh, no way. not in a 1,000,000 years, nope, not me. If you're looking for a good can opener shape, look at the CRTK Seahawk II or the Harpy. I own the NICA 2000 Large Tanto Sebenza, and the blade is the spitting image of Spyderco's Bob Lum. Hope this helps

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EdRozen-On the cutting edge of finding out what the cutting edge is....
 
If necessary. One of the great things about a knife like the Sebenza is its versatility, from opening envelopes to cans. It is a tool, first and foremost.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
The can opener on the Swiss Army Knives works really well. I have an old one in my kitchen and it's the only can opener I own. I have a more recent SAK in my pocket and the can open works great

It's your knife and your money, but why would you want to open cans with a knife?

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Totally new website!
http://www.wilkins-knives.com
 
Ditto Stjames (and Kevin Wilkins),

Folks, the Sebenza is not a piece of fine china. Opening a can is really NOT a challenge for any knife worth carrying. You can even do it w/your old Vnox or Wenger SAK pen blade -- give it a shot.

Again, those 50¢ P-38 openers or SAK/multi-tool claw openers will do a better job. But give your ‘Benz a little more credit -- for $300, it better be able to do that, and a bit more.

If your Sebenza could speak (like mine
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), it would say, "I'm not a primadonna"!

Glen
(who’s opened a can AND mail w/his ‘Benz!)
 
I tend to think the way storyville does. My God, the Sebenza is not fragile. The metal on tin cans is very soft in comparison to any blade steel. What possible harm could it do to the blade? Many of you said you would never use it for that purpose but why not? If the Sebenza blade would be damaged by that when other knives would not, then the Sebbie must not be such a great knife after all. Anyway, the point of my original question was not that that would be the primary useage for the knife, just that I might want to occasionally open a can with it when out in the woods. I don't like to carry a bunch of specialized tools when backpacking. The Sebenza is touted as a strong, working knife. To me that means it doesn't need to be babied. Anyway, to each his own I guess.
 
Originally posted by ralphtt:
I dunno' if it would hurt the Sebenza blade, but it seems inappropriate to use a good knife for cutting open tin cans, EXCEPT in an emergency. Why not carry a small can opener. A military ripoff costs about $0.25 and weighs less than an ounce . ..
wink.gif


Click to expand...
i have seen military p38 can opens at gun shows for 10 bucks per thousand. i bought 40 dollars worth. you can never have to may p38's.

 
Go ahead. Open your cans, or anything else you want with your knife.

Sebenza means work in Zulu and that is what it was meant to do.

Why would somebody pay that much money for a tool if he was afraid to use it? The blade is BG42, for heaven's sake. Use it.

If you want to buy a knife that you're afraid to use, get the BM knockoff, the 750. You could probably damage that one and you can bet the maker won't stand behind it if you "abuse" it that way.

You can't do anything to the Sebenza that Chris can't restore. He stands behind his stuff.

I've sold a lot of these knives and I even carry one myself. It's worn and beat up and scratched and, someday, I might send it back for restoration but I wouldn't trade it for anything. It still cuts better than any knife I have ever seen.

Being a dealer I can pretty much carry anything I want but this old Sebenza goes with me everywhere.

Cliff, James and Storyville got it right.


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Dennis Wright
Wright Knife & Sporting Goods
1-800-400-1980
("Have a knife day!")
wrightknife@ixpres.com
 
Thanks, Dennis! You, Cliff and storyville have confirmed what I had thought. I will now not feel guilty if I need to open a can with my Sebenza. And I repeat that I do not open cans with my Sebenza under normal circumstances. I only like to know that if the need arises to open a can when out in the woods (which is not that often), I can use the Sebenza and not worry about it. I feel better about my knife already!

Bill

 
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