Does CRK offer blade replacement?

M

mhasman

Joined
Nov 30, 2005
Messages
275
Long story short... I badly want KnifeArt Large 21 Carbon Fiber with Insingo blade. Seems like it is no longer available, forever, and I can't find it anywhere else, even used.

So, I thought maybe buying Large 21 CF with "regular" blade, and replace with Insingo blade.
Q1: Would it even work? Does it require any adjustment?
Q2: Does CRK does blades swop, or can give me Insingo blade, installed? Anyone has experience with CRT like that?

Thanks!
 
I'm actually wonder the same thing. I want to replace my s35 blades on my 21s with the new s45 blades.
 
Talk with CRK, but I think they only do blade replacements that match the original.
As for doing it your self, it has been done here before but CRK says they are all matched sets between the lock face and the lock bar.
 
mhasman said:
So, I thought maybe buying Large 21 CF with "regular" blade, and replace with Insingo blade.
Q1: Would it even work? Does it require any adjustment?
Q2: Does CRK does blades swop, or can give me Insingo blade, installed? Anyone has experience with CRT like that?

Thanks!
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Q1 - As others have mentioned, people have done it themselves in the past. However, keep in mind everything is matched/paired from the factory. It may work for you / it may not. You would be taking your own risk and this isn't covered by their warranty if anything goes wrong.

Q2 - Unless their policy has changed, they will not swap blade styles. So if your original knife was a DP, they won't swap/sell you an Insingo style blade.
 
I have heard several versions of "their policy" here and there. It's probably changed some over the last few years. I think the 31 makes the 21 discontinued and only warranty replacements are available for 21's. I'm not sure there are any options for earlier versions.

There is only one way to know. (208) 375-0367 Please share your results, a recent official update would be nice!

I think many companies are/have stepped away from blade replacements. Spyderco won't do it and Benchmade really raised the price recently. Benchamdes decision makes sense. If they are only breaking even on blades or maybe even losing on the entire process, then they can only do it so much. Supposedly many people were wanting new blades and didn't actually need them. All these mostly cosmetic (a few scratches or something like s35vn to s45vn) swaps were taken advantage of and Benchmade reacted.

Anyways... My advice is keep looking for a used 21 OR wait a long while for CRK to get around to making KnifeArt 31 Insingos. These provide the safest and most secure route to your goal. I think it will be a long wait, so don't give up on the used market. It's not a very rare sebenza and should appear soonish for a noninflated price.
 
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I have gone from an insingo blade to a drop point via CRK, but I did it in late 2019. They stopped offering this when the 31 went into full production (January 2020). They still (and will continue to) offer blade replacements for warranty issues, as they do small runs here and there of 21 blades to keep a stock for warranties, but you can no longer send in a knife for a blade swap. When they would still do a swap at customer request, there would be a $150 charge for the new blade and would ship the knife back with your original blade as well. The last time I called about it, one of the girls said they may open up for blade swaps like this again at some point in the future but not anytime soon.
 
The last time I talked to them about it it was for an Inkosi, not a 21. But the way I was told is that if the knife was originally an Insingo the only blade replacement they’d do was an insingo. If it was originally a tanto you could get a tanto or drop point fitted to it. If it was originally a drop point you could get a drop point or tanto fitted to it. Now that was for inkosi. I also asked if i could get a s45vn blade fitted to an existing s35vn Inkosi knife. As of now the answer was no, maybe on down the road
 
For what it's worth, I know someone who had a blade swapped from Insingo to Drop point in a 21 but it was 2019 or early 2020.
 
Like previously mentioned they'd fit a drop point for an insingo or tanto but a drop point can only get another drop point. I electively had a drop point fit for my 21 carbon fiber, but it was originally an in Insingo. It was in November or December that I sent it in, and by the sounds of it, was just in time.
 
Eliteone2383 said:
Ok good. I thought you meant not at all lol. That would suck so bad.
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This was brought up on a FB live that Tim did a few months ago. I'm recalling that pretty much if they can't replace a part due to age of the product and it is a warranty issue, they will "make it right."

Other companies in different industries that honor their life time warranty will replace with a newer or like model. So if your 21 ends up breaking because of XYZ and is a warranty issue and not a user issue, I would imagine they would figure out retail value and replace with something is similar. Thinking of their current line up, would be a 31. Again, its hard to give a solid answer as each case has different factors to take into consideration.

Use the knife in good health and deal with issues when if/when it arrives. No sense in fretting about what could happen if you aren't going to enjoy it.
 
Typically I spend money after I come here, this is a rarity. I had planned to order a 2nd blade soon.

I guess I will not have to decide which pattern would look best on my starbenza.
 
They did a different blade for me back when they were still making 21’s. Also returned the original so now I have a spare for my 21’s. I’ve had several CR 21’s come and go but the ones I have now are all keepers.

The WC model was never originally offered with a partial serrated blade but the folks at the mother ship fixed me up! I saved all the paperwork including the emails with them about switching blades. I don’t believe that they offer the partial serrated anymore. I heard a rumor that they might stop and that’s when I contacted them and they were more than happy to make the switch for me.

Now as far as I understand they will no longer do that on 21’s but replacement for warranty only. I have a friend who had the same type of switch done but going from Damascus to a regular blade. He got it done several weeks before they stopped this service.
Absolutely no regrets on this. 49815010-7C1B-4270-8679-8613F003191D.jpeg 2398CBA0-853B-424B-9698-3F182A1F1534.jpeg
 
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