2018 CRK

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Well I’ve learned two things from this thread. What some of the new CRK’s will look like and what a Koi looks like.

 

How about desert iron wood comeback. Damascus insingo 21

 

Just wondering if anyone is actually receiving a knife or are they all back ordered for 4-6 months?!

 

They usually start on backorder. Last year took a little over two months. But for the Insingo Inkosis it took 4 months for my small and I ordered the first day. So there will definitely be a wait. I don't know if 6 months is being conservative or accurate thoigh.

 

Not much is new for 2018... I was hoping for something like an Impofu II
On the cape buffalo... is that image etched below the top surface of the handle scale... its hard to tell from the images that I have seen...

 

Yes Redwing 11 , A large Damascus Insigno would be a must have for me!

 

When is the last time that CRK came out with a new knife?

Note: I don't count the Inkosi, be it small or large, as being a new knife since it was a deviation from the Sebenza 25

 

Don't talk about the Chief like that

 

I prefer the 21 to the chief .... not sure why CRK won't do something to spice things up a little...

 

As much as all of us would love a new model from CRK yearly, CRK is in fact a small knife company and has limited production capacity. They have never been a company to offer "New" designs often. Its often several years between new designs. They did discontinue the Professional Soldier this year, but I am lucky enough to have 2 of em.

As for the same model, I dont buy into that. I have dozens of sebenzas and everyone is different. Different design ( CGG/UG ), different inlay, etc. I could easily buy another 50 sebenzas and would never feel I am getting the "same knife". Could care less about "new steels" either. CRK uses USA made steels, so you all can forget about M390 and other foreign steels. In their testing also, S35VN fares very well against many of the super steels some ask for. If you want a fancy steel, buy damascus. It performs just like S30V, which I still love very much.

My CRK want is a CRK paring knife to go along with my 2 sikayo. Again, even though prototypes have been made, production capacity comes into play. If they ever come out with one, I would buy several.

 

All I want from CRK, at this point, is a Large Mnandi. Love the design of the Mnandi, but not the size. I imagine the exact knife, just scaled up the same way the 21 is scaled down for the small. That knife, were it made, I would buy by the dozen.

 

CRK has a amazing lineup and the only hole I’am seeing is a 3.25” medium size knife to replace discontinued TiLock.

 

Could you guys say anything about the current quality control of CRK, please?

I'm thinking of buying my first CRK soon, but I've been hearing several youtubers talk about how their quality control has dropped now that it's basically Anne Reeve Knives,and that makes me a little hesitant. Also because I live in Europe, which not only makes the knive more expensive for me to buy, but also a lot harder to send it back in case it needs to be repaired. (I initially assumed I would never need to do that, since it's a CRK, but after what I've heard I get the impression that those days are over ... or are these people just exaggerating?)

Admittedly, I have never hold a CRK myself so all of this is 100% based on the opinion of others rather than personal experience, so I would very much appreciate it if any of you could comment on this matter.

Thanks!

 

I bought about 10 CRK in the last 3 years and every single one was perfect. The last 3 i bought were from 2017, no problems at all.
Just go for it...

 

Thank you, Mick. I very much appreciate your clear and honest input on the matter.

You're right, human errors will always remain a possibility. I just got the impression, from listening to other's opinions, that the chance for these errors happening had significantly increased eversince Chris has (either forcefully or voluntarily) distanced himself from his company. But I simply don't know how valid these claims are.

It is also things like the below, which, according to the maker of those pictures, caused issues in the balance of the knife after sharpening that had me more worried. Because these look to be more rigorous discrepancies that obviously aren't that easily fixed... if at all.
And said person therefore made the claim that he noticed a clear and significant decrease in the quality control and thus perfection of current CR knives compared to their older productions.

In the end, what it comes down to for me is the reason why you'd want to buy a Chris Reeve knife, and why you'd be willing to spend that amount of cash on a pocket knife, is because you want to experience the best of the best; the excellence that is Chris Reeve Knives.
But when I then still have to deal with faults or errors, how small they might be, that kind of goes out of the window...

Though I admit that, since we're dealing with a man-made product, that is perhaps a little unrealistic to expect in the first place.
Perhaps I'm just not entitled to expect the amount of excellence that the hype surrounding this brand has led me to expect.

Or what do you think? Have the knives indeed experienced a clear decrease in their perfection due to poor(er) quality control, or are you convinced that I will still be buying an excellent knife that will meet my (admittedly high) expectations?

 

Wish they would change the hex head screws to torx head... Torx head is a much stronger design... far less likely to strip out!
Not a lot of innovation currently going on at CRK

 

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The newer CRKs have better quality control IMHO. I have about a dozen, and the older ones I have are the only ones with factory off-center blades and uneven grinds. The whole “every knife leaves perfect” was a goal, but never a reality. QA is better at CRK in 2018 than it was in 2007, based on my sampling.