CRKT 2020 models - 1.4116/8cr obsessions

I think I've had exactly two CRKT knives.
A "Ken Onion Ripple" (gave it away after the pocket clip screws stripped out) and a (I forget the designer's name) "SLIP KISS"
It was/is an OK knife, though a bit on the small side.
I think it is in my camper trailer somewhere. I haven't seen it in over a year.
Last I remember, I had it in the pouch/pocket inside my Army baseball cap. (also missing or misplaced for over a year. I know it is in the trailer somewhere.

I didn't see anything of interest the last few times I visited their website.
Just as well.
Since I was forced to retire my "income" has plummeted. Especially after having a "mini" stroke and being reduced to living in an assisted living facility, earlier this year.
All their prices are too rich for me now.
 
BMCGear said:
With WE having Civivi and putting out KILLER designs with good materials and great fit and finish CRKT is going to have to evolve.
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yeah, I agree, ... I normally dislike loud designs but this civi has me somewhat enthralled, I need to pull the trigger
CIVC908DS2_temp1.jpg
 
dirc said:
yeah, I agree, ... I normally dislike loud designs but this civi has me somewhat enthralled, I need to pull the trigger
CIVC908DS2_temp1.jpg
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I like it, but I'd want it without Damascus. Either plain blade or black. Damascus does nothing for me, and I certainly am not going to pay extra for it lol. Just give me 9cr18mov. My baklash has been a great knife with good edge retention, I don't need anything fancy.

Been meaning to get an Incite anyway, and I do like the layered G10.

I have one crkt, the caligo. It's decent for the price (30 bucks) and it cuts stuff. Chinese Kershaws feel higher quality though, and I have a few and have only had one problem and Kershaw replaced the knife.
I have drifted away from those caliber of knives though.
 
Civivi delivers unmatched value IMO. I have a few. Just got the Baklash in ebony and the action is just awesome. Their quality is high and consistent.
I've recently become more open to budget steels. Being honest with myself, I don't use my folders a lot. Edge holding just doesn't matter much from a practical standpoint. I also like sharpening.
In a way, it's a bit ridiculous to be obsessed with steel when you aren't using the capability. Higher cost means fewer knives in the collection.
So I have no beef with CRKT. Moreover, I don't think the average BF member is the target audience of CRKT. They know their market.
They have a lot of designs that I like. They also oftentimes recess the deep carry clips with flush screws. That's not so common.
I recently got their Hi Jinx for $25 from Knifecenter. Nice knife. Yes some of their knives seem overpriced.
 
I still own a couple of folders from CRKT but, I have zero plans to purchase more if they have gone to MAP prices.
 
One of my very first knives was CRKT M16. I have many CRKTs in my collection that I truly enjoy including Pilar and Squid in D2+G10, CEO in D2+Micarta (low-end under $70), Homefront and CrossBones in M390+TI (higher-end around $300) as well as the whimsical Deviation in 8cr14 (super low end - Drop collab). I believe Homefront Limited Edition is one of the best knives CRKT ever produced; though under appreciated in the knife community. CRKT should strongly consider making these Limited Edition knives more accessible and mainstream. They already have some of the best designs and sought after designers, they already have a flair for innovation, there are many folks like me who wont hesitate paying a bit extra for higher end materials and top quality fit and finish. I would like to believe … the best days of CRKT is yet to come, if they can keep their priorities straight.
 
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P D said:
… the best days of CRKT is yet to come, if they can keep their priorities straight.
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What would you say their priorities are?

They have always some great
designs in their lineup and worked with top notch designers.
Unfortunately they have normally cut corners on heat treatment and the steel they used. With a few exceptions of course.

Even though they are only one step above gas station knives, many people consider them a high end knife because they don’t know any better. If you want a blade that is better than what you buy at a gas station, CRKT is a logical step for most people.

CRKT has good brand recognition
and they know it. The problem will start when some of the up and coming overseas competition starts getting stocked in brick and mortar stores. They could have real problems when that happens.

I don’t think that they will ever compete with the likes of Spyderco or Benchmade. Although, if they split their company like Kershaw/ZT they might become a force to pay attention to.
 
I don't pay much attention to what CRKT is doing these days but I was given a provoke this past birthday and that thing is pretty cool, very interesting design and imo some cool things could be done with the kinematic design but that's a D2 blade...I'll have to take a look at the newest stuff and see if it really is that bad...they have their niche I suppose, they're probably more than aware that its not a good move to tread into Benchmade or Spyderco territory so might as well be one of the best of the not so good group
 
You may be right.

All I can say is I love my CRKT Prowler. Bad steel and all.
I’ll part with the Spyderco and Benchmade gear before the Prowler.
 
I don't buy CRKT but I'll bet they sell tens of thousands. They are all over the place.
 
Super excited to pick up CRKT Sketch in D2 and Carbon Fiber with copper accents. BHQ Exclusive. Based on a Lucas Burnley custom design. At around $70 I think this knife captures the essence of CRKT these days - Make great designs and designers accessible to the general public at an affordable price point. Keep up the good work, CRKT !
 
P D said:
Super excited to pick up CRKT Sketch in D2 and Carbon Fiber with copper accents. BHQ Exclusive. Based on a Lucas Burnley custom design. At around $70 I think this knife captures the essence of CRKT these days - Make great designs and designers accessible to the general public at an affordable price point. Keep up the good work, CRKT !
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That particular model looked interesting but I don't know that it "captures the essence of CRKT these days". Keeping with the theme of this thread, let's consider some of their other offerings on today's new item list from BladeHQ.

CRKT Folts Minimalist Cleaver - 5Cr15Mov for $24.95
CRKT Vox Piet - 8Cr13Mov for $28.95
CRKT Burnley Sketch - 8Cr13Mov for $39.99
CRKT Tuna - 8Cr13Mov for $44.95
CRKT Schwarz Thero - 8Cr14Mov for $44.95
CRKT Schwarz Overland - 8Cr13Mov for $54.99
CRKT Pilar with Copper/Steel scales - 8Cr13Mov for $54.99
CRKT Linchpin - 1.4116 for $119.99

This is ridiculous. That the minimalist is still using 5Cr15Mov is insane. That's what we often see used in cheap counterfeits, clones, or just very inexpensive Chinese-made knives. Of the 8Cr knives, only the Vox Piet is close to reasonably priced. I realize that there are other materials or features on the table but consider what other Chinese-made knives are offering for these prices. (In other words, put these models up against comparably priced models from Ganzo, Kubey, Ruike, Civivi, Bestech, etc.)

Seeing 1.4116 up over the $100 mark is a head-scratcher. I don't have first-hand experience with this steel but am I missing something?
 
Chronovore said:
That particular model looked interesting but I don't know that it "captures the essence of CRKT these days". Keeping with the theme of this thread, let's consider some of their other offerings on today's new item list from BladeHQ.
….

This is ridiculous.
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Look, I am not trying to be a "CRKT Spokesman" here, but what I find exciting in their new lineup is good, clean and fresh designs coupled with some "innovations". I am not thrilled about some of their steel choices but I could always wait for a "limited edition" or "exclusive run" for some better steels and handle materials. At an affordable price point (usually $50 - $100), CRKT is allowing the public to own a piece of good design/innovation and a good maker (their 2020 lineup include some top knife makers including Voxanes, Tighe, Flavio, Rogers and Burnley).

In my POV, the following CRKT 2020 knives are interesting :

Good design/ergos and function
Couple of Richard Rogers designs (Inara and Montosa), Lucas Burnley designs (Sketch - not a new knife per se but a refresh and Tuna) are worth checking out. I love these clean, minimalistic yet efficient designs and I could see that these knives will continue the tradition of a Pilar or Squid - great ergos married with good function from a good maker.

Interesting innovation
Joe Caswell design (Provoke - interesting take on a Karambit) and Flavio's Deadbolt locking implementations on smaller knives (Flavio designed Linchpin as well as the new M40 lineup with this new locking mechanism).

For average Knife users, CRKTs Chinese Steel choice (8Cr13 or 8Cr14) isn't a super steel but is an adequate steel for most routine cutting tasks that these knives would be subjected to and the price point.

Collectors and hobbyists (myself included) could always wait for a "Limited Edition" or "Exclusive run" and pay a bit more to get a better steel/handle materials (such as the M390/Ti Home Front OR the S35VN/CF Pilar).
 
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Only crkt I own is a caligo. It's a good knife for what I paid (30 bucks). Would I get another crkt? Sure, if I liked the design and the price was right. 30 bucks for the caligo was good, I think it was priced right. Now it's more, and I don't think it's as good a value anymore.

8cr is not terrible, but if they want to start charging more they need to up their game. 14c28n would be a good start.
 
CRKT has always been willing to stick their collective neck out on "weird n' wacky" designs, and I can respect that. But I consider them something of a "functional novelties" company. They're not the first company I'd turn to when looking for a practical knife at a strong value price point, though. But if you want a novel design for the collection and can't afford the cost of the custom version, the CRKT examples are a good way to get your hands on it.
 
P D said:
Look, I am not trying to be a "CRKT Spokesman" here, but what I find exciting in their new lineup is good, clean and fresh designs coupled with some "innovations". I am not thrilled about some of their steel choices but I could always wait for a "limited edition" or "exclusive run" for some better steels and handle materials. At an affordable price point (usually $50 - $100), CRKT is allowing the public to own a piece of good design/innovation and a good maker (their 2020 lineup include some top knife makers including Voxanes, Tighe, Flavio, Rogers and Burnley).

In my POV, the following CRKT 2020 knives are interesting :

Good design/ergos and function
Couple of Richard Rogers designs (Inara and Montosa), Lucas Burnley designs (Sketch - not a new knife per se but a refresh and Tuna) are worth checking out. I love these clean, minimalistic yet efficient designs and I could see that these knives will continue the tradition of a Pilar or Squid - great ergos married with good function from a good maker.

Interesting innovation
Joe Caswell design (Provoke - interesting take on a Karambit) and Flavio's Deadbolt locking implementations on smaller knives (Flavio designed Linchpin as well as the new M40 lineup with this new locking mechanism).

For average Knife users, CRKTs Chinese Steel choice (8Cr13 or 8Cr14) isn't a super steel but is an adequate steel for most routine cutting tasks that these knives would be subjected to and the price point.

Collectors and hobbyists (myself included) could always wait for a "Limited Edition" or "Exclusive run" and pay a bit more to get a better steel/handle materials (such as the M390/Ti Home Front OR the S35VN/CF Pilar).
Click to expand...

They definitely have some interesting designs. I'd compare them with a bunch of the Chinese-made Kershaws: cool designs let down by bad steels. That's only part of the problem. These are cool designs let down by bad steels at relatively high prices.

I bring up the better budget knives using better steels at these prices for a reason. Obviously, it can be done. So why isn't CRKT doing it? I think it has a lot to do with having a comfortable foothold in American brick and mortar. That slice of their business is somewhat protected from those more innovative competitors. That changes when either those other brands get product behind the display case at Walmart or enough of those customers start branching out and exploring other options, online or elsewhere. I don't have much say with the former but I'm doing my best to push the latter right here. ;)

Imagine this line-up of knives in a better budget steel like 14C28N, Acuto 440, or a properly treated 9Cr18Mov. That'd be cool, right? Well, maybe next time.
 
I'd never pay more than 30 dollars for a CRKT unless the premium parts and construction was there. I guess if people are buying their over priced pieces then good on them but that's pretty much a rip off and they know it. They could easily add better materials at the $100 price point like other brands, but they prefer to rip off the unknowing.
 
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