Byrd vs Crkt?

A

alephlex

Joined
May 4, 2005
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Hi all,

A friend is looking to buy a sturdy folder. He is interested in either the crkt Desert cruiser in Aus-6 or the Byrd Cara-Cara. I gather that he needs something within the 3.5 inch range and a fairly thick (overbuilt?) blade. Target use: general folder for short bush walking/bike touring.

I haven't handled either of these before although I confess to having used and liked the CRKT Mirage (which is a totally different knife however).

Can some of you who own these knives provide some feedback?

Thanks
 
Any particular reason for settling on those 2 knives?

I think there are better choices for a sturdy 3.5 (or so) inch folder.
 
rifon2 said:
Any particular reason for settling on those 2 knives?
Click to expand...

Limited budget perhaps ?

I own Spyderco Byrd G-10 Cara Cara and I love it. Judging by description it has better blade steel than the CRKT model you chose and it is a lockback, not a linerlock.
 
Go for the Byrd G10 Cara Cara, for the money it's really, really hard to beat :D Got mine a month back and love it. FWIW, disassembly was really easy too. I've found how easily a knife comes apart (and goes back together) to be a good measure of quality. I took the Bryd apart, did a little cleaning (yes, I'm anal like that) have been smiling ever since.
 
I've got a Byrd Crossbill, and if the Cara Cara is built as well as it is, then if would for sure be the better knife. I have a Desert Cruiser (but I believe that it says AUS8 on the blade), and it just doesn't feel as well built as the Crossbill does.
 
Note that Cara Cara is BIG - handle is quite large and blade is longer than specs say because there is an unsharpened portion of it cca. 10 milimeters in length at the end of the blade (near the pivot). I love mine but be advised, it is big and not everybody likes BIG folders. There are smaller Spyderco Byrd models avaliable though (at slightly lower price than Cara Cara too !!!) so there's plenty to choose from :) I doubt you could go wrong with any of these.

I just noticed this thread - check it out re quality of CRKT Desert Cruiser ...
 
The Byrd Cara Cara G10. I have had 2 and given a couple away as gifts. The steel is very good, and the knife is well built and very sturdy. It is a little heavy, but not bothersome to carry and it can't be beat for the money. My experience with CRKT AUS6 shows that it burrs badly and doesn't hold an edge well, as they run the steel pretty soft.

Edit to add, I just read elsewhere that they Desert Cruiser is in AUS 8, and I have had OK performance from my AUS 8 CRKT's (M-18's that I got for $28 for the first, and $13 for the others, most of which were gifts). Again though, they are much softer than the Byrds are and tend to burr on sharpening. They hold a respectable edge when you get it burr free (which is tough to do, at least for me), but not as good as the Byrd in my experience.
 
I have an FRN Cara Cara that had a few problems, but would still recommend it, especially over any CRKT piece.

The blade in the Cara Cara is pretty stout, despite being hollow ground, and while it's a fairly large folder, Byrd/Spyderco's unique finger choil design makes it much more suitable for precise work than most knives of similar size. Plus the steel and heat treatment on my Cara Cara is excellent, it compares well with Spyderco's VG-10 .... which is a sizeable improvement over AUS-6 or even AUS-8 (the only CRKT I have at this time is an M-16 in AUS-8 and it's an absolutely miserable blade.)

Expect the G-10 and metal handled Cara Caras to be heavy. In fact the FRN Cara Cara "lightweight" doesn't feel light at all, IIRC it's just under 4 oz. which can still be a bit of a load in pocket.
 
Hi all,

Thanks for your replies and suggestions. I'm sorry I haven't gotten back to you earlier -- I've been away from the computer.

My friend settled on these two because of budget constraints. I think he has max US$20-25 to spend. And note that we are in Oz so shipping has to be factored in as well -- no $20 Bucks in Walmarts here!

Basically he in into a very robust 3.5 inch long folder and I think from his choices, he really likes thicker, more overbuilt blades. If any of you have suggestions as to what else might fit, I'm sure I could talk him into something else.

Thanks everyone
 
The Buck Striders seem to be sturdy yet the hollow grind allows for a functional edge. The 420HC will be forgiving, but it is somewhat more expensive than the price range outlined ($40?) I wouldn't object to the Bryds either.

If he can get over the "overbuilt" aspect, I would recommend a Benchmade NRA Fecas folder, $20. It's hollow grind looks really nice (performance wise).
 
I have both a Byrd crossbill and a CRKT cascade lockback(cheaper lockback version of the cruiser, also a Hammond). They are both good knives but I would give the edge to the Byrd. It is so well made for the cash and the steel is great for a knife in that price range. The Cascade has the best handle of any for holding on to but it not as slim in the pocket as the Byrd. AUS6 is sucky steel but CRKT have gone to a better stainless for their low end knives.
My crossbill has 8Cr13MoV and I have been impressed enough to buy a black cara cara soon.
 
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