I just ordered my first CKF---what am I in for?

[falar]

CKF generally makes really good stuff.

I think some of their older stuff had amazing value for the price. I'm not sure if their newer stuff has the same value for the price, but they still seem to be making good stuff.

I have one of the CKF hobacks as well, the centering is a better, I hope this doesn't completely turn you off the. https://i.imgur.com/o6a2foV.jpg

4" + flippers really get me going too and that is something they excel at it seems. Those MILKs look like they were great when they were available.

I looked at the Kadat long and hard as well but the handle is a bit too artsy for me.

Yours looks great in that pic. In the brief time I had it I was surprised at how it basically WAS a Kwaiback for all intents and purposes, down to the "custom" backspacer you usually have to pay extra for. It even had 1/2 of the "custom" pivot and pivot screw set.

The sides of the blade that are inside of the knife weren't polished and there was no detent ramp but it does have a superior bearing system. All in all I consider it to be a true Hoback with just some slight differences. Just bummed I got a lemon.

 

[Barman1]

Disappointed with my first and last, CKF Sukhoi 3.

Blade wouldn't center even after changing all of the hardware and polishing the stamped and burred pivot washers.
PITA to rebuild with hidden standoff screws.
Obtuse blade grind, over 20 dps on one side less on the other. Needed a reprofile on the first sharpening.
Voids in the carbon fiber.
Crazy hard detent. If the lock bar can even smell a finger near it the thing won't open and the flipper tab is slippery so most of the time getting a decent purchase on it is difficult.
DETENT ROCK!

After all my tinkering, reassembling, sharpening and reprofiling to my continued dissatisfaction I knew I'd be stuck with this POS forever due to my strict moral code of never passing a lemon on to another...
...so I whacked it with a big hammer and threw it in a dumpster, right where it belonged out of the factory.
Seriously, don't piss me off.

 

[falar]

I've looked at that one with great interest too, sorry to hear that.

 

[Mo2]

Voids in the carbon fiber.

All marbles cf has voids. Even if you don't see any on the surface, they are there. It's impossible to get marbled or shred cf without voids. There are some makers that fill this in with super glue or epoxy mixed with cf dust. But you don't often see this done on mass production knives.
Otherwise seems like you got the ugly duckling of that batch. I think they just. Released the last batch just recently.

In any case.. Why didn't you exchange it or return it as bad for refund? It's annoying to do indeed.

 

[Lapedog]

I'm sure I'll be impressed with the action and fit and finish since everyone is. The only thing that gives me pause is that the poster above said that they get everything made by a cloner. First, I hate supporting a cloner. I had no idea, I had seen many posts here about the quality and designs coming out of CKF but thought most of their stuff was made in Russia, I had really only seen a few posts speculating about the origin of some of the hardware.

Also, while I can visually inspect for machining prowess and action/lock function my main concern with a company that has no issues with cloning is what other less than ethical things will they do? How do any of us really know the titanium is Grade 5/6AL4V? Are we going to use the pocket jewelry hard enough to test the heat treat (not so much the initial, but the possible effects of overly aggressive grinding) of the blade?

Just look at it this way. Since he started producing for CKF, Kevin John’s cloning seems to have majorly slowed down. He has been a menace to the high end industry by building such high end clones. (Famously he was building better Strider folders than the real Striders for a while)

So by getting a CKF you are helping him to produce a liscensee design rather than pirating designs.

I know that’s purely a twisted way of thinking about it.

 

[Barman1]

All marbles cf has voids. Even if you don't see any on the surface, they are there. It's impossible to get marbled or shred cf without voids. There are some makers that fill this in with super glue or epoxy mixed with cf dust. But you don't often see this done on mass production knives.
Otherwise seems like you got the ugly duckling of that batch. I think they just. Released the last batch just recently.

In any case.. Why didn't you exchange it or return it as bad for refund? It's annoying to do indeed.

I don't exchange or refund after carry-use-sharpening.
It took annoyance to another level, enough was enough.
Problem gone.

 

[b00n]

I don't exchange or refund after carry-use-sharpening.
It took annoyance to another level, enough was enough.
Problem gone.

Next time this happens send it to me, I'll happily take it. Seems like a waste to me to throw away a knife that has warranty and even with issues might be a perfectly good beater, no offense.

 

[Mrgauth]

I too have had the Sukhoi 3 in a cart 2 or 3 times but just can't go to the next step. Hearing his issue helped me walk away for good. I cannot take the chance, no matter how remote, of having any of those issues. Too bad as I find it the best looking knife in years.

 

[Mo2]

I too have had the Sukhoi 3 in a cart 2 or 3 times but just can't go to the next step. Hearing his issue helped me walk away for good. I cannot take the chance, no matter how remote, of having any of those issues. Too bad as I find it the best looking knife in years.

Ive had it in cart at least 4 times. Lol they have a payment plan which is nice.

But on the images you see the Shiro multi row bearings but in the reviews I noticed the bag of extras have the Chinese dual row bearings... Wonder which one it actually is.

Is the extra just the lower end stuff?

In any case it looks great. But the price is a bit insane. If it were 350 I'd already have got one. At 400 it would be easier to swallow. But yea after hearing these issues I'm not sure I want to jump on it at all now.

 

[evilgreg]

I didn't jump on the Sukhoi 3, but I've had good luck with all my other CKF knives, FWIW, and I have a bunch of them.

I do hate detent rock, though, so that would bother me. If I push on the flipper and the blade shifts enough to be noticeable, it does bug me.

 

[b00n]

I didn't jump on the Sukhoi 3, but I've had good luck with all my other CKF knives, FWIW, and I have a bunch of them.

I do hate detent rock, though, so that would bother me. If I push on the flipper and the blade shifts enough to be noticeable, it does bug me.

I haven't bought another for 2 reasons personally:
1. Buying from Russia, it adds ~25% on top here, and I have to deal with customs most likely rather than paying the courier at the door.
2. Pricing, which plays a bit into it, dealers I used to buy them from decided it's not worth the hassle anymore because they fear they end up sitting on their stock

A bit more explanation on the second point, the problem is that the CKF Knives are fairly expensive in local shops due to the tax and that they want to make at least a little profit on them. So when CKF ended up doing their Black Friday deals through FRWK they essentially killed any and all profit margins for local shops and they felt rather burned because they felt they vastly overpaid and have no interest in stocking them again in fear of CKF doing another sale and offering customers coupons and such, making it very difficult to compete.
So despite an interest in the Krokar and Sukhoi 3 I haven't really pulled the trigger on either and probably won't. (The whole deal with me not wanting to deal with customs anymore is because the people working there once tried to bring me to court for something I imported that that completely legal but their incompetence/lack of knowledge made them feel like they caught an international arms dealer and it was a two year wait and legal proceedings.)

 

[falar]

That Sukhoi 3.0 sure is a beautiful knife.

 

[falar]

Well, its away back to them via the post office on my dime. Hopefully in 7-9 days I'll be happy with this purchase.

In the very brief time I had it I really enjoyed it.....flaw aside. Just look at these pics:

Love that M390 blade......

And all the cool extras

In a way, maybe it was fate. When I retrieved the box from my parcel locker at the cluster box I noticed right away the USPS did their best to screw me from the start:

 

[b00n]

I'll post some pictures of mine later and I cross my fingers that your replacement will be good to go Falar.

 

[falar]

Including a spare EVERYTHING sure takes the sting out of the knives being quickly discontinued.

I'm also almost sure some of these parts would interchange with an actual Hoback midtech/UHEP. When I get my new one I'll test that theory. One thing I like that adds value is it comes with the backspacer that you have to buy separte with a Hoback and also 1/2 of the "custom" pivot/pivot screw set you can buy from Hoback as well.

A 4-4.25" version would be my favorite knife ever.

 

[falar]

Spending time with my real Hoback to ease the wait

 

[b00n]

Its probably a huge picture, but I am too inept to resize it on my phone...

 

[falar]

Nice. I didn't have mine long enough to compare but looking at my Hoback I feel the CKF version has an even thicker blade.

 

[b00n]

Nice. I didn't have mine long enough to compare but looking at my Hoback I feel the CKF version has an even thicker blade.

How thick is the Hoback? The CKF measures 4.8mm / .188 "

 

[falar]

Same then. Must be optical due to the different finish.