NickZac
Ultimate Member
Preface:
Let me first say that I am biased here and rather than denying bias, I want to admit it outright. I definitely fit the role of the Chris Reeve fanboy as I have taken a strong liking to their knives over the years. Still, I wanted to review the Sebenza 25 because new Chris Reeve products really excite me. Being on a gun forum, chances are very few people have interest in a $430 knife. Even if you don’t, I hope you enjoy the review and pictures.
As fair warning, this review is LONG. Something in this class should be paying attention to the most minor of details given a premium price warrants a premium product on a level of detail greater than others. Subsequently, I think the review should correspond to that level of detail and more minor details deserve more consideration than a $100 knife!!!
The Sebenza 25: with blue lugs, factory lanyard, beadblasted finish
Introduction: some background on the "Seb"
In 1987, some dude from South Africa introduced a folding knife to the market which shook the foundation of the industry. The Sebenza, made by Chris Reeve Knives (or CRK), quickly became wildly popular and is often referred to in the industry as the “benchmark” of folding knives upon which all others are compared. It didn’t take to long for this dude to move to the friendly [Red] state of Idaho, and begin production using U.S.-sourced materials and U.S. labor. He’s not very good at communicating or showing any sort of expression/emotion, but he makes one helluva nice knife!
Mr. Reeve's employs artist and knifemaker Lisa L'Eveque-Hague. Lisa produces unique images on Sebenzas utilizing anodizing of the titanium handles, and/or engraving. She does custom "unique" designs, standard "computer-generated" designs, reverse-gray graphics, jewel, and can incorporate a customer's image onto a knife. Each month she picks her favorites and they go on the website HERE.
In the quarter century that followed, most major makers adopted many patented features invented by Chris Reeve (such as the Reeve Sebenza Integral Lock, which is commonly called the “frame lock”). Chris Reeve went on to develop CPM-S30V and CPM-S35VN cutlery steel with Crucible Steel, both of which saw widespread adoption by virtually all makers and are consistently praised for their balanced capabilities making them a great choice for an EDC (or Every Day Carry) knife. And over the years, Chris Reeve Knives has received a trophy room worth of innovation and manufacturing quality awards.
The name, “Sebenza,” is derived from Zulu, and is translated as, “to work.” The “25” in the Sebenza 25 represents 25 years of production of the Sebenza.
The older, "Regular Sebenza"
The Simplicity of the Sebenza:
The design of the Sebenza itself is surprisingly simple. The three main parts are two machined handles from grade 5 titanium, and a blade made of a premium steel (initially ATS-34, then BG-42, later CPM-S30V, and now CPM-S35VN). The other parts include a pocket clip/screw, a rear handle spacer (which functions as the lanyard pivot on the Seb 25)/screws, a blade stop pin/screws, the pivot joint/bronze washers, and that’s it. And a lanyard, if you want to be technical…that’s included with every Seb.
The total package is basic. The lock itself is a single 1-piece design which is machined from one of the solid titanium handle slabs (hence the term, “frame” or “integral” lock for the integration into the basic frame). It is arguably the simplest lock used on a knife, it is one of the strongest, and it is one of the best-suited for hard usage as it resists the elements and excessive fouling does not harm core functional performance. The open-handle design makes cleaning easy…many people clean the knife in a dishwasher or ultrasonic cleaner.
(Literature release on the Sebenza 25)
Unlike most locking mechanisms, the Reeve Integral Lock is dynamic. That is, as the parts on the knife slowly wear with normal usage, the locking mechanism can account for this wear without risking the integrity of the lockup or longevity (hence how the frame lock does not develop blade play like most other locking mechanisms, partly why it is resistant to the elements as the knife is still safe at partial lockup from fouling, and why the knife can run for a decade-plus without requiring service.) This locking mechanism also eliminates the need for more delicate springs and more delicate thin steel liners with a single-piece of thick titanium designed to handle the stresses of usage. Makers such as Zero Tolerance, Benchmade, Spyderco, Rick Hinderer, Boker, Kershaw, Microtech, Crusader Forge (Trident) and many others utilize the Reeve Integral Lock on many of their hard-use folders.
The total part count of the Sebenza has never exceeded 20 total parts in a full detail strip (the Sebenza 25 is only 15 parts total), and it takes less than a minute to take the knife completely apart. Many makers will void a warranty if a user disassembles the knife; Chris Reeve actually encourages it. All Sebenzas have been shipped with a ‘CRK Tool’ (a standard hex wrench) to allow the user to detail strip, clean, lubricate, and reassemble (three tools are included with the Seb 25.) The entire process usually takes under 5 minutes.
The Sebenza 25 with a full detail strip (minus the pocket clip). The part count totals only 15, which is less than previous generation Sebenzas)
The Sebenza uses some of the tightest tolerances in the industry…which is partly a reason why it can be taken apart by the user (without tight tolerances could mean reassembly is very difficult or impossible as the parts are not a flawless fit, and development of blade play is a potential risk). The knife is made so that 10+ years of usage and hundreds of detail strippings will still yield a knife with zero blade play, zero frame play, a centered blade, a functional lock, and a smooth opening…all equating to a knife that functions 100% the day it did that it was brand new. This consistency and longevity is comparable to someone who purchased a Sig 226 in the 1990s or a Glock 17 Gen 1 and have put hundreds of thousands of rounds through it, yet the functionality is unchanged from the day it was purchased. Chris Reeve also has the ability to restore their bead-blasted/stonewashed knives to a cosmetic condition that is 100% identical to a new knife. This service is often performed free-of-charge to original owners who purchased the knife through an authorized dealer (and rarely costs more than $50 for non-original owner for a complete overhaul). Like most knifemakers, Chris Reeve knives carry a lifetime warranty and standard free sharpening and knife tuning services.
Changes with the Sebenza 25:
Given the Sebenza has seen numerous changes over the past quarter century, the best knife to compare the Sebenza 25 to is its immediate predecessor, the Sebenza 21. In terms of me discussing pros/cons and gains/losses with the Sebenza 25, much of this is spoken as comparison to the Sebenza 21.
Top-to-bottom: Sebenza 25, Sebenza 21 Large, Sebenza 21 Small
From a visual perspective, the Sebenza 25 is the most dramatically altered generational change made yet. The Sebenza 25 now utilizes two large finger grooves for the purpose of additional grip retention. When opened, this actually makes the knife handle slightly thinner, and these cutouts allow easier access and usage of the lock bar. The front-bottom finger stop is significantly more flared, to help prevent a hand from sliding from handle-to-knife with a heavier pushing/thrusting cut.
The handle on the Sebenza 25 (bottom) is more ergonomic than the Sebenza 21 (top)
The initial Sebenza simply utilized a hole for the lanyard. The Sebenza 21 incorporated a “lanyard tie bar”, which was a rotating bolt to allow the Sebenza 21's lanyard to pivot over 180 degrees. The Sebenza 25 turns the rear standoff (back-spacer) into the lanyard tie bar and increases the flexible range of motion to over 270 degrees (without making contact with the blade.)
The pivot, washer, and detent system have been upgraded substantially. This is significant because the pivot and detent systems are the ones which foul the worst on folding knives and are generally the top culprit for requiring service. The pivot is almost twice as thick as the one used on the Sebenza 21, the threading is more aggressive, and it now uses a larger hex wrench for more torque. The original Sebenza had solid washers which were quickly upgraded to phosphors-bronze (PB) washers for increased longevity (a feature now seen on most mid- and high-end knives.) The Sebenza Classic (model before the Sebenza 21) incorporated PB washers which were perforated…these perforations allow grease to stay inside of the washers themselves and supplies the pivot with lubrication, creating an almost closed/dry sump system which lubricates the pivot and washers but greatly reduces oil migration and service intervals thanks to increase resistance to the elements. The Sebenza 25 increases the size of the washers, the thickness of the washers, the design of the lock-side washer to increase stability, and adds more aggressive perforations. The ball detent system, which is used to ensure the knife stays closed, has seen an increase in the ceramic ball size, the detent size, and the ball will now sit in the detent over twice as deeply as before. These changes will presumably increase the robustness and strength of the locking system, and extend the intervals between cleanings.
The new pivot, detent, and washer system
The blade stop pin, and back spacer (standoff) are also larger, and use larger screws than on the Sebenza 21. The stop pin has been redesigned (and once updated since release) to reduce the amount of stress on the frame when closing the blade by better distributing load. The initial stop pin, which was permanently mated with the lock-side part of the handle, was extremely controversial given the implications of self-service and field-service. In mid-late 2013, Chris Reeve Knives began shipping updated Sebenza 25s that now use a removable and asymmetric stop pin held in by screws & a threadlocker, such as Loctite. This stop pin is made from heat-treated 416 stainless (versus 303 stainless for other hardware components.)
The Sebenza 25 incorporates both large and small thumb serrations (AKA spine jimping) to improve traction (more on this later.)
Sebenza 25 (right), Sebenza 21 (left): notice the differences in the thumb serrations
The blade grind itself has seen a pretty notable change. The standard Sebenza blade has always been a deep hollow grind (excluding special editions in other grinds). It slices exceptionally well, but like most deep hollow grinds, it does not have the sort of strength many people want for utility work. The Sebenza 25 uses a “Large Hollow Grind”, which is more or less a high flat grind similar to what is used on the Benchmade Ritter Griptilian. The goal of this change was to incorporate some of the strength a flat grind gives, but preserve the slicing ability of a hollow grind (hence increasing the versatility of the cutting tool.) This style blade on the Ritter Griptilian is highly praised from reviewers and users alike, and many have called it the best blade Benchmade has ever produced (which says a lot given Benchmade makes fantastic knives.) I personally agree as I LOVE how the edge geometry combines brute strength with precision as it lets one do more with the same knife. The physical blade thickness has increased from .125 inches (Seb 21) to .140 inches (Seb 25).
Sebenza 25 blade (top) vs. Sebenza 21 Large blade (bottom)
The “Large Hollow Grind”
Source: Chris Reeve Knives
Steel-wise, the Sebenza 25 uses the same steel that the Sebenza 21 began using only a few years prior: CPM-S35VN. S35VN is a martensitic stainless steel developed a few years earlier by Chris Reeve and Crucible to make incremental improvements upon their [already great] CPM-S30V. S35VN modifies the Vanadium and adds Niobium for different and more ideal carbide distribution: more or less, it modifies the position of chromium to include niobium carbides with the chromium and vanadium. Niobium is harder and going to give more wear resistance/toughness than chromium. While this has minimal effect on edge retention at same hardness levels compared to S30V, it increases toughness and ease of sharpening, plus it reduces chipping. Toughness is increased by around 20% over S30V, which is pretty notable. This toughness increase has allowed many custom makers to harden S35VN to 61 HRC and above without brittleness issues (unfortunately, Reeve keeps his S30/S35 relatively soft.) S35VN has edge retention that is similar to D2, but with substantially greater toughness and it is much easier to sharpen. Like S30V, the biggest advantage of S35VN is that is has balanced properties all-around: very good edge retention, excellent toughness, excellent corrosion resistance, and reasonable ease of sharpening (historically, stainless steels have had less edge-holding abilities and dramatically less toughness, which newer cutlery steels as such are changing.) These balanced properties allow the knife to fulfill a variety of different roles, and for the user to be able to upkeep the edge. Bohler-Uddeholm’s ELMAX SuperClean is another powdered stainless steel with similar excellent-and-balanced properties like those of S35VN. Like S35VN, it has become wildly popular on higher-end folding knives.
Info on Crucible’s CPM-S35VN:
http://www.crucible.com/PDFs/\DataSheets2010\dsS35VNrev12010.pdf
The most amusing change, however, is the packaging. Historically taking a minimalist stance of using a basic cardboard box with a sticker and an Avery Label, tissue paper, and minimal literature, it appears Chris Reeve wants to improve their communication (see their website…it is possibly the worst-designed website on the entire Internet and it’s almost painful to look at). The Sebenza 25 came with more product literature and stickers than I knew what to do with. It was overwhelming. The only knives I have gotten more literature on were automatics, a ballistic knife, and Microtechs when Tony Marfione included Pro Life literature with his products. Also included was the Chris Reeve microfiber cloth, three hex wrenches, Chris Reeve Fluorinated Grease, and Loctite…that last part is a plus as between the tools, grease, and Loctite, they save the buyer like $15. (With that said, I personally use DuPont Extreme Fluoro as it is non-toxic and Vibra-TITE VC3 as it can be reused like 10+ times.)
Just wow…
Included hardware, grease, and Loctite
My Take:
The most notable differences to me were subtle in nature, but dramatic in real-world results. Most I would call improvements over previous designs. Having owned multiple generations of Sebenzas since the days in which they were making them in BG-42 steel (awesome steel BTW), I look for areas in which the Seb 25 improves over previous versions in areas where the Sebenza has struggled. I got many of the things I wanted to see.
I LIKED…
Knifemakers constantly fight the war of form factor versus ergonomics. There is no consensus where the best balance lies, or if it even exists. A knife like the Spyderco Paramilitary has absolutely exceptional ergonomics, but the handle itself is huge and the form factor is big (I still love it…kickass knife to the tenth power). Chris Reeve has never made knives with big form factors…and so CRK’s struggle is with getting good ergos on a knife that must remain skinny, compact, and without variations in handle thickness (all of which make pocket carry more enjoyable, IMO). The new handle shape is minor, but the improvement in grip retention is exceptional. Hold a Sebenza 25 and the Sebenza 21 no longer feels very ergonomic. Those finger cutouts go a long way…and without dramatically altering form factor. It’s comfortable to hold in a variety of positions and feels good whether the 1/2 or 4/3 fingers are around the coils. Additionally, the first cutout allows something no Sebenza has ever done well…permit easy weak-handed opening. The usage of the lock-side thumb-stud to open with my left hand is dramatically easier. All previous Sebenzas have struggled in this area. The cutouts also make disengaging the lock easier. So I like the new handle ergos.
The finger coils
My favorite change is probably the most subtle…the spine jimping. Many makers underestimate the importance of good thumb serrations. I think it is perhaps the single-most important overlooked feature in terms of design. They are the make vs. break of stability of controlled cuts. Larger serrations are good for gloves and for work not at a super precise level…but are rough on bare skin and not the best for precision cutting. Large serrations also DESTROY pockets. Smaller serrations are great for precision cutting but useless with gloves and not ideal for heavier usage. Chris Reeve has historically utilized larger and smaller sized serrations, alternating over the past two decades. The Sebenza 25 utilizes both large and small serrations. They work great with gloves, give heavier traction for heavier work, give more precise control in finesse cutting, and the smaller serrations distribute force to prevent the larger ones from being hard on bare skin or destroying pockets. A single DEEP front-most ‘U’ serration allows a final point of traction and for the user to better ‘feel’ where their thumb is resting relative to the blade without looking and I absolutely LOVE that as it makes usage in dark much safer. The physical stability and versatility they provide is an exceptional improvement. Combine that with the improved handle ergos and the function of the Sebenza 25 makes an improvement over its predecessors despite the physical changes being subtle in appearance.
The thumb serrations provides control, traction, and comfort!
The bigger pivot, ceramic detent system, beefier spacers, and beefier washers yield functional gains. The knife takes the Seb 21 with an already ridiculous degree of fit and finish tolerances, and improves upon it. The opening is smoother and more stable, the detent is incredibly strong but not prohibitive of normal function, the lockup is even tighter, and the knife can get a hell of a lot dirtier without losing functional performance. Given the simplicity of the Reeve Integral Lock is an ideal lock for the worst of the worst conditions, these improvements are a logical evolution as the ball detent and pivot systems are usually the quickest to foul causing need for field or detail stripping and cleaning.
How does the shift to a mostly flat-ground blade pan out? I can’t say completely at this point, but thus far it seems like a nice improvement. Cardboard is a nightmare for the best of blades. It did well with repeated cuts for a blade capable of slicing in a stainless steel. Is it a dramatic improvement over the former hollow ground blade? I don’t know. Under magnification, the blade did a good job of resisting rolling when cutting copper wire, and didn’t deform badly with cutting bamboo and cardboard. I think the flat grind improves edge strength, but I cannot tell you how much as I haven’t used it hard enough side-by-side with a Large Sebenza 21 in S35VN to say. With that said, I’ve used a Benchmade Ritter Griptillian and a standard Griptillian with a standard drop point side-by-side and the flat ground Ritter performed notably better across the board and stayed sharper much, much longer despite the non-Ritter being in a harder steel. The Sebenza 25 had no issue sawing through a phone book’s spine. Part of the reason I cannot speak more to this is because I don’t use folders for fixed blade tasks. But what I do know is that the blade still can slice reasonably well. Some slicing ability is compromised, but it still is plenty capable of food prep. I also know that this blade is significantly easier to sharpen…that is a HUGE gain given the Sebenza’s historically pain-in-the-ass sharpenings. The tip is also more robust.
The Sebenza 25 cutting numerous fibrous objects and food
The new lanyard design is also winning. It reduces the parts of the knife, and allows a pivoting lanyard that is much easier to thread/tie than the previous design. The range of motion also allows the lanyard to pivot nearly 270 degrees freely; even if one uses larger 550 paracord without removing any strands, range of motion still exceeds 180 degrees (where on a Sebenza 21, 550 paracord would be closer to half that range of motion.) That extends lanyard life dramatically by reducing friction. When a lanyard is simply tied into a fixed hole, paracord quickly starts to get that ‘thready’/’fuzzy’ appearance from friction that looks like crap and eventually kills the lanyard. This reduces this dramatically…and may outright avoid it. Beyond all though, it makes carrying much more comfortable as the ability to pivot helps avoid getting poked in your pocket by the lanyard/knife handle.
I did NOT LIKE…
My biggest let down was with the thumb studs. They are still mostly smooth, without much texture (they have rings on them, but the surface is still polished). When the knife is wet, getting traction on these is harder than what some other makers use. Likewise, gloved operations can be a pain to use it one-handed. It’s doable but takes some practice. While textured thumb studs could potentially kill pockets and bare skin, and larger thumb studs could make pocket carry less comfortable, I guess I hoped to see some degree of a small size increase and a little traction. This is an issue I think many makers struggle with…and a major advantage to the usage of the Round SpyderHole by Spyderco, as it accommodates multiple applications with a single style opening mechanism.
The thumb studs are still relatively small and smooth
The stop pin design is probably the biggest functional frustration of the knife (some would say a flaw and I would agree.) The Sebenza 25 saw a redesign of the stop pin which moves the pin significantly closer to the blade, designed to make progressive contact as the blade closes and further reduce the chance of damage from excessively hard closings thanks to more surface area distributing load (closing a knife hard can put a lot more stress on the frame than often realized.) The original Sebenza 25 used a mated stop pin in which it was permanently attached to the handle and was not removable. This wasn’t well-received. A few months ago, the new Sebenza 25s began shipping with a completely removable stop pin. However, the stop pin is asymmetric, and a ‘D’ pin rather than an ‘O’. This design is to progressively slow the blade when closing by increasing contact area…and it works well and will reduce structural stressors a lot…BUT, if not installed on the correct angle, the knife will not close. While not a major issue in itself, it makes reassembly a little more frustrating. Chris Reeve also advises the use of Loctite on the screws which hold the stop pin for redundancy (and the Pivot and other screws as well.) Many people would like to see a ‘D’ socket to set the stop pin without the user having to manually position it. I personally would. If using a ‘D’ socket would hypothetically reduce effectiveness is an ongoing debate. I would not be surprised if this part was redesigned in the near future.
My other sort-of letdown is that Chris Reeve is still only hardening his steel to around 59 HRC. Many custom makers are hardening CPM-S35VN (and ELMAX) to 61+ HRC and they have no brittleness issues and they are still plenty tough…and both are relatively easy to sharpen. Treating the steel to slightly higher hardness would potentially reduce the frequency of edge touchups. Chris Reeve has noted that he favors ease of sharpening and toughness over edge retention…but with S35VN, it would not be hard to sharpen if it were harder and it would still be very tough for a stainless steel.
Chris Reeve also tends to ship pretty boring lanyards. They use a black cord in one of two knots. They are made for function…and I like how they function, but something need not be boring to be functional!!! I like the knots, but I like variety in colors, with the inclusion of titanium lanyard beads. They sell some really nice beads, but rarely include them on non-stylized Sebenzas and they are hard to find I wish they did, or at least made them more available. Their textured beads are hella awesome and would give the knife more character.
As you can see in my pics, I quickly replaced the factory lanyard to my own with a Damascus and titanium bead. I have to give my knives some unique personality!!!
Had to change to something a little more exciting than black-on-beadblast…
*Conclusion of Review in the Next Post*
Let me first say that I am biased here and rather than denying bias, I want to admit it outright. I definitely fit the role of the Chris Reeve fanboy as I have taken a strong liking to their knives over the years. Still, I wanted to review the Sebenza 25 because new Chris Reeve products really excite me. Being on a gun forum, chances are very few people have interest in a $430 knife. Even if you don’t, I hope you enjoy the review and pictures.
As fair warning, this review is LONG. Something in this class should be paying attention to the most minor of details given a premium price warrants a premium product on a level of detail greater than others. Subsequently, I think the review should correspond to that level of detail and more minor details deserve more consideration than a $100 knife!!!
The Sebenza 25: with blue lugs, factory lanyard, beadblasted finish
Introduction: some background on the "Seb"
In 1987, some dude from South Africa introduced a folding knife to the market which shook the foundation of the industry. The Sebenza, made by Chris Reeve Knives (or CRK), quickly became wildly popular and is often referred to in the industry as the “benchmark” of folding knives upon which all others are compared. It didn’t take to long for this dude to move to the friendly [Red] state of Idaho, and begin production using U.S.-sourced materials and U.S. labor. He’s not very good at communicating or showing any sort of expression/emotion, but he makes one helluva nice knife!
Mr. Reeve's employs artist and knifemaker Lisa L'Eveque-Hague. Lisa produces unique images on Sebenzas utilizing anodizing of the titanium handles, and/or engraving. She does custom "unique" designs, standard "computer-generated" designs, reverse-gray graphics, jewel, and can incorporate a customer's image onto a knife. Each month she picks her favorites and they go on the website HERE.
In the quarter century that followed, most major makers adopted many patented features invented by Chris Reeve (such as the Reeve Sebenza Integral Lock, which is commonly called the “frame lock”). Chris Reeve went on to develop CPM-S30V and CPM-S35VN cutlery steel with Crucible Steel, both of which saw widespread adoption by virtually all makers and are consistently praised for their balanced capabilities making them a great choice for an EDC (or Every Day Carry) knife. And over the years, Chris Reeve Knives has received a trophy room worth of innovation and manufacturing quality awards.
The name, “Sebenza,” is derived from Zulu, and is translated as, “to work.” The “25” in the Sebenza 25 represents 25 years of production of the Sebenza.
The older, "Regular Sebenza"
The Simplicity of the Sebenza:
The design of the Sebenza itself is surprisingly simple. The three main parts are two machined handles from grade 5 titanium, and a blade made of a premium steel (initially ATS-34, then BG-42, later CPM-S30V, and now CPM-S35VN). The other parts include a pocket clip/screw, a rear handle spacer (which functions as the lanyard pivot on the Seb 25)/screws, a blade stop pin/screws, the pivot joint/bronze washers, and that’s it. And a lanyard, if you want to be technical…that’s included with every Seb.
The total package is basic. The lock itself is a single 1-piece design which is machined from one of the solid titanium handle slabs (hence the term, “frame” or “integral” lock for the integration into the basic frame). It is arguably the simplest lock used on a knife, it is one of the strongest, and it is one of the best-suited for hard usage as it resists the elements and excessive fouling does not harm core functional performance. The open-handle design makes cleaning easy…many people clean the knife in a dishwasher or ultrasonic cleaner.
(Literature release on the Sebenza 25)
Unlike most locking mechanisms, the Reeve Integral Lock is dynamic. That is, as the parts on the knife slowly wear with normal usage, the locking mechanism can account for this wear without risking the integrity of the lockup or longevity (hence how the frame lock does not develop blade play like most other locking mechanisms, partly why it is resistant to the elements as the knife is still safe at partial lockup from fouling, and why the knife can run for a decade-plus without requiring service.) This locking mechanism also eliminates the need for more delicate springs and more delicate thin steel liners with a single-piece of thick titanium designed to handle the stresses of usage. Makers such as Zero Tolerance, Benchmade, Spyderco, Rick Hinderer, Boker, Kershaw, Microtech, Crusader Forge (Trident) and many others utilize the Reeve Integral Lock on many of their hard-use folders.
The total part count of the Sebenza has never exceeded 20 total parts in a full detail strip (the Sebenza 25 is only 15 parts total), and it takes less than a minute to take the knife completely apart. Many makers will void a warranty if a user disassembles the knife; Chris Reeve actually encourages it. All Sebenzas have been shipped with a ‘CRK Tool’ (a standard hex wrench) to allow the user to detail strip, clean, lubricate, and reassemble (three tools are included with the Seb 25.) The entire process usually takes under 5 minutes.
The Sebenza 25 with a full detail strip (minus the pocket clip). The part count totals only 15, which is less than previous generation Sebenzas)
The Sebenza uses some of the tightest tolerances in the industry…which is partly a reason why it can be taken apart by the user (without tight tolerances could mean reassembly is very difficult or impossible as the parts are not a flawless fit, and development of blade play is a potential risk). The knife is made so that 10+ years of usage and hundreds of detail strippings will still yield a knife with zero blade play, zero frame play, a centered blade, a functional lock, and a smooth opening…all equating to a knife that functions 100% the day it did that it was brand new. This consistency and longevity is comparable to someone who purchased a Sig 226 in the 1990s or a Glock 17 Gen 1 and have put hundreds of thousands of rounds through it, yet the functionality is unchanged from the day it was purchased. Chris Reeve also has the ability to restore their bead-blasted/stonewashed knives to a cosmetic condition that is 100% identical to a new knife. This service is often performed free-of-charge to original owners who purchased the knife through an authorized dealer (and rarely costs more than $50 for non-original owner for a complete overhaul). Like most knifemakers, Chris Reeve knives carry a lifetime warranty and standard free sharpening and knife tuning services.
Changes with the Sebenza 25:
Given the Sebenza has seen numerous changes over the past quarter century, the best knife to compare the Sebenza 25 to is its immediate predecessor, the Sebenza 21. In terms of me discussing pros/cons and gains/losses with the Sebenza 25, much of this is spoken as comparison to the Sebenza 21.
Top-to-bottom: Sebenza 25, Sebenza 21 Large, Sebenza 21 Small
From a visual perspective, the Sebenza 25 is the most dramatically altered generational change made yet. The Sebenza 25 now utilizes two large finger grooves for the purpose of additional grip retention. When opened, this actually makes the knife handle slightly thinner, and these cutouts allow easier access and usage of the lock bar. The front-bottom finger stop is significantly more flared, to help prevent a hand from sliding from handle-to-knife with a heavier pushing/thrusting cut.
The handle on the Sebenza 25 (bottom) is more ergonomic than the Sebenza 21 (top)
The initial Sebenza simply utilized a hole for the lanyard. The Sebenza 21 incorporated a “lanyard tie bar”, which was a rotating bolt to allow the Sebenza 21's lanyard to pivot over 180 degrees. The Sebenza 25 turns the rear standoff (back-spacer) into the lanyard tie bar and increases the flexible range of motion to over 270 degrees (without making contact with the blade.)
The pivot, washer, and detent system have been upgraded substantially. This is significant because the pivot and detent systems are the ones which foul the worst on folding knives and are generally the top culprit for requiring service. The pivot is almost twice as thick as the one used on the Sebenza 21, the threading is more aggressive, and it now uses a larger hex wrench for more torque. The original Sebenza had solid washers which were quickly upgraded to phosphors-bronze (PB) washers for increased longevity (a feature now seen on most mid- and high-end knives.) The Sebenza Classic (model before the Sebenza 21) incorporated PB washers which were perforated…these perforations allow grease to stay inside of the washers themselves and supplies the pivot with lubrication, creating an almost closed/dry sump system which lubricates the pivot and washers but greatly reduces oil migration and service intervals thanks to increase resistance to the elements. The Sebenza 25 increases the size of the washers, the thickness of the washers, the design of the lock-side washer to increase stability, and adds more aggressive perforations. The ball detent system, which is used to ensure the knife stays closed, has seen an increase in the ceramic ball size, the detent size, and the ball will now sit in the detent over twice as deeply as before. These changes will presumably increase the robustness and strength of the locking system, and extend the intervals between cleanings.
The new pivot, detent, and washer system
The blade stop pin, and back spacer (standoff) are also larger, and use larger screws than on the Sebenza 21. The stop pin has been redesigned (and once updated since release) to reduce the amount of stress on the frame when closing the blade by better distributing load. The initial stop pin, which was permanently mated with the lock-side part of the handle, was extremely controversial given the implications of self-service and field-service. In mid-late 2013, Chris Reeve Knives began shipping updated Sebenza 25s that now use a removable and asymmetric stop pin held in by screws & a threadlocker, such as Loctite. This stop pin is made from heat-treated 416 stainless (versus 303 stainless for other hardware components.)
The Sebenza 25 incorporates both large and small thumb serrations (AKA spine jimping) to improve traction (more on this later.)
Sebenza 25 (right), Sebenza 21 (left): notice the differences in the thumb serrations
The blade grind itself has seen a pretty notable change. The standard Sebenza blade has always been a deep hollow grind (excluding special editions in other grinds). It slices exceptionally well, but like most deep hollow grinds, it does not have the sort of strength many people want for utility work. The Sebenza 25 uses a “Large Hollow Grind”, which is more or less a high flat grind similar to what is used on the Benchmade Ritter Griptilian. The goal of this change was to incorporate some of the strength a flat grind gives, but preserve the slicing ability of a hollow grind (hence increasing the versatility of the cutting tool.) This style blade on the Ritter Griptilian is highly praised from reviewers and users alike, and many have called it the best blade Benchmade has ever produced (which says a lot given Benchmade makes fantastic knives.) I personally agree as I LOVE how the edge geometry combines brute strength with precision as it lets one do more with the same knife. The physical blade thickness has increased from .125 inches (Seb 21) to .140 inches (Seb 25).
Sebenza 25 blade (top) vs. Sebenza 21 Large blade (bottom)
The “Large Hollow Grind”
Source: Chris Reeve Knives
Steel-wise, the Sebenza 25 uses the same steel that the Sebenza 21 began using only a few years prior: CPM-S35VN. S35VN is a martensitic stainless steel developed a few years earlier by Chris Reeve and Crucible to make incremental improvements upon their [already great] CPM-S30V. S35VN modifies the Vanadium and adds Niobium for different and more ideal carbide distribution: more or less, it modifies the position of chromium to include niobium carbides with the chromium and vanadium. Niobium is harder and going to give more wear resistance/toughness than chromium. While this has minimal effect on edge retention at same hardness levels compared to S30V, it increases toughness and ease of sharpening, plus it reduces chipping. Toughness is increased by around 20% over S30V, which is pretty notable. This toughness increase has allowed many custom makers to harden S35VN to 61 HRC and above without brittleness issues (unfortunately, Reeve keeps his S30/S35 relatively soft.) S35VN has edge retention that is similar to D2, but with substantially greater toughness and it is much easier to sharpen. Like S30V, the biggest advantage of S35VN is that is has balanced properties all-around: very good edge retention, excellent toughness, excellent corrosion resistance, and reasonable ease of sharpening (historically, stainless steels have had less edge-holding abilities and dramatically less toughness, which newer cutlery steels as such are changing.) These balanced properties allow the knife to fulfill a variety of different roles, and for the user to be able to upkeep the edge. Bohler-Uddeholm’s ELMAX SuperClean is another powdered stainless steel with similar excellent-and-balanced properties like those of S35VN. Like S35VN, it has become wildly popular on higher-end folding knives.
Info on Crucible’s CPM-S35VN:
http://www.crucible.com/PDFs/\DataSheets2010\dsS35VNrev12010.pdf
The most amusing change, however, is the packaging. Historically taking a minimalist stance of using a basic cardboard box with a sticker and an Avery Label, tissue paper, and minimal literature, it appears Chris Reeve wants to improve their communication (see their website…it is possibly the worst-designed website on the entire Internet and it’s almost painful to look at). The Sebenza 25 came with more product literature and stickers than I knew what to do with. It was overwhelming. The only knives I have gotten more literature on were automatics, a ballistic knife, and Microtechs when Tony Marfione included Pro Life literature with his products. Also included was the Chris Reeve microfiber cloth, three hex wrenches, Chris Reeve Fluorinated Grease, and Loctite…that last part is a plus as between the tools, grease, and Loctite, they save the buyer like $15. (With that said, I personally use DuPont Extreme Fluoro as it is non-toxic and Vibra-TITE VC3 as it can be reused like 10+ times.)
Just wow…
Included hardware, grease, and Loctite
My Take:
The most notable differences to me were subtle in nature, but dramatic in real-world results. Most I would call improvements over previous designs. Having owned multiple generations of Sebenzas since the days in which they were making them in BG-42 steel (awesome steel BTW), I look for areas in which the Seb 25 improves over previous versions in areas where the Sebenza has struggled. I got many of the things I wanted to see.
I LIKED…
Knifemakers constantly fight the war of form factor versus ergonomics. There is no consensus where the best balance lies, or if it even exists. A knife like the Spyderco Paramilitary has absolutely exceptional ergonomics, but the handle itself is huge and the form factor is big (I still love it…kickass knife to the tenth power). Chris Reeve has never made knives with big form factors…and so CRK’s struggle is with getting good ergos on a knife that must remain skinny, compact, and without variations in handle thickness (all of which make pocket carry more enjoyable, IMO). The new handle shape is minor, but the improvement in grip retention is exceptional. Hold a Sebenza 25 and the Sebenza 21 no longer feels very ergonomic. Those finger cutouts go a long way…and without dramatically altering form factor. It’s comfortable to hold in a variety of positions and feels good whether the 1/2 or 4/3 fingers are around the coils. Additionally, the first cutout allows something no Sebenza has ever done well…permit easy weak-handed opening. The usage of the lock-side thumb-stud to open with my left hand is dramatically easier. All previous Sebenzas have struggled in this area. The cutouts also make disengaging the lock easier. So I like the new handle ergos.
The finger coils
My favorite change is probably the most subtle…the spine jimping. Many makers underestimate the importance of good thumb serrations. I think it is perhaps the single-most important overlooked feature in terms of design. They are the make vs. break of stability of controlled cuts. Larger serrations are good for gloves and for work not at a super precise level…but are rough on bare skin and not the best for precision cutting. Large serrations also DESTROY pockets. Smaller serrations are great for precision cutting but useless with gloves and not ideal for heavier usage. Chris Reeve has historically utilized larger and smaller sized serrations, alternating over the past two decades. The Sebenza 25 utilizes both large and small serrations. They work great with gloves, give heavier traction for heavier work, give more precise control in finesse cutting, and the smaller serrations distribute force to prevent the larger ones from being hard on bare skin or destroying pockets. A single DEEP front-most ‘U’ serration allows a final point of traction and for the user to better ‘feel’ where their thumb is resting relative to the blade without looking and I absolutely LOVE that as it makes usage in dark much safer. The physical stability and versatility they provide is an exceptional improvement. Combine that with the improved handle ergos and the function of the Sebenza 25 makes an improvement over its predecessors despite the physical changes being subtle in appearance.
The thumb serrations provides control, traction, and comfort!
The bigger pivot, ceramic detent system, beefier spacers, and beefier washers yield functional gains. The knife takes the Seb 21 with an already ridiculous degree of fit and finish tolerances, and improves upon it. The opening is smoother and more stable, the detent is incredibly strong but not prohibitive of normal function, the lockup is even tighter, and the knife can get a hell of a lot dirtier without losing functional performance. Given the simplicity of the Reeve Integral Lock is an ideal lock for the worst of the worst conditions, these improvements are a logical evolution as the ball detent and pivot systems are usually the quickest to foul causing need for field or detail stripping and cleaning.
How does the shift to a mostly flat-ground blade pan out? I can’t say completely at this point, but thus far it seems like a nice improvement. Cardboard is a nightmare for the best of blades. It did well with repeated cuts for a blade capable of slicing in a stainless steel. Is it a dramatic improvement over the former hollow ground blade? I don’t know. Under magnification, the blade did a good job of resisting rolling when cutting copper wire, and didn’t deform badly with cutting bamboo and cardboard. I think the flat grind improves edge strength, but I cannot tell you how much as I haven’t used it hard enough side-by-side with a Large Sebenza 21 in S35VN to say. With that said, I’ve used a Benchmade Ritter Griptillian and a standard Griptillian with a standard drop point side-by-side and the flat ground Ritter performed notably better across the board and stayed sharper much, much longer despite the non-Ritter being in a harder steel. The Sebenza 25 had no issue sawing through a phone book’s spine. Part of the reason I cannot speak more to this is because I don’t use folders for fixed blade tasks. But what I do know is that the blade still can slice reasonably well. Some slicing ability is compromised, but it still is plenty capable of food prep. I also know that this blade is significantly easier to sharpen…that is a HUGE gain given the Sebenza’s historically pain-in-the-ass sharpenings. The tip is also more robust.
The Sebenza 25 cutting numerous fibrous objects and food
The new lanyard design is also winning. It reduces the parts of the knife, and allows a pivoting lanyard that is much easier to thread/tie than the previous design. The range of motion also allows the lanyard to pivot nearly 270 degrees freely; even if one uses larger 550 paracord without removing any strands, range of motion still exceeds 180 degrees (where on a Sebenza 21, 550 paracord would be closer to half that range of motion.) That extends lanyard life dramatically by reducing friction. When a lanyard is simply tied into a fixed hole, paracord quickly starts to get that ‘thready’/’fuzzy’ appearance from friction that looks like crap and eventually kills the lanyard. This reduces this dramatically…and may outright avoid it. Beyond all though, it makes carrying much more comfortable as the ability to pivot helps avoid getting poked in your pocket by the lanyard/knife handle.
I did NOT LIKE…
My biggest let down was with the thumb studs. They are still mostly smooth, without much texture (they have rings on them, but the surface is still polished). When the knife is wet, getting traction on these is harder than what some other makers use. Likewise, gloved operations can be a pain to use it one-handed. It’s doable but takes some practice. While textured thumb studs could potentially kill pockets and bare skin, and larger thumb studs could make pocket carry less comfortable, I guess I hoped to see some degree of a small size increase and a little traction. This is an issue I think many makers struggle with…and a major advantage to the usage of the Round SpyderHole by Spyderco, as it accommodates multiple applications with a single style opening mechanism.
The thumb studs are still relatively small and smooth
The stop pin design is probably the biggest functional frustration of the knife (some would say a flaw and I would agree.) The Sebenza 25 saw a redesign of the stop pin which moves the pin significantly closer to the blade, designed to make progressive contact as the blade closes and further reduce the chance of damage from excessively hard closings thanks to more surface area distributing load (closing a knife hard can put a lot more stress on the frame than often realized.) The original Sebenza 25 used a mated stop pin in which it was permanently attached to the handle and was not removable. This wasn’t well-received. A few months ago, the new Sebenza 25s began shipping with a completely removable stop pin. However, the stop pin is asymmetric, and a ‘D’ pin rather than an ‘O’. This design is to progressively slow the blade when closing by increasing contact area…and it works well and will reduce structural stressors a lot…BUT, if not installed on the correct angle, the knife will not close. While not a major issue in itself, it makes reassembly a little more frustrating. Chris Reeve also advises the use of Loctite on the screws which hold the stop pin for redundancy (and the Pivot and other screws as well.) Many people would like to see a ‘D’ socket to set the stop pin without the user having to manually position it. I personally would. If using a ‘D’ socket would hypothetically reduce effectiveness is an ongoing debate. I would not be surprised if this part was redesigned in the near future.
My other sort-of letdown is that Chris Reeve is still only hardening his steel to around 59 HRC. Many custom makers are hardening CPM-S35VN (and ELMAX) to 61+ HRC and they have no brittleness issues and they are still plenty tough…and both are relatively easy to sharpen. Treating the steel to slightly higher hardness would potentially reduce the frequency of edge touchups. Chris Reeve has noted that he favors ease of sharpening and toughness over edge retention…but with S35VN, it would not be hard to sharpen if it were harder and it would still be very tough for a stainless steel.
Chris Reeve also tends to ship pretty boring lanyards. They use a black cord in one of two knots. They are made for function…and I like how they function, but something need not be boring to be functional!!! I like the knots, but I like variety in colors, with the inclusion of titanium lanyard beads. They sell some really nice beads, but rarely include them on non-stylized Sebenzas and they are hard to find I wish they did, or at least made them more available. Their textured beads are hella awesome and would give the knife more character.
As you can see in my pics, I quickly replaced the factory lanyard to my own with a Damascus and titanium bead. I have to give my knives some unique personality!!!
Had to change to something a little more exciting than black-on-beadblast…
*Conclusion of Review in the Next Post*
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