Thoughts on the CRKT Clever Girl? [Limited edition with Veff serrations]

vnvman

vnvman

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I stumbled upon this knife that appears to be resurfacing in my searches now and then, now on sale for 89€ which is a good price around here especially considering that even the standard version usually retails for over 120€.

CRKT.webp


This appears to be a "limited edition", or at least it's listed as such on the designer's website here:
mcglaundesigns.com

Limited Edition Clever Girl Fixed Blade With Veff Serrations

Move with the instincts of a velociraptor. The tactical, fixed-blade Clever Girl™ can help you claw your way out of hairy situations with its powerful, upswept blade. This version adds additional u…
mcglaundesigns.com mcglaundesigns.com

I have never tried Veff serrations and this might be a good chance to give them a test for "cheap" - well for sure cheaper than shipping a knife back and forth overseas and having it sharpened by the man himself.

My biggest concern is about SK5 steel, especially considering it's done pretty soft on this unit, at 54 HRC.

This knife is also likely to come with me on hikes. I know it's more of a SD design and for sure I'm not planning on prying manholes with it but if I go through the trouble of having a fixed blade with me generally it needs to be able to handle at least some very moderate batoning for making sticks for my firebox - the kind of stuff I'd put my CS folders through.

Do you guys think it's up to the task? Any experience with this model?

Looking forward to know what you think about it.
 
The True North said:
Seems like an impractical blade shape and butter soft steel.
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Honestly I do enjoy a persian style hollow grind blade for many slicing tasks. It's also pretty good with food, especially meat. I do not hunt, but I know they make decent animal processing/impromptu boning knives. I'd assume the tip wouldn't be bad for fish either.
 
...for reference, sk5 is pretty much 1084... it's very tough, only downside is lower edge retention

C(%)0.8-0.9 Si(%)0.15-0.35 Mn(%)0.15-0.5 P(%)≦0.03 S(%)≦0.03 Cr(%)≦0.3 Ni(%)≦0.25 Cu(%)≦0.25
 
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dirc said:
um, for reference, sk5 is pretty much 1084... it's very tough, only downside is lower edge retention
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well that doesn't bother me excessively, I just don't wanna risk snapping the tip off or mangling the serrations with just some small and light batoning. Since SK5 is pretty tough, I'd imagine it's even tougher at low HRC
 
vnvman said:
Honestly I do enjoy a persian style hollow grind blade for many slicing tasks. It's also pretty good with food, especially meat. I do not hunt, but I know they make decent animal processing/impromptu boning knives. I'd assume the tip wouldn't be bad for fish either.
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Sounds like you've got yourself convinced, Laddie.
 
dirc said:
you could get a mora carbon blade for under $20, which uses c90 (which is the euro naming for 1090) as a good comparison, it's tough and most people love it if they want non-stainless steel
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oh that is for sure, it just wouldn't look as cool I guess tho haha
 
vnvman said:
Haha maybe I was more like looking for positive reinforcement more than anything, but still if somebody pops up with horrible experiences involving this model and/or SK5 from CRKT that will still kill the deal obviously 😄
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I learned long ago listening to others opinions!! 🥴
John 😁
 
Toughness means it is unlikely to break or chip. But at 54 Rc, it won't have much strength. It will be prone to bending and rolling. I wouldn't baton with it. You'd have to beat on that thin point, and the Veff serrations will take a beating. Wood is complicated. It's my only heating source, so I cut and split a lot of it. If you hit a hidden knot or embedded stick or grain swirl, that knife will not be happy.

It's a nice looking knife. Design always talks to me.
 
Collecting is just about buying & keeping what you like.

So, if you like it, just buy it & don't listen to what anyone else says!!! 🚫

I sold off almost all of my CRKTs awhile ago but I kept the Fossil simply because the Veff serrations & its design makes it look so cool. :cool:

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And as far as use is concerned, I wouldn't worry about it. 🤷‍♂️

Buy & beat it up if that's your thing & when it's toast, buy another if you still like it or buy something else if you don't.

Even the cheapest steels will last much longer than you think. 🤓

I'm still using carbon steel Chinese cleavers & other kitchen knives originally owned by father that are over 70 years old!!!! :cool:
 
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I don’t see the appeal in that design, but if it tickles your fancy go for it.

CRKT doesn’t offer a good value IMO, that steel that soft at that price point means you are paying for the design and name mostly, that’s CRKTs bag, they sell off their abnormal designs to people that think they look cool, that and advertising. They push the look over the function in other words.

I’m sure it would work fine for most things, but I sure wouldn’t get excited what is sure to be lackluster performance if that’s important to you. It’s unlikely to just fall apart opening a box.
 
BJE said:
I don’t see the appeal in that design, but if it tickles your fancy go for it.

CRKT doesn’t offer a good value IMO, that steel that soft at that price point means you are paying for the design and name mostly, that’s CRKTs bag, they sell off their abnormal designs to people that think they look cool, that and advertising. They push the look over the function in other words.

I’m sure it would work fine for most things, but I sure wouldn’t get excited what is sure to be lackluster performance if that’s important to you. It’s unlikely to just fall apart opening a box.
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Thanks for your insight. Frankly I've never owned any CRKT apart from a Minimalist. The steel was soft but the design was kinda practical for a blade that small.

I've never owned anything bigger nor a folder, I'm mostly a CS guy. Cold steel does indeed sell some very practical knives at good price like the SRK Compact, but I dislike the rubber handle and the design doesn't get me too excited.

I know very well that either that or a Mora Garberg would make much more sense for my use, but they somehow lack that "fun" factor for me.

Truth be told I'm also the kind of guy that enjoys the process of "making things work" against all odds, given they are at least good enough not to break...that usually spoils the fun.
 
That steel should be run much harder than 54!
 
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