Chris Reeve Inkosi - thoughts and where to buy?

C

camhabib

Joined
Feb 11, 2005
Messages
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Thinking about picking up a small Inkosi to EDC and add to my very limited collection. Looking for something slim, edge retention over corrosion, and won’t fall apart on me if it gets banged up a bit. I’ve heard a ton of good stuff on the Sebenza and the larger Inkosi but not a lot on the smaller one.

Any thoughts on the small Inkosi, and where to buy? The CRK site lists a 4 month wait, though it looks in stock on Knivesshipfree, just no idea if they’re a good shop to buy from. Any help is appreciated. Thanks!
 
Knivesshipfree is good. I've had good experiences through them and they have a rewards program.

DLT Trading is also good. In my region I generally get things quicker from them.
 
After owning both the small and large 21, and the 25, I have to say the small Inkosi is by far my favorite all around/EDC. It’s comfortable, stout, and an excellent blade to scale ratio. They pack a lot of steel in that little package. Plus, the usual CRK perfection all around. I’d say you can’t go wrong. :thumbsup:
 
Thanks for all the replies so far! I’ve noticed that the S35VN used is rated 59-60 RC, which is less than some of the other blades like AEB-L which I see a lot at 62 RC. How much of a difference is this really going to make in actual use? Are they known to be prone at all to chipping or anything else?
 
DLT has great customer service and also you get reward pointed. Just ordered a Wayfarer 247 from them yesterday.
 
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camhabib said:
Thanks for all the replies so far! I’ve noticed that the S35VN used is rated 59-60 RC, which is less than some of the other blades like AEB-L which I see a lot at 62 RC. How much of a difference is this really going to make in actual use? Are they known to be prone at all to chipping or anything else?
Click to expand...

You really can't compare different steels like that. The AEB-L at 62 may be equivalent to S35VN at 59-60.
Now, if you see S35VN at 61-62, now you're comparing apples to apples.
I've never had a CRK blade to chip at their current HT. I've flattened and rolled the edge but have yet to see a chip. I really don't have a clue at what HT it would start chipping out. It's just gonna depend on your daily chores whether the edge is going to hold up.
 
If you haven't made a purchase from DLT, you'll be given points for creating an account, liking them on FB, and on Instagram. There might be another way to earn points, as well, but I can't remember, right now, what it is.

Service from DLT's top-notch, and they're extremely responsive, if you make an inquiry. Also, they've been known to match prices, so there's that, too.

Maybe they'll give me a few extra points, for this post? Or, maybe not. :D

They're good folks, that's for sure! :thumbsup:
 
I had both a large and small inkosi. I kept theblarge and love it but the small was just a tad too small for my hands. I wish the small inkosi was the same legnth of the small 21 which fits my hands well.

As far as where to buy. DLT, usa made blade, and new graham, and knives ship free have all treated me well in the past.
 
I really like DLT trading. The points you would get from ordering a CRK will basically get you a free Mora Companion. I’ve done this twice. Once with a small Sebenza and once with a Hinderer XM18. The second time, they didn’t have the Companion with the black handle I ordered in stock, even though the website said it was. So they called me and gave me a free upgrade to the heavy duty model. I really like their service and have purchased 5 knives from them. Tip: when you use the points after your initial purchase to get another knife, put a note in the order to throw it in the box with your other knife. They’ll refund you the shipping. Btw, small Inkosi is on my list and I think it’s a great choice for EDC.
 
Well I can attest to the ergonomics of the Chris Reeve Small Inkosi, however, I am not sure regarding the overall performance. I have always heard great things about them as they have a big following, so I bet it will be a great knife.
 
One final question: sharpening. I was thinking about picking up an Edge Pro Apex kit to maintain this and a few other blades. I know that a lot of people around here like the loose stones but was wondering how this it held up for a beginner / someone who doesn’t feel completely comfortable sharpening freehand?
 
I think it would definitely benefit a beginner until they can freehand. Most of the all principles you will learn will be applicable to when and if you ever switch to free hand. I have had one for around 6 years and enjoy it. I highly recommend the Edge Pro and many aftermarket stones available on CKTG and Ebay. I highly recommend CKTG. You can even pick up some other stones you find you may want/need.

https://www.chefknivestogo.com/edge-pro-sharpener.html
 
I bought mine at USA Made Blade. My friend bought his at Knives Ship Free.

Both good experiences with small-town dealers who will give you the time of day.
 
Here's the list of authorized (paid) supporting dealers of Bladeforums.

https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/paid-dealer-members-list-updated-2-5-16.1089879/

Any and all of them will be good to buy from. People will have preferred dealers to buy from and give appropriate recommendations, but the truth is that anyone on that list be excellent. Shop around, find what you're looking for from the one that suits you, and you're pretty much guaranteed to receive top-notch service.
 
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I got small inkosingo from TNK and that is all I’am carrying as edc.Fantastic knife!
 
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I've had good experience with KnivesShipFree. One thing that I like that they do is they photograph the actual knives. If you're looking at a particular CRK with a wood inlay, you can pick the knife you get. I don't think the other vendors do that.

KSF, Knife Art and BladeHQ also have special runs of the Inkosi from time to time. KSF has a red micarta version, KA has a version with a CF presentation scale and BladeHQ has CF inlays. My carbon fiber Sebenza 21 is one of my all-time favorites!

All things being said, I've bought from most of the Blade Forums supporting dealers and always had great service.
 
The small inkosi is smaller then the small sebenza so if you have large to extra large glove size hands it might not be what your looking for.
 
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