Believe the hype.

bradytx said:
I received my first Chris Reeve knife today, the Umnumzaan, and I'm absolutely shocked. The quality is unreal. It is perfect, and somewhat of a wierd feeling, as I'm a perfectionist, and can find a flaw in almost any man made good. Quality control at Chris Reeve Knives is doing their job that's for sure.

This may sound corny, hokey, or what you will, but this is the first thing I've ever purchased in life that makes me feel like a rich man, and let me tell you I'm far from it. It almost feels too classy, too perfect, just a feel that I've never felt before in something I've bought.

Kudos to the team at Chris Reeve Knives, you've made me a happy guy, and hopefully my son as well... 40 years from now.
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I love my Large 21, but there are slight differences in grind height on the secondary bevels. It has been stated on other models as well. It isn't enough to notice without looking carefully, but it is there.

If you Want to find an issue, check this over carefully.

Welcome to the next tier. Oddly enough, it is all downhill from here... Get a tight grip on your wallet. Soon you will be looking at more CRKs, then Shiro, Rockstead, and Customs...
 
shinyedges said:
I'm ashamed to say I've never had a Chris reeve knife. Never even handled one. Which is crazy considering how many knives I've gone through. I wish I could check one out in person, I live in boonies though.
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What state?
I am planning on driving from NJ to AZ in June, so maybe I can make a small detour.
 
mongomondo said:
I like the Umnumzaan but the lockbar stop is unsightly.
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While I do agree, it looks less disruptive on the Star Tac Wilson Combat version.
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Chris Reeve set the bar high. I've been impressed by the equivalent quality of my Spyderco Para 2 and Military, too.
 
I have owned several CRK's over the years and what you are saying holds true for all of their models. The 21, Mnandi, and Nayla's that I have owned have all been perfect. I most recently purchased a 21 UG off the forum and in my opinion that opens up a whole new level of perfection for CRK knives. I hope to have an Umnumzaan at some point. Glad you are happy!
 
They aren't for me, I've bought a few and never gotten attached to them. The closest I ever came to really liking one was a CF Insingo that has since been lost to Steve Ketchen doing a runner with it when he buggered off for good. :(

I think I'm done with them altogether at this point, they just don't do it for me. I'm glad you like them, though. You won't find yourself alone here in that regard. CRK has a rabid cult following hereabouts.
 
evilgreg said:
They aren't for me, I've bought a few and never gotten attached to them. The closest I ever came to really liking one was a CF Insingo that has since been lost to Steve Ketchen doing a runner with it when he buggered off for good. :(
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I could see that adding a bad taste.
 
Officer's Match said:
I could see that adding a bad taste.
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You know it's funny, but in the end I'm not really all that upset about it. Obviously I'd prefer not to be defrauded or stolen from, but dealing with knife modifiers for years has sort of led me to believe that's a constant risk and to a certain amount going to always be present. I think the first guy that stiffed me out of hundreds of dollars was Alex Dietz, but there have been so many at this point it's hard to keep track of them all.

With Steve, I end up carrying his work all the time. I really like the scales he made for some of my knives, and while he definitely stole from me at the end we had a dozen great transactions before that. With Alex the first time I paid him to do something he stole from me, keeping the money and the knife, so comparatively my Steve experience was not that bad.

After Steve stole the CF Insingo I bought another one, a large micarta insert Insingo new, and when it arrived it had an uneven grind and being heavier than the CF version it just didn't recapture my short lived interest. The vendor was great and gave me no problems when I returned it, but they didn't have another one so I bought something else.

I think my CRK adventures are over. I'm destined to forever be an outcast on this forum, I might be the only member that doesn't much care for the Sebenza, the PM2, or the Military. Worse still, I don't hate Cold Steel. I might have to be sent to a re-education camp or something. ;)

I'm glad other folks love their CRK gear as much as they do, though. It makes me a little jealous, buying them and not liking them is much less satisfying than the "this bowl of porridge is just right" feeling most folks experience. :(
 
shinyedges said:
I'm ashamed to say I've never had a Chris reeve knife. Never even handled one. Which is crazy considering how many knives I've gone through. I wish I could check one out in person, I live in boonies though.
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I'm not ashamed at all for not ever owning a CRK knife. I have looked at them, handled them and so forth and yeah they're a nice knife, but I won't allow myself to buy one. They need to upgrade their steel. Times are changing.

Bradytx, glad you're happy. Would hate for you to spend that much money on a knife and not be happy.
 
22-rimfire said:
I'm not ashamed at all for not ever owning a CRK knife. I have looked at them, handled them and so forth and yeah they're a nice knife, but I won't allow myself to buy one. They need to upgrade their steel. Times are changing.
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I consider myself well rounded when it comes to knives, I've had knives from all the big companies and a fair amount of makers. I have to at least try a crk for the sake of experience.
 
shinyedges said:
I consider myself well rounded when it comes to knives, I've had knives from all the big companies and a fair amount of makers. I have to at least try a crk for the sake of experience.
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All it takes is a chunk of money. Get one or two. You could have probably looked at one at KSF's shop in northern MI.
 
22-rimfire said:
All it takes is a chunk of money. Get one or two. You could have probably looked at one at KSF's shop in northern MI.
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I know what it takes...lol I routinely pass up getting a crk when I buy other knives. From the love they get here they must be fantastic, I want to handle one and see for myself.

I have no idea what ksf is.
 
shinyedges said:
I know what it takes...lol I routinely pass up getting a crk when I buy other knives. From the love they get here they must be fantastic, I want to handle one and see for myself.

I have no idea what ksf is.
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They do get a lot of love here on BF. KSF is "KnivesShipFree" which is primarily an internet based knife dealer but maintains a store in Northern Michigan. They are in the process of moving to TN however.
 
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