I used to see Frank every year at the Blade Show and made a point of taking his photo I have photos of him dating back to 2001 - when I first started taking photos of knifemakers at the Blade Show - but I had known him to talk to for longer than that.
When I first saw the CRKT knife - I kind of recognized it as a Frank Centofante design - the other thing I noted was how well built and finished it was - again to use a well worn phrase - it looked like a custom knife........
The version I have is the smaller Centofante Tribute 2 - but they both have very attractive looking chestnut brown and black layered polished Micarta scales, very nicely contoured - polished flush pins and peened pivot rivet - it really does look like a hand-finished knife.
The blade is flat ground from 7Cr17MOV stainless steel very much in the style of Frank's favorite designs - whenever I asked if he'd like to hold a knife for his photo, he'd picked ones with that blade style - shots from 2003, and my last picture of him from 2009 -
Size comparisons -
Open -
Closed -
I have scaled the size comparison photos so that they display life-size on my PC monitor at 96dpi (Mac displays are 72 dpi so these probably will be 133%) remember there is a ruler in the pics in inches so one can actually measure them.
I have mentioned the fit and finish was good - look at the join between blade and backspring - it is flush without gaps -
The lockback lever is also well done -
The thing that really got me was when I looked at the CRKT price list the MSRP for the Centofante Tribute 2 was $39.95 and I've seen it listed as low as around $23 -
this is a ridiculously good value for a knife that could be mistaken for a hand-finished knife -
I am astounded by this CRKT quality and finish at this price point
CRKT catalog page -
This what the CRKT.com page on the Centofante Tribute 2 says:
" Frank Centofante, one of the pioneers in the custom knifemaking movement, passed away in September of 2009 before he could see this lockback design go into CRKT production. After a few moments of reflection, we decided to name the series the Centofante Tribute™.
Frank was not only highly successful, winning countless knife awards internationally, serving as President of the Knifemakers' Guild, and being inducted into the Cutlery Hall of Fame, but he was a genuinely nice person who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. While you'll find many of Frank's customs made with Damascus steels and exotic handle materials, he was perhaps best known for his sleek and simple lockbacks.
The Tribute™ 2, Frank's final production collaboration, is a fitting statement of simplicity and craftsmanship. It is a classic drop point lockback folder, with no gimmicks, no frills, no complex mechanisms, not even a clip. His meticulous approach to knifemaking is detailed in his chapter in the "Bible," How To Make Folding Knives, published in 1988, and that is exactly how we are making the Tribute.
First, there is the 2.875" drop point Razor-Sharp blade of premium 7Cr17MoV stainless steel in a satin finish. It has a high flat grind and a nail nick for opening. That's it. No bumps or facets, just the cleanest and simplest shape possible, ground and finished by hand.
The 3.875" open-build frame is simply two pieces of strong and lightweight Micarta®, layered in chestnut brown and black. There is the stainless steel lockback lever which forms the spine, and a stainless steel back spacer.
The pivot is peened in the style of Frank's customs, as are the assembly pins. Finally, the handle is shaped and polished by hand.
The result: Kinves for gentlemen (or ladies) that are at home anywhere. Yes, they look and feel like works of art, but these are knives that fit with Frank's philosophy that a knife is built to use.
Think of them as our tribute to Frank. "
Think of this review as my tribute to Frank Centofante.
--
Vincent
http://picasaweb.com/UnknownVincent?showall=true
http://UnknownVincent.Shutterfly.com
http://UnknownVT.Shutterfly.com
http://unknownvt.multiply.com/photos
When I first saw the CRKT knife - I kind of recognized it as a Frank Centofante design - the other thing I noted was how well built and finished it was - again to use a well worn phrase - it looked like a custom knife........
The version I have is the smaller Centofante Tribute 2 - but they both have very attractive looking chestnut brown and black layered polished Micarta scales, very nicely contoured - polished flush pins and peened pivot rivet - it really does look like a hand-finished knife.
The blade is flat ground from 7Cr17MOV stainless steel very much in the style of Frank's favorite designs - whenever I asked if he'd like to hold a knife for his photo, he'd picked ones with that blade style - shots from 2003, and my last picture of him from 2009 -
Size comparisons -
Open -
Closed -
I have scaled the size comparison photos so that they display life-size on my PC monitor at 96dpi (Mac displays are 72 dpi so these probably will be 133%) remember there is a ruler in the pics in inches so one can actually measure them.
I have mentioned the fit and finish was good - look at the join between blade and backspring - it is flush without gaps -
The lockback lever is also well done -
The thing that really got me was when I looked at the CRKT price list the MSRP for the Centofante Tribute 2 was $39.95 and I've seen it listed as low as around $23 -
this is a ridiculously good value for a knife that could be mistaken for a hand-finished knife -
I am astounded by this CRKT quality and finish at this price point
CRKT catalog page -
This what the CRKT.com page on the Centofante Tribute 2 says:
" Frank Centofante, one of the pioneers in the custom knifemaking movement, passed away in September of 2009 before he could see this lockback design go into CRKT production. After a few moments of reflection, we decided to name the series the Centofante Tribute™.
Frank was not only highly successful, winning countless knife awards internationally, serving as President of the Knifemakers' Guild, and being inducted into the Cutlery Hall of Fame, but he was a genuinely nice person who will be greatly missed by all who knew him. While you'll find many of Frank's customs made with Damascus steels and exotic handle materials, he was perhaps best known for his sleek and simple lockbacks.
The Tribute™ 2, Frank's final production collaboration, is a fitting statement of simplicity and craftsmanship. It is a classic drop point lockback folder, with no gimmicks, no frills, no complex mechanisms, not even a clip. His meticulous approach to knifemaking is detailed in his chapter in the "Bible," How To Make Folding Knives, published in 1988, and that is exactly how we are making the Tribute.
First, there is the 2.875" drop point Razor-Sharp blade of premium 7Cr17MoV stainless steel in a satin finish. It has a high flat grind and a nail nick for opening. That's it. No bumps or facets, just the cleanest and simplest shape possible, ground and finished by hand.
The 3.875" open-build frame is simply two pieces of strong and lightweight Micarta®, layered in chestnut brown and black. There is the stainless steel lockback lever which forms the spine, and a stainless steel back spacer.
The pivot is peened in the style of Frank's customs, as are the assembly pins. Finally, the handle is shaped and polished by hand.
The result: Kinves for gentlemen (or ladies) that are at home anywhere. Yes, they look and feel like works of art, but these are knives that fit with Frank's philosophy that a knife is built to use.
Think of them as our tribute to Frank. "
Think of this review as my tribute to Frank Centofante.
--
Vincent
http://picasaweb.com/UnknownVincent?showall=true
http://UnknownVincent.Shutterfly.com
http://UnknownVT.Shutterfly.com
http://unknownvt.multiply.com/photos
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