CRKT Cruiser and Desert Cruiser - Your Thoughts, Please.

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foldingfreak

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Oct 2, 2004
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I was browing online a few days ago, and I came across the CRKT Cruiser. Even when it was resting on a table in the picture i saw, it still looked like a monster of a knife. I think it looks great, but i couldn't find any helpfull customer reviews. What do you think? I am also not so clear on what a "flipper" is. I know about assisted opening knives and autos and D/A and manual and linerlocking and lockback and button lock and scale release and all that stuff. But on this knife imparticular, what is the "flipper?"
 
Pressing the flipper opens the knife about 45 degrees. A slight flick of the wrist would take it the rest of the way. Loosen the pivot enough, and pressing the flipper with enough momentum could take the blade the entire way with just the flipper action.
 
Does the flipper have to be pressed in order to operate this knife, or can it be opened without pressing it?
 
Foldingfreak,
The flipper does not have to be flipped to open them, but the way they are designed, it is kind of hard to get to the thumb studs to use these to open it. The studs are very tight against the handles when the blade is closed, making it very hard to get your thumb on. The flipper works great on these, it's just a little different and takes a few minutes to get used to. I really like the way these knives feel and open, very tight and smooth for the money.They seem to be very well made, I have two of them.

Robbie Roberson ;)
 
The flipper is one of the fastest non-assisted ways to open a one-handed folder. As mentioned, because it is so effective, the mainstream "thumb-bobs" have been designed just as secondary opening levers. It takes only a press of the fingers and a short, slow flick of the wrist to open the blade. You'll get it in under 2 minutes...

Heres a pic. I would have liked to see this in a higher-grade steel, at least AUS8...
CRUISER.jpg
 
I have been carrying a Desert Cruiser for about 2 months now and I love it! I've touched the blade up after some REAL hard use and is in my opinion a very good knife for the money!!! I have owned other CRKT knives in the past and will continue to buy them although, here lately certain Benchmade and Microtech models have caught my eye as well as some other products from some other companies!! Hope this helps!! FYI the steel used in the Desert Cruiser is AUS8 instead of the AUS6 used in the regular Cruiser model.
 
I currently own a OIF commerative edition of the Desert Cruiser and it is a good knife for the price that I paid. It is a huge seller in the PX here in Iraq. I enjoy the "flipper" mechanism. The handle is rather large and I am not sure if I would use it as a every day carry when I return to normal civilian life. But for outdoor and tactical use, it is adequate.
 
Mine snaps fully open with the flipper, in horizontal, tip down, or tip up (!) holds.

It's a great beater. Not the best slicer due to the narrow blade and hollow grinds, but great build quality, LAWKS, and decent profile.

Wish they made one with G10 and 154CM or S30V.

-j
 
I have one of the OIF Desert Cruisers I bought at Camp Doha while on my way home for R&R. I bought it more as a souviner than as a carry knife (I'm a die hard Spyderco user) but some of the soldiers here have them. Its ok for the money, I think the OIF ones were selling for something like $35 at the PX. It would serve you well for most tasks a large folder of this type would be used for. I think other CRK&T knives would be better suited for an EDC knife however.
 
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