21, 25, or Inkosi...

Which one?

  • Large 21

    Votes: 22 42.3%

  • Large 25

    Votes: 3 5.8%

  • Inkosi

    Votes: 27 51.9%
  • Total voters
    52
E

Ero2

Joined
Nov 11, 2015
Messages
73
is there a best choice of the 3? Inkosi’s on the used market seem tough to come by. This will be my first CRK, and have already decided to jump up to the large from the small, but...which large? I don’t know enough of the technicalities between them, but do know if I want “one knife” with a legendary warranty, that will last me a life time, it seems CRK is it.
 
Ero2 said:
is there a best choice of the 3? Inkosi’s on the used market seem tough to come by. This will be my first CRK, and have already decided to jump up to the large from the small, but...which large? I don’t know enough of the technicalities between them, but do know if I want “one knife” with a legendary warranty, that will last me a life time, it seems CRK is it.
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For small I prefer the 21 greatly to the inkosi. This is because the small inkosi is abit shorter in handle length so i find the small 21 more comfortable.

For the large they are both the same length so I prefer the inkosi. However for the large there is no clear cut winner in my mind. I prefer the large inkosi because you get all the latest chris reeve technology on it. The inkosi is also abit thicker in blade and scales than the sebenzas.
 
I've been actually wondering about the same thing, although it comes down to three different choices for me: Inkosi Large with Inlays (~750$ here), Sebenza 21 Large with Inlays (~615$), or Umnumzaan (~590$). I kinda like the Inkosi the best but the Umnumzaan seems the best bang for the buck. I don't like the look of the plain janes so they are kind of out of the running.
 
I recently had to make this decision and after much research I went with the 21.

I think the 25 should be completely thrown out as it is essentially an outdated Inkosi.

Reasons why I chose the 21:

1)Bushing Pivot
2) no second finger groove
3) Essentially the upgrades on the Inkosi either didn't appeal to me, or I didn't see why they were necessary.

Ceramic lock interface - I've seen multiple 21's with years and years of use and abuse and the lock has either not moved, or the movement has been extremely minimal. Lock Stick? In my mind a little lock stick is not a bad thing if your sebenza happens to come with a touch of it.

Thicker blade stock - Why? It's a folding knife

I would argue that despite the changes and updates to the Inkosi, the 21 is still just as difficult if not more difficult to produce because of the precision required for the pivot system.

As with all knife choices, I think it's a matter of personal preference. For me the "upgrades" to the inkosi didn't mean much. Not bashing the Inkosi at all. I'm sure it's a great knife.

I chose the timeless classic.
 
If anyone wants to dispose of their 25s, throw them my way and I’ll handle it.
I actually prefer the 25 to the Inkosi, but I prefer my large Micarta 21 Insingo to my Micarta 25. It’s a personal preference after owning the 21/25 and handling an Inkosi. That said, I will eventually pick up a large black Micarta inlay Inkosi Insingo and an Umnumzaan.
 
large 21. the small is too small to hand onto when you disengage the lock.
I would love a mid-size Sebenza and 3/32" blade thickness, but we'll never see it.
 
I asked myself the same question and got a small 21. Then a large inkosi. Then an umnumzaan. Planning on another CRK with an insingo blade. If you like one, you'll probably end up getting all 3 you mentioned at some point.

For a first one I'd say the 21 because it's the easiest to take apart and put back together and the hollow grind on sebenzas tends to be a little slicier and they fit a bit slimmer in the pocket. I still bet you get all three before next year though :D

As mentioned though, the Inkosi is really just a later model 25. I'm sure there's a few differences, but they don't even make the 25 anymore to my knowledge because the Inkosi took it's place. In other words, once you have bought the 21 and Inkosi, get an Umnumzaan not the 25 :p:D
 
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nails1908@gmail.com said:
I recently had to make this decision and after much research I went with the 21.

I think the 25 should be completely thrown out as it is essentially an outdated Inkosi.

Reasons why I chose the 21:

1)Bushing Pivot
2) no second finger groove
3) Essentially the upgrades on the Inkosi either didn't appeal to me, or I didn't see why they were necessary.

Ceramic lock interface - I've seen multiple 21's with years and years of use and abuse and the lock has either not moved, or the movement has been extremely minimal. Lock Stick? In my mind a little lock stick is not a bad thing if your sebenza happens to come with a touch of it.

Thicker blade stock - Why? It's a folding knife

I would argue that despite the changes and updates to the Inkosi, the 21 is still just as difficult if not more difficult to produce because of the precision required for the pivot system.

As with all knife choices, I think it's a matter of personal preference. For me the "upgrades" to the inkosi didn't mean much. Not bashing the Inkosi at all. I'm sure it's a great knife.

I chose the timeless classic.
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Great post. Thanks.

I am looking at my first CRK and your post is very helpful.:thumbsup:
 
Had a small Inkosi and could not deal with thumb stud / scale positioning - too hard to open - The Large may be better ?

I have a Small 21 - much better to open - * the Pivot Bushing * is Genius and takes all the fiddling out of maintenance / use

Vote would be for the 21 .. a Mid size would be just great - 3.25" Blade / 4.25" closed - why wouldn't they make this ??
 
I have a good bit of experience owning and using all three.

The 25 can be eliminated because it has no benefit over the Inkosi but several detriments, the most important (to me) being the notched stop pin that will render the knife unusable if it rotates out of position (or, more likely, is not indexed correctly on reassembly). Also the "fixed" stop pin inhibits the natural "tunability" of the adjustable pivot.

The 21 is a classic, and I'd go so far as to say every knife fan should experience it.

That said, as a true user, the Inkosi reigns supreme for me. Pass-thru stop pin (more like post) is the logical design to allow unencumbered pivot adjustability. The large radius hollow grind is superb, and every one I've tried has been thinner behind the secondary bevel than previous Sebbie's (= better slicing geometry). And the symmetrical wide diameter washers work to perfection in allowing the easy tuning of the pivot to your desired tension, all the while maintaining centering and lack of blade play. The built in adjustability should also negate future service trips to Boise should the knife be used at maniacal frequency.

In conclusion, the Large Inkosi gets my vote, with the Large 21 very near.
 
I only have a large 21 cf and love it. Would also recommend it. Sadly I've never had the other two.

Has someone else owned all 3 and give some pros and cons and compare them?
 
Mo2 said:
I only have a large 21 cf and love it. Would also recommend it. Sadly I've never had the other two.

Has someone else owned all 3 and give some pros and cons and compare them?
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As I said in post #13, I have owned and used (substantially) all three. I can unequivocally tell you all three are excellent performers that would serve anyone very well for many, many years - as such there is no bad choice. I do however feel that for a working knife the Inkosi line offers the user tangible benefits to ensure a very long working lifespan, free from the need for non-user service.
 
Can't go wrong with any of them. I've had zero issues with my 25 in the four years I've had it, even after taking it apart and putting it back together, but I see no reason to buy one instead of an Inkosi unless you found a great deal on a 25. So the choice is likely Inkosi or 21, which has been discussed ad nauseam because it's completely subjective and comes down to personal preference.

All of them will cut and give you good service, so if you've never handled them to get some kind of preference, might as well pick the one you like more or flip a coin. You'll likely have one of each eventually. I have a large 25 and small 21, FWIW.
 
Overall I like the heft and feel of the 25, the simplicity of the 21 and I don't have an Inkosi so I can't speak from experience but seems like the Inkosi brought the best of all of them together in that knife.Enjoy what most likely will be your first Sebenza but not your last.

I1wDFn8.jpg
 
b00n said:
I've been actually wondering about the same thing, although it comes down to three different choices for me: Inkosi Large with Inlays (~750$ here), Sebenza 21 Large with Inlays (~615$), or Umnumzaan (~590$). I kinda like the Inkosi the best but the Umnumzaan seems the best bang for the buck. I don't like the look of the plain janes so they are kind of out of the running.
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I prefer the Umnumzaan over the Large 21. I’m still saving for my Large Inkosi—and will be doing so for quite some time.
 
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