Small Sebenza Plain vs Starbenza insingo

S

Swiftvalar

Joined
Feb 21, 2018
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I'm a fairly new PJ Small Sebenza 21 Insingo owner. Found a good deal on a well known auction site and decided to make it my first.

I like it, but I've been eyeing the Wilson Combat Starbenza's and am wondering if they add enough extra 'grip' to be worthy of 'upgrading'. I like the looks for sure. Cost of switching is pretty high though.

Secondarily, the righty small starbenza insingo is currently sold out, so I'm stuck looking on the secondary market. The large is still available new. My hand fits the small okay, I'm sure the large would be even better. This is subjective as heck, but is a much large 'too much knife' for a humble OfficeSpace worker?
 
Congratulations on your first CRK !!!
The Wilson Combat CRK’s are done in batches. CRK has stopped production on the 21’s and are now producing the 31’s. So, there may be a delay in getting a new one from WC.
The wait time will give you some time to get a good feel for the plain. That should give you time to see how the small works for you.
Personally, I like the large better. If your coworkers aren’t intimidated, get the large. I’m sure you’ll use it for more than just work.
 
Thanks. I've been chasing a single, one-hand opening, knife solution for life in general. The large insingo...is very tempting. I'm a Wisconsinite, and the laws have become very knife friendly in recent years.

Work has it's own vague policies on 'weapons'. I'll probably just have to use my brain and make a judgement call. Wish I had both sizes to compare. I could probably have a Medford on me, and no one would care unless i waved it about like an idiot.

How about the grip? Would I notice the difference between a 'Starbenza' pattern and a plain jane if my hands were sweaty or is it mostly cosmetic?
 
My first CRK was a small Star-Benza 21 and my second was a large Star-Benza 21. I’ve never handled a PJ, so I don’t know how big a handling difference there is between a PJ and a Star-Benza. My personal experience with the size consideration is that a small 21 will get little or no notice from “weapon-sensitive people” in offices or other “sensitive" environments but the large definitely draws attention. The small is only a little bit bigger than a full size jackknife but the large is considerably larger and a potential problem with those who are looking for an excuse to feel threatened and cry about something. I prefer the large and my large Star-Benza has been my exclusive EDC for over a year, but the small would have to be my EDC if I was still office-bound.
 
I’m a huge fan of the small Sebenza, since I find that it fits better in my hand and in my pocket, not to mention it doesn’t intimidate people. If you spend time with your new small, you’ll find that it does anything you need it to do. I carry mine at work, and I use it a lot. I’ve never found myself wishing that I had a bigger knife.

That being said, the small WC version will definitely give you added purchase on the handles because of the milling on the scales. The knife might be easier for you to hold on to if it’s wet or sweaty, but otherwise it’s the same. Might be tough to find one, as Ajack60 mentioned.

Keep in mind that the Large will feel very large after using and carrying a small for a while. Ask yourself if you really need more blade length or if the small feels awkward in your hands before springing for a large. Just some things to consider. Good luck! :)
 
I'm a bit of an outlier, in that I dislike the large 21. (I found the large inkosi much more to my liking, if that helps.) I like the small 21 (mine is a Wilson Combat insingo) better than the large 21, as well; which is somewhat surprising because I prefer folders with 3.5"(+) blades. I didn't care for the PJs, preferring micarta or WC by a large margin.
If you like the small PJ, enjoy it & try to forget about the WC. If you don't, sell it & go for the WC.
(Or, go with the community standard - keep the small PJ, and grab a small WC when you can... you can decide later whether or not to sell one)
 
IMHO buying the large 21 because it is readily available would be a mistake. I’m sure I’m not alone in purchasing something I thought it was close enough to what I *really* wanted, only to learn that “close” wasn’t good enough.

If the small is the knife you want, my recommendation would be to buy one on the secondary market and don’t look back.

I *love* my large 21 Insingo, but it is a lot of knife for office tasks.
 
Thanks for your replies! I'm going to attempt to be patient and wait for type 31 Starbenza's.

For me, a large sounds like it might end up getting left at home for a small. My small PJ feels very size efficient. I have large size hands, but thinner fingers than most. The small seems to give 'just enough' handle for them.
 
Swiftvalar said:
Thanks. I've been chasing a single, one-hand opening, knife solution for life in general. The large insingo...is very tempting. I'm a Wisconsinite, and the laws have become very knife friendly in recent years.

Work has it's own vague policies on 'weapons'. I'll probably just have to use my brain and make a judgement call. Wish I had both sizes to compare. I could probably have a Medford on me, and no one would care unless i waved it about like an idiot.

How about the grip? Would I notice the difference between a 'Starbenza' pattern and a plain jane if my hands were sweaty or is it mostly cosmetic?
Click to expand...

In reality, no, there’s not that much difference in feel of the two. The plains are blasted creating a rough feel. I do have some knives that are the same material but are smooth finished. That makes a difference, the Ti feels like an aluminum finish. Over time you’ll wear one down to a smooth finish, don’t know how long that will take, but it can always be sent back for a reblast of the slabs.
The WC is more sexy, so you need to get one also.
 
Personally, I don't find the difference between the plain and Starbenza slabs to feel that different in the hand. Now a inlay, like Micarta, that gives you a little extra. If I had to pick only one CRK for life it would be a Small Micarta Drop Point.
 
I have not seen a CRK that I didn't like, but there is something beautifully simple and pure about the PJ knives. If you can afford the WC version, and it appeals to you, why not get it? But I don't think it will offer a whole lot of improvement in actual usage. Small vs Large? I generally prefer the large, but in fact the small is plenty of knife. I carry one when I know I'm going into a situation where a large knife might cause offense. In very hard use the handle of the small tends to bite into my hand while the large does not. On the plus side I find the small better for delicate work. The small also carries quite a bit easier in the pocket, especially in lighter weight clothing.
 
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