CRKT Cascade

Joined
Jan 18, 2003
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After I read the article in TK about Jim Hammond's Cruiser knife, I was pleased about the fact that it would soon be developed as a production knife by CRKT...then I saw the Cascade. Is that really it? I haven't been able to handle the knife but its generic design is a pale comparison to the flowing lines of the Cruiser. Or is the "CRKT Cruiser" yet to be revealed. Has anyone handled this knife? More to the point, does anyone have any info on whether there will be a factory Cruiser

Also, I'm considering buying CRKT's Lightfoot M1 & Marzitelli Prowler. Any opinions on either?

-"Weakness of attitude becomes weakness of character." - Albert Einstein
 
Marcelo, I picked up a half-serrated CRKT Cascade at a local shop

The Cascade is 8.625 OAL with a 3.5" beadblasted blade and pocket clip. The thumbstuds are ambidexterous, the handle is thick kraton, and the knife carries tip down or in the included velcro belt sheath.

The Cascade opens fairly smoothly though the alignment of the spine of the blade and the lockbar is slightly off when open. The spring tension of the lockbar could be stronger and it can be disengaged if the knife is held edge up. The plain edge portion of the blade is more of a chisel ground and at times the edge would hang up on paper if you didn't cut at a certain angle. The thumbstuds are bigger compared to a CRKT Kasper but the Kasper has thicker and broader blade. In terms of carry, the texture and thickness of the handle slowed down my draw so I made a kydex sheath to carry the Cascade as a fixed blade. The checkering of the kraton was sensitive to heat and melted slightly during the sheathmaking process.

The knife feels comfortable in various grips but a Boye detent would help a lot. I personally would like the handle and carry options of the Cruiser but the lock of the Cascade.

I've held the Marzitelli and and the M1 and prefer the latter which feels pretty solid. Overall though, I'm turned off by flipper folders that use thumbstuds as backup opening devices.
 
I have a Prowler PE and I find it really fine for a knife of that category. The blade has a flat grind with a fairly low angle secondary bevel (I would say about 20 degrees each side) that makes it a nice cutter with good performance.

The 3.25 in blade is 4 mm thick (0.16in) with a strong and efficient tip. The overall design and the opening rail (no thumb stud to catch on everything) gives it an original touch, the liner is quiet thick too (0.06 in) and gives a very positive lock (add the LAWKS to this too).

Now it is your choice, mine is already done ;) the M1 blade has a better steel grade and has more "modern ergos" but the Prowler has a better blade geometry and is a bit less bulky (4.5 oz. compared to 5.7 oz for the M1)...

Xavier.
 
Marcelo,

The real deal Cruiser from CRKT has been out about a year and a half. Check out their website for the different versions.

http://www.crkt.com

The Cascade is a completely different knife but with a family resemblance to the Cruiser--different construction, different feel, different target in the market.

You can do a search on it here in the forums for previous comments on the Cruiser, both custom and production.

Jim
 
I would add:

The fit/finish on the M1 is the best of the three that I have. It is also, however the thickest and the heaviest. I have at times snagged the flipper in my pocket, which is a little scary. The blade is a cutting machine with a deep belly.

I like the flat grind of the Prowler a lot and the point geometry is great. The one knock against the Prowler from my perspective is that if you cheat when sharpening like I do and use a Lansky "T" type clamp as an edge guide on the back of the blade, the groove used for one handed opening makes this cumbersome to get in place.

The Cascade molds to my medium sized hand extremely well, and it the best deal of the lot for the money. The lockup on mine is excellent.

Hope this helps.
 
Wow, Smoke - you've just resurrected my very first post on Bladeforums.com!
Mr. Hammond, thanks for the reply. We met this year at ECCKS in NY. The Cruiser is still one of my favorite knives that until I can afford one remains as my computer's wallpaper.
 
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