I've read all your post, and have found this thread most helpful! I also poured literally days of research into getting my first high-end knife. After gut wrenching sleepless nights and months worth of day-dreaming, I arrived at the CRK Umnumzaan. It's blade is slightly longer than the Sebenza, it's carryability is better than the SMF and XM's all together, and the F&F is remarkable. I love this knife and will never sell it. THAT BEING SAID, I'm planning a trip to blade 2012 to try and score an XM-24 slicer grind. I do think that's a beast of a knife. But at that price, it had better be!
On a side note, I've noticed alot of the regular poster's in the CRK forum floating over here alot.
![Wink ;) ;)](data:image/gif;base64,R0lGODlhAQABAIAAAAAAAP///yH5BAEAAAAALAAAAAABAAEAAAIBRAA7)
In fact, most of you.
I feel like I'm cheating on my wife posting here
It's great that we have all these wonderful choices isn't it? My CRK experience is different from yours though. I've tried like hell to like the Sebenza. I even did some serious mental gymnastics to try to prove to myself that I did because of all the great press it gets, but ultimately I ended up selling it. Maybe it is me and not the knife. Regardless, it didn't work out between us.
They're nice knives but CRK's are very different from XM's/SNG's/SMF's. I don't think they are really in the same category. CRK's are great slicers and great everyday regular use folders. Where as XM's are designed to be hard use. Obviously they must be great to have such a large fanbase but I do think a lot of this stuff is objective.
For example, you always hear people tout the ergonomics of Sebenzas, but I just don't see it. The flat, smooth, slim scales just don't feel right in my hand. The shape and position of the thumbstuds make opening the knife somewhat awkward for me. I spent the money to have double thumbstuds installed on mine and basically wasted my money because when it came back I still couldn't open it with my left hand.
I can pick up any of my XM's and fire them open with either hand. They feel comfortable, like the oft quoted extension of the hand. In contrast, I've had the Seb slip from my grasp on numerous occasions.
I don't agree that the CRK's carryability is better. I carry my XM'S everyday, all day and I don't even know they're there until I need them.
The other thing you always hear people mention is the smoothness of the Seb, but I didn't really find mine to be particularly so. I thought maybe mine just wasn't the average and I sent it in for a total refurb. When it came back it felt exactly the same. Not bad at all, but certainly not a life changing experience either. In the smooth opening category there is a definate, noticeable difference in the Hinderers. IMHO, The XM's absolutely take it hand's down.
I'm no hater, I came into this with an open mind and just found that for various reasons the Hinderer suits me best. CRK's are nice knives but they're not my cup of tea even though the knife has droves of fans.
The point is you can't just go by someone else's word on this sort of thing. You have to try it for yourself to really know.