Finally took the plunge (obligatory "good for me I bought a sebenza" thread)

[DCDesigns]

OK, I will start this thread with a heads up. For those of you who have always lusted over a Spirograph bladed sebenza, now is the only time to buy. IF you can find one.
I have done some business dealings with the reeves, those of you who have been here a while might remember how excited I was when I first sold them snakewood. Now I am the exclusive provider for the snakewood used for inlays on all CRK knives.
At BLADE this year, a little birdy at the CRK booth told be that in a couple weeks time Chris Reeve Knives would be streamlining their manufacturing and cutting out the production of devin thomas spirograph damascus blades (now you just have raindrop and ladder to choose from)

Sure enough, shortly after, the options were deleted from the CRK website. Siletnly as well, I have not seen mention of this on any forum, so I might be giving yall an inside scoop.!

Well, I have always wanted one (small size). It has been my dream Sebenza, so I emailed Chris, and proposed a trade for more stock. A week later, an inconspicous brown box arrived, with my new beauty inside. This knife is usually $550+, and USUALLY, you have to wait 9-12 months to get any Devin Thomas blade. I feel very lucky that I could just get one when I wanted.
Here she is!





LUCKY ME RIGHT?!?! it will be a while before I am this excited about pocket jewelry again. Maybe for the szabo folder :must. stop. drooling...

[DCDesigns]

There is also something you shoul k

[DCDesigns]

When my fluted military arrives, I will have my dream EDC!

[DRH]

I have done some business dealings with the reeves, those of you who have been here a while might remember how excited I was when I first sold them snakewood. Now I am the exclusive provider for the snakewood used for inlays on all CRK knives.

You mean I have you to thank for the wood on this beauty? THANKS!


As for the Spirograph .... yes, they decided to drop Spirograph well before Blade. Brought lots of tears to many people. But .... I was able to snag this one .... before the decision, so I am not totally bummed!



Spydies still outnumber my CRKs, however. Of course ... that is in terms of numbers ..... certainly not dollars!!!!!

[DCDesigns]

You mean I have you to thank for the wood on this beauty? THANKS!

As for the Spirograph .... yes, they decided to drop Spirograph well before Blade. Brought lots of tears to many people. But .... I was able to snag this one .... before the decision, so I am not totally bummed!


Spydies still outnumber my CRKs, however. Of course ... that is in terms of numbers ..... certainly not dollars!!!!!

Yessir, if you bought that snakewood sebbie within the last year or so, it came from the pile in my basement (well it came from suriname originally, but at one point it was in my possession... you know what i mean). You are very welcome! I had not been on the CRK site for a while until after blade, so I assumed they deleted it afterward. I must have missed any mention of this if there were threads about it here or on bladeforums. Also they had a few spirographs at the show, so I was also assuming they had not stopped making them. Mrs Reeve must have meant that they would sell out of what they had in the next couple weeks.

I am also just ecstatic that I was able to get one before they were gone. Would have seriously been bummed if I missed them!

My spydies well out number the one sebenza I have, but they are probably around the same value (til the fluted military gets here). However just my straight razor hone collection outnumbers both in value and numbers, my razor collection entirely, many times more than the CRK or the spydies.

PS- Im really digging the splash annodizing in the one part of your Spirograph unique graphic sebenza. Very cool they actually took the time to do that!

[Mr Blonde]

That looks very nice, it's a beaut! Congrats!

[D1omedes]

Beautiful knife, DC. That damascus pattern is very striking. So is it safe to assume that one is a "safe queen"?

[jackknifeh]

Beautiful knife. I'm sure you will enjoy many years of cleaning fish and digging in your garden with it. :)

I bet it does feel good getting one of the last ones. Congratulations.


Jack

[DRH]

Yessir, if you bought that snakewood sebbie within the last year or so, it came from the pile in my basement (well it came from suriname originally, but at one point it was in my possession... you know what i mean).

Yup ... birth date on that Sebenza was May 30, 2012 ..... so it was most likely your wood. Absolutely beautiful figuring in it. I have CRK making a Mnandi in snakewood for me. Anticipating it will be just as beautiful.

[jabba359]

Let us know how it holds up to batoning, overstrikes, spine-whacks and prying.

[DCDesigns]

Yup ... birth date on that Sebenza was May 30, 2012 ..... so it was most likely your wood. Absolutely beautiful figuring in it. I have CRK making a Mnandi in snakewood for me. Anticipating it will be just as beautiful.

Chris hand picks the pieces I send him from photos of each side of each piece. The pieces he buys have the thick solid black banding on every square inch, clear though the boards, so any piece cut from it will be utterly gorgeous. You have nothing to fear. I want a large snakewood sebbie with a plain blade next, just so i will have one with my wood. Then perhaps a Mnandi. (my right thumb nail is permanently cracked down the middle [weird right?], so I usually stay away from nail nick blade since they can cause it to split, but the mnandi I held was so smooth to open that with that knife I dont think its a problem.)

[DCDesigns]

Beautiful knife, DC. That damascus pattern is very striking. So is it safe to assume that one is a "safe queen"?

Thanks!!!, Actually since I dont own a safe, this one has been in my pocket since I got it, seems like the safest place to keep it to me!
I have used it to cut exactly 7 things. lol. Comlpletely hilariously mundane things. While I was doing it I had to chuckle and think "is this why I got a **** near $600 knife, to open a pack of crackers?..." lol. Though I think it might make some kind of sense, since the gun I have in the other pocket cost around the same price.

I do plan on carrying it for a while, probably until I get bored with the novelty of carrying a car payment (on a very nice car) in each pocket, which may be never. lol.

Beautiful knife. I'm sure you will enjoy many years of cleaning fish and digging in your garden with it. :)

I bet it does feel good getting one of the last ones. Congratulations.



Jack

Let us know how it holds up to batoning, overstrikes, spine-whacks and prying.

Aye Aye, I will let you gents know the next time I go bushcrafting with it!
Actually for a while I was carrying it and my Civillian, until I got to an actual cutting task and I was stumped. What do you do when you are scared to use both? Thats right, honey bee in my wallet... :p

[Holland]

congrats man! tbh from my experience the low ht ruins my umnumzaan for me... im buying a strop and if it doesnt work to my satisfaction, im going to have to sell it =(

[DCDesigns]

congrats man! tbh from my experience the low ht ruins my umnumzaan for me... im buying a strop and if it doesnt work to my satisfaction, im going to have to sell it =(

Thanks!!!
A strop wont fix a HT issue. What are you expecting to gain from the strop? Could it be you are expecting too much? It might not cut like a masterfully heat treated spidie, but it should still be completely adequate. I mean, my stainless damascus has no where near the alloy of s30v or s35vn, and is probably HT to a couple points less, but it still works fine for me. If it really looses an edge fast, then something is wrong. Either the way its is sharpened (angle, technique, etc.), or perhaps there is an actual issue with your particular knife. If you really feel it is loosing an edge fast, and you feel you have negated the variables, then HT could be to blame and I see two options (neither involves selling!). Either send it back to CRK, who will fix it if its out of spec, albiet to a HT that is on the low side compared to spyderco, but really not that soft compared to the rest of the industry. Shoot, Emerson purposfully HT their knives no higher than 57, and thats been working for everyone that likes those knives). OR, here is what I WOULD DO: take that blade off and sent it in to Paul Bos heat treating. He does all the heat treating for buck knives (which are nothing special, but the mere numbers are impressive), as well as the HT for a vast number of custom knife makers in the US and abroad. You can have it custom HT to whatever spec you want (and is possible with a given steel), and for a fee, you should have the knife of your dreams. You already spent $450+, whats a little more to make it perfect? (not sure of his prices, might be minimums too, so you could either send him all your knives or start a group and start taking orders)

Hope some of that helps.

[DCDesigns]

First thought Id send it back to CRK let them look it over, test it, and then sharpen it and see how long THAT edge lasts

[dgulbra]

Cangradulations on the Sebenza, that damascus is beautiful. I just found out that my fiance got me one for my wedding present, found in at the in-laws by mistake. Great Find

[SlideTechnik]

Those are some gorgeous knives! Congrats.

[jackthedog]

Nice knives I'm really trying to resist a snakewood Damascus.

[DCDesigns]

Thanks everyone, its surreal having such a piece of art. Finally..

Nice knives I'm really trying to resist a snakewood Damascus.

Unless you know of one currently already available for sale, you'll have to wait 9-12 months on that one. Sucks I know, but I believe thats the way it is with any damascus bladed sebenza. You might be able to score a snakewood sebenza a little easier, then order a damascus blade (around $300), and then send you knife back in to have the new blade fitted whenever it arrives. That way you will have two blades, and you wont have to wait **** near a year to have a knife. I believe I must have bumped someone down a slot to get mine immediately. Lol.

[DRH]

Nice knives I'm really trying to resist a snakewood Damascus.

Don't you know ..... resistance is futile!!! However, like DC said .... hunker down for the long haul .... it's going to be a long wait to have one made. Only other option is being in the right place at the right time! But, that's true for many CRKs. A guy over on BladeForum just scored a great small Sebenza Insingo WITH GABON EBONY INLAYS! Talk about a rare piece. Only 5 were made. This one lasted for less than 30 minutes on the exchange before it was snapped up! So, if you aren't in the right place at the right time ... ordering is usually the only (relatively) sure option. However, the wait can be as torturous as waiting to get your hands on the Fluted Titanium Native5!!! I'm going crazy waiting for that one!!