Small Sebenza or Umfaan

S

SDouglas

Joined
Jan 6, 1999
Messages
605
Ok, I am convinced that I need to save for and purchase a CRK.

I have a strong preference for smaller knives so I am looking at either a Small Sebenza or an Umfaan.


Now which one?


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AKTI Member No. A000370
Email: DouglasSctt@Netscape.net
 
Preference for small knives? Then the Umfaan fits that bill very nicely.
The Small Sebenza is a handful, so to speak, but the Umfaan is also very versatile and can do most cutting chores equally as well. So my vote for you would be the Umfaan, I have the 1999 model with the Spear/arrow one and like that a lot. The new version is pretty nice as well and the older Zig Zag can be picked up on the secondary market fairly easily, just post in the knives wanted section.

Good luck in your search!
G2

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"The Road to Hell is Paved with Good Intentions!"
Take the time to read your Bible Now, don't be left behind...

G2 LeatherWorks
 
The Small Sebenza. It has become my favorite all around knife, period. While it does fill your hand, it is simply the most knife you can get in that size. The Umfaan is a great little knife and a real feat of engineering, but the Small Sebenza is a great tool in a compact package.

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James Segura
San Francisco, CA
 
I must agree with St. James. The Umfaan is a great little knife!, but I find it too small for everyday carry... after all, it is a gentleman's knife! The sm. Sebenza is better for my every day tasks.

I bought (and sold) a circle Umfaan: no matter how I tried, I couldn't convince myself that it would fit the bill for every day carry. I bought another and gave it away to a customer (a gentleman, who wears a suit every day..). I now have 2 sm. Sebenzas. They are just right for daily carry.

For daily carry: The large is too big; the Umfaan is too small; and the small Sebenza isjust right!

Michael

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He who has smelt the smoke is never free again...
 
I looked at both the Umfaan and the small Sebenza for my everyday "gentleman's" carry. I'm a lawyer [wait for all the hissing and booing to subside] and I needed something I can carry unobtrusively and even take to Court without setting off alarms. For years I've carried knives about the size of the small Sebbie and went to fancier customs, damascus etc., in the hope that this would make them look less "threatening" [ besides loving the knives themselves]. Nope. They're still too big for the uneducated. The Umfaan is small enough to pass muster everywhere, including, so far, airplanes, but it is a full fledged CRK and a solid, useful knife. I like it, although now I do wish I had rather a more elaborate version.
But it sure ain't as capable a knife as the Sebenza. The size difference is very significant. So, it really depends what you want. I don't think the Umfaan has any real utility as a tactical and if you want to do any really heavy duty cutting, the smaller Seb is probably better. Plus, if you like clips, and I do, the Umfaan doesn't have one.
For my purposes, the Umfaan is great.
But face it, eventually you're going to buy a Sebenza anyways. They're just too good to pass up. You know you want one. Don't you?
[sorry, I'm still in crossx mode]
 
My vote goes to the small Seb. I prefer a knife with a clip and it fits in my pants pocket and I hardly notice it. I handled a Umfaan and it was too small to open easily. I guess it depends on your preference, either knife is very nice and you will probably end up buying both!
smile.gif
 
Don't get me wrong, my preference is for the small Sebenza, but if you have a proclivity towards the smallish knife, (had to pay $5 for that word!), the Umfaan would be smaller. Below are some specs to consider;

Umfaan
Blade length is approx 2 1/4"
overall length is approx 5 1/2"
thickness of the handle approx 1/4"

Small Sebenza
Blade length is approx 2 7/8"
overall length is approx 6 3/4"
thickness of the handle approx 3/8"

Hope that helps your decision....
biggrin.gif

G2
 
I tend to agree with the above. The Umfaan is your basic 'credit card knife,' that is one that will not protrude beyond the boundaries of a credit card if laid upon it. As such, it makes a good keychain or watch pocket knife.

However, the small Seb is a lot easier to cut things with, not only because of the larger scales; the larger blade helps also.

I have found the small Seb to be very airport friendly; they didn't hassle me about it at LAX, where I had left the secure area to use a phone, so had to go back through security. I had my carry on bag with me, of course, and it had a number of wires in it (the charger for my cell phone and digital camera, headphones and small tape player for my son, etc.). When I reached security, they x-rayed my bag, and then politely sent me over to a sniffer machine, and checked the bag for explosives!! I was surprised, as they hadn't even looked in the bag when I boarded in Phoenix. Incidentally, my custom Ernie Emerson CQC6 is also airport friendly; I usually even forget that it is there, so it usually gets left in my leather bag. It was there at LAX also, and didn't even get looked at.

Of course, YMMV...

Walt
 
I just received my small sebenza this afternoon and it is a great knife the construction and quality are fantastic. I do not have small hands and the small seb fills my palm.

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Hermie
 
My vote would be for the small. It really is the perfect size. Doesn't scare too many people, works great in an office setting and is big enough to do most anything a folding knife should do. Fits my hand perfectly.

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Clay Fleischer
clay_fleischer@yahoo.com
AKTI Member A000847
 
I believe that I will go with the Small Sebenza.

I actually got to handle one yesterday and the size was perfect.

Thank you all for your inputs and I hope to be a member of the family soon.

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AKTI Member No. A000370
Email: DouglasSctt@Netscape.net
 
Either would be a great choice as they are beautiful knives, but I love my new small sebenza for a couple of reasons. I like the bead blasted finish better than the polished titanium, I like having a clothing clip (I don't want to sew up a custom "knife pocket" for my pajamas), and, yes, the umfaan feels too small for me, and I _do_ have small hands...
 
I carry both, the Umfaan in my pocket and the Sebenza in my attache. You need both, but if I had to chose, I'd keep the Sebenza.
 
I recently got a small Sebenza and worked a trade for an Umfaan. I carry both but the small Sebenza is extremely practical. It is plenty big enough for typical pocket knife tasks and should not scare anybody but the most knife phobic. The Umfaan is big enough to be useful but the small is perfect to me.
 
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