As others have said, you gotta try and break it in. My 31 was WAY stiffer than my 21, even after break in. I hit the blade facing side of the washers on my strop, lubed it and put it back together and it's PERFECT. Anyone who has stiffness issues with a sebenza, hit the washers very lightly on a normal leather strop and try it out. Makes it amazing.
The index finger pinch will not improve with wearing in and nor will other ergonomic thumbs-down issues that this consumer's faces be resolved by a break-in period. I see two things here ... all that glitters is not gold and the people who already own fools gold try to remind you of how much it glitters in good lighting. I do not walk around in good lighting situations as my day is lived in natural daylight. $400 to $600 (with optional upgrades) USD is asking a *LOT* for this know if you ask me ... I have two CRK knives that were purchased at different times/locations and both were shocking dull for a factory blade ... and thus I have never been a CRK fan boy who is blinded by the light ... I look at what is actually there!
Love this exact knife. I have half a dozen Spyderco knives and 3 medfords. Even have a Spartan Harsey "plague doc" that are all unused, but this one is my main. Plain. Perfect EDC.
I've wanted one for a long time myself, but haven't pulled the trigger for basically the same reason..the action. I'm a fidgeter, and they are not overly fidget friendly. I totally get it bro.
Yeah man, even when I got it to flick open, I had to think about it. Like I said, just doesn’t feel natural! I like to fidget with a knife without having to focus on it. I really appreciate you commenting this!! 👍
@DocScoot I'd much rather feel the smoothness and the satisfying sound over fast flicking action. That being said I have a griptillian too just in case I feel like flicking a knife all day lol
Break it in brother! Don't give up 5 minutes before the miracle happens. I just watched your unboxing video and you were so happy. We as humans can adapt to almost anything, it doesn't feel like your other knives because it is a beast of it's own. IDK, I just think you'll regret it forever...
If you get a chance, try the large Inkosi with micarta inlays. I went through many knives (including several Reeve) before settling on this one. The micarta fills a large hand nicely (as well as better grip) and the double studs make the blade easier to deploy.
You are correct with that man!! And I really appreciate you commenting this and supporting the Salts! I literally just ordered the Spyderco Fish Hunter today! 🙌
I have an rooms an Umnumzaan and Sebenza 31 Large and Sebenza 31 Small (Damascus). All started out with really stiff action. Now all are buttery smooth and dare i even say fidgety on the Umnumzaan. Kneeves Knives has a drop shut Sebenza. Give it time. I felt the same when i first got one. Use your thumbnail to flick the stud. The Drop Point Harpoon Umnumzaan is now my favorite EDC knife. I highly recomend it. IF you can find one.
I got my Sebenza 21’s over 30 years ago. I’m a Randall knife collector mostly, a lot of the Randall people talked up the Reeves knives. I bought a large and small. The big one is clunky and as you say not natural to open. My small is fidgety, it will open as well as my Spydercos. I’ll never sell them but, mostly these days it’s a Spyderco in my pockets.
Thank you for sharing brother!!! I have not gotten into Randall Knives, but aren’t they out of Florida!?!? They look beautiful. And thank you commenting your experience with the Sebenzas! It is interesting to hear you also feel it is “not natural” to open up. Also good to hear about the Small! And yeah, Spyderco gets harder and harder to beat for me on a daily basis.
@@floridamanknives Randall is out of Orlando they have a museum at the shop site. Great fixed blade knives. I got turned on to them in the Army. Check them out.
The CR knives are nice but I didn’t use them either when I owned mine. I sold mine long ago. For that price and one looses it? I would cry. Truth for me is there are better knives for the price.
I appreciate you commenting this buddy! I completely agree with all of your points. And honestly I still much prefer certain knives that are less than half the price.
You’d probably have been better off going with the Sebenza 31 micarta..or going with a large Inkosi with micarta. Gives it a little more width and better ergonomics. Some gripes with the Sebenza have been addressed with the Inkosi. I made sure to take apart my Inkosi right out of the box and add some additional grease to the pockets of the bronze washers. That helped a bit with the action.
Sebenza 21 had a slicker action… however the new lock up is more durable especially on longevity… i like my 21 much better but i often wonder if its because it was my first one? Who knows. Sebenza is still my go to carry love the shape and dimensions
I guess fidgeting is a thing cuz that’s kept me away too. I like their build quality but I’m not to crazy about full TI frame locks. I’m good with the Hinderers I hv for now. Eventually I’ll go for a large Inkosi Insingo. Just don’t look back. Lol.💯👊🏼
Yeah man, the quality is great of course but I’ve realized if it’s a titanium frame lock it either has to be a flipper, have really nice full and tall thumb studs, or be a Spyderco for me to like. Still have yet to try a Hinderer though!! Thanks buddy!!! 🙌🇺🇸
I hear ya man! I wanted a 21 for 5 to 6 years. When the new 31s came out I jumped on the first one I found. I was sooo happy.... until I got it. I was totally disappointed. It is NOT a fidget knife. When I open my knives, I like to cha chaaaa that blade and snap it out. This is not the knife for that. Get a Hinderer. (USA made blade get some every couple of weeks) Hinderers are the type of knife I thought my sebenza should have been.
Thank you for commenting this!!! Sounds very relatable across the board! Everyone keeps telling me to try Hinderer, do you mind the weight? Thanks again!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌
It's been said here before, but I'll reiterate because of its importance. You've got to break it in to fully appreciate the silky smoothness. Mine took probably 6 hours of opening and closing to have it break in, along with taking it apart and applying a thinner oil. It now flies open easily while still having no play. In fact, it’s so smooth now I actually like the thumbstud.
@@StuninRub I mean I guess you could put it that way. What I'll say to that is that CRK have a satisfying opening that almost no other company can replicate. It feels like a fixed blade when you open it. No play and perfect centering. Can't say the same about my Spydercos and Bemchmades. Also I just really like the fact that they're on pb bushings. I don't buy bearings in knives
@@Phaminator525 You could literally say the same on higher end Benchmade and Spydercos. PB washers are the cheap. I have a 21 and a 31 and they can both have blade play if I loosen them to the point in which they are as easy to flick as benchmades or spydercos and vicer versa, if I tighten the other's to the same tightness of the Sebenzas, they have zero blade play. The plastic ones can be a hit or miss, but get one with titanium scales and the tolerances are basically the same. The tactile feel of the blade locking into place for a Sebenza is unique, but serves no functional purpose. One could argue flicking an Axis lock knife open like a gravity knife is satisfying and that almost no other company can replicate too. It's all subjective at that point.
@@StuninRub Ok, I do not believe that your 31 and 21 have blade play when loosen because I owned 3 of them and they have no blade play at all even when i take out the pivot screw. Maybe my Inkosi can if i take out the pivot completely. Unless you got a really unlucky batch, It is known in the community that Sebenzas have tolerances so tight that you cant acheive blade play no matter what. Im sure there are cases since it is a production knife. Also ceramic bearings are cheap too lol. All budget civivis use them. I think they feel cheap and they dont last well in wet envoirments.I use my knives when i go fishing and often get them wet. And if youve ever gotten even a drop of water into a bearing than you know how horrible the action gets. Personally I can tell a huge difference between the quality of my spydercos/Zts/Benchmade to my CRKs. And honestly the only good company out of those 3 is Spyderco. Benchmade and ZTs are imo are a huge rip off for the quality you get.
If you haven’t already sold it I think if you polished the washers and did the spyder hole mod on it, it’d be perfect for you. But maybe I’m bias because I love making knives my own. And my favorite all time Knife is the Sabenza 31
I also love the Spydiechef!! You’ll see I just posted a comparison with this and the Slysz Bowie as well. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one that feels this way. I really appreciate you sharing and leaving this comment!!! 🙌👍
I own a Spydiechef. Love it. It’s in my top 3 in my permanent “never sell” rotation. I’ve been eyeing a CRK for a while now. Are they really not better than the Spydiechef?
@@AlexanderSLeBlanc surprisingly with a kitchen knife I’m lighter on my feet. The CRK feels like a stiff tool or self defense. It’s a beautiful piece. One you put back in your pocket after your thumb hurts. Or wrist. Or no room to even flick. The glassy open and close is true, with a thumb role or hard flick. It will take awhile to break in for sure. The black micarta on mine makes the knife wider and more comfortable which is nice in hand. Nice fixed in my mind to twittle with, fingers, toss in air. Feels great but fun factor very boring compared to others. The spydiechef is just enjoyable and comfortable. Love everything about it (I have two: grey & ano blue). Even the unique steel and shape. The combination creates a well desired package. And yes oddly more satisfying than a Bowie. It reminds me of the super freek lowkey, the Bowie. A heavy menace of a beater for special occasions, if you dare do so.. P.s. In my opinion it’s scary to even walk around with a 500$+ knife you bought that non knife people wouldn’t understand. To each their own. Can barely fidget your knives now. Couldn’t image explaining a very expensive knife to a non knife person. Whether that would benefit you or not
TLDR -- "I cannot flick this knife open so I don't carry it." "I cannot flick it open, so I cannot justify the cost." "I'm a spyderco fanboy, and not a big fan of thumb studs - and I cannot flick it open so I'm selling it." "Did I mention I cannot flick it open?" DUDE - it's a tool, not a toy ;)
I'd buy that if u still had it but I highly doubt a year later ypu do. I had the same issue first time I held a sabenza but then I felt the deployment after it broke in and it's a night and day difference. Seams like a silky reason to sell the knife especially when there are multiple ways to improve the deployment. If I were ypu I'd at least break it in b4 making a decision to sell it.
Definitely understandable but I found myself grabbing other knives every day to carry. Trust me, I wish I could’ve kept it!!! Unfortunately I need to sell more knives as it is still though lol.
Don’t get me wrong, it is a good knife, and I still think it is absolutely gorgeous like you said. Just too expensive to keep for something I don’t use unfortunately! Thanks buddy, you too!
In the end it‘s a matter of taste. This knife design and material is over 30 years old, but the price did not change. The world has turned in the meantime and there are better steels and more modern designs available by now.
In the end it‘s a matter of taste. This knife design and material is over 30 years old, but the price did not change. The world has turned in the meantime and there are better steels and more modern designs available by now.
The index finger pinch will not improve with wearing in and nor will other ergonomic thumbs-down issues that this consumer's faces be resolved by a break-in period. I see two things here ... all that glitters is not gold and the people who already own fools gold try to remind you of how much it glitters in good lighting. I do not walk around in good lighting situations as my day is lived in natural daylight. $400 to $600 (with optional upgrades) USD is asking a *LOT* for this know if you ask me ... I have two CRK knives that were purchased at different times/locations and both were shocking dull for a factory blade ... and thus I have never been a CRK fan boy who is blinded by the light ... I look at what is actually there!
One of the problems with knife collecting never truly knowing how a knife is until you have it in hand. But at least you should get back what you paid. Great video 👍
Once its broken in, the action is pretty good. You can feel it its weight when you flick, but it does fly out with authority with practice. However, the thing that turned me off the most was the blade grind. It was U shape rather than V, meaning it couldnt even cut paper. It basically tore paper and wedged food open. Very disappointed. After complete reprofiling of the edge it is now a B- knife.
I have also read about that, isn’t it some sort of “compound” grind to give it its finish? I’m so used to my Spyderco’s, I didn’t want to have to worry about reprofiling the edge.
You can take some of that lockbar pressure off and lighten the detent a bit. Also change the oil out for something thinner. There's a fidgety way of closing frame lock knives. Your index finger goes around the back side of the knife and pulls the lockbar with a "come here" kind of finger motion. Your thumb pushes on the blade spine and rides the blade closed. Just before the blade hits them, you pull your fingers out of the he way. I'll see if I can find a video of someone doing it. It's very satisfying fidgeting IMO.
I been carrying a small sebenza 31 for maybe three years now and its been a good 'ol boy for sure. I don't flick my knives nor do I have to be playing with it all the time. Maybe you should get a dog to play with, man. You sound like a smart guy though.
I’m telling you, if you all love the Sebenza look, get a SRM Land 910 Ti/M390. Same kinda look, amazing build quality and it’s on bearings. Mine is so smooth after a small break In period. $150.
I'm new to knives. I think if you are a knife collector. Then you would have kept it. Like you said, you use them more than just collect them. 6, 10 years from now you might feel different. I'm 60 years old and you don't know how many times i here, " i wish i would have kept my first car." ie chevy nova or ford bronco. Later you see the value. I'm thinking of sebenza knives because they are cheap ( comparatively speaking). I was looking at a loveless which is 4 to 6 k. But that is part of the legend/history that loveless knives represents. Also I'm poor, ssdi so i will buy a knife every few months. But as everyone said in comments, many agree with you. I was just offering another side to the comments. ✌️🦁
Good video and will be informative for people looking into CRK products in the future. I really enjoy CRK products personally. I prefer the Umnumzaan but it also has that same awkward deployment you bring up. They do handle much better after break in and that period takes a decent amount of time in my experience. I always recommend using them (daily) for a couple of months to get a true feel for them. At the price point I can understand it needs to check most boxes from the point when you open the box for the first time. It’s not often an underwhelming first impression doesn’t stick with you. I will add I don’t really fidget my knives so that’s another reason I think I like mine so much. It gives me more of a sense of a tool than a cool pocket knife. If I preferred the fidget factor of knives I doubt I would enjoy the CRK’s so much. It’s all personal preference in the end. If you sell/sold it, don’t dwell on it or regret it, go find something that makes you feel good about your purchase and enjoy what you have.
Thank you brother!!! Those are all knives I have had my eye on for sure! I would love a Koenig with a flipper delete but they are so expensive haha. I actually have come to love fidgeting with my Toor Knives Chasm!
@@floridamanknives the flipper delete is cool but it just subtracts an opening method IMO, really love the flipper on my Gen 4! I feel like you'd love it, but I'm not sure how you feel about the size. Pretty big knerf.
@@EliteLurker760 very good point about the flipper! As long as it isn’t intrusive in the pocket. How heavy is it? I love my PM2 and Slysz Bowie for example.
@@floridamanknives 136 grams, so it weighs about an oz more. Pretty good for full Ti handles! Flipper is pretty unintrusive honestly. Also my Umnumzaan is pretty fidgety! Maybe give that a try?
@@EliteLurker760 thank you for the reply!! The Koenig is one I will always have my eye on. Also I have heard great things about the Umnumzaan, is the opening really that much better than the Sebenza? I know the construction is different. I’m just skeptical now as it’s a fair bit of money for me haha.
I’m probably too late, but I think you should keep it and carry it and actually use for a few weeks or months. The issues you are having aren’t really issues, but operator error, which you kinda hit on a little bit. Once you use it you get used to it, it becomes second nature. You get used to how to open it pretty quickly. And the knife wasn’t really designed to be flicked and fidgeted with although it can be done and I do it a thousand times a day with no problem, but I have taken all my crks apart and cleaned and fine tuned them to my liking. For some reason everyone thinks because it’s a crk and they spent however much money on it it should come exactly how they want it to be. Take it apart, clean it, grease it, tune it. The sebenza 31’s in my experience aren’t fit quite as nice as the 21’s were. You shouldn’t have to play with the pivot but on 31’s you might have to in order to get that drop shut action( which again, it’s not designed to have). I love spyderco and I bought the same slysz Bowie you have. It was nice but it just seemed like something was missing to me, maybe it was because it was so hyped up and when I got it it didn’t seem all that great to me and then I sold it within days of getting it. But actually use that slysz Bowie (which now cost almost as much as a sebenza, especially on secondary market) and if it breaks or you lose a screw or anything goes wrong, good luck with the warranty on a limited edition spyderco, especially one made in Taiwan. With crk, the sebenza will last you a lifetime and crk stands behind their warranty. If you voided the warranty they will still most likely fix it but at your cost. I could probably go on for days talking about this stuff…
You are correct!!! Some things just don’t live up to expectations I suppose. I’m glad to have had the chance to own one and know now too. Thanks for watching!
CRK for me not a fan(not taking a shot) just not my personal preference if I'm going to put that much money down. I personally find the trevor burger custom exk to be my Grail knife but thats just my opinion
I agree man. It's not for everyone. I don't want to slow roll my knife open everytime. Sometimes you need a knife quick and need to be able to flick it open fast. It is a good knife for maybe the older crowd who aren't into edc or fidget factors or maybe for someone who just needs it as a tool only.
I could be called part of the "older crowd" -- who do you think invented EDC ;) .... regardless I have fidgety knives and tools - Sebenza's are tools, my flippers on bearings are largely toys --- we all get it regardless of age my friend ... just match your expectations with the knife and you'll be just fine ....
15 years ago, Sebenza was a THING, only few production knives were close to it, Microtech Socom for example, but nto in the same materials. Now it's average, overpriced ti framelock knife with washers [which is good for some people], mediocre action, no lockbar insert [big no no], not the best thumbstud that you can't even easily remove to insert custom thumbstud, not heavy but also not very light. 55 years ago, Buck 110 was a thing, and 35 years ago, Spyderco Police. But future is now, old man.
Chris Reeves and Microtech both have never really demonstrated much quality to begin with. They have always been mid-range Benchmade quality charging custom prices.
It’s kind of disingenuous to bitch about some of the things that were addressed in the Inkosi model. It uses a very hard ceramic ball as the lockbar insert. It has an oversized pivot and a large bronze washer on both sides of the blade as well as a beefier stop pin. For me, the only bad thing that still hasn’t been addressed is the shitty thumb studs.
Not for me as well. No time to waste to ‘break it in’ or whatever when I paying that kind of money, and so much loctite in the pivot to avoid that loosening screw issue. And that darn annoying thumb stud. Sold it after 3 months. I stick with my umnamzaan instead.
How can a person lust after a grail knife and not know everything about it? Its well known what the action is on a Chris Reeve knife. Why do people want to make it into something it is not, such as a fidget knife?
Your not the 1st person to get 1 of these knives an be a bit disappointed ! After much saving & searching I was able to get a CR Sebenza a few years ago an I kept it for MAYBE 3 weeks before selling it back to the guy I purchased it from !
Yupp!!!! Thank you for sharing your experience too! I really appreciate it man. I tried to give it a chance, but it didn’t feel right and I knew if I carried it’d devalue even more. I am happy to see people being honest about CRKs and their experiences!
@@floridamanknives SAME here I was extremely happy that YOU were being honest about it in your video ! I've actually brought this subject & my experience up a few times in the past resulting in FB's dog piling me for DARING to have my own opinion & pointing out FACTS ! Thank you for being honest & posting about this , as I said before your NOT alone in your experience !
@@cottonmouth71 I can only imagine man, the CRK fanboys are real. I’m a Spyderco fanboy for example but still respect that people hate Spyderco’s aesthetics’s, hate FRN, etc. and I think that’s great! One of the reasons we have so many different knives, we can all have our opinions. I am interested to see more people comment hopefully sharing similar experiences. There isn’t one knife that is “for everybody”, contrary to what some people say lol. Again, thank you for your comments!!! 🙌👍
Get a 21, much better knife and if this has been your dream knife for the past 10 years that would be the 21 since the 31 didn't exist 10 years ago. You will love the 21
They are overrated. I have a Zaan and a 31 now, and have had a few others in the past. They just sit in my knife drawer honestly. Too old school for me.
Absolutely the most overrated knife, I think people are fooled into thinking it's something above and beyond by the price, which is massively over-inflated for a production knife with the materials involved. It has been surpassed many times over since it's inception by many manufacturers for a fraction of the price.
@@YoitsDro Why would you want a titanium frame lock? A Osborne in s90v with titanium scales will achieve everything a grade 5 titanium frame lock is capable of and then some.
@@YoitsDro Look into the MBK (Monterey Bay Knives) Sea Otter. It's made in the USA. Ray Laconico hand grinds each blade himself. It's about the size of a small Sebenza, so not a big knife, but it's well made and now comes in Magnacut blade steel. Gotta get lucky with their lottos and limited drops to purchase 1 though.
This is a work knife, use it for work and the opening will smooth out. Chinese knives got you expecting mediocre quality as the best feature of a knife. You can't compare a Spyderco made in Taiwan to a Chris Reeve made in Idaho. Im not even a Chris Reeve fan but I know 100% that the tolerances on knives get tighter the higher in price you go. So yeah, a Spyderco with probably with .1" or even .2" tolerance is going to "fidget". It will also lose centering after a few hundred flicks and be almost impossible to use repeatedly on task, in environments where there's a lot of sand, mud or even blood vs a Chris Reeve that will get flicked 2000 times before it goes anywhere near losing centering and tolerances so tight that stuff like dirt isn't just going to creep into the washers/pivot area and affect the action. That's what you paid for, a work knife. Not a safe queen. So right off the bat, honestly, it's better for you to get rid of it if you don't want to use it. I consider Spyderco's some of the most overhyped knives, so 🤷 we all have our own opinions. Good luck with the sale.
As others have said, you gotta try and break it in. My 31 was WAY stiffer than my 21, even after break in. I hit the blade facing side of the washers on my strop, lubed it and put it back together and it's PERFECT. Anyone who has stiffness issues with a sebenza, hit the washers very lightly on a normal leather strop and try it out. Makes it amazing.
The index finger pinch will not improve with wearing in and nor will other ergonomic thumbs-down issues that this consumer's faces be resolved by a break-in period.
I see two things here ... all that glitters is not gold and the people who already own fools gold try to remind you of how much it glitters in good lighting.
I do not walk around in good lighting situations as my day is lived in natural daylight.
$400 to $600 (with optional upgrades) USD is asking a *LOT* for this know if you ask me ... I have two CRK knives that were purchased at different times/locations and both were shocking dull for a factory blade ... and thus I have never been a CRK fan boy who is blinded by the light ...
I look at what is actually there!
@@matthewhoward4549 this is some schizo boomer shit
I have xl hands also and after putting new aftermarket thumbstuds on my 31 it is a world of difference opening and closing it.
Love this exact knife. I have half a dozen Spyderco knives and 3 medfords. Even have a Spartan Harsey "plague doc" that are all unused, but this one is my main. Plain. Perfect EDC.
I've wanted one for a long time myself, but haven't pulled the trigger for basically the same reason..the action. I'm a fidgeter, and they are not overly fidget friendly. I totally get it bro.
Yeah man, even when I got it to flick open, I had to think about it. Like I said, just doesn’t feel natural! I like to fidget with a knife without having to focus on it. I really appreciate you commenting this!! 👍
Get a Koenig Arius someday!
@@grimflipz I wish they weren’t so expensive haha!
I got rid of mine for the same reason
@DocScoot I'd much rather feel the smoothness and the satisfying sound over fast flicking action. That being said I have a griptillian too just in case I feel like flicking a knife all day lol
Break it in brother! Don't give up 5 minutes before the miracle happens. I just watched your unboxing video and you were so happy. We as humans can adapt to almost anything, it doesn't feel like your other knives because it is a beast of it's own. IDK, I just think you'll regret it forever...
I have noticed a similarity with knife fidgeters. They need something to fidget with when they can’t play with their pud in public areas
If you get a chance, try the large Inkosi with micarta inlays. I went through many knives (including several Reeve) before settling on this one. The micarta fills a large hand nicely (as well as better grip) and the double studs make the blade easier to deploy.
I feel like you already found what you love. keep it up with the salt series!
You are correct with that man!! And I really appreciate you commenting this and supporting the Salts! I literally just ordered the Spyderco Fish Hunter today! 🙌
I have an rooms an Umnumzaan and Sebenza 31 Large and Sebenza 31 Small (Damascus). All started out with really stiff action. Now all are buttery smooth and dare i even say fidgety on the Umnumzaan. Kneeves Knives has a drop shut Sebenza. Give it time. I felt the same when i first got one. Use your thumbnail to flick the stud. The Drop Point Harpoon Umnumzaan is now my favorite EDC knife. I highly recomend it. IF you can find one.
The problem is not the knife mate!!!
that background lol made me feel like im hallucinating.
I got my Sebenza 21’s over 30 years ago. I’m a Randall knife collector mostly, a lot of the Randall people talked up the Reeves knives. I bought a large and small. The big one is clunky and as you say not natural to open. My small is fidgety, it will open as well as my Spydercos. I’ll never sell them but, mostly these days it’s a Spyderco in my pockets.
Thank you for sharing brother!!! I have not gotten into Randall Knives, but aren’t they out of Florida!?!? They look beautiful.
And thank you commenting your experience with the Sebenzas! It is interesting to hear you also feel it is “not natural” to open up. Also good to hear about the Small! And yeah, Spyderco gets harder and harder to beat for me on a daily basis.
@@floridamanknives Randall is out of Orlando they have a museum at the shop site. Great fixed blade knives. I got turned on to them in the Army. Check them out.
You can also have a spydie whole installed and put some skiff bearings on it.
Thanks for the info I was going to pull the trigger on the small but not now I a big Spyderco fan also
I find using the nail of my thumb is more comfortable with hard detents or sharp thumbstuds
The CR knives are nice but I didn’t use them either when I owned mine. I sold mine long ago. For that price and one looses it? I would cry. Truth for me is there are better knives for the price.
I appreciate you commenting this buddy! I completely agree with all of your points. And honestly I still much prefer certain knives that are less than half the price.
@@floridamanknives cool man!
Is it still for sale?
You’d probably have been better off going with the Sebenza 31 micarta..or going with a large Inkosi with micarta. Gives it a little more width and better ergonomics. Some gripes with the Sebenza have been addressed with the Inkosi. I made sure to take apart my Inkosi right out of the box and add some additional grease to the pockets of the bronze washers. That helped a bit with the action.
Sebenza 21 had a slicker action… however the new lock up is more durable especially on longevity… i like my 21 much better but i often wonder if its because it was my first one? Who knows. Sebenza is still my go to carry love the shape and dimensions
I guess fidgeting is a thing cuz that’s kept me away too. I like their build quality but I’m not to crazy about full TI frame locks. I’m good with the Hinderers I hv for now. Eventually I’ll go for a large Inkosi Insingo. Just don’t look back. Lol.💯👊🏼
Yeah man, the quality is great of course but I’ve realized if it’s a titanium frame lock it either has to be a flipper, have really nice full and tall thumb studs, or be a Spyderco for me to like. Still have yet to try a Hinderer though!! Thanks buddy!!! 🙌🇺🇸
I hear ya man! I wanted a 21 for 5 to 6 years. When the new 31s came out I jumped on the first one I found. I was sooo happy.... until I got it. I was totally disappointed. It is NOT a fidget knife. When I open my knives, I like to cha chaaaa that blade and snap it out. This is not the knife for that.
Get a Hinderer. (USA made blade get some every couple of weeks) Hinderers are the type of knife I thought my sebenza should have been.
Thank you for commenting this!!! Sounds very relatable across the board! Everyone keeps telling me to try Hinderer, do you mind the weight?
Thanks again!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌
@@floridamanknives I don't mind the weight at all. I prefer large knives. If weight is an issue for you, look at the ZT0562ti.
How much are you wanting for it?
The Sebenza isn't made to be a fidgety flipper. It's a cutting tool...an expensive one.
It's been said here before, but I'll reiterate because of its importance. You've got to break it in to fully appreciate the silky smoothness. Mine took probably 6 hours of opening and closing to have it break in, along with taking it apart and applying a thinner oil. It now flies open easily while still having no play. In fact, it’s so smooth now I actually like the thumbstud.
That's dog shit, especially when there are much more comparable brands out there that will fly open straight out of the box at half the price.
@@StuninRub I mean I guess you could put it that way. What I'll say to that is that CRK have a satisfying opening that almost no other company can replicate. It feels like a fixed blade when you open it. No play and perfect centering. Can't say the same about my Spydercos and Bemchmades. Also I just really like the fact that they're on pb bushings. I don't buy bearings in knives
@@Phaminator525 You could literally say the same on higher end Benchmade and Spydercos. PB washers are the cheap. I have a 21 and a 31 and they can both have blade play if I loosen them to the point in which they are as easy to flick as benchmades or spydercos and vicer versa, if I tighten the other's to the same tightness of the Sebenzas, they have zero blade play. The plastic ones can be a hit or miss, but get one with titanium scales and the tolerances are basically the same.
The tactile feel of the blade locking into place for a Sebenza is unique, but serves no functional purpose. One could argue flicking an Axis lock knife open like a gravity knife is satisfying and that almost no other company can replicate too. It's all subjective at that point.
@@StuninRub Ok, I do not believe that your 31 and 21 have blade play when loosen because I owned 3 of them and they have no blade play at all even when i take out the pivot screw. Maybe my Inkosi can if i take out the pivot completely. Unless you got a really unlucky batch, It is known in the community that Sebenzas have tolerances so tight that you cant acheive blade play no matter what. Im sure there are cases since it is a production knife.
Also ceramic bearings are cheap too lol. All budget civivis use them. I think they feel cheap and they dont last well in wet envoirments.I use my knives when i go fishing and often get them wet. And if youve ever gotten even a drop of water into a bearing than you know how horrible the action gets.
Personally I can tell a huge difference between the quality of my spydercos/Zts/Benchmade to my CRKs. And honestly the only good company out of those 3 is Spyderco. Benchmade and ZTs are imo are a huge rip off for the quality you get.
@@Phaminator525 You can easily get blade play in a Sebenza, you would have to be neck deep in denial if you think otherwise.
If you haven’t already sold it I think if you polished the washers and did the spyder hole mod on it, it’d be perfect for you. But maybe I’m bias because I love making knives my own. And my favorite all time Knife is the Sabenza 31
Recently got one and carried it for awhile but I’m back to the Spydiechef. Cancelling my Inkosi..
I also love the Spydiechef!! You’ll see I just posted a comparison with this and the Slysz Bowie as well. I’m glad to hear I’m not the only one that feels this way. I really appreciate you sharing and leaving this comment!!! 🙌👍
I own a Spydiechef. Love it. It’s in my top 3 in my permanent “never sell” rotation. I’ve been eyeing a CRK for a while now. Are they really not better than the Spydiechef?
@@AlexanderSLeBlanc surprisingly with a kitchen knife I’m lighter on my feet. The CRK feels like a stiff tool or self defense. It’s a beautiful piece. One you put back in your pocket after your thumb hurts. Or wrist. Or no room to even flick. The glassy open and close is true, with a thumb role or hard flick. It will take awhile to break in for sure. The black micarta on mine makes the knife wider and more comfortable which is nice in hand. Nice fixed in my mind to twittle with, fingers, toss in air. Feels great but fun factor very boring compared to others. The spydiechef is just enjoyable and comfortable. Love everything about it (I have two: grey & ano blue). Even the unique steel and shape. The combination creates a well desired package. And yes oddly more satisfying than a Bowie. It reminds me of the super freek lowkey, the Bowie. A heavy menace of a beater for special occasions, if you dare do so..
P.s.
In my opinion it’s scary to even walk around with a 500$+ knife you bought that non knife people wouldn’t understand. To each their own. Can barely fidget your knives now. Couldn’t image explaining a very expensive knife to a non knife person. Whether that would benefit you or not
@@MrDomhnall thanks. I ended up picking up a Sebenza 31 and you’re spot on. I really like it and plan to keep it but agree with all of your comments.
TLDR -- "I cannot flick this knife open so I don't carry it." "I cannot flick it open, so I cannot justify the cost." "I'm a spyderco fanboy, and not a big fan of thumb studs - and I cannot flick it open so I'm selling it." "Did I mention I cannot flick it open?"
DUDE - it's a tool, not a toy ;)
I'd buy that if u still had it but I highly doubt a year later ypu do. I had the same issue first time I held a sabenza but then I felt the deployment after it broke in and it's a night and day difference. Seams like a silky reason to sell the knife especially when there are multiple ways to improve the deployment. If I were ypu I'd at least break it in b4 making a decision to sell it.
If the blue anodizing isn’t worn off than it’s not broken in… you have to put the time in with the sebenza. You should have given it more time!
Definitely understandable but I found myself grabbing other knives every day to carry. Trust me, I wish I could’ve kept it!!! Unfortunately I need to sell more knives as it is still though lol.
And I really appreciate you watching and commenting!!! 👍🙌
The knife itself is gorgeous, i feel sad for you that you sell it cause it looks like a good knife in my opinion, stay safe
Don’t get me wrong, it is a good knife, and I still think it is absolutely gorgeous like you said. Just too expensive to keep for something I don’t use unfortunately! Thanks buddy, you too!
Is it for sale?
In the end it‘s a matter of taste. This knife design and material is over 30 years old, but the price did not change. The world has turned in the meantime and there are better steels and more modern designs available by now.
Still for sale? How do I get ahold of you
You should try trm knives
In the end it‘s a matter of taste. This knife design and material is over 30 years old, but the price did not change. The world has turned in the meantime and there are better steels and more modern designs available by now.
The index finger pinch will not improve with wearing in and nor will other ergonomic thumbs-down issues that this consumer's faces be resolved by a break-in period.
I see two things here ... all that glitters is not gold and the people who already own fools gold try to remind you of how much it glitters in good lighting.
I do not walk around in good lighting situations as my day is lived in natural daylight.
$400 to $600 (with optional upgrades) USD is asking a *LOT* for this know if you ask me ... I have two CRK knives that were purchased at different times/locations and both were shocking dull for a factory blade ... and thus I have never been a CRK fan boy who is blinded by the light ...
I look at what is actually there!
One of the problems with knife collecting never truly knowing how a knife is until you have it in hand. But at least you should get back what you paid. Great video 👍
That is so true!! I am happy to have had the experience at least and now I know. Thank you man!! 👍
Once its broken in, the action is pretty good. You can feel it its weight when you flick, but it does fly out with authority with practice. However, the thing that turned me off the most was the blade grind. It was U shape rather than V, meaning it couldnt even cut paper. It basically tore paper and wedged food open. Very disappointed. After complete reprofiling of the edge it is now a B- knife.
I have also read about that, isn’t it some sort of “compound” grind to give it its finish? I’m so used to my Spyderco’s, I didn’t want to have to worry about reprofiling the edge.
You can take some of that lockbar pressure off and lighten the detent a bit. Also change the oil out for something thinner.
There's a fidgety way of closing frame lock knives. Your index finger goes around the back side of the knife and pulls the lockbar with a "come here" kind of finger motion. Your thumb pushes on the blade spine and rides the blade closed. Just before the blade hits them, you pull your fingers out of the he way. I'll see if I can find a video of someone doing it. It's very satisfying fidgeting IMO.
I been carrying a small sebenza 31 for maybe three years now and its been a good 'ol boy for sure. I don't flick my knives nor do I have to be playing with it all the time. Maybe you should get a dog to play with, man. You sound like a smart guy though.
One of my grails, but hesitant to get it because I am a fidget fan.
Yupp! That describes me as you heard.
@@floridamanknives ngl im totally the same
@@dr.limboprime7713 🙌👍
Then you will be disappointed with it, I was.
I’m telling you, if you all love the Sebenza look, get a SRM Land 910 Ti/M390. Same kinda look, amazing build quality and it’s on bearings. Mine is so smooth after a small break In period. $150.
I'm new to knives. I think if you are a knife collector. Then you would have kept it.
Like you said, you use them more than just collect them.
6, 10 years from now you might feel different.
I'm 60 years old and you don't know how many times i here, " i wish i would have kept my first car." ie chevy nova or ford bronco.
Later you see the value.
I'm thinking of sebenza knives because they are cheap ( comparatively speaking). I was looking at a loveless which is 4 to 6 k.
But that is part of the legend/history that loveless knives represents.
Also I'm poor, ssdi so i will buy a knife every few months.
But as everyone said in comments, many agree with you.
I was just offering another side to the comments.
✌️🦁
Good video and will be informative for people looking into CRK products in the future.
I really enjoy CRK products personally. I prefer the Umnumzaan but it also has that same awkward deployment you bring up. They do handle much better after break in and that period takes a decent amount of time in my experience. I always recommend using them (daily) for a couple of months to get a true feel for them.
At the price point I can understand it needs to check most boxes from the point when you open the box for the first time. It’s not often an underwhelming first impression doesn’t stick with you. I will add I don’t really fidget my knives so that’s another reason I think I like mine so much. It gives me more of a sense of a tool than a cool pocket knife. If I preferred the fidget factor of knives I doubt I would enjoy the CRK’s so much.
It’s all personal preference in the end. If you sell/sold it, don’t dwell on it or regret it, go find something that makes you feel good about your purchase and enjoy what you have.
fidgety Ti framelocks -
Sharp By Design Void
Koenig Arius
Olamic Whippersnapper
hope this helps you further down the rabbit hole FMK!
Thank you brother!!! Those are all knives I have had my eye on for sure! I would love a Koenig with a flipper delete but they are so expensive haha. I actually have come to love fidgeting with my Toor Knives Chasm!
@@floridamanknives the flipper delete is cool but it just subtracts an opening method IMO, really love the flipper on my Gen 4! I feel like you'd love it, but I'm not sure how you feel about the size. Pretty big knerf.
@@EliteLurker760 very good point about the flipper! As long as it isn’t intrusive in the pocket. How heavy is it? I love my PM2 and Slysz Bowie for example.
@@floridamanknives 136 grams, so it weighs about an oz more. Pretty good for full Ti handles! Flipper is pretty unintrusive honestly. Also my Umnumzaan is pretty fidgety! Maybe give that a try?
@@EliteLurker760 thank you for the reply!! The Koenig is one I will always have my eye on. Also I have heard great things about the Umnumzaan, is the opening really that much better than the Sebenza? I know the construction is different. I’m just skeptical now as it’s a fair bit of money for me haha.
I’m probably too late, but I think you should keep it and carry it and actually use for a few weeks or months. The issues you are having aren’t really issues, but operator error, which you kinda hit on a little bit. Once you use it you get used to it, it becomes second nature. You get used to how to open it pretty quickly. And the knife wasn’t really designed to be flicked and fidgeted with although it can be done and I do it a thousand times a day with no problem, but I have taken all my crks apart and cleaned and fine tuned them to my liking. For some reason everyone thinks because it’s a crk and they spent however much money on it it should come exactly how they want it to be. Take it apart, clean it, grease it, tune it. The sebenza 31’s in my experience aren’t fit quite as nice as the 21’s were. You shouldn’t have to play with the pivot but on 31’s you might have to in order to get that drop shut action( which again, it’s not designed to have).
I love spyderco and I bought the same slysz Bowie you have. It was nice but it just seemed like something was missing to me, maybe it was because it was so hyped up and when I got it it didn’t seem all that great to me and then I sold it within days of getting it. But actually use that slysz Bowie (which now cost almost as much as a sebenza, especially on secondary market) and if it breaks or you lose a screw or anything goes wrong, good luck with the warranty on a limited edition spyderco, especially one made in Taiwan. With crk, the sebenza will last you a lifetime and crk stands behind their warranty. If you voided the warranty they will still most likely fix it but at your cost. I could probably go on for days talking about this stuff…
Wow….when you opened this knife for the first time it was like beyond thrilled? Now selling it….(interesting)
You are correct!!! Some things just don’t live up to expectations I suppose. I’m glad to have had the chance to own one and know now too. Thanks for watching!
How much you selling it for?
Already sold but thank you for the comment!!!
CRK for me not a fan(not taking a shot) just not my personal preference if I'm going to put that much money down. I personally find the trevor burger custom exk to be my Grail knife but thats just my opinion
I agree man. It's not for everyone. I don't want to slow roll my knife open everytime. Sometimes you need a knife quick and need to be able to flick it open fast. It is a good knife for maybe the older crowd who aren't into edc or fidget factors or maybe for someone who just needs it as a tool only.
Personally I really like the action of CRKS. It's just so satisfying.
I could be called part of the "older crowd" -- who do you think invented EDC ;) .... regardless I have fidgety knives and tools - Sebenza's are tools, my flippers on bearings are largely toys --- we all get it regardless of age my friend ... just match your expectations with the knife and you'll be just fine ....
I wonder how many people there have been that don’t like the Sebenza for being unapologetically a tool.
15 years ago, Sebenza was a THING, only few production knives were close to it, Microtech Socom for example, but nto in the same materials. Now it's average, overpriced ti framelock knife with washers [which is good for some people], mediocre action, no lockbar insert [big no no], not the best thumbstud that you can't even easily remove to insert custom thumbstud, not heavy but also not very light. 55 years ago, Buck 110 was a thing, and 35 years ago, Spyderco Police. But future is now, old man.
Chris Reeves and Microtech both have never really demonstrated much quality to begin with. They have always been mid-range Benchmade quality charging custom prices.
It’s kind of disingenuous to bitch about some of the things that were addressed in the Inkosi model. It uses a very hard ceramic ball as the lockbar insert. It has an oversized pivot and a large bronze washer on both sides of the blade as well as a beefier stop pin. For me, the only bad thing that still hasn’t been addressed is the shitty thumb studs.
Go for Hinderer next time
That’s what I keep hearing!!! Thanks man!
Not for me as well. No time to waste to ‘break it in’ or whatever when I paying that kind of money, and so much loctite in the pivot to avoid that loosening screw issue. And that darn annoying thumb stud. Sold it after 3 months. I stick with my umnamzaan instead.
Hey can I buy it?
I had it for sale a few videos ago!! Unfortunately it is already sold, thanks for asking though!
You are opening it incorrectly. It is very easy to open if you do it correctly.
How can a person lust after a grail knife and not know everything about it? Its well known what the action is on a Chris Reeve knife. Why do people want to make it into something it is not, such as a fidget knife?
Knowing something and experiencing something or not the same thing. Don’t ask condescending questions.
Your not the 1st person to get 1 of these knives an be a bit disappointed !
After much saving & searching I was able to get a CR Sebenza a few years ago an I kept it for MAYBE 3 weeks before selling it back to the guy I purchased it from !
Yupp!!!! Thank you for sharing your experience too! I really appreciate it man. I tried to give it a chance, but it didn’t feel right and I knew if I carried it’d devalue even more. I am happy to see people being honest about CRKs and their experiences!
@@floridamanknives SAME here I was extremely happy that YOU were being honest about it in your video !
I've actually brought this subject & my experience up a few times in the past resulting in FB's dog piling me for DARING to have my own opinion & pointing out FACTS !
Thank you for being honest & posting about this , as I said before your NOT alone in your experience !
@@cottonmouth71 I can only imagine man, the CRK fanboys are real. I’m a Spyderco fanboy for example but still respect that people hate Spyderco’s aesthetics’s, hate FRN, etc. and I think that’s great! One of the reasons we have so many different knives, we can all have our opinions. I am interested to see more people comment hopefully sharing similar experiences. There isn’t one knife that is “for everybody”, contrary to what some people say lol. Again, thank you for your comments!!! 🙌👍
Get a 21, much better knife and if this has been your dream knife for the past 10 years that would be the 21 since the 31 didn't exist 10 years ago. You will love the 21
They are overrated. I have a Zaan and a 31 now, and have had a few others in the past. They just sit in my knife drawer honestly. Too old school for me.
Didn't keep mine either
Thanks for sharing this! 🙌
Def not for me either just dont do anything for me it def cant compare to my hoback sumo that's for sure
Maybe you can't afford to keep it :')
what a load of junk....trying to convince myself I need one...but just dont see it
Absolutely the most overrated knife, I think people are fooled into thinking it's something above and beyond by the price, which is massively over-inflated for a production knife with the materials involved. It has been surpassed many times over since it's inception by many manufacturers for a fraction of the price.
Looking for a new knife. could you lead me to one of those better ones you speak of? Something American made and titanium frame lock.
@@YoitsDro Why would you want a titanium frame lock? A Osborne in s90v with titanium scales will achieve everything a grade 5 titanium frame lock is capable of and then some.
@@StuninRub I actually have the Osborne with just the stock aluminum scales but prefer the feeling of closing a frame lock.
@@YoitsDro Look into the MBK (Monterey Bay Knives) Sea Otter. It's made in the USA. Ray Laconico hand grinds each blade himself. It's about the size of a small Sebenza, so not a big knife, but it's well made and now comes in Magnacut blade steel. Gotta get lucky with their lottos and limited drops to purchase 1 though.
@@Gambit33 thanks will check it out
Knives aren’t fidget toys.
This is a work knife, use it for work and the opening will smooth out. Chinese knives got you expecting mediocre quality as the best feature of a knife. You can't compare a Spyderco made in Taiwan to a Chris Reeve made in Idaho. Im not even a Chris Reeve fan but I know 100% that the tolerances on knives get tighter the higher in price you go. So yeah, a Spyderco with probably with .1" or even .2" tolerance is going to "fidget". It will also lose centering after a few hundred flicks and be almost impossible to use repeatedly on task, in environments where there's a lot of sand, mud or even blood vs a Chris Reeve that will get flicked 2000 times before it goes anywhere near losing centering and tolerances so tight that stuff like dirt isn't just going to creep into the washers/pivot area and affect the action. That's what you paid for, a work knife. Not a safe queen. So right off the bat, honestly, it's better for you to get rid of it if you don't want to use it. I consider Spyderco's some of the most overhyped knives, so 🤷 we all have our own opinions. Good luck with the sale.
The Sebenza is the most overhyped knife in the knife world.
what a bad review - you just dont know how to use it