It's frunking awesome to have you back man!!!!

Nice to see you back Frunkey! Lovin the knife content this quarantine. 🍻

Thanks for the video, as always Doctor Frunkey. I have one of these on the way. Looking forward to getting it in hand.

Good on you for changing your social media outlook. I purposely don’t participate in it but for watching YT. Amazing what can happen when we calmly talk to each other face to face, like we all used to.

I like everything they did, wouldn't change a thing. Their heat treat on the S35VN is easy to maintain and a good choice for a work knife. I'm not opposed to a variety of blade steels.

Another phenomenal review and I wouldn’t expect anything less from you , Thank you . Lefty plane Jane LG 31 in route. I have a 31 small Righty natural Micarta and love it .

My small Sebenza is 24 years old and the lockbar is probably 90% now but has never been an issue once in that time (I never actually looked until today and was surprised with how far that bar moves over). Still one of the smoothest (but not fast, like you said) knives I own. My recently acquired Rockstead Hizen feels like the Japanese cousin, with smooth and slow motion, simplicity in operation and solidness throughout. CRK created a timeless design that should last a lifetime.

Love the new inlays on the 31. I think I'll hold out for one of those after they switch to S45VN.

I totally agree with you about the thumb stud..can't believe they didn't change it .

Lock rock (or flex) and thumb stud are 2 most popular videos on my Channel. Inquiring minds and all that. Great video as usual! When I grow up I want to be like you. Stay well everyone!

I'm with you that I would love to see CRK offer their knives in something like 20cv along with something that is more easily maintained, but to me this is the "21" that I have always been waiting for. I love their design language, manufacturing ethos, and generally everything about the 21, but the locating hole, titanium on steel lockup, and straight clip always bothered me. I picked up a large double silver thumb lug 31 and it is everything I hoped it would be. I have owned a lot of brands, including a few shiros, but I've sold them off because my CRKs feel like they are a tool first and that's what I personally want in a knife I use and carry. Yes they don't have the sleek look that some more modern knives have, but they are function-forward masterpieces and that is what makes them beautiful to me.

That plain Sebenza screams badass over the PM2 and P3.

Great review as usual. I put a little orthodontic wax on my l lanyard bracket. It’s long lasting and stop the lanyard rattle.

Nice review. Very fair. Can't wait to find one with Bog Oak inlays.

One thing that I’ll say about the lanyard tube is, it is made to pivot with the lanyard, so there must be some space there to allow that. If they made it so it didn’t rattle, there would be metal on metal contact that would wear as it rotated until it wore enough to rattle anyways. So that seems like good engineering to me. If you don’t use it and want to stop the rattle, some blue loktite will take care of it. But tweaked thumb studs would be a welcome change.

I used to gripe about the soft and ancient steel known as s35vn. After watching many cut tests, the steel as used by Reeve, holds a good edge. The problem with all the other super steels is companies can/do a substandard heat treat. If all steels were optimized, then s35vn would be in some trouble. However, with the way things actually are (not the reality we want to imagine), s35vn remains a great choice. Like the young one below who says these are "boomer knvers", many people are fooled by new and shiny.

Well I found a unique pattern I fell in love with and it’s s45vn. My first reeve purchase. I wasn’t even aware this knife was even a thought of a purchase until I saw this particular unique large 31.

If you get to see the micarta versions of the sebenza 31, the design of the inlays look DRAMATICALLY different.

Honest review! Very cool

Best improvement beside ceramic detent, is the inlay design, resembling the Regular. Love it!

I've got a natural micarta version on the way super excited for my first one!

Very cool walkthrough on the Seb, good vid. Although, PLEASE people STOP saying that the CRK ceramic ball lock face through it's geometry will just >seem< as later lockup - the placement of the locking surface against the blade is irrelevant, after the whole locking bar touches the other scale - it's done no matter if it's plain titanium, steel insert or a ceramic ball in there. The effective travel distance is the same and equals the distance between the lock bar and the other scale, period. After that, you develop rocking of the blade and the lockbar can't accomodate anymore.

I agree on the thumb stud, was not very comfortable for me on my Inkosi's. I prefer the Umnumzaan style of thumb stud/stop pin design, but the area to relieve the lock bar on the Zaan isn't as comfortable. So unfortunately I didn't keep either of them long term, but as an example of manufacturing fit and finish they set the bar. It's like having a family recipe for homemade biscuits and gravy handed down for generations. You may tweak it over the years as it gets passed down, but you can't go extreme and try substituting turkey sausage because chances are you are going to eff it up haha

Double lugs as standard. Curious to see what CRK do with the S45VN

Part of the legend or maybe mystique of the Sebenza is its consistency. A consistent feel of one knife to the next. Predictability in heat treat - you won’t get a brittle or chippy one nor one that’s soft. Everything about opening it and releasing the lock bar to close it feels remarkably familiar one knife to the next. I’ve adapted to the thumb stud - just need to get your thumb behind it rather than atop it. This also serves to sorta ‘force’ the slow roll when opening which is a good thing for the longevity of the knife. Thinking more along the lines of “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” I decided to add an Insingo blade version of the 21 to my collection before they’re all gone. Many retailers are getting whittled down to a lot of LH versions and the unique graphics variants.

The two most meaningful changes CRK could make at this point would be the thumb studs and sprint runs of different blade steels.

My 2009 Umnumzan is well used and sits at 60% lock up. Just wish it had an upgraded steel.

For everyone talking about them switching from s35 to s45, I have the sprint run PM2 in s45vn and have put my 21, 31, and it through the paces with some general wear testing... I personally can't tell any difference between the two.

Quality video, I like your style of thinking. Is there a knife you would recommend as the next best Sebenza?

Ordered one…thanks brother! 🤘🏻😎🤘🏻🇨🇦

If it had double lugs, deep carry pocket clip with the hot new s45vn steel, machined milled out scales to reduce weight then I would really consider the sebenza 31. I love my carbon fiber 21 a lot more because its lighter. I'm digging their micarta 31 though.

I always like your reviews

I know this is a late reply... Thanks for doing a CRK video. You know how polarizing they are and how it draws some sharp comments. You made a few little errors, but that's part of it. Other people should go make their " better review" instead of only complaining.

As someone that has multiple 21s, Zaans, and an Inkosi I can 100% say they need to address the lock up issues with the 31s! It’s definitely not something that has gone away, the latest small 31 I got was so bad I sent it back, my large 31 I have right now has the spongy lock up and when you apply any pressure to the back of the blade with your thumb it will flex. They cannot call this normal, and if they want to call it normal they need to stop advertising their lock up as “bank vault tight” because that is not the case these days, not with the 31. If any other company released a knife with such flex in the lock up they’d be eaten alive, but CRK fan bois refuse to admit or see any faults in the brand. It’s ridiculous.

It’s enough upgrade for me. Not that it justifies buying if you have a 21, but the Sebenza is so iconic that it really shouldn’t change much. I also would rather have S35VN with the CRK treat than a crazy edge holding steel that tends to microchip instead of roll at the edge.

Bro the lanyard tube has to have a bit of clearance to rotate with said lanyard. If the slight rattle bothers you add a little loctite to it. I personally like that they finally made the tube captured in the scales.

From all the disassemblies I can see, the washers on the 31 aren’t any larger than the 21. Looks like they did change out the smaller washer on both relatively recently though.

I agree the ceramic ball lock should last longer than standard Ti on steel. People say the ball could fall out or it could wear to 100% and then you'd have to send the knife in but in all the years the Zaan has been out I've not seen nor heard of anything like that happening. And even if it did you could just send it in and get it fixed free under warranty. I think the first run of 31's had lock rock because of the stop pin issue, Tim Reeve explains it better than me but to my knowledge after they used a stronger and heat treated steel for the blade stop pin along with a completely new assembly to make the construction stronger there was no issue after that.

Important question for me. What shall I buy, the Sebenza or Inkosi, Small or Large? Also the handles has gotten another finish I've noticed it looks darker, more "ruff", "sand"?

Love the PJ: Double lugs would be standard though on the 21/31

Don't forget the 25. It has the ceramic ball as well, and at least mine is very smooth.

The "lock rock" seems like a non issue to me but I dont know. Why are they pushing on the spine of the blade anyway? Especially that hard like that?

11:50 Heard from a CRK enthusiast that one time he was talking to Chris at a show. Chris pulled an old Sebenza out of his pocket that had 100% lockup. Apparently he's not worried about it haha.

Do they still employ the excellent pivot bushing system on this model? I know they went away from that with the non-21 models.

I don’t mind the thumb studs, I like them. But to each their own. I’d like to see double sided studs as on option on the Sebenza, as well as some other options for anodizations. However, I think they will experiment more with new models, and the Sebenza will remain mostly unchanged.

Love how well and clean my 31 cuts. But I hate the thumb stud and ancient locking mechanism!

Where are you getting your info from? The washers in the 31 are the same as the 21

How often do you dismantle and clean your pocket knife?

In watching videos with Tim and talking to him briefly, the main reason they only use one steel is to simplify manufacturing. Trying to juggle all the steels at a small shop where they do so much in house is an additional complex that he thinks may distract from their ability to make the best thing they can.

I’m very much a fan of CRK. I’m “meh” over the 31. I like that the clip is moved from the lockbar but the rest doesn’t excite me. If I pick one up, it’ll probably be when they have an engraving that I like (no CGG’s in my stable). I have 21’s, ‘Zaans, and Inkosi in my collection. IMO the Inkosi is probably the best knife but I carry the Umnumzaan most-it’s just more “fun” I guess. FWIW I still find S35VN a very good well rounded steel when it’s done well. CRK has at least one S45VN prototype that’s been discussed via forum.

I just received a Small Sebenza with a birthdate of 08-04-21 and it is in S45VN.

I hope we can all be more positive in general, but if you have honest criticisms that is why we are here. Some were included in this review, but please don't let a few beers with the maker skew your reviews. :thumbsup:

The washers are just the same as the 21. Tim Reeves said in an interview with blade hq that the only thing changed in the washers was 21 to 31 in the part number.

Once they break in they flip great in my opinion, but I do enjoy washers over bearing’s and thumb studs over flippers. I thought they fixed the lock rock issue? Pretty sure they did. I wasn’t aware of the situation you were in after your original review. Geez that had to be uncomfortable for you 🥴😅. I think you usually do a great job of being fair though.

Blade hq has video with tim reeve saying most likely switching to 45 this summer

The 21 is the way a sebenza is meant to be. 🤘🏼The 31 is still a very nice knife!

Slight correction: The washers on the 31 are no different than on the 21. The extra smoothness on the 31 is just from the large ceramic detent ball.

The new Sebenza 31 I just saw listed the steel as S45VN.

I am waiting for new 20cv steel, before i buy one !

Every 31 flex’s a little. You have grip the handle like a man and move the blade tip up and down. You’ll feel the tang clicking on the stop pin. I’d still rather have the thinner grind and bushing (once washers are slightly stoned) than the improved lockup and ergos of the inkosi.

Which knife do you like more the Sebenza 31 or the Inkosi?

Ive never minded that they use s35vn. I just don’t like that they run it a bit softer on the rockell. I know they do this for ease of sharpening, but I prefer the added wear resistance. It’s not like s35vn run harder like most companies was ever difficult to sharpen. Still want 20cv though. Love the looks and quality, but a pass until they use a good steel and a proper Rockwell.

I have a June 6, 2020 birthday CRK Sebenza and zero "lock rock."

I want

Is the spine on the 31 not crowned???????

Im more into the 21

I miss the sound of the 21. The lock was perfect imo.

Damn thats perfect. I need this in my life lol. Double Lug, cant decide if I want the blue or all silver. The way the blue wears doesn't really bother me as much as some, but overall I just love the clean look of the plain all silver 31.

I think the ceramic interface may end up wearing a groove into the blade tang over time. I've had a 31 for only 48 hours, opened and closed it a lot and I can already see the ceramic ball making a "dent" into the steel. Also - my 31 has a birthday of March 2020 and has the "lock bar flex" unfortunately.

can it be gravity flipped by shaking it out? i dont see the ceramic detent as an upgrade and 450 is a very high price tag

You didn’t press hard enough I’m sure your 31 blade will move. The lockup is tight but it flexes so it takes a fair bit of pressure. It’s just enough movement to lift off the stop pin. Not a big deal to me but a design flaw that should’ve never got green lit.

I think the stop pin has increased hardness

Maybe contour the scales at least instead of flat slabs?🤷‍♂️ Looks identical to the Sebenza 21.

CRK fanboys all say that S35VN is perfect and they don’t need 20CV. But let’s be real. If it was offered in 20CV, would you really be sad? Would anyone say, darn, 20CV is good but I really miss that S35VN. I know that CRK wants to emphasize ease of sharpening. However, who owns a $400-500 knife and doesn’t know how to sharpen? If you need a knife that’s easy to sharpen, stick with 440C or something along those lines. That being said, this knife is still incredible and CRK does incredible work.

I love crk. That said, all they did was make another inkosi basically. Ugh. Should have just kept the 21.

The perfect edc knife doesn't weigh in at 4.5 ounces in my opinion.

Love crks but lock rock isnt only one the new 31s, the last 5 crks ive has have lock rock.. very disapointing.. 2 large 2 smalls and a mnandi

Not enough of an upgrade.

at that price should come with something like 20cv or 204p.

Meh. Landyard is loose and a different color for no reason despite their high price, clip change isn't an upgrade but rather a fix for a design issue (easily fixable by changing the orientation of the clip pocket in the cad files then updating the code to fit the new location), the lock/detent change is good I guess, still using soft S35VN. Basically just fixed two issues and called it a new knife.

First

Inkosi is far superior Probably in the divorce agreement they can’t discontinue the Sebenza but they’ll change the number enough to make your warranty void… next up umnumzaan 35

no its trash i like updates but this is more side ways, 3 in hand but also 3 not bought, if you cant get a 21 sure but this shouldn't be anyones default choice

While I understand that some might be underwhelmed by this update to the Sebenza, it’s worth remembering that CRK has been burned before by upgrading the Sebenza too dramatically. Don’t forget that the Inkosi was originally the Sebenza 25, a knife that replaced the 21, but because it was too different for die hard Sebenza fans, they had to change its name and reintroduce the old 21. I think the 31 perfectly walks the line between the 21 and Inkosi, as it manages to incorporate all the definite improvements of the Inkosi design (ceramic ball lock interface, offset clip, etc), while keeping everything that people loved about the 21 (bushing pivot, clean classic lines, etc). Not to mention, removing the scale hole has drastically improved the aesthetics of the handle scale versions. As for the use of S35vn, while I understand why many would prefer M390/20CV, it’s worth remembering that (as mentioned by other commenters) CRK does a phenomenal job with their heat treat, often outperforming other knives with “better” steels in cut tests (despite CRK running the steel slightly on the softer side to ease sharpening). It’s also noteworthy that many mid-tech/custom knife makers are still partial to S35vn, even at $1K+, so it’s not that bad on a

I am sure this knife is as wonderful as folks say but I for one will not ever have the experience to confirm that sentiment due to their knives being aesthetically bankrupt,.

For 180-200usd i would buy it, but so its overpriced af.

I don't know the entire story or whatever but sounds like you sold out to be a fan boy....

You lost me when you said the washers have been "dramatically increased in size". That Sir is completely false. The washers are identical to the sebenza 21 and I implore you to get your facts straight before doing reviews. Also your theories on titanium lockups and ceramic ball lockups... If you understood the Chris Reeve sebenza, you would know that the sebenza 21 is the perfect knife. It is the finest production folding knife ever made. And the locking mechanism of that knife is perfect and has been flawless through its entire life. Period! You most definitely could use a little education in the product you're reviewing before you perform the review.

I love abusing sebenza

So basically no meaningful differences... LMFAO - totally not worth “upgrading” ... I don’t think people were having the issue of their lockup getting to 100% in the first place... basically fixed a non issue

Any blue on knives, IMO, offers up a cognitive connotation to the corrupt criminal organization known as the thin blue line, therefore, for me personally, it’s a no-go, hands down, and no other considerations about the construction of the knife will override that decision. YMMV

Can't actually justify the price, for a semi-industrial knife. I like a knife not the name of who built it.

Ok boomer

waste of money

Good review, but Dude, you need to cut your fingernails! Grossing me out!

total MEH. a boomer grail...