CRK vs Others in 2024

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I believe I've told this story before, sorry for being a broken record if so. My first ever nice knife was a small Sebenza maybe 15 years ago. I carried it a bit, but honestly to me it was just meh. Sold it. I've bought hundreds of knives close to or in that price range since then. Traded into a large Sebenza a few years back planning to sell it, but for some reason that knife just clicked for me. Now I've got more CRKs in my collection than any other maker, and they are by far my most carried knives. Hard to put a finger on it, but there's just something special about a CRK no matter how many other nice knives you have. And if you buy one used on the forums here, you should be able to recoup most if not all of your cost if you decide it's not for you, so you don't have much to lose!

iMamaba is a great knife as well, don't get me wrong. I've owned one, and no longer have it. Mine was a bit off center (something I've never seen in a CRK), but other than that it was a lovely knife, definitely felt like if CRK made a flipper. Can't go wrong with either knife. Better yet would be to get both :)
 
I remember back in the mid 90's I was having a private conversation with Kit Carson about custom knives, which I was just getting into, vs. knives like the Sebenza, which was the yardstick even then.

He said, in words to this effect, that it wasn't whether or not he or other custom makers could exceed the work or the tolerances of the Sebenza, but simply that they could offer buyers and collectors more choice in terms of getting a particular pattern, steel, cover, etc. that they might want.

He was such a modest man...and never once, to my hearing, ever professed to make a "better" knife than those that Chris Reeve (at the time) was offering via CRK.

To this day, both Kit's custom knives, and CRK hold a special pride of place in my collection.
 
I have multiple CRKs, Arno Bernard’s and a Spartan SHF to throw into the mix.

First, to be clear, I like to carry a smaller knife. When I’m not on the road, I’m in a downtown office. I prefer knives that are @ 3” long. My Sebenzas are all small, my Spartan is a 3.25. My IMamba is the biggest of the three designs.

I love the Sebenza and have several iterations of it, but the IMamba is a slightly better made knife at the price point. Keep in mind that the AB is more like a medium Sebenza, falling between the small and large CRK. That really hits the sweet spot for a lot of people.

Also, the AB shop is still a small, family business. If you want your knife in a certain combination, reach out and they’ll likely work with you. They have with me.

To be clear, my favorite knife of all time is some iteration of the small Sebenza, but the AB iMamba is a viable candidate and might be moving ahead. The AB slipjoint, the Rinkhals, is worlds ahead of the CRK Impinda.

Regarding the Spartan, it falls somewhere behind. It’s a nice knife, but not well finished for my hand. I’m a sucker for the Harsey design, but the knife still feels like it has too many raw edges and not enough attention to detail to compete with CRK or AB. It tends to feel like a handful of broken glass while the CRK and AB feel like a handful of memory foam. If you wear gloves a lot, it might be an equal pick.

Either way, they are all nice choices.

Good luck!
 
I bought and sold a few CRKs because i loved the designs but didnt feel they held an edge with the low RC S35. Magnacut at its appropriate hardness has made my current Sebenza a keeper.
 
I'll admit that I'm a CRK fanboy. I own 14 CRK folders with a 15th on order direct from CRK. I have 2 additional folders that are set aside for my son when he's old enough (he's 1.)

Here are my reasons for ownership:
-Dedicated lefty models. I'm left handed and having full options not just for a model, but practically every model they make is available in a left handed configuration.
-American based company. Not for any geopolitical reasons, but because if I want/need service on the knife shipping is relatively easy and painless.
-Phenomenal customer service. I've spoken to Tim Reeve personally, and he's active in the fan group on Facebook. Very accessible for the CEO of a 50 person organization.
-Length of history in the marketplace. They've been around for 40 years and are a well run, multi generational company. My confidence that they'll be around to service my knives is high.
-Resale value. Most CRKs hold their value, while some even appreciate. They're not an investment vehicle for me, but it's nice to know in a catastrophic situation I could sell them without taking a bath.
-DOB on COA. I have a habit of collecting significant dates. I have knives that share my birthday, my dad's birthday, my dad's heavenly birthday, my grandmother's birthday, my wedding anniversary, the day I started my dream job (day, month, and year), and one made on my son's actual day of birth, not an anniversary of his birth.

This list is not exhaustive, but I hope it helps!
 
There use to be a video interview with Chris Reeves, but I can't find it right now. You need to watch that video. You would learn a lot and it would give you a better impression than reading these responses.

CRK worked in tolerances that other companies did not when they first started. Maybe some other companies have caught up today. For example if you pinch a washer on a 21 you have to send the knife to them to have them fit. They want you to be happy and make sure it is right. They have a free spa service for their knives. They want you to maintain your knife which means sharpening/lube/assemble/disassemble. Their customer service is exceptional compared to others. They seem to jump on the MagnaCut steel early and are transitioning their knives to that steel. They HT for MagnaCut to 63-64.

Some people don't like how the CRK opens/closes or some other details. I tend to overlook that and focus on the positives they provide.

Look at the other companies you are considering and see how they compare on complete basis to CRK.
 
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I don’t have anything from AB to compare, but I cannot recommend CRK highly enough for a first (or any) knife in its price range. I’ve been carrying a Small Sebenza for about 20 years and I have zero complaints.

I like them so much, I carried one as my sole EDC for about a decade and have subsequently purchased three more (different generations/configurations).
I have nothing else in the price range, other than a dress knife (CRK Mnandi), because they work so well for me in the EDC role.

The warranty and spa treatment are just icing on the cake. I’ve never felt the need to send one in for either, but it’s nice to know I can.

One small vs large, I like to go with the smallest knife that fits my hand and a small works for me. The added bonus is it’s legal in more places, including my company, which has a 3” blade length limit. Different needs and circumstances could easily make a large a better choice.
 
Hackenslash said:
I have multiple CRKs, Arno Bernard’s and a Spartan SHF to throw into the mix.

First, to be clear, I like to carry a smaller knife. When I’m not on the road, I’m in a downtown office. I prefer knives that are @ 3” long. My Sebenzas are all small, my Spartan is a 3.25. My IMamba is the biggest of the three designs.

I love the Sebenza and have several iterations of it, but the IMamba is a slightly better made knife at the price point. Keep in mind that the AB is more like a medium Sebenza, falling between the small and large CRK. That really hits the sweet spot for a lot of people.

Also, the AB shop is still a small, family business. If you want your knife in a certain combination, reach out and they’ll likely work with you. They have with me.

To be clear, my favorite knife of all time is some iteration of the small Sebenza, but the AB iMamba is a viable candidate and might be moving ahead. The AB slipjoint, the Rinkhals, is worlds ahead of the CRK Impinda.

Regarding the Spartan, it falls somewhere behind. It’s a nice knife, but not well finished for my hand. I’m a sucker for the Harsey design, but the knife still feels like it has too many raw edges and not enough attention to detail to compete with CRK or AB. It tends to feel like a handful of broken glass while the CRK and AB feel like a handful of memory foam. If you wear gloves a lot, it might be an equal pick.

Either way, they are all nice choices.

Good luck!
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Completely agree with your take on the Spartan, just too rough around the edges, with too many signs of machining not quite being there yet, to be considered in the same league. They need to clean up the chamfering and edges in a lot of spots, tighten up that massive lock bar cut out gap, and smooth out that clip a bit (stamped is fine but theirs looks cheap).

Not to be all negative, their engraving work is phenomenal, at some point I’m sure I’ll add one of these back into the collection!
 
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Something to note about the sebenza is their lock feel, a bank vault door like feel is indeed accurate, can't say I have handled any other knives that feel and sound the way a sebenza does.

Can't go wrong with either models, since they are very different, and are both quality products. I also tend to look at other things before purchasing a knife that may not always be obvious such as, where is this maker located in case I have warranty issues, ease of disassembly, does it hold value, can I mod it etc.
 
I’m a big fan of crks and have a few. As said you can’t go wrong with one.

However, I would strongly recommend you take a hard look at Les George! He’s the most underrated maker out there which the lack of mention in this threads prove. I wouldn’t dare say He’s better than crk but here’s a few things I prefer over my crks.

The finish on LG’s is excellent! It hides almost all signs of use. The majority of mine are second hand and I can find very few signs of use.

They’re extremely easy to disassemble and clean. Crks aren’t exceptionally difficult but the LG’s are significantly easier.

The action is probably the biggest, you mentioned bearings, well you would think LG’s are on bearings. It’s that good and you get the durability of having pb washers.

Finally, like reeves, you would be supporting a very small American company where Les does all of his own work and is very accessible.

The negative, they’re harder to find, but worth the effort. Pm me and I’ll be more than happy to help.

All Hail King George!!

Disclaimer:
This all just my opinion so take it easy on me my crk homies!😂
 
mitchnola said:
I’m a big fan of crks and have a few. As said you can’t go wrong with one.

However, I would strongly recommend you take a hard look at Les George! He’s the most underrated maker out there which the lack of mention in this threads prove. I wouldn’t dare say He’s better than crk but here’s a few things I prefer over my crks.

The finish on LG’s is excellent! It hides almost all signs of use. The majority of mine are second hand and I can find very few signs of use.

They’re extremely easy to disassemble and clean. Crks aren’t exceptionally difficult but the LG’s are significantly easier.

The action is probably the biggest, you mentioned bearings, well you would think LG’s are on bearings. It’s that good and you get the durability of having pb washers.

Finally, like reeves, you would be supporting a very small American company where Les does all of his own work and is very accessible.

The negative, they’re harder to find, but worth the effort. Pm me and I’ll be more than happy to help.

All Hail King George!!

Disclaimer:
This all just my opinion so take it easy on me my crk homies!😂
Click to expand...
Clearly I didn't go into enough detail in my post!
 
I've been curious about Les George's work for years...but I have to admit that I'm still waiting for a pattern (and handle) that really grabs my attention. So far, not enough to make me jump. But there's still hope.
 
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