Sebenza
Encyclopedia
Pocket knife
A pocket knife is a folding knife with one or more blades that fit inside the handle that can still fit in a pocket. It is also known as a jackknife or jack-knife...
manufactured by Chris Reeve Knives
Chris Reeve Knives
Chris Reeve Knives is a U.S. corporation with international sales and distribution based in Boise, ID. CRK manufactures folding pocket knives, fixed blade knives, and custom walking sticks...
of Boise, Idaho
Boise, Idaho
Boise is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Idaho, as well as the county seat of Ada County. Located on the Boise River, it anchors the Boise City-Nampa metropolitan area and is the largest city between Salt Lake City, Utah and Portland, Oregon.As of the 2010 Census Bureau,...
. It is constructed with a stainless steel
Stainless steel
In metallurgy, stainless steel, also known as inox steel or inox from French "inoxydable", is defined as a steel alloy with a minimum of 10.5 or 11% chromium content by mass....
blade
Blade
A blade is that portion of a tool, weapon, or machine with a cutting edge and/or a pointed tip that is designed to cut and/or puncture, stab, slash, chop, slice, thrust, or scrape animate or inanimate surfaces or materials...
and titanium
Titanium
Titanium is a chemical element with the symbol Ti and atomic number 22. It has a low density and is a strong, lustrous, corrosion-resistant transition metal with a silver color....
handle. Its handle functions as the lock mechanism similar in concept to the Walker linerlock
Walker Linerlock
The Walker Linerlock is a locking system developed by custom knifemaker Michael Walker in 1980 for use on folding knives.When the blade of the knife is in the opened position, it is held in place by a leaf spring that butts up against the tang of the blade to prevent the blade from closing...
differing in that the handle itself forms the lock bar which holds the blade open. This mechanism was invented by Chris Reeve
Chris Reeve
Chris Reeve is an American knife maker, recognized as one of the most influential people in knife making history. Reeve founded Chris Reeve Knives , and is co-owner of the company with his wife, Anne Reeve.-Background:...
, and is called the Reeve Integral Lock© (R.I.L) . It is also commonly referred to as the Framelock, and is one of the most widely implemented locking systems in the folding knife industry, where lock strength and reliability is a product requirement. The name Sebenza is derived from the Zulu
Zulu language
Zulu is the language of the Zulu people with about 10 million speakers, the vast majority of whom live in South Africa. Zulu is the most widely spoken home language in South Africa as well as being understood by over 50% of the population...
word meaning "Work," a tribute to Mr. Reeve's South African origins.
Design and history
- Small Regular - 2.94" (now only available as limited edition models)
- Large Regular - 3.625" blade (now only available as limited edition models)
- Small Classic - 2.94" (slightly updated version now called 21)
- Large Classic - 3.625" blade (slightly updated version now called 21)
First introduced in 1990, the basic model has a sand-blasted titanium handle and a stonewashed finish CPM S30V steel
CPM S30V steel
CPM S30V is a martensitic powder-made wear and corrosion resistant stainless steel developed by Dick Barber of Crucible Materials Corporation in collaboration with knifemaker Chris Reeve. Its chemistry promotes the formation and even distribution of vanadium carbides, which are harder and more...
blade.
There are numerous options for the embellishment of the Sebenza's titanium handles, such as computer-generated graphics, custom (unique) graphics, or inlays such as exotic wood, micarta, or mammoth ivory.
Originally the Chris Reeve Sebenza was available with a blade of ATS-34 steel.
In 1996, the blade material was changed to BG-42 blade steel, and later in 2001, the Sebenza blade material transitioned to CPM S30V steel. CPM S30V was developed by Crucible Steel with the collaboration of Chris Reeve. Damascus steel
Damascus steel
Damascus steel was a term used by several Western cultures from the Medieval period onward to describe a type of steel used in swordmaking from about 300 BCE to 1700 CE. These swords are characterized by distinctive patterns of banding and mottling reminiscent of flowing water...
blades are also available as an option on the Sebenza.
A feature of the Sebenza that is highly praised is the ease of maintenance, as CRK actually encourages the customer to disassemble and maintain the knife by including a hex driver. Another feature of the Sebenza is the use of a bushing system around the blade's pivot that keeps the blade at a constant tight fit which is always centered.
This bushing allows the user to tighten the pivot screw completely without having to manually adjust the pivot tension.
As of May 2008, the two production models—the Regular and Classic Sebenza models—were discontinued and replaced by the 'Sebenza 21' (named so as to commemorate the 21st year of the Sebenza's production). The Sebenza 21 is based upon the previous Classic's design, and differs from the Classic only in small details.
Awards
1987: Knifemaker’s Guild of Southern Africa -- "Best Folding Knife" (Sebenza predecessor)1993: Knifemakers' Guild
Knifemakers' Guild
The Knifemakers' Guild is an organization made up of knifemakers to promote custom knives, encourage ethical business practices, assist with technical aspects of knife making, and to sponsor knife shows...
-- "Most Innovative Folder at the Show"
2005: Blade Show -- "Collector Knife of the Year" (21st Anniversary Sebenza)
2006: Grays Sporting Journal -- “Gray's Best” Award
Knives Illustrated Magazine named the industry's top five tactical folders of all time
The author, Abe Elias, describes a tactical folder as "a knife used by people who need a dependable piece of solidly build equipment, a folder that gives you -- in all cases -- confidence".
His article goes on to say that "At the top of the list is the Sebenza by Chris Reeve."
Knives Illustrated Magazine's conclusion provides an interesting contrast to the fact that Chris Reeve Knives has never advertised the Sebenza as a "tactical knife".