Chris Reeve Large Sebenza

Reviewed 07/05/2014 by Federico

-Price Paid: $420.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

I have to say, I'm from Italy so you could understand the price and my faulty English.

I got this knife second hand. I had very high expectations about this knife, all are in love with it. This isn't a small knife, it is an EDC with self-defence attitude. This knife is nice and well done, blade opening is smooth, the liner is solid and not hard to push. The titanium handle has great grip and cool look. The clip point blade is probably more useful that mine: I think the Insingo blade is only better for cutting (both have a great look!). Like the Buck 110 and a few others, this knife has become a real classic. There are a lot of imitations on the web: I suggest this knife not only for collection, but also for every day use.

Reviewed 03/02/2013 by Everett

-Price Paid: $410.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

Great workmanship. Poor ergonomics of the handle. The locking bar, on the handle, causes pain to your hand when using the knife. And, these knives are ridiculously priced. A much better knife for the money is the Benchmade Griptillian.

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Reviewed 02/06/2011 by Charlie

-Price Paid: $350.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

This knife is definitely in my top 3 knives of my entire life. Chris Reeves is probably one of my favorite knife makers but for a good reason; he knows QUALITY. In terms of the knife, there is just nothing bad that I can really say about it. Sure, I can nitpick small things here and there, but nothing that will seriously sway someone's opinion. Regardless, I'll try my best to hit all the major points.

Blade:

The blade ranges in the 3.6" range with a stonewashed, S30V steel. It has a hollow grind which I find to be extremely great in slicing tasks. Additionally, the steel is great in that it retains its edge very well. I use this knife primarily to cut cardboard, zip ties, and various other hardware uses, and the edge has yet to fail. Granted, there are a few chips here and there, but that is due to the heavy usage that I have put it under. Luckily, sharpening the blade is fairly decent. With an Edge Pro system, I can sharpen it to a mirror edge and get rid of all the small nicks. Sometimes, all it takes is a couple runs down a ceramic rod to touch it up, and it's golden.

Handle/Ergonomics:

The handle is made of titanium and the lock is the Reeves Integral Lock (frame lock). I love frame lock knives mainly because they are easy to use. I can quickly open and close them without any hitches. One minor complaint I might have (and this will probably be heard among new Chris Reeves buyers) is that the thumb stud is rather difficult to work with to open the knife. This is fairly true, especially if the knife user lacks any callus on their thumb/fingers. This can be alleviated through practice and constant opening/closing.

In terms of the handle shape, this also might be something that one has to get used to. However, once the user gets used to the handle shape, he will realize that the handle feels fairly comfortable for hard cutting tasks. Note, this is the Large Sebenza, so the size of the hands might matter also in terms of how comfortable it will be. Of course, like all titanium handled knives, you will have to deal with the scratches that the handle seems to attract. This is something you will have to deal with if you plan to use this knife. Remember, you're spending $300+ dollars on a knife. There is no point in letting it sit in a safe for you to look at.

History/Overall:

Overall, I've found this knife to be one of the most useful knives to date. Not once has there been any noticeable blade play, locking failures, or any form of problems. The knife is ALWAYS centered in the handle and it is easy to disassemble, clean, and reassemble. Another small hit I might have to give about this knife is the price, but this varies person to person. For a person whose life depends on the knife, he will definitely say this knife is worth every penny. It is a great knife. Nothing less. For the person who tends to use his knife minimally, then he won't find this knife to be worth it. This knife needs to be used to realize its full potential.

Nevertheless, if the knife would drop maybe to around $300, I would be more inclined to purchase this multiples of this knife more readily, but at the moment, it seems like the price point will never drop (nor is there a reason for it to). However, the complaints that I have given on it are really minor and it doesn't really compromise the functionality of the knife. Chris Reeve knives should definitely be purchased at least once in your life to appreciate how well the fit and finish a knife achieve.

Reviewed 09/04/2010 by Josh K

-Price Paid: $350.00
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I have the Regular model, though I feel the 21 and Classic are just a bit subpar to the Regular.

This knife performs exceptionally in all aspects of my EDC. From mail, to boxes, to kitchen prep it is flawless. Light batoning, whittling, etc. Using this daily really shows the time and effort put into designing this knife.

Edge retention is fine. Some people complain about it being a bit soft, but I would prefer a roll to a chip any day of the week. I have no complaints about the edge retention.

Reviewed 04/29/2010 by Evan V.

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 6 months

Comments:

I have been collecting knives for some time now, and nothing beats the feel of a Sebenza. The blades are super sharp, and they are built tough. My biggest peeve in knives is blade wobble. What I love about the Sebenza is the Solid Lock-up and it's allways centered and secure. No fiddling with the pivot crew to get it to open smoother, or avoid blade wobble. My only complaint would be some of them are so nice, you don't want to use them. :)

Reviewed 04/03/2010 by morimotom

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for Greater than 1 year

Comments:

The Sebenza has the best blade to handle ratio of any folder I have owned.

I have carried a Sebenza every day for the last 2 months, including on duty as a police officer. Previously, a sebenza has been in my edc rotation for at least 7 years.

It is slim and light, while maintaining a large usable edge, making pocket carry easy and comfortable.

The Sebenza is simple in design, and easy to clean and maintain. It takes and holds an exellent edge.

Though not as beefy as folders advertised as "hard use", the Sebenza is no doubt very tough. The lock is reliable and strong, as are the pivot, hardware, and blade.

The only changes I would make would be a less pointy thumbstud and perhaps various steel options (though I have no complaints of the performance of CRK S30V).

I really appreciate this knife more and more every day for its simplicity, elegance, durability, and reliability.

Reviewed 03/13/2010 by Norton

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 3 months

Comments:

The Sebenza has earned a reputation for being one of the greatest folders out there. Lets start with build quality. The CRK Sebenza is flawless. I have looked at mine under a microscope and still cant find an errant tool mark or bad angle. The lockup is as solid as a folder gets and feels welded in place. Absolutely no movement in any direction. The bushing and phosphor bronze washers enable a glassy smooth opening. The S30V blade is another work of cutlery art. It features a rounded spine and a perfectly cut row of jimping. The shape is excellent for all around use. Handle scales and clip are made from titanium. The attention to detail is evident here in that everything is chamfered. No sharp edges at all. Some may say the one area where a Sebenza is less than ideal is ergonomics. It has a straight back and metallic handles. A knife with a G10 handle and a more curved back will feel more "locked in." Some may hesitate at the price ($385) but I feel it is a steal. This knife offers you better fit and finish than any factory made knife. Many custom knives cannot compete with the Sebenza and they will cost quite a bit more. I have been using my Sebenza for EDC since I got it and now cant picture carrying anything else. It is an amazing piece of craftsmanship and engineering. If you have the funds try one. If for some reason you dont like it they are very easy to trade or sell.

Reviewed 01/28/2010 by Ben

-Price Paid: N/A
-Used for Every Day Carry
-Owned for 1 year

Comments:

This is an awesome folder. It is perfectly finished, perfectly made, and perfectly engineered. The grinds are exceptional and it cuts great. The pivot bushing system is genius. This knife will stand up to heavy use and even some abuse. The only down side to this knife is the price, but you pay for what you get and I feel it is price accordingly.

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