Whats your favorite Sebenza?

Whats your favorite Sebenza?

  • P

    Votes: 5 5.6%

  • Original

    Votes: 2 2.2%

  • Regular

    Votes: 16 18.0%

  • Classic

    Votes: 8 9.0%

  • 21

    Votes: 39 43.8%

  • 25

    Votes: 0 0.0%

  • I LOVE THEM ALL

    Votes: 20 22.5%

  • I didn't know there was more than one

    Votes: 2 2.2%

  • 31 because Im new and don't know any better

    Votes: 12 13.5%

  • The guys that pick the 31 have never touched a 21

    Votes: 1 1.1%
  • Total voters
    89
353 said:
Who made the blade n engraving on that beauty?
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Blade was by REK Knives, who said he will never do another. Haha.
Engraving was done by Jake Newell, a world class engraver.

Thanks for your interest. There is a thread on how this build came to fruition. :)
 
Kettleman said:
So many people want that. Im not sure Im one. It’s great but there’s just something about it I don’t get the hots over. Please don't tell R rishma I said that!
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Someone remind me where the “ignore” button is.

badmatt said:
You know…

I don’t think you’re allowed to post porn here, Coleman…
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Hilarious 😂

So my guess is the results are skewed to the 21 in part because there are more 21s out there than any other version, and it’s a great knife.

B brock stewart Kettleman Kettleman , What is it about the classic? Very similar to the 21 profile to my eyes. There are differences I’m sure, I’m just not familiar.
 
I voted Sebenza 21. Maybe some of it is nostalgia from it being the first high end knife I ever wanted and didn’t get until years later, and that only after getting a 31. It really does seem like the peak of the sebenza design, and the 3 that I have are all excellent. The locating hole just makes you think “Sebenza” and the two piece inlays are unique and well thought out. I also really like my 31s and have more in my collection, but that’s more due to when I started gravitating towards CRK than anything. The “improvements” mentioned for the 31 are really more refinements to me. I personally don’t find the knife to be worse off with the S31 changes. There have admittedly been some QC issues with 31s although I only have had one problem with a clip that slipped off the lock side and that was resolved with a new free clip from the mothership. But to be fair those QC issues have less to do with the design and more about the production.

It’s hard to say what would have happened to the 21 if Chris Reeve was still running the show. It certainly seems possible that he would want to refine his design again at some point and make changes that would look like something similar to the 31 especially as it took aspects of other knives he designed.

Maybe a conversation for another thread but I’m curious what people would want to see for a “Sebenza 41” or whatever it ends up being. Or would we all be satisfied with keeping the 31 indefinitely and just upgrading the steel every once in a while? Personally I think I would be fine with that. Other knives have done similar things and then innovation could come in the form of new non-Sebenza designs. New inlays seem like a good way to keep things interesting and bringing back the annual is appreciated as I missed them the last go around.
 
rishma said:
Someone remind me where the “ignore” button is.


Hilarious 😂

So my guess is the results are skewed to the 21 in part because there are more 21s out there than any other version, and it’s a great knife.

B brock stewart Kettleman Kettleman , What is it about the classic? Very similar to the 21 profile to my eyes. There are differences I’m sure, I’m just not familiar.
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It's really all in the feel to me. I don't know if it is but, The slabs feel a bit thicker and the edges have a 3 chamfer corner as opposed to the 2 on the 21. The result is what feels in my hand like a bit more substantial knife with rounded edges. The knife is also smoother with its solid washers than the 21 with its slotted. The classic is just incredibly hydraulic in action, very much like the P and Original only like with heavier oil if that makes any sense.

All in all it just feels...right. Now keep in mind that these are my observations based on an extensive sample size of 1 over what must be a couple dozen hours of carry!
 
Kettleman said:
It's really all in the feel to me. I don't know if it is but, The slabs feel a bit thicker and the edges have a 3 chamfer corner as opposed to the 2 on the 21. The result is what feels in my hand like a bit more substantial knife with rounded edges. The knife is also smoother with its solid washers than the 21 with its slotted. The classic is just incredibly hydraulic in action, very much like the P and Original only like with heavier oil if that makes any sense.

All in all it just feels...right. Now keep in mind that these are my observations based on an extensive sample size of 1 over what must be a couple dozen hours of carry!
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Thanks. Makes sense. I have noticed variation in the open/close feeling across 21s, so I wonder if your classic is typical or not. Either way it’s special.
 
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rishma said:
Thanks. Makes sense. I have noticed variation in the open/close feeling across 21s, so I wonder if your classic is typical or not. Either way it’s special.
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I will say that I have a late 08 21 that feels very similar and sports the same hardware, including washers, as the classics so maybe?

I must also factor in that my Classic went from a box for 20 years to my pocket so it’s not even begin to break in.
 
Kettleman said:
I will say that I have a late 08 21 that feels very similar and sports the same hardware, including washers, as the classics so maybe?

I must also factor in that my Classic went from a box for 20 years to my pocket so it’s not even begin to break in.
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I had a well broken-in 21 (bordering worn) from 2009, solid washers, not as smooth as my current 2014. 🤷‍♂️

Sample size matters, but you’ve handled a few sebenzas 😉
 
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Kettleman said:
It's really all in the feel to me. I don't know if it is but, The slabs feel a bit thicker and the edges have a 3 chamfer corner as opposed to the 2 on the 21. The result is what feels in my hand like a bit more substantial knife with rounded edges. The knife is also smoother with its solid washers than the 21 with its slotted. The classic is just incredibly hydraulic in action, very much like the P and Original only like with heavier oil if that makes any sense.

All in all it just feels...right. Now keep in mind that these are my observations based on an extensive sample size of 1 over what must be a couple dozen hours of carry!
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Exactly
 
Foxhound13 said:
I voted Sebenza 21. Maybe some of it is nostalgia [..]
The locating hole just makes you think “Sebenza” and the two piece inlays are unique and well thought out. [..]
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Exactly. That locating hole is something we've come to identify with and love and there's something to be said about nostalgia for these older Sebenzas. Along with increasing rarity, it's among the reasons why prices for vintage models keep going up.

Foxhound13 said:
It’s hard to say what would have happened to the 21 if Chris Reeve was still running the show. It certainly seems possible that he would want to refine his design again at some point and make changes that would look like something similar to the 31 especially as it took aspects of other knives he designed. [..]
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Agree as well. One of the reasons I like the Sebenza so much has a lot to do with the "C" in CRK. Don't get me wrong, Tim is a great guy. He knows more about knives and the knife business than most of us will ever know, but let's face it, it was the meticulous genius of Chris who brought us the Sebenza.

I don't own a 31 and I have no hate for this model. I understand the temptation to come up with "improvements" for a 31st anniversary knife, but I have to wonder, was Chris the driving force behind it? Even though he had retired, I have to believe he was consulted with and gave his thumbs up, but were the changes really his idea, or did he pass the torch to his son and say I've taught you well grasshopper, it's your baby now so run with it? It could be that in time we'll see a true prodigy emerge in Tim as a brilliant knife designer like his dad. Maybe we already have. He did a terrific job with the Inyoni and Backpacker. Clearly the changes to the Sebenza were carefully thought out from a functional standpoint. The hardened stop pin (although I wish they simply hardened the sleeve and not gone to the shouldered pin). I understand too they'll be manufacturing their own screws to even more exacting standards. These are great changes. Tim is someone who's done an amazing job carrying the company forward, maintaining QC, providing great customer service, and continuing his dad's legacy. I'm excited to see what the future brings, but I'll always be on the hunt for Classics, Regulars, and of course 21s!
 
mauiguy said:
Exactly. That locating hole is something we've come to identify with and love and there's something to be said about nostalgia for these older Sebenzas. Along with increasing rarity, it's among the reasons why prices for vintage models keep going up.



Agree as well. One of the reasons I like the Sebenza so much has a lot to do with the "C" in CRK. Don't get me wrong, Tim is a great guy. He knows more about knives and the knife business than most of us will ever know, but let's face it, it was the meticulous genius of Chris who brought us the Sebenza.

I don't own a 31 and I have no hate for this model. I understand the temptation to come up with "improvements" for a 31st anniversary knife, but I have to wonder, was Chris the driving force behind it? Even though he had retired, I have to believe he was consulted with and gave his thumbs up, but were the changes really his idea, or did he pass the torch to his son and say I've taught you well grasshopper, it's your baby now so run with it? It could be that in time we'll see a true prodigy emerge in Tim as a brilliant knife designer like his dad. Maybe we already have. He did a terrific job with the Inyoni and Backpacker. Clearly the changes to the Sebenza were carefully thought out from a functional standpoint. The hardened stop pin (although I wish they simply hardened the sleeve and not gone to the shouldered pin). I understand too they'll be manufacturing their own screws to even more exacting standards. These are great changes. Tim is someone who's done an amazing job carrying the company forward, maintaining QC, providing great customer service, and continuing his dad's legacy. I'm excited to see what the future brings, but I'll always be on the hunt for Classics, Regulars, and of course 21s!
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I agree it will be interesting to see if Tim can come up with a folder design to rival Chris’s. If he can do that and maintain the current lineup with the same excellent quality and customer service, CRK will be around for a long time to come.

I have a few 31’s with the new hardware, and it does seem like a nice upgrade to looks, it’s quite polished. In theory it’s harder to strip too.
 
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