Review - After 31 days with the CRK Small Sebenza 31
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- čas přidán 26. 12. 2020
- Slice Of My Life: During the unboxing and first impressions of this Small Sebenza 31 by Chris Reeve Knives, I said that I would EDC the knife for 30 days in order to really experience it.
I decided to carry it for 31 days because it's a Sebenza 31.
Is it really the one knife I'll ever need for the rest of my life?
What do I think about the Hawk Pocket Clip?
This video outlines my thoughts.
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Incredible review! No matter what kind or type of knife you may have, our brother here does an amazing job on specific details. Thanks so much bro!
Oh man I appreciate the kind words!
Tons of detail in your reviews. Thank you for the in depth reviews. Subscribed. Looking forward to diving into your flashlight reviews. Thank you!!
Thank you Beemorrow :)
That nub 13:51 is what i use to slow top roll the blade out. I enjoy that nub. Definitely has a purpose. To each their own
One of the better Sebenza 31 reviews I've seen. I gotta say, I thought I was the only person who was bothered by the tang of the blade protruding past the scale when in the closed position. Glad you called attention to it. Aesthetically, the knife is super clean and minimal, except for this one thing. They could've redesigned the tang, or scales, or both to completely eliminate that eyesore. Anyway, thanks for a great review.
I agree, they could have redesigned the tang. I sold this small sebenza a few days after uploading the video.
However I now own a small inkosi and my experience with it is way better than what I had with the small 31, so maybe it could be something “different” about the newer versions?
Thanks for the review, it was interesting to hear what aspects of the knife you spent time on your review. I like this knife, as the action is very predictable with no free swinging blade (since my finger has to be in the blade path a little on closing). For a work knife this seems like a good thing. And while it’s not as fun as flicking the blade out fast, the smooth action has its own good quality feel. Last, to me it’s amazing they can stuff such a large blade into the handle.
Fantastic review as always brother!
Thank you brother! :)
I have a Macassar ebony inlaid large sebenza 31. And it took A LONG TIME to break in and be flickable. Love this knife!
Awesome video Ben. Whether I agree or disagree I can always rely on you being a hundred percent honest.
I appreciate that my brother. And likewise - but that's what makes us all individuals but with the same love for expensive sh*t! hahahaha
Enjoy your videos 👍🏼. I have family in Singapore and would love to visit such a beautiful place one day soon!
Oh? Awesome!
I'm sure we all can't wait for this pandemic to end. Sigh.
The "shim" or bushing is held firmly in place by the scales when the pivot is tight. There is only one point of rotation like other knives, it's just on the bushing instead of the pivot. Nice review.
Oh that's good information - I learn something new today!
Wooohoo thanks for the full review! :D Dude that flick blows my mind, so fast la! Looks like your skin is healed! Mhmmm meaty hands
HAHAHA STOP or you're gonna make me blush!
Good honest review.
Glad you enjoyed it, thank you for your kind words!
Great video. Really enjoyed hearing your thoughts and I agree with some of your points. I’ve yet to find a single knife that is perfection to me. Even the closest to perfect have 1 or 2 things that just errrrrrr me and leave me wondering why the manufacturers didn’t see it or change it. Small 31 is a keeper for me though 🙂
I love the way you described that - "errrrrrr me"! That's literally it!
Great review brother!!!
Thank you, Rashad! Appreciate you dropping by!
Useful review.
Thank you, Martin!
Great video. How did you make the titanium dark? I’m dying to know.
I didn’t do anything - those were stock.
However, I remember watching a video by BladeHQ where they did a tour of the CRK workshop and if I recall correctly, they use WD40 to help make the titanium darker.
The titanium is bead blades with aluminum oxide which gives it the muted dark gray color.
Outstanding review! Did you use oil or grease to help break in your Sebenza?
I didn’t use anything - I tried adjusting the pivot screws a little for sure but nothing else apart from that.
@@avgsgn Sincerely appreciate the response! Thank you!
Thank you for your videos. Do you still use your slim pickins? I just ordered a mini and I'm curious how yours is a year later. Thanks
Actually, I've sold my Slim Pickins!
I realized I carried it a lot less than I expected because of it's size.
@@avgsgn gotcha. OK cool
I'm a bit surprised you would leave the house with a Serbenza, I thought the laws in Singapore were very very strict.
I can actually top thumb roll mine open too. This came with tons of practice and alot of time breaking in
Hi nice video, is there a store to buy ckr or other premium knives in spore?
If you mean Chris Reeve Knives, try either Urbantoolhaus or Field Essentials :)
@@avgsgn thanks man, after this pandemic if i go to spore I will visit those stores
I have the small Inkosi and a large Sebenza. Love them both! I have to say though, the real magic is in the large size knife. I just find that I can feel the smoothness of the knife as it opens and closes. Either way, I carry one of the two every day. That’s how much I appreciate my Chris Reeve knives.
I guess my hunch was right then - most people really love the larger sized offerings.
Unfortunately, it's too big for my personal taste. However, I cannot deny the quality of CRK's products!
Sweet piece overall.
I like the micarta inserts, blade shape, and your hawk clip.
It looks extremely well put together, and finish is great, especially the spine of the blade, giving it a refined look.
Something I really hate about manufacturers is that they put the clips on the knives.
Some people plan to replace their clip before they even receive the knife.
I always reverse the clip if it's ambi.
But in either case, it gets those shiny scratches on the body, whether it's titanium, g10, or whatever material it is, and it bugs the sh!t out of me.
All those particular knives in my collection have scratches on the show/lock side.
If you can put that clip in more than one position, or isn't proprietary and has tons of aftermarket options, then it should come with the clip and screws in separate little packages.
I consider it "damage" to the knife when I use one of their selling/bragging points, and those marks are underneath the clip.
UG....LEE
I was wondering what the bump was when it was closed, and thought it was a front flipping option.
It could probably be shaved a bit and make a difference.
May need to visit the Ben Mod Shop if it doesn't get unfriended.
That feeling of the edge touching my finger would bother me.
I hadn't ever considered one of those knives due to the price, but I'm a fidgeter, so it wouldn't be something I'd Love.
I'd absolutely enter a giveaway for one, or pick it up off the ground if it fell off the back of a truck, but couldn't swallow the lump and actually spend the chedda for one.
Maybe others' are more loosey goosey and have drop shutty-ness, but I've not watched many videos as it's not on my radar.
Thanks for sharing in this slice.
I hope 2021 is happy, healthy, and fortuitous for you and yours.
Be safe.
G4G4 BUC3!
Whoops though Gman... It got unfriended. HAHA
Did you polish the blade before thia review? 31 days of use and no scruff marks?
I cleaned it almost daily.
Most of my use cases are breaking down cardboard boxes so it’s not hard use.
The titanium looks very dark. Did you do something to it? It actually looks very nice.
I did not. It's CRK's standard finish for titanium!
I just got the PJ S45VN Small Sebenza. Very impressive
Ah, nice!
Congrats - I'm sure it's a wonderful piece!
Great review. What are some good alternatives?
For a CRK? I would say that many would argue there is no alternative.
Are you looking for a "one knife to rule them all" for yourself? If that's the case it would boil down to 3 main factors - price, size, and materials. (Design is subjective).
Maybe a Civivi Elementum? If you want an upgraded version with better materials, then go for the WEKnife version of the elementum. IMO the elementum is quite close to the sebenza in terms of design, but with a different deployment method.
@@avgsgn those are some nice suggestions. I ended up with a small sebenza 31 plain. Cheers
@deltawhiskey6417 I know this is an older post but check out the arno bernard imamba for an alternative
Good video. I had an opposite experience with the hawk, it pressed on the lockbar very hard. So much so it didn't make opening it fun. It also pinched closer to the scale, causing it to have no real advantage over the stock clip.
The blade is 2mm from the base it's wild close! I have the same outlook you do on this knife.
Yeah 2mm really is too close for comfort for me. I really do scare myself each time I feel it against my middle finger. Sigh.
Fair comments. I am a newer Sebenza 32 guy myself.
I’m pretty sure you mean “31”, haha.
Well I had the pleasure to try out a buddy’s small sebenza 31 and I must say it seems that the one I received was particularly tight =\
Yes, 31, oops! I like your videos on your Small Sebenza 31, great job!
I love it and it's the one knife for me.
That’s really awesome to hear!
I got a small with box elder inlay and love it. It's light, small in the pocket, well made, ergonomic, good cutter, great looking, and it's a small gentleman's knife that can still be used tactically. The only thing is I baby it to not scratch it or lose it, but It was worth the price to me. Good review but knife problems mentioned are more nitpicky than me.
To be fair, I have tried other people’s Small Sebenzas and the truth is - this particular one that I had (yes, I sold it) is particularly tight.
Everyone else’s felt so good.
I heard that you are not supposed to flick the sebenza. Is this true?
I believe that’s not the original intention but most Sebenza owners do it anyway!
I have to do the same thing with spidercos. use the thumbnail. I just don't have the right kind of hands to flip it with the meat of my thumb. CRKs aren't really designed to "flip open" it seems. Oh it's doable, but it's designed for the slow roll it seems or they would have made the thumb stud just a little more towards the centerline when at rest so you could put pressure on it and pop it out like a benchmade. (i know they're both totally different lower classes of knives, but geometry matters when it comes to flipping open a knife or rolling it, just like you wouldn't expect to snap open a buck knife with just a flip of the wrist at all)
Yeah i totally agree with you. However i have handled some other CRK knives and i really must say that i think that this particular one that I received is particularly tight - i just probably drew the short end of the stick. Oh well!
Hah I was just about to message you bud, to ask your thoughts on this after having it a while. Decided to see what CZcams reviews had to say first since I didn’t see you online
tee hee. you.
the micarta will get darker over time just from the oils of your hand
yo super new to knives i own a really shitty manual pocket knife but i’m just curious about the knife laws in singapore: can i actually carry a pocket knife as an edc item everywhere i go? is it illegal to use or open my knife in public? what steers me away from the police and what not to do? please help me because articles online are super ambiguous hahah thank you and nice videos you got a new sub :>
Manual knives are all you can carry here in SG. No autos allowed at all.
Yes, you can carry a pocket knife as long as you are smart and responsible about it. Meaning - concealed carry, and no randomly brandishing it in public. It’s not illegal to open or use it in public but bear in mind it can lead to the authorities being alerted.
You’re right - all articles are super ambiguous and the addition of knives in most crime reports are used to sensationalise or add drama to the article. Ask yourself a question - is it wrong to but a knife from a supermarket and carry it in a plastic bag to bring home?
Even better - is it wrong to bring a knife from your home to a friend’s house if you’re intending to use it as a utensil for cooking there?
The answer is no.
But what also matters is how you bring it over to your friend’s place - are you holding it out in the open or do you have it nicely kept in a bag / pouch / your pocket?
Do you randomly take it out in public to practise “air-chopping” vegetables?
That’s how I personally see it. My pocket knife is always well concealed in my pocket or in a pouch, and is only ever taken out when there is an immediate need for a use of it (“need”, not “want”). Once the cutting task is done, the knife gets kept immediately.
I’ve gotten checked by security multiple times and each time I get checked, my EDC items are the first things that I declare. Transparency definitely helps build trust.
@@avgsgn aye this helps a lot thanks man, also you should do a edc video like what you carry around on a daily basis. dig your vids :p
I did a couple in the past - maybe it’s time to make an update, haha!
The irony of the sebenza is that it has incredible fit and finish but CRK decides to bead blast the handles. The bead blast makes it wear so much faster. Why not just give it a stone wash finish or something simple. Not sure how high Chris Reeve was when he designed the sebenza.
SO MUCH YES. Why not a stonewashed finish!!!
This was my main gripe about my new small plain 31. I just don’t like that finish.. I sandblast stuff all the time at work and am very familiar with that feeling.. it feels like a chalkboard and is just unpleasant. When I first got mine, I handled the shit out of it to break it down a little. I bought it to use though, not to preserve and look it so a couple weeks of break in for a knife I’ll carry for years wasn’t a big deal. Aside from that and maybe one or two other insignificant things, it’s the closest I’ve found to my ideal edc knife.
They aren't spyderco. If you want to flick it open but a Spyderco or ZT flipper.
Actually - I've received feedback from many other Sebenza users that they can flick theirs open easily.
To be honest, I've sold this piece to a CRK collector and he shared with me that this piece in particular is stiffer than the others he owns.
The inlay is sandblasted with the handle giving the inlay some grip.
Snap, now that's something I didn't know!
Thanks for sharing!
Chris reeves suggests NOT to flick them.
And that adds another reason why a CRK isn’t for me - I really enjoy being able to flick my knives open.
Damn you! My Sebenza 31 was perfect before you went on your rant.
Oh man. To be fair, I’ve tried someone else’s Small 31 and it’s WORLDS apart.
Your issues with the pocket clip.... May be more your experience than the consensus experience.
Yep. And I’ve also been told that the Sebenza I received is particularly tight around the pivot.
Thus, I did my best to make it clear that my experience is unique to myself - but again, only by experiencing this am I able to confirm that I enjoy other knives over the Sebenza.