Review: Is the Sebenza the Best Production Folder Ever?
Daniel Xu 04.22.16
If you’ve ever gone to a gun and knife show, talked with some knife collectors, or simply browsed through YouTube’s range of review channels, then you probably already heard of the Sebenza. Designed and crafted by master knifemaker Chris Reeve, the Sebenza line is often touted as the be all, end all of production folding knives. Go on any forum and you will often find a heated discussion on whether the Sebenza is the best production folder ever made. Bar none. Of course, fans of this knife will point to its excellent steel, design, and possibly the best fit and finish of any folder outside the realm of custom knives.
Detractors will point to the startlingly high cost of the Sebenza. The line costs from about $300 to $600 depending on what kind of materials you want on the knife. So you can see while I have wanted to get my hands on a Sebenza for some time, the prospect makes my wallet pucker up. For this review, the good folks at knifeart.com were kind enough to send me a sample for review. In this case, it was their exclusive Sebenza 25 in carbon fiber.
Let me say first that I have long heard about the legendary quality of the Sebenza, and while I never got to handle one for any appreciable amount of time, I did note the reputation. The hype was real. But was it worth it when compared to cheaper—but still very reliable—offerings from the likes of Spyderco and Benchmade? There seems to be a divide in the knife collecting community. People who have never owned a Sebenza tend to say that the price is unjustified, while those that do swear up and down that once you have one, you’ll “just know.” Is that just an excuse to justify a pricey purchase?
Well, I found out almost immediately when the Sebenza arrived.
This… this was a damn good knife.
SPECIFICATIONS:
- Price: $485 (exclusive to knifeart.com)
- Blade Material: CPM S35VN Stainless Steel – American Made by Crucible Industries
- Blade Hardness: 58-59 RC
- Blade Length: 3.625″ (92 mm)
- Blade Thickness: 0.14″ (3.56 mm)
- Overall Length: 8.335″ (212 mm)
- Handle Length: 4.8″ (122 mm)
- Handle Material: 6Al4V Titanium (Lock Side) Carbon Fiber (Front Side)
- Handle Thickness: 0.150″ (3.8 mm)
- Lanyard: Black cord with titanium bead.
- Weight: 4.0 oz.
- Fittings: 303 Stainless Steel
- Double Thumb Lugs: 6Al4V Titanium
- Pocket Clip: 6Al4V Titanium
- INCLUDED WITH KNIFE: Hex tools, locktight, attached lanyard/bead, CRK lubricant, certificate/paperwork, CRK chamois and packaging.
Blade:
First things first, let’s get one thing out of the way. The fit and finish on the Sebenza 25 is the absolute best that I have seen on any production knife. Short of expensive (think $1,000 and above) customs, nothing else even comes close. Sliding your finger across the flat of a Sebenza blade just screams quality with every centimeter, and this knife is so smooth and slick that compared to other production folders, it may as well be a sports car.
What can I say about the blade itself? It’s a dead standard drop point with a somewhat unconventional grind. Chris Reeve calls it a wide hollow grind, which means it’s actually somewhere between a hollow and flat grind. Whatever it is, it is wicked sharp and mine came ready to shave right out of the box.
At about 3.6 inches, the blade seems beefier than it is. Make no mistake however, despite the high price point, this is a working knife. The aesthetic qualities of the Sebenza 25 are subdued—you will not notice that this is a $500 knife at first glance. Use it for a bit however, and then you’ll see the difference. The Sebenza 25 is a superb cutter and slicer. I am not entirely sure how strong the lock up is (I’m assuming it’s comparable to the best in the market) but it held up without fail during testing. I don’t care who you are, you don’t use a $500 folder for batonning or prying.
For the work I did set it to do however, it performed flawlessly. Whether it’s in the kitchen, the woods, or somewhere cutting up stacks of cardboard boxes, it’s a beast of a knife.
Steel:
The Sebenza 25 is made of CPM S35VN, which is manufactured by Crucible Industries and is treated to about 58-59 on Rockwell scale. It’s a quality steel that was reportedly designed from input from many notable knifemakers, Chris Reeve included. In the community, it has a good reputation of being a reliable, stainless steel of impressive durability and edge retention. While the material itself may not justify the Sebenza 25’s hefty price tag, it certainly does come close. No doubt about it, this is a top grade steel for this kind of knife.
During my testing the Sebenza didn’t need even the slightest bit of sharpening. I whittled my way through a fair amount of wood and even the dreaded credit card test. Nothing dulls a blade like cutting up plastic, surprisingly. However, the Sebenza stood firm and by the end, was even sharp enough to use as a modeling knife. Pretty impressive.
Handle:
Sebenzas come in a vast array of handles, and this carbon fiber variant is exclusive to knifeart.com. It has a firm, almost rubbery grip and does well even in slippery conditions. The back of the folder, which is titanium, has a feel that I could only describe as “fuzzy.” It had almost like a felt-like texture, and that added to the overall stability of the handle despite the weird feel.
The Sebenza 25 comes with some high-quality parts, and the biggest selling point of the carbon fiber variant is its weight. At a breezy four ounces, the Sebenza is on par with some smaller folders out there. Inside the handle is also shaped phosphor bronze washers, an one-eighth inch ceramic ball, and 416 heat-treated steel stop pin. All in all, the knife closes and opens so securely, you’ll start thinking about it as a fixed blade. It’s a simple frame lock, but quality has a sophistication all of its own.
Practicality:
It’s price tag may say otherwise, but this knife practically begs to be used. If you’re worried about dropping this knife into the river or otherwise losing it, I would suggest buying something else. If you’ve never lost a knife before, then I would go so far to say that this knife will probably last you the next 20 years or so. Its solid construction and materials mean that general wear and tear—don’t try to cut rocks with it—will be relatively minimal. It’s relatively large size means that it is well-suited to being a workhorse. Keep it on your for daily chores, going out into the woods, or even self defense if pressed—the Sebenza 25 will do it all.
Conclusion:
The Sebeneza is everything that everyone said it would be. If you could afford it and are looking for a knife that will last you pretty much forever, get this now. If you can’t afford it, but are interested in knife collecting as a (somewhat expensive) hobby, then this is a good benchmark to look forward to. The community sometimes refer to people before and after they own their first Sebenza, like some kind of rite of maturity, and now it makes a bit more sense to me.
So, as I ship my sample Sebenza back, I’m also checking the funds in my savings account. Maybe one day I’ll purchase one for myself. Maybe one day soon.
Note: Currently the Sebenza 25 carbon fiber is out of stock, but knifeart.com expects to get them in early May.
