AFAustin
Gold Member
- Joined
- Jun 8, 2004
- Messages
- 2,505
As everyone who hangs out here knows well, the true test of how a knife suits you isn't how it looks in the pretty pictures online, how the specs strike you, or even the opinions of knowledgeable others, it's this: how often do you slip it in your pocket when you have a lot of nice ones to choose from?
A knife I recently acquired (in another enjoyable transaction with one of our esteemed members here---thanks, Wayne:thumbup
has managed to find its way into my pocket quite a lot lately. It's the A.G. Russell Curved Regular Jack, in amber jigged bone, with the Zulu spear blade. I haven't seen a lot written up about this knife, so thought I'd do a quick mini-review. I'm still new to traditionals, and my photography skills are very limited, so I hope you guys will be gentle with me on this.
To start with, this is truly an international knife: designed and commissioned by one of the deans of American knives (A.G. Russell), manufactured in China, and sporting a blade of Swedish steel (Sandvik 12C27). Interestingly to me, given the quality of this knife, A.G. says it comes from their #2 Chinese manufacturer of traditional knives: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ll-Barlow-Lockback-anyone-like-this-one/page3 (post #59). All I can say is that if this level of quality is from #2, I am anxious to see what #1 is putting out!
It is appropriate that "curved" is part of the name of this knife, because that feature impresses right from the start. To my eye at least, the smooth flowing curve from blade through scales is a thing of beauty. Moreover, it makes for a very natural and comfortable grip, with the added advantage of the blade tipping downwards to enable a quicker and more powerful cut.
Something else that grabs your attention right up front is the stoutness of the CRJ, with its stainless steel bolsters, liners, and shield. A.G. has it at a solid 2.9 oz. (although mine weighs in at 2.8), and the blade is surprisingly thick for a traditional. There is a prominent swedge on the front end which thins it out a bit, but make no mistake, this is no thin blade! In my short time with traditionals, I have quickly taken a liking to the typical thin, very capable slicing blade, so this has taken a little getting used to. But, given the excellent edge the CRJ has taken, I have not had a problem with this. In fact, I really like the added dimension the sturdy blade gives this knife---I feel like it can just as easily take on a heavy duty task as a simple apple slicing.
The pull on the CRJ is just about perfect for me---maybe a 5-6 on the 10 pt. scale, with no half-stop and a smooth and pleasing movement. It has plenty of staying power when engaged, but at the same time is easy to open. The latter, I should say, is not only owing to the reasonable pull, but also to a couple of other factors: the forward positioned nail nick and the quantity of exposed blade that makes a "pinch open" the easiest option of all. That said, I read some criticism of the CRJ in one of the few threads I found on it, to the effect that the double pull (forward nail nick + long pull) was a negative, and I tend to agree. It makes for a too crowded mark side blade, with no real practical advantage.
For those who enjoy a resounding snap on closing, the CRJ satisfies. And the interior pin, which A.G. uses instead of the kick to stop the blade, works beautifully. After experiencing this firsthand, I've gotta say I'm surprised it's not in more common usage.
When open, the blade tang is almost flush with the spring---just a hair undershot. The precise meeting of the tang and backspring isn't a big deal to me, but I know it is to some, and I've got to admit that the "almost flushness" of the CRJ does look nice and enhances the lines. As much as I love my GECs, I believe not a one is as flush as the CRJ. In that vein, I will say that I do not like sharp cornered tangs, and usually make it a priority to file/sand them down. But, I confess I haven't undertaken that routine chore yet on the CRJ, because I believe it will pain me a bit to mess with how nicely the squared off tang meets the backspring.
I am no expert on scales, but these of amber jigged bone suit me fine. They are attractive and meet the stainless liners well. Moreover, the pins are flush with the scales, and that is something I've noticed I can't count on with many more expensive knives.
Although I have gotten quite used to GEC's excellent 1095 carbon steel, I will say that the 12C27 stainless on the CRJ was an attraction for me. I have---and love---a Bark River fixed blade (Kitchen Petty) in 12C27, and I have found it to take an incredibly keen edge and is easy to keep that way. I have not been disappointed with the 12C27 on the CRJ---it has taken a very nice edge, and has been easy to maintain with a few passes on the strop---and all this despite the very thick blade.
The CRJ also has advantages on the legal end---with a blade just under 3" and being a slippie, it is legal almost anywhere. I would venture a guess as well that the Zulu spear blade also makes it fairly unintimidating for the uninitiated. OTOH, the wharnie version does look a little wicked....
I guess if you've read thus far, you know I think this is a great bang-for-the-buck knife. But, to bump that a little more, I see that AGR also has some of the CRJs as "seconds", which might make for an even more compelling bargain buy.
To sum it all up, in my humble opinion, this is a knife that has quite an impressive list of attributes at a very tempting price point. I bought it mainly out of curiousity, and have been surprised and pleased with how much I like it. And yes, as I finish this modest mini-review, the CRJ is going right back in my pocket.
Thanks for reading.
Andrew
A knife I recently acquired (in another enjoyable transaction with one of our esteemed members here---thanks, Wayne:thumbup
has managed to find its way into my pocket quite a lot lately. It's the A.G. Russell Curved Regular Jack, in amber jigged bone, with the Zulu spear blade. I haven't seen a lot written up about this knife, so thought I'd do a quick mini-review. I'm still new to traditionals, and my photography skills are very limited, so I hope you guys will be gentle with me on this. To start with, this is truly an international knife: designed and commissioned by one of the deans of American knives (A.G. Russell), manufactured in China, and sporting a blade of Swedish steel (Sandvik 12C27). Interestingly to me, given the quality of this knife, A.G. says it comes from their #2 Chinese manufacturer of traditional knives: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...ll-Barlow-Lockback-anyone-like-this-one/page3 (post #59). All I can say is that if this level of quality is from #2, I am anxious to see what #1 is putting out!
It is appropriate that "curved" is part of the name of this knife, because that feature impresses right from the start. To my eye at least, the smooth flowing curve from blade through scales is a thing of beauty. Moreover, it makes for a very natural and comfortable grip, with the added advantage of the blade tipping downwards to enable a quicker and more powerful cut.
Something else that grabs your attention right up front is the stoutness of the CRJ, with its stainless steel bolsters, liners, and shield. A.G. has it at a solid 2.9 oz. (although mine weighs in at 2.8), and the blade is surprisingly thick for a traditional. There is a prominent swedge on the front end which thins it out a bit, but make no mistake, this is no thin blade! In my short time with traditionals, I have quickly taken a liking to the typical thin, very capable slicing blade, so this has taken a little getting used to. But, given the excellent edge the CRJ has taken, I have not had a problem with this. In fact, I really like the added dimension the sturdy blade gives this knife---I feel like it can just as easily take on a heavy duty task as a simple apple slicing.
The pull on the CRJ is just about perfect for me---maybe a 5-6 on the 10 pt. scale, with no half-stop and a smooth and pleasing movement. It has plenty of staying power when engaged, but at the same time is easy to open. The latter, I should say, is not only owing to the reasonable pull, but also to a couple of other factors: the forward positioned nail nick and the quantity of exposed blade that makes a "pinch open" the easiest option of all. That said, I read some criticism of the CRJ in one of the few threads I found on it, to the effect that the double pull (forward nail nick + long pull) was a negative, and I tend to agree. It makes for a too crowded mark side blade, with no real practical advantage.
For those who enjoy a resounding snap on closing, the CRJ satisfies. And the interior pin, which A.G. uses instead of the kick to stop the blade, works beautifully. After experiencing this firsthand, I've gotta say I'm surprised it's not in more common usage.
When open, the blade tang is almost flush with the spring---just a hair undershot. The precise meeting of the tang and backspring isn't a big deal to me, but I know it is to some, and I've got to admit that the "almost flushness" of the CRJ does look nice and enhances the lines. As much as I love my GECs, I believe not a one is as flush as the CRJ. In that vein, I will say that I do not like sharp cornered tangs, and usually make it a priority to file/sand them down. But, I confess I haven't undertaken that routine chore yet on the CRJ, because I believe it will pain me a bit to mess with how nicely the squared off tang meets the backspring.
I am no expert on scales, but these of amber jigged bone suit me fine. They are attractive and meet the stainless liners well. Moreover, the pins are flush with the scales, and that is something I've noticed I can't count on with many more expensive knives.
Although I have gotten quite used to GEC's excellent 1095 carbon steel, I will say that the 12C27 stainless on the CRJ was an attraction for me. I have---and love---a Bark River fixed blade (Kitchen Petty) in 12C27, and I have found it to take an incredibly keen edge and is easy to keep that way. I have not been disappointed with the 12C27 on the CRJ---it has taken a very nice edge, and has been easy to maintain with a few passes on the strop---and all this despite the very thick blade.
The CRJ also has advantages on the legal end---with a blade just under 3" and being a slippie, it is legal almost anywhere. I would venture a guess as well that the Zulu spear blade also makes it fairly unintimidating for the uninitiated. OTOH, the wharnie version does look a little wicked....
I guess if you've read thus far, you know I think this is a great bang-for-the-buck knife. But, to bump that a little more, I see that AGR also has some of the CRJs as "seconds", which might make for an even more compelling bargain buy.
To sum it all up, in my humble opinion, this is a knife that has quite an impressive list of attributes at a very tempting price point. I bought it mainly out of curiousity, and have been surprised and pleased with how much I like it. And yes, as I finish this modest mini-review, the CRJ is going right back in my pocket.
Thanks for reading.
Andrew
Last edited:
