Back to a small?

[BMCGear]

EDIT TO ADD:

A small was too small. Sold it and ended up buying a Large Doppler 21.

I was looking for a lighter option when it came to a CRK and was initially interested in a CF version although I'm not typically crazy about CF (still may pick one up though) when I ran across a small micarta 21 up for sale. The knife had my birthday which wasn't something that I was looking for but was a nice detail. Would I like a small though? My first CRK was a small 21 but it was moved rather quickly for the large. I should have went with a large to begin with but the lower price of the small sucked me in.

So, the small 21 arrived yesterday and holy crap does it seem tiny. I do not remember the knife being this small. The original I had did not have inlays either so I'm sure it felt even smaller. My first instinct was to sale it. It was smaller than I remembered and I like larger knives but there's a part of me that thinks a small knife in the collection could be a good thing. I don't wear slacks often at all but when I do this knife would probably function much better in that capacity. I'm considering this as more of a "Gent's Knife" in my collection if it's a keeper for me.

Surprisingly the knife is really hand filling/ergonomic for it's size with the inlays. My hands are really large so it looks tiny in them.

What are your thoughts on the Small Sebenza? Why does it have a place in your rotation/collection?

Thanks for your input!

Here's the small next to the large Inkosi.

 

[Silverstonev8]

I stayed away from the smalls at first although for a smaller knife I did like the feel of the inlaid versions.
I now pretty much carry a small during the summer while wearing shorts and large most other times. I do still prefer the large but also enjoy mixing it up a bit.
I also have large hands so I can have a closed small in my hand to fiddle with and nobody would really be able to tell.

 

[Josh K]

Once you get over the shock of it being a small knife, it's perfectly fine. I carry a small most days (and mostly pair it with a Mnandi). It's a fantastic knife, and a great value too since it's less expensive. A fully loaded Small 31 (double lugs + micarta) is barely more than a plain Large 31.

 

[jfowler1]

I bought and sold 1 Small Sebenza and 2 Small Inkosi before accepting that the large format CRK’s are generally a better fit for me.

It wasn’t a performance issue; it was purely ergonomics. The smalls just felt a bit too “fiddley” as I opened and closed them one handed, and the Small Inkosi was just not a match for my hand.

I did add the Impinda about a year ago, and strangely, I find it works in all the ways that my other small CRKs did not. It gets pocket carried without a clip, it has a smaller blade, and it opens slowly and deliberately with two hands. It is nice to have 1 smaller and more discreet knife in the collection, and for me, the Impinda has fit the bill.

 

[lamco3]

I have both... But for everday carry I really like the smalls... They will do everthing that the large will do. It's hard to go wrong with either one of them...

 

[BMCGear]

Just an update. I decided to clean the knife it's NOS from 2014. It needed a good lubing and I took the lanyard off. I don't view this knife as a daily carry knife for me because I do enjoy a larger knife in my pocket but for the times I need a smaller, lighter, and less intimidating knife this should do the trick. It's funny how you appreciate these knives more and more as you take them apart. Such precision in a small package.

I will say although it's small I'm pretty sure it has the same cutting edge as my much larger PM2.

 

[Peter Hartwig]

I like the small micarta, but it may take some getting used to if dropping down from a larger knife. We become used to the style we carry, and thus for me the large is huge. Sell it if you want, but I think you would adjust to it with time, and they are nice and light.

 

[blanex1]

I almost got the small! at the time I was thinking was would it give me a little more pocket room, but that's silly' I have large hands and enjoy the larger knifes, so my 1st was large 21 glade I made this choice, it would be nice if CRK's made a medium size sebenza though.

 

[bart1]

I have a few smalls in my collection, but have never carried one.I have a few Umfaans, and consider them "miniatures" , and of mechanical interest only. I do carry occasionally either a TiLock, or Impinda , just for the novelty, but always go back to a Large something or other.

 

[Stumpy72]

..... My first CRK was a small 21 but it was moved rather quickly for the large. I should have went with a large to begin with but the lower price of the small sucked me in.
.....I like larger knives but there's a part of me that thinks a small knife in the collection could be a good thing. I don't wear slacks often at all but when I do this knife would probably function much better in that capacity. I'm considering this as more of a "Gent's Knife" in my collection if it's a keeper for me.

My own “my first CRK” story is identical to yours, but I still have mine (a small Star-Benza 21). I kept it for discreet concealed EDC in “sensitive environment” and office situations, which I think it’s ideally suited for. With the clip removed, it disappears in my pocket and on the rare occasions when others have seen it (in environments where a large CRK would’ve been problematic), it never caused one eyebrow to be raised.

 

[BMCGear]

My own “my first CRK” story is identical to yours, but I still have mine (a small Star-Benza 21). I kept it for discreet concealed EDC in “sensitive environment” and office situations, which I think it’s ideally suited for. With the clip removed, it disappears in my pocket and on the rare occasions when others have seen it (in environments where a large CRK would’ve been problematic), it never caused one eyebrow to be raised.

Yea, I sold mine to make room for a large. Kind of wish I would have kept it but I have found that I really enjoy the micarta inlaid versions of CRK so I'm happy to have this one now. The more I handle it the more I realize I would never only want a small but the small is cool to have.

 

[hhmoore]

I prefer the size of the large; but, regarding the 21, I prefer the small. I just don't like the feel of the large 21 in hand (the micarta inlays helped; but not enough). I'm not crazy about the small; but I haven't tried one with micarta, yet (mine is WC).
When I carry the small, it's usually for work. Otherwise, I'm more likely to grab my large micarta inkosi when I'm in the mood for a CRK.

 

[Josh K]

My own “my first CRK” story is identical to yours, but I still have mine (a small Star-Benza 21). I kept it for discreet concealed EDC in “sensitive environment” and office situations, which I think it’s ideally suited for. With the clip removed, it disappears in my pocket and on the rare occasions when others have seen it (in environments where a large CRK would’ve been problematic), it never caused one eyebrow to be raised.

The Mnandi is also perfect for this and is incredibly light weight.

Regsrding “medium Sebenza” have you tried an Impinda? Completely different knife, but a bit mediumish.

 

[BD_01]

I really like the smalls.

They take up minimal pocket space but still have enough blade for almost anything.

I’ve been fighting the urge to pick up another small micarta....for a long time. <<Kicking myself for letting one on the Exchange pass me by last week!>>

Side note: you mentioned CF. I’m quite content with my KnifeArt CF Lg Inkosi. The two pair nicely together. I say save up some cash and go for both!

 

[nyefmaker]

While the small Sebenza is a great knife, it is too small for my edc. If I worked in an office environment, it would be good, but then so would the Mnandi. If you think the small Sebenza is small, check out my Umfaan pics....lol. When it arrived at the time, I was like.....damn it’s so tiny. I will say I like the small regular over the small 21. For some reason the small regular just feels bigger to me.

 

[Gizler00]

I carry a small pj 21 everyday and it does everything in need. I really love the large insingo and inkosi. But the small works just as good for me. Hard pick between the two sizes.

 

[Lady1911]

I only carry small 21’s and small Inkosi’s, occasionally an Umnumzaan if I want something larger. I find that the small sebenza is more than capable of doing whatever I need it to do. Also, the Large does not fit in my pockets well enough for me to justify carrying it on a daily basis.
As someone else mentioned, when you get used to carrying and using a certain size for a while, the other size will feel overly big (or small, if that’s the case). It comes down to what we feel most comfortable using. I can see why the folks with large hands don’t feel comfortable with a small, but in my experience, it’s the perfect size for daily pocket carry, and it’s always done exactly what I wanted it to do. Once you get over that initial feeling of it being “too small,” you may find that it’s just right for what you need.

 

[aleforme]

While the small Sebenza is a great knife, it is too small for my edc. If I worked in an office environment, it would be good, but then so would the Mnandi. If you think the small Sebenza is small, check out my Umfaan pics....lol. When it arrived at the time, I was like.....damn it’s so tiny. I will say I like the small regular over the small 21. For some reason the small regular just feels bigger to me.

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That Small! I would love to have that in my collection. Or the Large! Hint, hint........

I agree on the Small Regs feeling a bit bigger. Not sure they are any wider in terms of height and I know them seem a little slimmer overall. But, they do feel bigger for some reason?

 

[Evany]

On the whole I use my large Sebenza and Inkosi more, but I really like my small Knife Art CF Insingo. There are times when I want to minimize the weight I carry--every gram counts when I'm on my bicycle. I also carry a small when I'm around clients that might be offended or put off by a larger blade. The small Seb actually has more usable edge than a Paramilitary 2, so in a sense it's small only in comparison with the Large Sebenza. I find it really does just about every task I use a folder for, the exception being very hard cutting where the smaller grips tend to bite into my hand. My small CF carries a lot easier in lighter weight clothing, so that's another place it works well for me.

 

[CHNeal]

Ive bought, lost or sold 3 Small Micarta Insingo 21s ( sold number 3 last week after only owning it a week ) and just this morning I bought another...think I’ll just give up on other knives.