I have owned and carried a CRKT KFF for about a month now and work with it every day. The fastest way I've found to get it into action is, in one smooth motion, withdraw it from your pocket using a pinch grip and then throw it at your opponent. While they are struggling to pick themselves up from under this weighty bad boy, you will then have time to stroll leisurely away to your nearest knife shop and purchase a Spyderco Military, or maybe send away for a REKAT Sifu.
Okay, seriously. There is a lot to like about this knife. From the testing that I've read, it has tremendous steel and cutting ability. I especially like the lock up feature. I train in both Master at Arms Keatings Bowie Knife program and FMLA short knife and the back cut is now a major technique. I have a carpet dummy hanging up on my back porch, and at this time, this is the only folder I have which I would trust to back cut with.
BUT, to access, open and lock this puppy up is one complicated process which requires some very fine motor skills. And frankly, under the stress of a lethal force encounter, I don't think the adrenal dump would lend itself to this very complicated chain of events.
Think about it. First you access the knife with some form of pinch grip, after clearing your pocket you then do the semi-circle shake swinging the knife down and then back up with a sudden stop at the end to swing the blade into position, then you still have to push the secondary lock into position with your thumb. So far, the best approximate time I've been able to accomplish this in is about 3 times as long as it takes to open my Cold Steel Vaquero Grande. And that is only when the secondary lock lever isn't catching in my pocket.
I originally bought the KFF as a fill in while I'm waiting to get my Sifu, because I do want to have a folder with which I can backcut. Sadly beyond the complicated access/lockup, even after you get it out you still only have a 3.75" blade which weighs about three times more than it should. In my experience one of the main factors for making up for lack of blade length is speed. But the weight of the KFF really cuts down on it's speed. On a longer knife, with a 5-6" blade, a heavy handle is an asset because it acts as a lever to get that point to fly. The short blade of the KFF doesn't take advantage of this principle.
I will continue to work with this knife because I do have time and money invested in it, and it does have some nice attributes. And it's nice to develop skills with a wide variety of tools. But it will be retired when the Sifu arrives. Maybe a X-mas present for one of my less tactically oriented sons-in-law.
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All you need is love... a sharp blade and a full clip
