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- Aug 27, 2004
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Like many I have read the reviews and seen some of the videos on youtube about the little 710 by SanRenMu and afterwards I had to see for myself just what this little knife was about. Just as I was told it was easy to snag on ebay and just as I was told it took about the length of time predicted for them to arrive from the day I bought them. I picked up three from a seller there in a buy it now auction. One for me, and two for friends.
I was told various tales by folks before doing this. One story was that this is a poor man's Sebenza. The others that it was a blatant theft and on and on. Well, I have a small Sebenza to compare it to and while I see that the 710 designer was certainly influenced by the Sebenza and perhaps greatly, I also see a lot of differences between the two that make them very different and more than a few differences exist here folks. The Bradley Alias has just as much going on to say its a copy as this knife does, and it could be argued that the Bradley is actually closer in many ways.
Of course the obvious difference, that being the price stands out. What? A little Classic with micarta like the Small Seb I own is between $385 and $400 at the going price while this little gem from China is running at about $7 to $9. Thats one BIG DIFF right there but the tip up vs tip down carry pocket clip is another. The blade shape on the 710 is unlike any of the Sebenzas really when you actually compare them side to side and the blade steel of course is different also. The stand off count is higher in the 710 than the Sebenza and, number of lock cuts, blade shape at the tang for the lock contact and stop differences, detent ball size difference , slab material thickness difference and, one being stainless the other titanium, weight differences and perhaps most importantly 'size difference', meaning the actual foot print, length, width, thickness etc etc in the pocket and in the hand.
The 710 is smaller than the small Sebenza in foot print and how it fits the hand but heavier by just a little bit. Each of the three 710 models I bought weighs 3.1 ounces according to my postal scale. Each has .102 thick slabs on both sides, and each one has .134 spacing front and rear and .040 lock cuts. The consistency is quite astounding really for a $12 knife after shipping! I'm completely impressed! I can't find fault with these little gems. My $800 CQC45 that I gave to my son looks like crap compared to the very fine fit and finish of these little knives. Go figure.
As I said my scale puts the SanRenMu 710 at 3.1 ounces while my small Seb weighs in at 2.6 ounces. My Small Seb is 4.75" plus or minus closed. The 710 is just under 4 and 5/8 closed. The blade is longer on my Classic Sebenza and so is the body on the Small Seb compared to the 710. The shape and length of the lock is also markedly different between the two and so is the washer and pivot set up on the inside of each blade. The detent ball in the Sebenza is a 1/16th inch ball. The Sanrenmu is a 2mm ball. There is no bushing in the 710 pivot. Also, the stop pin on the 710 is a solid pin with a built in shoulder not a barrel with a screw like the Sebenza. Both blades are jimped and I must admit I like the jimping on the SanRenMu better than on my Sebenza. Go figure.
The lanyard hole is in a different spot on both knives and the 710 has a bigger hole for fitting para cord through a bit easier and the handle shape, while somewhat similar is not really identical at all between the two and the location of the stop pin in relation to the pivot is different on both indicating the 710 is not a copy or a clone at all but its own unique design that is at best another of many Sebenza Influenced frame locks out there in the industry. Again, I don't think you can deny the Sebenza influence here but copy? No no its not the Sebenza clone some have made it out to be IMO. Even the grind of the blade is different than the Sebenza.
Still the one thing I could not live with was the tip down carry pocket clip. That had to go one way or another so out to the shop I went. Surprisingly even though the steel slabs on the 710 are hardened ferrous stainless (magnetic in case you missed that) I was able to not only drill the holes using a regular HSS twist drill but I managed to thread the holes deep enough to get some bite to allow the screws in 2-56 size to take hold. I stuck an old extra Spyderco clip on there that matched the frame pretty well for finish rather than use one of my own on this one. I stuck left over scrap screws no good for anything else on the knife figuring why use good stuff on a beater this inexpensive. But it works and it is a set up I can now live with. This will be my travel knife, my loaner for when folks ask to borrow my knife and generally speaking the one I hand my wife when she wants to do something using my knife which is more than likely something I don't want her using my Sebbie for.
Well, okay scratch all that. My best friend wanted one so I gave him the one with the Spyderco clip and I grabbed one of the others out of the safe and made a clip for it. Odd but the clip would cost more than the knife!
Funny story though for a brief side track. After I bought the three of these 710's I snagged from the seller on ebay, who was based in China/Hong Kong I got notice from my credit card company that someone stole my credit card number and was attempting to buy airline tickets with it in China/Hong Kong. Hmmm I said to myself. Buy some knives get your card jacked? I guess I owe my credit card company a big thanks here. They saved me $994 and some change on that one. For the mean time though my pay pal and my credit card are locked down until I get some smaller charges for people finder, and apple mobile me whatever the hell that is, credited back to my account because those were not me! Those smaller charges slipped through before the bigger one caused enough of a red flag for my company to catch it. Now I'm waiting for a new card to get back to business as usual. Truthfully I have no idea if this dealer I bought from had anything to do with my card number being jacked. For all I know its got face book all over it. I really can't say. I did find it odd that it was the next day after my purchase of these knives that my card was jacked though.
Anyway, for what its worth. I'm impressed with these little 710 knives by SanRenMu if that has not gotten through. They are well built, very consistent and worth every penny no doubt about it. All three of mine are so close to identical you'd be hard pressed to tell one from the other in a blind test. Not bad at all I must confess. To recap some. The fit and finish on these knives is so good that the company could teach many lessons to some very high dollar companies here in the USA I'll tell you that! There is not one sharp edge or missed area on the three knives I snagged. Believe me I've looked! Even the long cut and short cut on the lock is milled down smooth! I've bought $300 knives recently and even one $800 made in the USA knife in the last year and not gotten anywhere near the F&F that these $7 knives have going on. You can't find one missed spot showing a laser cut line or an area where a grinder or belt missed on any of the three I bought. The bevels to round things off are smooth and evenly done matching up to each other as well as many of the most expensive knives I have in my collection. Even the detent balls actually work to retain and hold the tip of the blade down and they are accurately set as well as anything I've bought or made myself in recent years. I really can't find fault with these knives but I had to see it for myself to believe it.
Someone said in another thread earlier 'here comes China'. Yes, I believe so. If they keep this up I don't know how anyone can hope to compete with them. By the way, in case you were wondering. Each one of these blades was shaving hair sharp when I opened them up today. I mean very impressive Spyderco type sharpness on the edges on all three! Yeah, I said wow a few times over these knives today. Will I be putting down my Sebbie? No sir. There is no comparison really between the two. The similarities are few actually. I'm glad I bought them but they are not anything more than beaters at this price point and really they don't compete with the Sebenza. These compete more with the lesser expensive Spyderco line like the Tenacious, Persistence and the Byrd line as well as some other similar lines with other manufactures like Benchmade, and Cold Steel.
STR
I was told various tales by folks before doing this. One story was that this is a poor man's Sebenza. The others that it was a blatant theft and on and on. Well, I have a small Sebenza to compare it to and while I see that the 710 designer was certainly influenced by the Sebenza and perhaps greatly, I also see a lot of differences between the two that make them very different and more than a few differences exist here folks. The Bradley Alias has just as much going on to say its a copy as this knife does, and it could be argued that the Bradley is actually closer in many ways.
Of course the obvious difference, that being the price stands out. What? A little Classic with micarta like the Small Seb I own is between $385 and $400 at the going price while this little gem from China is running at about $7 to $9. Thats one BIG DIFF right there but the tip up vs tip down carry pocket clip is another. The blade shape on the 710 is unlike any of the Sebenzas really when you actually compare them side to side and the blade steel of course is different also. The stand off count is higher in the 710 than the Sebenza and, number of lock cuts, blade shape at the tang for the lock contact and stop differences, detent ball size difference , slab material thickness difference and, one being stainless the other titanium, weight differences and perhaps most importantly 'size difference', meaning the actual foot print, length, width, thickness etc etc in the pocket and in the hand.
The 710 is smaller than the small Sebenza in foot print and how it fits the hand but heavier by just a little bit. Each of the three 710 models I bought weighs 3.1 ounces according to my postal scale. Each has .102 thick slabs on both sides, and each one has .134 spacing front and rear and .040 lock cuts. The consistency is quite astounding really for a $12 knife after shipping! I'm completely impressed! I can't find fault with these little gems. My $800 CQC45 that I gave to my son looks like crap compared to the very fine fit and finish of these little knives. Go figure.
As I said my scale puts the SanRenMu 710 at 3.1 ounces while my small Seb weighs in at 2.6 ounces. My Small Seb is 4.75" plus or minus closed. The 710 is just under 4 and 5/8 closed. The blade is longer on my Classic Sebenza and so is the body on the Small Seb compared to the 710. The shape and length of the lock is also markedly different between the two and so is the washer and pivot set up on the inside of each blade. The detent ball in the Sebenza is a 1/16th inch ball. The Sanrenmu is a 2mm ball. There is no bushing in the 710 pivot. Also, the stop pin on the 710 is a solid pin with a built in shoulder not a barrel with a screw like the Sebenza. Both blades are jimped and I must admit I like the jimping on the SanRenMu better than on my Sebenza. Go figure.
The lanyard hole is in a different spot on both knives and the 710 has a bigger hole for fitting para cord through a bit easier and the handle shape, while somewhat similar is not really identical at all between the two and the location of the stop pin in relation to the pivot is different on both indicating the 710 is not a copy or a clone at all but its own unique design that is at best another of many Sebenza Influenced frame locks out there in the industry. Again, I don't think you can deny the Sebenza influence here but copy? No no its not the Sebenza clone some have made it out to be IMO. Even the grind of the blade is different than the Sebenza.
Still the one thing I could not live with was the tip down carry pocket clip. That had to go one way or another so out to the shop I went. Surprisingly even though the steel slabs on the 710 are hardened ferrous stainless (magnetic in case you missed that) I was able to not only drill the holes using a regular HSS twist drill but I managed to thread the holes deep enough to get some bite to allow the screws in 2-56 size to take hold. I stuck an old extra Spyderco clip on there that matched the frame pretty well for finish rather than use one of my own on this one. I stuck left over scrap screws no good for anything else on the knife figuring why use good stuff on a beater this inexpensive. But it works and it is a set up I can now live with. This will be my travel knife, my loaner for when folks ask to borrow my knife and generally speaking the one I hand my wife when she wants to do something using my knife which is more than likely something I don't want her using my Sebbie for.
Well, okay scratch all that. My best friend wanted one so I gave him the one with the Spyderco clip and I grabbed one of the others out of the safe and made a clip for it. Odd but the clip would cost more than the knife! Funny story though for a brief side track. After I bought the three of these 710's I snagged from the seller on ebay, who was based in China/Hong Kong I got notice from my credit card company that someone stole my credit card number and was attempting to buy airline tickets with it in China/Hong Kong. Hmmm I said to myself. Buy some knives get your card jacked? I guess I owe my credit card company a big thanks here. They saved me $994 and some change on that one. For the mean time though my pay pal and my credit card are locked down until I get some smaller charges for people finder, and apple mobile me whatever the hell that is, credited back to my account because those were not me! Those smaller charges slipped through before the bigger one caused enough of a red flag for my company to catch it. Now I'm waiting for a new card to get back to business as usual. Truthfully I have no idea if this dealer I bought from had anything to do with my card number being jacked. For all I know its got face book all over it. I really can't say. I did find it odd that it was the next day after my purchase of these knives that my card was jacked though.
Anyway, for what its worth. I'm impressed with these little 710 knives by SanRenMu if that has not gotten through. They are well built, very consistent and worth every penny no doubt about it. All three of mine are so close to identical you'd be hard pressed to tell one from the other in a blind test. Not bad at all I must confess. To recap some. The fit and finish on these knives is so good that the company could teach many lessons to some very high dollar companies here in the USA I'll tell you that! There is not one sharp edge or missed area on the three knives I snagged. Believe me I've looked! Even the long cut and short cut on the lock is milled down smooth! I've bought $300 knives recently and even one $800 made in the USA knife in the last year and not gotten anywhere near the F&F that these $7 knives have going on. You can't find one missed spot showing a laser cut line or an area where a grinder or belt missed on any of the three I bought. The bevels to round things off are smooth and evenly done matching up to each other as well as many of the most expensive knives I have in my collection. Even the detent balls actually work to retain and hold the tip of the blade down and they are accurately set as well as anything I've bought or made myself in recent years. I really can't find fault with these knives but I had to see it for myself to believe it.
Someone said in another thread earlier 'here comes China'. Yes, I believe so. If they keep this up I don't know how anyone can hope to compete with them. By the way, in case you were wondering. Each one of these blades was shaving hair sharp when I opened them up today. I mean very impressive Spyderco type sharpness on the edges on all three! Yeah, I said wow a few times over these knives today. Will I be putting down my Sebbie? No sir. There is no comparison really between the two. The similarities are few actually. I'm glad I bought them but they are not anything more than beaters at this price point and really they don't compete with the Sebenza. These compete more with the lesser expensive Spyderco line like the Tenacious, Persistence and the Byrd line as well as some other similar lines with other manufactures like Benchmade, and Cold Steel.
STR
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