- Joined
- Sep 7, 2006
- Messages
- 6,207
One of the makers who I used to dream about owning was Pat Crawford. Back in the day, before the internet, I used to get Blade magazine and Fighting Knives and read them from cover to cover and then re-read them again and again. Pat Crawford was one of the first to develop knives that were pretty much made to be used. Nothing fancy, just sheer function. Later on he teamed up with knife designer Bob Kasper to make several of Bob's designs, including the KFF. It was a knife I had always admired but new ones are pretty steep. By coincidence I had a big birthday coming up and a used one popped up for sale on one of the forum exchanges. It was used but looked perfect to my eyes and was the perfect combination of framelock with Spyder hole.
I've owned it for a year or so now, and its been sharpened by a certain fellow who's well known around these parts and who knows his way around an Edge Pro. I often carry a Spyderco Military and my hand knows the Military so well. I dont carry this knife every day but when I feel the need for something truly exceptional I load it up. What's great is the action is almost identical to the Millie so I can transition from a Millie EDC to this knife without losing anything in the process.
The KFF for those who dont know it is a big brute of a knife. This particular model is 9 1/4 inches in length and has a 4 inch blade. The blade is 4mms thick. It is hollow ground S30V and it features a long swedge. The blade is beautifully polished, the best finish I've seen on a S30V blade which is a bear to finish. I love the way the polished blade contrasts with the flat battleship gray colour of the beadblasted Ti scales.
Thanks to phosphor bronze washers the opening is incredibly smooth and the lock-up is very positive. With the Spyder hole it opens very easily. It locks up rock solid and disengages very easily, with no galling. The previous owner put an Emerson style clip on the knife and it works great. Through carrying the Millie day in and day out I have learned that tip down is actually the perfect format for me. Pat also puts his clips right on the edge which I feel is ideal as the knife is very low profile but can still be easily extracted.
About the only downside to it is that its heavy. The Ti slabs are thick and it has a full length Ti backspacer. Even with the holes its a substantial weight. I'm guessing around 8-9 oz. As for the Ti slabs with holes, they are a signature of Pat's work. Although they are usually associated with Tom Mayo these days I feel that Pat should take some credit for pioneering this style, although please don't shoot me if I'm wrong!
With the new razor sharp edge it is truly a knife to inspire confidence! If you hunt around you can occasionally pick up tremendous deals on custom knives. IMO this was certainly one of them.
I've owned it for a year or so now, and its been sharpened by a certain fellow who's well known around these parts and who knows his way around an Edge Pro. I often carry a Spyderco Military and my hand knows the Military so well. I dont carry this knife every day but when I feel the need for something truly exceptional I load it up. What's great is the action is almost identical to the Millie so I can transition from a Millie EDC to this knife without losing anything in the process.
The KFF for those who dont know it is a big brute of a knife. This particular model is 9 1/4 inches in length and has a 4 inch blade. The blade is 4mms thick. It is hollow ground S30V and it features a long swedge. The blade is beautifully polished, the best finish I've seen on a S30V blade which is a bear to finish. I love the way the polished blade contrasts with the flat battleship gray colour of the beadblasted Ti scales.
Thanks to phosphor bronze washers the opening is incredibly smooth and the lock-up is very positive. With the Spyder hole it opens very easily. It locks up rock solid and disengages very easily, with no galling. The previous owner put an Emerson style clip on the knife and it works great. Through carrying the Millie day in and day out I have learned that tip down is actually the perfect format for me. Pat also puts his clips right on the edge which I feel is ideal as the knife is very low profile but can still be easily extracted.
About the only downside to it is that its heavy. The Ti slabs are thick and it has a full length Ti backspacer. Even with the holes its a substantial weight. I'm guessing around 8-9 oz. As for the Ti slabs with holes, they are a signature of Pat's work. Although they are usually associated with Tom Mayo these days I feel that Pat should take some credit for pioneering this style, although please don't shoot me if I'm wrong!
With the new razor sharp edge it is truly a knife to inspire confidence! If you hunt around you can occasionally pick up tremendous deals on custom knives. IMO this was certainly one of them.
