CRKT Crawford Kasper folder

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longbow

Joined
Jan 9, 1999
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Well bought a couple of these off the bay. These are the 8Cr14 steel. Least ways that is what I was told. Anyways long story short these are CRAP knives and not put together at all very well. Now my eldest has had an original version since they first came out and this was his main theater knife for years. Well pretty well hosed and just didn't feel like cleaning it up if that was possible and sharpening which it had been a dozen times already.

So decided to take the "new" folder mentioned above and swap parts. That was my first mistake. Thinking that a new iteration of this folder would even be close to the original. Ok so far so bad, so I attempted to take the new CRKT apart as I did the old original which by the way was about as easy as anything. Well couldn't get the new one apart to save my life. Screws just spin around. A couple came out with no problems but the majority just spin and spin. Matter of fact they spin around when I tried to tighten them initially when I received the knife but figured I am going to rebuild so no worries. Well after an hour of spinning around I got so frustrated with the thing I decided to pry it apart which I did.

Finally got the parts out I needed to rebuild the old one for my son and low and behold they don't even come close to fitting. SO in the shitter it goes. I was frustrated what can I say. First time EVER I have not succeeded in some form of getting a knife apart like it should come apart. The problem stems it seems from the fact that there are standoffs through the alum spacer and instead of being anchored in the space like with super glue or epoxy they just slide in. So there is nothing to keep them from spinning around when you try and loosen them. I know what you all are thinking, why not just use two torx on either side? Good question my fellow lovers of the blade. I did! It seems that the screws that came out weren't epoxied in like two of the screws were at the back of the handle. I mean epoxied such that they wouldn't even drill out.

Anyways that's it. Piece of crap is in the garbage and I am happy about it! keepem sharp
 
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Pics or it didn't happen. JK. :D

Sorry it was such a pain. I have one of the older Crawford Kaspers I picked up years ago; never tried to take it apart though. Now I know not to try.
 
Older ones are simple and easy, newer ones suck to take apart. The barrels that go through the alum back spacer aren't anchored in and the assemblers use some kind of black colored epoxy probably just to piss us round eyes off. keepem sharp
 
I wonder what happened with CRKT - they seemed plenty popular this last decade, lots of Marines had them when there were dozens in every exchange. In a blink of an eye they stopped being mentioned and it seems they are cheaping it out on most of their models.
 
longbow said:
the assemblers use some kind of black colored epoxy probably just to piss us round eyes off.
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:D

I absolutely love my tuition, but it has two barrels along the space that aren't anchored either, no locktite for them.

Well now you get to shop for a replacement :rolleyes:
 
I think CRKT took the mass production route and decided they would rather profit $5 per knife by the tens of thousands rather than $20 or $30 per quality built knife in lower volumes.

I also think they did the right thing by bringing some well regarded makers and designers on board but as much as the knives from the newly acquired designers have improved (Onion knives for instance) those knives are a tad bit too costly for the final product. Not a lot but still too much IMHO.

So what I see with CRKT is you either buy a cheap POS or you pay too much for their better knives.

I'm pretty much done after the Eros I have. Not interested in anything else from them for now.
 
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I agree I learned my lesson. I really hadn't purchased a CRKT in years and figured would try the new C-K's just cause I like the design etc. But live and learn. keepem sharp
 
I've had three c-k folders, one i absolutely loved, with black aluminum handles, a zytel, and now a professional. unfortunately i lost the aluminum handled one. i can tell you that none of the parts seem interchangeable between the zytel and the pro model-not even the clip.

however, i don't remember any standoffs in the backspacer on any one of them, and i never had any issue taking them apart. perhaps you got a counterfeit?
 
I paid $20 for mine....thought it was a heck of a knife for $20 and ordered another one to have around. Fancy? No. $20 worth...I think so. If I screw it up, I throw it away. If it's taken from me, I dont' care. It's $20.

If it was $60 or $100, I'd be annoyed with it. The $600 custom it's based on is a work of art, but I wouldn't do half the cutting with it that I'll do with the $20 version.

Would I like to see one with a lot better spec as a mid line for $100 from them? You bet.
 
Are you certain that these are not copies. I got a folding Razel straight from a guy in China. It looks pretty good but it uses inferior parts and the fit and finish were sorely lacking.
 
I love it! I bought it for when I need a VERY light EDC such as summer shorts, golfing, etc. I just think $125 is steep. That could just be me. I'd have felt better if I paid $85 or someting like that. For such a light knife you get a nice handle that fills the hand (relatively) and I have large hands and the blade is suitably long. This is not a mini knife in length. Just in overall girth and weight. And the flipper works great with the IKBS.

foldinghunter said:
Eros not a good knife? I've been considering one, but haven't liked the idea of CRKT being behind them. Thoughts?
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I don't think they are counterfeit. Comes in the original box with the flyer etc.etc listing all the other similar type of CRKT knives. All machining is similar and the blade grinds are identical as well as the screw pattern etc.etc. Just the hole pattern for the stop is off a c.h. enough to throw the new blade I was replacing off a good bit when everything else was assembled. I used to be a lithographer and the printing on the flier is very well done so don't they would copy that so exact. All the blade markings are identical too. Screw pattern is the same, LAWKS the same etc.etc. Just the mold for the handle is off very very slightly but enough to screw up the works. That and the assembly of the new knife was piss poor.

Now I have purchased NAVY brand knives off ebay and have to tell ya they are very high quality as for fit and finish and machining. These are China made knives supposedly made by the manufacturer that makes the Byrd line for Spyderco. Anyhow I have pretty much stuck with two basic patterns and one frame lock folder and am very impressed with how they operate and just general build quality. Anyways the CRKT was not that great, the original smokes it for build quality. keepem sharp
 
Their ripple model is very well made, one of the best since their s-2 framelock.too bad they didnt at least use ats-34 steel instead of the steel they are using right now.....
 
Yep that is it. If these are counterfeit knives they are the best fakes I have ever seen. I asked the fella I bought it from and he said they were real but yep that is it. keepem sharp
 
I also got a couple of them, and they did not seem near as nice as the originals.:confused:

Actually bought a large Natural thinking it would be similar, and very dissapointed with it also.
 
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I read somewhere that CRKT is doing better lately as far as quality of materials used. Like better blade steels and such. Seems maybe they're trying to do better. Anyone else heard this?
 
I have all the original CRKT Kasper/Crawfords except the large one in Zytel. I've been looking for that one but won't have one in 420j2. The 8Cr14MoV would be a huge improvement over that stuff but I don't want a counterfeit or a sub-par version of the old AUS6 ones. I e-mailed CRKT about it yesterday & am waiting for a reply.
 
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