Sebenza v. Sage 2 (Fit and Finish)

[TomAiello]

Does anyone here own a Sebenza and a Sage 2 and want to give a review of the relative F&F on the two knives?

My Sage 2 went missing at work today and the chance I'll get it back is minimal. I was pondering a replacement, and was considering either another Sage 2 or a Sebenza (I want a RIL, because I'm enjoying that feature lately).

I know the Sebenza has a great reputation, but honestly I found the F&F of the Sage 2 to be be excellent. Is the Sebenza actually much better?

Anyone have any thoughts?


FWIW, the other knife I was considering was the KW exclusive Millie with the RIL--anyone have a comparison to that one?

Thanks in advance!

[Holland]

I used to own an umnumzaan years ago. I couldn't tell a difference in f&f between it and the GB1, so I sold the umnumzaan

[anagarika]

I recall reading it somewhere that Sal stated if Spyderco is built with tolereances on par with CRK, it is likely going to cost the same. Whether we as users can differentiate them is a different matter altogether.

I haven’t handled any CRK folder but I’m happy with my GB.

[Wanimator]

CRK's tolerances are impressive to some but those toleraces don't give much of an advantage outside of your head. I'd rather get 2 Sages.

[timlara]

Sounds like a great time to pick up a discontinued Slysz Bowie if you can find one!

CRKs are fantastic and iconic, but for the slightly lower price and the (imo) more interesting design, the Slysz is the better buy to me.

[Reject]

Firstly sorry for the dirty condition of Chaparral. :rolleyes: It is straight from the pocket where it has lived for the past few years. Nothing pushes the Chap out of the pocket.

Size wise; the Small 21 would better than the large.
If you want to be able open the 21 with left and right hands, you will need to find one with double thump lugs or send it back CRK to get them fitted. It will cost $30.

CRK are semi custom, all done in one small factory. They are very well fitted together, you will not find much to complain about with any CRK knife. And if you do, send it to them and they will fix it.

I’ve been using the Chaparral for a few years and it has excelled in its daily use. But I haven’t had the Sage2 out for a long time and I had forgotten how great the Sage 2 is.

If you get a CRK, it will not let you down, but it may cut you if don’t retrain your hand to the new knife. They are every different knives, don’t choke on the CRK like you do on the Sage. :o Almost did that myself a few moments ago, after playing with the Sage for a while. Old habits will get you cut.

[Brock O Lee]

When I first received my Sage 2 about 4 years ago I could only find one flaw: it was a bit too thick behind the edge. Other than that it was flawless. Today it is well used, it has a very thin and high flat convex, the lockup has not moved since new, the blade is still perfectly centered, and it is still performing like a champ.

Instead of a CRK, I would honestly get a Sage, a Spydiechef, and have change for another small Spydie in a super steel.

[Nemo3000]

Hello I have made a comparaison shot here:

https://nemoknivesreview.com/2012/12/11 ... ison-shot/



And a review on the Sage 2 here:

https://nemoknivesreview.com/2010/07/24 ... se-choice/

If it may help. :-)

[dplafoll]

I am a Spyderco fanboy. But I think if you have the opportunity to get a CRK, it's worth doing at some point in your knife collecting journey. If you have a chance to handle them in-person, do so. I personally chose the Small Inkosi over the Sebenza because I prefer the changes they made, especially the ceramic ball detent/interface. But to each his own.
I'd also suggest a Slysz Bowie as well at this point, due to it being discontinued, but it may be a bit larger than your intent here.

[carrot]

If you like to take apart your knives frequently (for cleaning or for fun) the Sebenza is a great knife. The way they are manufactured, they will go back together perfectly every time, the same time. The action will never change on a Sebenza, because as long as you tighten every bolt, it will fit the exact same way.

When most Spydercos are assembled, the worker will tighten the pivot (and sometimes, stop pin) to a certain point to set a particular feel and tension. This is just as easily achieved at home with a pair of Torx drivers and some blue Loctite. This is because Spyderco allows higher tolerances on their manufacturing, but then dials in the feel with fasteners that take up the slack.

But is a Sebenza a better knife than a Spyderco? Maybe, or maybe not, and it depends on your preferences. I'd personally rather take Sal's version of S30V over Chris's, or even better something like CTS-XHP, but the Sebenza still holds a very special place in my collection and gets carried regularly. The Sebenza aesthetic is very special and elegant, as are the rest of Chris's designs. But Sal's work finds their way into my pocket incredibly frequently, more than any other knife designer's.

[Evil D]

Every time I see an Insingo I get the itch to buy one again. That blade just calls to me. But, I'm just not sure the advantages outweigh the cost for me.

[twinboysdad]

No kidding D. I say buy a Delica and see if you can't satisfy the EDC blade need for less than $75! I will never spend CRK money on an EDC. My head would explode if I lost it. Of course that's just me.

[gull wing]

I have all of the the knives mentioned above and they are all fine knives.
The fit and finish on the CRK and Sage look about the same...... not saying there is no difference in the two.
I don't carry the Sage or CRK much, because I'm not fond of S30V /35VN. I like a steel that keeps that crazy sharp edge I put on it a little longer, those two don't suit me.
Now, if the Sage were fitted with CTS-XHP, that would put it in my pocket more often.

[Cujobob]

They're very different knives IMHO. I've owned several CRK and many more Spyderco knives. Spyderco's knives really don't have bad tolerances that I've noticed, but the finish is better on most CRK knives (which is intentional and part of the cost, Spyderco's more expensive knives match that level of finish).

The Sage 2 has a sharp spine which really annoyed me when I owned one. Different ergos from a Sebenza, a good knife in its own right, but not the same level of finish - intentionally. The Slysz Bowie is a closer comparison with the Sebenza's finish.

[shunsui]

There's a world of difference between my Sage and A Sebenza in fit. Manufacturing being what it is, someone might have a magic Sage. Mine wasn't.

The Ti Millie has a nicer feel than the G10 models in the pivot and lockup, (sort of like checking how car doors close) but it's not a Sebenza either.

Personally, I'd go with the S90V Ti Millie.

Never bought a Sebenza. They're interesting, but I just never got over the hump in acquiring one.

High tolerances are cute, but I really don't want to have to take it apart and grease it with magic grease.

I'd rather have good egros and good steel than exaggerated tolerances.

If they were cheaper I probably would have one. Just came along too late for a clean BG-42 Regular.

But really, the "Idaho Made" stamp pretty much killed it for me.

[TomAiello]

But really, the "Idaho Made" stamp pretty much killed it for me.

I live in Idaho and love it here, so the "Idaho Made" stamp is actually a major draw for me. I even considered asking if they could do an "Idaho" graphic for me.

Like this:

https://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/37 ... 7cff7.jpeg

or maybe this:

https://i.pinimg.com/originals/44/e2/57 ... 3f5a1d.jpg

[PaleMoon]

The F&F and tolerances on a Sebenza aren't so much about how the knife looks from the outside, but how it fits on the inside IMO. The two main reasons CRKs cost what they cost are:

- You can take them down, clean them up and reassemble them with no problems whatsoever. If you get a model with the pivot bushing (Sebenza 21, Mnandi), you can expect the action to be exactly the same every time you reassemble it, without any need for fiddling or loctite.

- The lifetime warranty and the spa treatment.

If those two things don't matter to you, i.e. you change knives a lot, you never disassemble them, you don't live in the USA, etc., then I'd go with the Sage. I personally feel the beauty of the Sebenza is lost on people who never take it apart.

Other subjective deciding factors might be blade shape, grind, looks, ergos, etc. I don't think you can go wrong either way; it doesn't get much better than Spyderco and CRK as far as production folding knives are concerned.

[GoldenSpydie]

I know it's going to sound a bit like heresy here, but I'd have to go with the Sebenza. Why? Because...it's the classic titanium framelock. The Sage 2 is nice, but the titanium framelock is where the comparison ends (IMHO). The opening style is very different, the Sebenza is a a lot thinner in the pocket, etc. I think of the Sebenza 21 small as more of a mini-Nirvana than anything else.

[Ncmiked]

I think the ergos of Spyderco out do CRK, that said the Sebenza is a wonderful knife. I have a uhmnazaan that I carry very little because the ergos for me aren't great. F&F go to CRK, easiest knife to come apart and put back just right.

[sal]

Nice graphics Tom.

Colorado's shape is not so identifiable.

sal