Chris Reeve: A modern master of industrial design - some favourite details

[kidcongo]

I am interested in industrial design. I like CRK because many of the things I appreciate in good design is present in their products, and I believe Chris Reeve and family have a real gift for the design of beautiful and functional objects in the vein of Raymond Loewy, Frank Lloyd Wright and others. This may seem high praise, but I think it's deserved, and I think there is more to CRK knives than a choice of materials or a pivot bushing. When I look at the choices made in the design of a Sebenza, or the entire rest of their collection of products, there is a truly unique style in the work that I really appreciate. It doesn't make the knives cut better, but for me it adds to the enjoyment of using what is in the end "just a freaking knife" as Somber put it so eloquently. I also think the things that some people dislike about CRK are also evidence of the unique qualities of the brand. Those so-called "ugly" unique graphic CRK's do not remind me of anyone else's style or product, which is really hard to do these days.....I want one! The shape of the split inlays etc, is all unique to CRK. I earn my living with my hands, so am constantly using my sebenza throughout most days and I've had lots of time to think on this subject, so skip this post, or add to it if you feel like it. Just wanted to get some observations out there.

Some details you may have missed:

#1 The darn thing isn't flat. That subtle curve on the upper side of the handle is genius! I think this one of the most important, and most overlooked design elements of the slabs. That's why the knife doesn't so easily slip from your hands. It naturally wants to stay centered due to the curve.

#2 The lock bar has a bevelled/machined edge on the inner side. That is a nice touch!

#3 How do they machine that center cone into the back of the thumb-stud and lanyard holder? Such a nice detail in these otherwise boring parts.

#4 The machining around the screws. Interesting effort was made to get the screws in the exact right spot, while keeping the handle slim, resulting in these small bumps. Why not just move the screws?

#5 The CRK Logo. Anyone who appreciates Art Deco design from the heyday of American art, will appreciate this South African's fantastic logo. It's a retro masterpiece.

#6 Colliding angles on the slabs and the rounding of the heel of the blade.....nice work CRK.

Anyways.....feel free to add your own observations.

 

[Ernie1980]

The top of the blade is rounded, that was one of the first details I noticed when I handled my first Sebenza. Also, the blade is ground in a way that when you sharpen it the edge is the same thickness. Even on custom knives I have, the blade ends up thicker towards the end as you wear the edge by sharpening.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Like many seemingly simple devices, the Sebenza is an amalgam of many innovations. The attention to detail is astounding. Chris Reeves knives are in a class by themselves. Beautiful, functional, art.

 

[BLADE_SICKness]

Great post. I enjoyed reading it. Good pictures to illustrate too.

 

[rexromic]

Like many seemingly simple devices, the Sebenza is an amalgam of many innovations. The attention to detail is astounding. Chris Reeves knives are in a class by themselves. Beautiful, functional, art.

:thumbup:

 

[kwazyjuice]

It is just so simple in appearance.... But very complex overall when you start to pay attention to the details, and craftsmanship.

It is one great quality designed knife! I can attest

 

[Fooj]

I am interested in industrial design. I like CRK because many of the things I appreciate in good design is present in their products, and I believe Chris Reeve and family have a real gift for the design of beautiful and functional objects in the vein of Raymond Loewy, Frank Lloyd Wright and others.

Leave it to an ID guy to have an eye for this stuff. Yes, the Sebenza has a ton of subtle and not-so-subtle usability and style features. In addition to what you and Ernie1980 mentioned, I love:

• The gimping details, including the clean perimeter bevels and "batman ears"
• Chamfering on all edges into which the users would come in contact
• Perfect depth on the screw countersinking such that the screws go flush with the scales
• Single screw for clip instead of the 2-3 employed by others. With the milled pocket for the clip, the single screw is only responsible for pulling the clip into the pocket, and not keeping the clip straight.
• Graceful surface transitions. An example of this is on polished lock-side slabs, where the transition between the polished surface and sand-blasted surface is separated by a couple shallow grooves. Another example is on the 25 blade, where there is a small hollow between the rounded and beveled parts of the spine.

I'm sure there are things I'm forgetting. Superior engineering, with style.

 

[kidcongo]

Here is an internal detail that is important. The pivot hole in the blade has 4 small grooves machined into it's sides (see the upper part of the hole in this photo). Chris Reeve figured out that you can't keep grit and grime out of the pivot, but if you give it a place to collect the knife will stay smooth. These grooves, and the holes in the washers serve double purpose: They hold extra lube, and allow crud to migrate into an area where it does not affect the smooth feel of the knife. Another great CRK detail!

 

[FordFan]

Cody, enjoyed reading the post. Thanks for taking time to share your observations.

 

[kidcongo]

Cody, enjoyed reading the post. Thanks for taking time to share your observations.

Thanks. This is a great forum, and great people involved. Its nice to be able to contribute. It also gives my wife a break from hearing about pocket knives. She's great, but there comes a point.....

 

[FordFan]

Thanks. This is a great forum, and great people involved. Its nice to be able to contribute. It also gives my wife a break from hearing about pocket knives. She's great, but there comes a point.....

My wife was actually partially responsible for me getting into higher quality knives. She got me William Henry with a Damascus blade for a gift. I had alway had knives but nothing even close to that nice. That WH really got me into finer knives which led me here to this forum. Lots of great people here as you have said.

 

[kidcongo]

I looked at the prices of those William Henry's. Wow.......hang on to her!

 

[pmek5]

Great post. I really like the fine details that make this such a great knife.

 

[Sonnydaze]

Cream floats to the top...

 

[kidcongo]

I had to bump this thread to dispell some unpleasant thoughts in my head regarding those 25 inlays. Chris Reeve has created some of the most eye-pleasing, functional, and truly beautiful knives in history. For that he deserves my respect, and I thank CRK for the happiness these items have brought to me. It doesn't mean I have to agree with all choices made by CRK, though up until now they have always 'knocked it outta the park' in aesthetic design, at least for my eyes. Even the prototype limited 25 was gorgeous. I don't have to buy an inlayed 25, and it makes me appreciate the design of the inlayed 21 even more. I think its time to start collecting inlayed 21s.

 

[Mad_Maxx]

same thounghts here, there is a lot of thinking and genius behind these knives
not "just" quality and materials or the awesome finish and tolerances

they are well thought all around!
reason why it's hard to look elsewhere

 

[SaintlyBrees]

I had to bump this thread to dispell some unpleasant thoughts in my head regarding those 25 inlays...

Thanks for the bump. I had missed this thread the first time around. Definitely a worthy read and well done.

...#5 The CRK Logo. Anyone who appreciates Art Deco design from the heyday of American art, will appreciate this South African's fantastic logo. It's a retro masterpiece.

Anyways.....feel free to add your own observations.

Having lived through the Art Deco period and now living in the Southwest (New Mexico), I'll respectfully disagree with the likely influence of the logo. I strongly suspect that it is more influenced by American Cattle Branding, which (by my understand in discussion with S. African Cattle ranchers as well as those here) are quite similar in both countries.

Simple combinations of letters and number to make a contiguous brand, easily applied with a branding iron, are quite common and very similar to the Chris Reeve brand. Some examples of cattle branding pulled off of the 'net (examples are actually innumerable):

But this is JMO. Again, a great read and very well done. The points that you make and point out via photo are outstanding. Thank you.

 

[supercoup]

Anyone care to explain's Fooj's reference of "batman ears" ?

Can't seem to figure out what he's talking about --- unless he's talking about the chamfered edges at the top of the handle scales?

 

[kidcongo]

Thanks for the bump. I had missed this thread the first time around. Definitely a worthy read and well done.



Having lived through the Art Deco period and now living in the Southwest (New Mexico), I'll respectfully disagree with the likely influence of the logo. I strongly suspect that it is more influenced by American Cattle Branding, which (by my understand in discussion with S. African Cattle ranchers as well as those here) are quite similar in both countries.

Simple combinations of letters and number to make a contiguous brand, easily applied with a branding iron, are quite common and very similar to the Chris Reeve brand. Some examples of cattle branding pulled off of the 'net (examples are actually innumerable):

But this is JMO. Again, a great read and very well done. The points that you make and point out via photo are outstanding. Thank you.

Very cool info. I would say you have made a very good observation and are likely right. I think of the logo as Art Deco, but can accept that it might be more cowboy than cosmopolitan, so touché! However in reading about the art Deco movement, I gotta say there is a little CRK in the ideas of that movement and time:

From the Wiki:
Historian Bevis Hillier defined Art Deco as "an assertively modern style [that] ran to symmetry rather than asymmetry, and to the rectilinear rather than the curvilinear; it responded to the demands of the machine and of new material [and] the requirements of mass production".[2]

"The demands of the machine and of new material and the requirements of mass production": That is definitely an aspect of Chris's designs.

 

[iamsmiling]

I have to agree with your premise. I find the simple elegance of the unadorned models most to my taste. As you say, the Sebenza and all the following models show the impact of quality engineering throughout the product. It is obvious these knives have evolved over time.

Besides the general quality of the work I think what most impressed me was removing the pocket clip only to discover the reverse side is polished, not blasted to avoid wear on the pocket. That is the level of detail Chris Reeve achieves.