Folders Extraordinaire
Chris Reeve is originally from South Africa and it was there the custom knifemaker conceived the Integral Lock design in 1986. This design is essentially a spin-off of the Michael Walker Locking Liner but much sturdier because it utilizes the strength of a beefy Titanium frame for its locking leaf rather than a much thinner one located between two frame rails. The Integral Lock design was an immediate success, and in 1989, the Reeve family relocated to the U.S., where the burgeoning tactical folder market was on fire. After the move, Reeve officially gave his Integral Lock the name “Sebenza.” The folder has gone through several upgrades over the decades and a smaller version of the legendary folder was added to the stable.
The Sebenza 31 is the latest generation of the legendary folder. The overall length is 8.335″ with a blade length of 3.625″. The blade steel is CPM MagnaCut (Reeve’s premium steel du jour) manufactured by Crucible Industries — without a doubt, the hottest steel on the market today. The standard Sebenza has a solid front slab, but CRK offers them with inlays like the Bog Oak version shown here. Colorful, anodized versions have also been offered in the past. The Sebenza 31 is offered in three blade styles: a Drop Point (pictured here), Tanto, and Modified Wharncliffe.
In 2001, CRK answered the call for a pure gents’ knife with the Mnandi (Zulu: “Delicious”) folder. This small dress integral folder was designed with inlays of exotic wood such as Bog Oak, Box Elder and Ebony front and rear. The Mnandi’s overall length is 6.375″ with 2.75″ of the total in a sleek, elongated Drop Point blade featuring a round triangulate cut-out for opening. The Mnandi was quite a change of pace from the Sebenza but at its heart is a Titanium frame with Reeve’s hallmark Integral Lock.
The Umnumzaan (Zulu: “The Boss”) was introduced in 2008, is Reeve’s largest folder (8.409″ in length) and rang in his second-generation Integral Lock, with improvements making it stronger than the first. This folder also sports his most radical blade design with a harpoon-like tip. Overall blade length is 3.675″ and like several CRK models, a Japanese-style Tanto is offered as pictured here. The Umnumzaan is a tour de force in Titanium and takes no prisoners.
The Inkosi (Zulu: “Chief”) was introduced in 2015 and represents the many refinements Reeve has made over decades on constant improvements. This folder is 8.4″ in overall length with a 3.60″ blade and, like the Sebenza 31, is offered in a Drop Point, Tanto and Modified Wharncliffe, which we’ve featured here. A smaller Inkosi is also offered, making this the most versatile platform in the CRK stable.
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