I HAVE BEEN GOING BACK AND FORTH FOR 7 YEARS ABOUT BUYING THIS KNIFE - DECISION MADE!

chief38

chief38

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Like many here I absolutely love high quality items. I have carried a pocket knife ever since I was in grade school and never ever leave the house without one (except of course when flying). I look at them as tools, not as weapons.

About 7 years ago I learned about the Chris Reeve Sebenza. I have seen a few and really appreciate the very high quality but have just not been able to pull the trigger on one. I don't own any knives that sit in a glass displace case, no knives that I stare at and ogle over and every one of the many I own actually gets used - some more than others obviously. That said, I have spent hours on their website reading and trying to decide if I could actually spend $700+ on a knife and be willing to carry and use it every day.

I was on their website again this evening and finally came to the conclusion I would not feel good about the reality of loosing a $700+ knife, using it on a daily basis for mundane tasks and that it would only be more eye candy than a practical tool for me. I therefore came to the hard and long decision to pass on it.

My EDC for about 5-6 years now has been a Spyderco Delica with the blade made of K390 steel. I received this knife as a gift and have been carrying it ever since. It is light weight, ultra sharp, good quality, has excellent blade retention qualities, convenient to carry and use and if I loose it or break it, the knife is under $200 bucks. I am not afraid to carry and use it on a daily basis and while I would not want to have to, it can be replaced easily and I would do that.

So therefore I have made the "command decision" to pass on the CR Sebenza and stick with what I have. I need another knife like I need another hernia - lol. The CR Sebenza is admittedly a higher quality but like many items in real life, maybe just a small percentage better at quadruple the price. I use the term a diminishing return for your money. So for better or worse, I shall remain Sebenzaless. :rolleyes: Maybe, if I win the lottery:D
 
No need to spend big bucks on a knife unless you have excess money you are trying to get rid of. $400-700 for a carry knife? My recent purchase for a new carry knife is a Buck 110 slim with a pocket clip. Came razor sharp. On sale from Copper and Clad, $31 Will do anything an overpriced model will do.
 
Chief a wise decision in my mind. I know there are people out there who collect high end knives just like we collect revolvers. We don’t have a second thought about spending $700 plus on a S&W and they feel the same way about their knives. My knives get used too and I have more of them than I need ….. just like guns….
The most I’ve ever spent was $165 on a Benchmade. And I’ve taken advantage of their lifetime service recondition several times. My EDC is the Benchmade and/or one of the knives I’ve made myself. The instructor in the Adult Ed knife making class (that I have taken 6 times now) is a custom knife maker and has collector customers who spend $5k on one of his custom Damascus folders. So to each his own !
 

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I have one Benchmade folder and about 25-30 other knives that are not expensive. I once saw a sale on Amazon for Kershaw OSO Sweet flipper knives and bought three of them for $17 each. They are about the perfect carry knife for me and their blade won't stay sharp as long as my Benchmade, but ALL knives need sharpening eventually if they get used. I do admire the workmanship in tasteful custom knives and would like a Randal just to look at but doubt if I ever will get one.
 
gwpercle said:
EDC Knife Rule #1 ... Carry sonething you don't mind loosing .

Evidence in assault cases can be tied up for years and expensive knives and guns get "Lost" in some evidence rooms .

Trust me on this one .
Gary
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I have lost my share of pocket knives and have had 2 fall out of my pocket in a place where they were unretrievable like into a sewer drain. . Nothing very expensive but some had sentimental value. I have also washed my knife in the washing machine many times - my wife usually finds them when putting the clothes away or cleaning out the dryer. Hey, at least they are clean- LOL! :D
 
Can't believe the price of some knives these days. Been carrying a Sog Trident AT-XR or my Buck Alpha folder lately. Paid around $50 for the Buck and $75 for the Sog spring assist. About my limit for this guy. Spent big money for my Puma Skinner back in 68. Under $30 back then! Sure got plenty of choices out there these days but ain't spending $500. Kind of an old codger here I admit.
 
Many of our viewpoints on knives and guns are widely varied. Some folks look at guns as tools while others look at them collectible works of art. A lot of us are somewhere in the middle. My knife interests fall solidly in the tool side of the spectrum. I appreciate well-made, rugged tools and will pay enough to hit that mark, but not more. I have no collectible knives; they're workhorses. When it comes to guns, they're more than tools, but I use all of mine. Even collectibles like my K-32 get used. But I appreciate guns' aesthetics. I drool over RKMESA's collection of engraved guns. Unlike knives, guns are not just tools.

Having blabbed philosophically, I carry a Kershaw Link and a Swiss Army Knife. I won't go into deep depression if I lose, break or scratch either of them. I'll simply buy a replacement. I carry a P365 which is also a tool. Each of these carry tools are reliable and trustworthy which is all I ask. Like chief38, you won't find me spending 7 bills on a knive.
 
Let’s see, your current EDC has been in your pocket 5-6 yrs. So you have proven beyond a reasonable doubt that you have the ability to not loose it. So I say buy it.
 
The first pocket knife I spent any kind of decent money on was a Kershaw back when they were good knives. It was promptly stolen out of my locker at work. Since then, my big dollar knives are all fixed blades and my pocket knives are all under fifty dollars and are considered disposable.
 
chief38 said:
My EDC for about 5-6 years now has been a Spyderco Delica with the blade made of K390 steel. I received this knife as a gift and have been carrying it ever since. It is light weight, ultra sharp, good quality, has excellent blade retention qualities, convenient to carry and use and if I loose it or break it, the knife is under $200 bucks. I am not afraid to carry and use it on a daily basis and while I would not want to have to, it can be replaced easily and I would do that.

QUOTE]


Spyderco knives must have gone up a lot! My first Spyderco was a Delica and it was under $40. I still have 3 Spyderco's and never paid more than $100 for any of them.

I wonder if an apple could tell it was being peeled by a $50 knife or a $700 one?

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wood714 said:
chief38 said:
My EDC for about 5-6 years now has been a Spyderco Delica with the blade made of K390 steel. I received this knife as a gift and have been carrying it ever since. It is light weight, ultra sharp, good quality, has excellent blade retention qualities, convenient to carry and use and if I loose it or break it, the knife is under $200 bucks. I am not afraid to carry and use it on a daily basis and while I would not want to have to, it can be replaced easily and I would do that.

QUOTE]


Spyderco knives must have gone up a lot! My first Spyderco was a Delica and it was under $40. I still have 3 Spyderco's and never paid more than $100 for any of them.

I wonder if an apple could tell it was being peeled by a $50 knife or a $700 one?

i-FLDtbzz-X2.jpg
Click to expand...

The Syderco Delica knife I have has special steel called K390. It is quite a bit more expensive than their regular stainless steel. There are also three manufacturing facilities for Syperco knives. The most expensive is in USA. The next level down is made in Japan and the lowest quality is made in China. They do not hide this and fully disclose it on their website. Yes, the Chinese knives are very inexpensive and the USA knives are pretty pricy! The exact knife I have was made in Japan and now retails for $187.00.
Click to expand...
 
I have had several Spyderco, Benchmade types over the years. I lost two Spyderco's over the years. My brother died a few years ago and left me a large collection of high end custom knives. Some worth several thousand dollars apiece. There were a few that I would classify as working knives such as the Randall's but most were art knives, mostly folders that I would never carry. I have been selling them off thru two high end dealers that were friends of his. I will keep a few of them. He sold off a large number before he died. One year, he had a lovely left handed custom folder made for me with my birthstone in the thumb stud. I was with him at a show a number of years ago and ordered a custom utility folder that was $700. I have never sharpened it or carried it and probably never will.
It is much like the guys on here that have NIB guns that they will never shoot.
 
I think you made a wise choice, OP. I EDC a ~$180 folder (Kershaw Shallot) that I got for $50 very gently used. On my military kit, I have a $250 custom fixed blade tanto made by Ben Hayhurst, who has since retired, so it's not replaceable. So I like somewhat pricey knives without getting into the far edge of the Bell curve. Losing either of these, especially the tanto, would hurt but wouldn't be catastrophic.
 
$100 Benchmade Griptilian for everyday pocket carry.
Anything more expensive would stay home.
 
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Dad gave me a Barlow like this one for Christmas in the late sixties. Someone stole it out of my locker during gym class. This one was made in Ireland, but it keeps a good edge. I procured it from where I retired from. The price was right! At the time I thought it was cool because in the Tom Sawyer book. Tom and his friends called it a “Shur ‘nuff Barlow” if I remember correctly. I have a box full of knives so I’m good.
 

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I have owned Bucks since the mid 60s and have never lost one. I have however had a few grow legs and walk away never to be seen again. They are very popular with thieves who know the name means quality. Disgusting but replacing one won't break the bank.
 
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