crk fixed blade toughness

Another important point is that he was using a heavy steel mallet for batoning. That will break any knife, eventually. Each metal on metal impact is creating heavy vibrations that will create micro-cracks inside the steel that are eventually going to make it snap in two (paraphrased from a Jerry Busse post). You will never break one using a proper, non-metal baton, even in hard use.

The heavy steel mallet and that particular style of serration were just a cocktail of doom for those two blades. It doesn't mean they aren't tough and capable.
 
The one piece line with hollow handle are totally different than the Green Beret and Roberts. Different steel. The D2 holds up VERY well.
 
SHTF said:
The one piece line with hollow handle are totally different than the Green Beret and Roberts. Different steel. The D2 holds up VERY well.
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Its a2, not d2.
The one-piece did about the same as the GB.

Look guys, I love the look of the one piece line up and the GB.
The project 1 is a sharpened prybar, its .255 thick!
I just can't figure out how the .098 thick mora did better the the GB and the project 1.
I can only figure that those serrations are stress risers because the GB and the P1 broke at pretty much the same spot.
I would like to see Noss test a one piece without serrations or a Niel Roberts warrior so crk can redeem itself.
 
CRK has nothing to redeem itself for. They have been making knives that perform to their customers' satisfaction for a long time now. An absurd uncontrolled procedure does not properly call that into question.
 
I just typed a super long reply then deleted it because it has been discussed 1,000 times already.

I give up, the whole knife tests controversy has gotten alittle old for me.

I will say that I want CRK to do good, they have some of the best looking knives on the planet.
I have only handled them at a local show here in Columbus but boy was it a treat, and I am currently considering a sebbie.
 
You're young and very biased, and don't understand a lot of things. It's probsbly not something you should be arguing about, anyway.
 
The "test" results were dissapointing if im to be honest but i dont recal having seen a CRK that actually failed in the field.
Iv been using their folders for a while now and they are silly good. Iv not been using the fixed blades for as long but i have never had any problems that concerned me at all.

The only thing that took a CRK off my side was the ASH-1 i got not long a go but i still use a CRK regularly and will continue to do so, so will many others i presume :thumbup:
 
Yes I'm young, but I'm not very biased and I understand plenty.
Don't undermine my posts because of my age.
What does my age have to do with crk blade toughness anyways.
 
Thanks guys. I agree with Haze, I have never heard of or seen a crk that has failed in the field, and I really like the looks of them. Thanks again for all the comments guys!
 
I don't own any CRK fixed blades and won't be buying any. I do own a s30v sebenza and mnandi. I'm distinctly unimpressed with the steel. After reprofiling the mnandi, with the sharpmaker and a coarse diamond hone, it doesn't take a very good edge and it doesn't hold it very well. For comparison I've reprofiled two s30v spydercos and one s30v buck 110 (bos steel) that were all much harder to reprofile, take a far sharper edge, and hold it longer.
My sebenza I've kept with the convex grind and it's a royal PITA to get scary sharp with a strop. When it is, it doesn't keep it's edge very well. The only other convex knives I own are Bark Rivers: two A2 and one 12c27. To be fair they are nothing like s30v. They are all much easier to strop and get a scary sharp edge. The A2 are the only ones that see hard use but they keep their edge longer than the sebenza.
The engineering and quality of the knives is first rate but I don't like the CRK steel.
 
How do the edges keep with these being heat treated softer? If i am cleaning out a deer or elk, with it stay sharp for the whole thing or will I have to stop and resharpen my knife half way through?
 
I've actually been pretty favorably impressed with the performance of CRK's S30V in my 'Benzas. I can definitely get it to take a good edge without too much difficulty, and it does hold the edge pretty well. As has been mentioned before, the S30V's wear characteristic seems to be more one of micro-chipping than bending of the edge. For this reason, maintenance tends to be more a matter of removing small amounts of material than re-aligning it... so, a ceramic rod as opposed to a strop.

I also think the S30V works well with the grind geometry CRK uses on the 'Benzas.

It is nice to be able to maintain a very sharp utility edge with just a strop. Talking about an aggressive shaving edge here. One that easily push-cuts notebook paper. Not looking to shave hairs or drop the blade through cigarette papers... just an edge at the top end of what can really be kept on a working tool - for example, a small fixed blade used for woodcarving. This is something I associate more with tool steels and INFI, but they all have inferior stain resistance to S30V.

So... I guess my utility knives break out into three categories in terms of steel: Small fixed blades, folders and larger, more chop-oriented fixed blades. Edge development and retention is probably the foremost criterion for the first group. Stain resistance becomes a little more important for the folders and toughness is more the issue with the larger knives.

Based on all of this, I think CRK's folders are its best-developed knives. They have a very good combination of metallurgy and physical characteristics for the tasks they are likely to be used for.

For a small fixed blade, I'd prefer an edge that's easier to develop and maintain. For a larger, thicker fixed blade, I want more toughness. A large, thick field knife has got to be able to take a healthy beating. If it can't, it might as well be thinned out into a more effective slicing tool and paired up with a hatchet, or some other tool that can reliably sustain impact.
 
jdowell said:
Funny stuff. I've said it before. This is like driving a corvette off of a building, looking at the twisted pile of metal and saying, "That car doesn't drive worth a damn!"
Then, one of the folks who watched the video, goes over to the Corvette forum and says, 'I'm worried about how well it handles the corners." HA!

Wake up people. You don't judge eyes by poking them with fingers, and you don't judge toilets by their ability to flush squirrels.
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I think your statement above is meaningless. Its not like driving a corvette off a building, It more like doing the quarter mile over and over again at red lines until you engine blows up. Though the tests were "hard" it was not to destoy the knife instantly, but more to see how much it would take before it was destroyed.

Prolly a good field knife. But I would not baton, chop, or pry with it as the test shows.


As far as S30v on the sebenza, I think it is a great steel for the knife. Very stiff and brittle, but gets sharp and stays sharp. I've had mine for going on 5 years, a little touch up every week or so. My sebenza is always sharp.
 
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shooterpunk said:
What about the edge retention on the A2 one piece knives?
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Iv not had any problems, A2 is actually a pretty good steel IMO its not too tough to get an edge on and it keeps it for a good amont of time.
If it needs it, I usually just keep it sharp with a fine ceramic when im in the bush or a strop at home.
Iv not had any chipping of the edge but I dont really go nuts with the one piece knives so I wouldnt expect any.
Its not like Im chopping up bricks or sharpening iron bars with it :rolleyes:

I think too many people just hear stories or watch one "test" rather than actually use a knife to base their oppinions on.

CRK make good knives, Iv batoned, chopped and pried with my Pacific and GB with no problems. Im sure the larger one piece knives will do the job just as well :thumbup:
 
Nice, I dont ever plan on doing any of the things that knifetests has done, I just wondered about it staying sharp through cleaning out a deer or elk, knives are made for cutting, I have hatchets for chopping.
 
shooterpunk said:
Hey guys I was wondering if any of you have any experience on how tough crk fixed blade knifes are, especially the one piece knives. After reading both of the tests of the knifetests forum, i am hesistant to buy one of these seeing how poorly they did on the tests, Noss even stated that the green barret was the most fragile knife he had tested. Also how well does the A2 hold its edge since Chris Reeve heat treats them softer than others? Thanks guys, I hope you can ease my mind because I want to buy a mountaineer I.
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I wouldn't let Knife test sway you to much, though I do enjoy watching him break things, but hey that's me.

I bought a Shadow IV in my late teens and carried it on every hunting, camping, and hiking trip for the next 10 years give or take and it never disappointed me.

I used it to cut like any other knife, pounded in screw heads with it, used the handle without the cap on it to tighten the T screw and remove it countless times for my tree stand, in the sheath of course. Ponded it through goose wings, whitetail bones, lots of wood, field dressing and skinning deer over the years plus cutting the meat up. Even had to chip a little concrete from around the cabin basement window once, forgot the key.

If I had it all to do again I'd look at the Sable because I like the thickness of the spine down to the tip, the Shadow tip is very cool looking and sticky but a Sable is a better all around blade IMO.

Bottom line is I did a lot of stupid things with that knife when I was younger and it always was up to the task. It holds a great edge and sharpens up quickly and again it never let me down, except for the time I gave myself a split top thumb, but was that the knifes fault, no.

My tastes have changed a bit with age so after I got it back from a factory refurb I decided to give some others a chance so now it sits pretty in the display with a lot of good memories.

Hope this helps and good luck in your search.
Helle
 
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