2006 CRKT Catalog

C

Confederate

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Sep 5, 2005
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Just got my new CRKT catalog and I have two observations: 1) the photos are beautifully laid out on print quality glossy paper; and 2) many of the company's knife blades have moved from AUS 6 and AUS 4 to low grade 420j2 liner lock metal.

I flipped through page after page of knives -- some with some awful 3-stage designs. The expensive rainbow colored models are junk steel, too. On the plus side, all of the previously-made AUS 8-blade models remain AUS 8.

Reasons Columbia River chose 420j2 were increases "toughness" and resistence to stains by solvents and oils. These were the reasons CRKT gave last year and before for using AUS 6!
 
I'd rather get a cheaper catalog and pay a little more for the knives to keep the aus8 than the lower grade steels they have switched to. but i have to say i picked up an m16 zytel with aus4 and it's done a lot better than i thought it would. later, ahgar
 
If their bottom line improves using this method*, watch for it to continue.

(*More effective marketing, lower manufacturing costs.)
 
That seems to be the direction of CRKT. They have some nice designs, but they seem to really be losing their footing in the knife industry.
 
I think CRKT knows what they're doing.
Right now they offer a little something for everyone.
Some cheap low-grade steel folders, and some higher-end ones as well.
 
allenC said:
I think CRKT knows what they're doing.
Right now they offer a little something for everyone.
Some cheap low-grade steel folders, and some higher-end ones as well.
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AllenC, good point.
In my opinion, they are drifting away from what I perceive is mainstream. But I'm sure they have people who know more about marketing than me.
 
In my opinion, they are drifting away from what I perceive is mainstream
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I'd say they are drifting toward the mainstream. Most knife buyers don't care about the steel and believe what advertising says.
 
ahgar said:
I'd rather get a cheaper catalog and pay a little more for the knives to keep the aus8 than the lower grade steels they have switched to. but i have to say i picked up an m16 zytel with aus4 and it's done a lot better than i thought it would. later, ahgar
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same here. this aus4 is way better than i thought it would be. cuts tons of cardboard. i wouldn't write it off to quickly. when sharpening, it seems to be of high hardness. i have no way of testing, but guess ~58hrc.
 
Anyone who reads Dilbert knows how marketing destroys companies, but the good news is that CRKT can't continue downgrading their steel because 420j2 is about as cheap as you can get. I mean, it's the same type of steel one finds in Maxxam knives and heat treatment can't improve it a whole lot.

Turn to the section on steels in the back of the catalog and the marketing people make it sound as if CRKT has made a lot of improvements in their line -- making knives "tougher" and with "increased resistance" to corrosion. Well, we all know what that means. But then they say these qualities are for people who use their knives "hard" day in and day out. Well, that's bull. You can sub-zero quench it all you want and it's still 420 -- and 420 can be only so good. Still, it would be interesting to see some knife tests.

Gerber's doing the same thing, and I carry a Gerber EZ-Out a lot because it's light. But when I have to cut tough materials I just can't get it to work. It's presently listed as "400-series stainless" and the edge just won't stay on the knife and it won't cut through heavier plastics and that real tough cardboard. I can see real improvement when upgrading to 440A and even AUS 6. I also didn't have any ATS-34 knives until fairly recent (always thought it was too expensive for what you got), but I have to admit I can really tell a difference when I'm cutting hard materials. So now I'm not too ready to dismiss people as "steel snobs" like I used to. AUS 8 is still fine by me, but I have changed my mind as I've seen these 420 blades go South on me.

If I have to use 420, I'll buy some Chinese trash and save some $$$. At least the Chinese usually compensate by giving their knives bigger slabs of steel as blades. The U.S. knives don't.
 
I hate to see them use that cheapo steel however, not everyone is as informed as we are! The average person buying a knife does so on visual appeal and figures the knife will cut great. I was exactly like that years ago before I discovered this Forum & started learning about the different steels.
 
Yes, well, if you look at the Blade Steel Facts in the back of the catalog you get a big reality check. For example, 420HC has about .44 percent carbon and that's not a great steel. The 420j2, which is used in a wide variety of CRKT and Gerber knives, has only .32 percent carbon. As Ross Perot would say, "That's just plain sad."

ATS-34 has about 1.05 percent, by contrast, and AUS 8 has .70-.75 percent carbon. This alone should convince anyone that 420j2 is suitable only to reinforce good knives (as liners). I don't believe God intended it to be blade material.

CRKT really has let the knife industry down, IMHO.
 
Confederate said:
CRKT really has let the knife industry down, IMHO.
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The knife industry? - or the consumer who, not educated in this stuff, is being sold a bill of goods.

In the end, though, IMO it's up to the consumer to make an informed purchase and not just buy the slick marketing.

Because at the same time, CRKT's got a business model, they've got a business to run and that's what they're doing. If enough people disagree with their methods, the market will eventually reflect that. Especially today with so much good information easily and plentifully available today to counteract overly zealous marketing.

Not too long ago, good marketing could have whole lot of folks believing that 420J2 is great blade steel. Fortunately, it's a lot more difficult to do that these days.

For example, they could do a quick Google search and find us! We'll set 'em straight.;) :cool:
 
I've sent Gerber three e-mails asking them what kind of steel they use in their EZ-Out folders and I've yet to get a response. Of course they know they're putting out junk. These people know knives and they're not stupid. Some of them may not approve of the direction the company has decided to go in. But a buck is a buck and all stainless steel looks the same.

They also know that people who do know what's going on will be able to get their knives elsewhere, so they're sacrificing their reputation. It's doubtful that once they go down this path that they'll ever go back, but who knows? After a few years of producing junk, someone will decide to start using good materials again.
 
wwells20 said:
same here. this aus4 is way better than i thought it would be. cuts tons of cardboard. i wouldn't write it off to quickly. when sharpening, it seems to be of high hardness. i have no way of testing, but guess ~58hrc.
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I'm not saying that AUS4 is the worst that could be out there, but the problem I have with the continued downgrading of the steel is that its a take-away. They're not charging you less for the reduction in parts cost. They're charging you the same for less. It causes problems for me because if I want something, and it used to come in a better steel I have to send more emails to different companies asking if they have the old stock or the new ones. It causes confusion for informed knife buyers, even if your average consumer doesn't care.
 
Confederate said:
You got it! It's like M&Ms. You pay the same, but you get only 14 ozs. instead of 16 ozs.
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Or coffee, from 16 oz. down to 11.5 oz. in some brands!

The size of the can, of course, has remained the same throughout...
 
SpyderJon said:
I'm not saying that AUS4 is the worst that could be out there, but the problem I have with the continued downgrading of the steel is that its a take-away. They're not charging you less for the reduction in parts cost. They're charging you the same for less. It causes problems for me because if I want something, and it used to come in a better steel I have to send more emails to different companies asking if they have the old stock or the new ones. It causes confusion for informed knife buyers, even if your average consumer doesn't care.
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Good point! I guess I had forgotten to consider the down grade of steel but charging the same price. Hey wait a minute, now I'm bummed.;) "this is only aus4"!
 
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