CRKT Dogfish

Mistwalker

Mistwalker

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 22, 2007
Messages
19,014
Since it's summer now I have been looking into more discrete great for minimal carry with less clothing. We all know I'm not exactly a "minimalist" but sometimes what I'd prefer to have on me just isn't practical...so I'm studying options. One knife I'm checking out right now is the Dogfish. It's made by CRKT and designed by Tom Krein. Over-all it's roughly 5.25 inches, the blade is just a hair over 2 inches, it's 1/8 inch thick and made of 3Cr13 stainless steel.

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It's a "3 finger" knife, but pretty comfortable to hold.

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It comes from the factory with a great edge.

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The pommel is a bottle opener and you can use it without cutting your fingers. I know this one would twist off...but I wasn't really in the mood for anything "harder".

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Since the subject earlier today was one-handed fire starting I decided to give the dogfish a go while I was at it using the ferro rod I'd be most likely to have on me all the time no matter what...the nanostriker.

I scraped some bamboo shavings and let them dry a bit.

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I gathered a few twigs and then after the shavings dried I placed it all on a leaf for a dry base.

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Then I pinned the knife down with my foot, placed the ferro rod against it, applied pressure, and quickly pulled back. The first couple of goes I must have moved too slow because all it did was slice off slivers of the ferro rod but then when it threw sparks those slivers just added to the tinder and I had a fire pretty quick.

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I know it looks like I burned the knife but it did clean up really well just wiping with a damp bandanna.

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All in all, even though it is small, it's not bad at all for a minimalist fixed blade. Here is a size comparison pic most will get. You can see how it will "print" less under thinner shirts.

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It looks really thin. Would be a cool back up blade in my opinion. Thanks for posting it up.
 
Great review buddy, I've always liked the look of those !

Ps. Would the spine not throw a spark ?
 
WILLIAM.M said:
Great Review and photos
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Thanks Bill, glad you liked it :)


TheGame said:
It looks really thin. Would be a cool back up blade in my opinion. Thanks for posting it up.
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That's what I'm thinking, with a folder or maybe even a slightly larger fixed like my Izula somewhere in a pocket and then this one around my neck and I'll be good to go. This one is so small I don't think it would draw any attention at all in public.

pitdog said:
Great review buddy, I've always liked the look of those !

Ps. Would the spine not throw a spark ?
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Thanks Pit!

The spine isn't as sharply squared as some. It will throw sparks "Two-handed" using the spine but takes some pressure. If I was down to one hand I'd just want to get it done and over with :)
 
Thanks for the review and pics.

I've had one for almost two years now. It is a cool little fixed blade and the price isn't going to give you sticker shock either. I bought mine at a gun shop in Statesboro, GA for ~$20 IIRC.

I don't know too much about the steel but mine sharpens up about as easy as 420HC from Buck or Gerber which is fine for such a small blade.
 
Rupestris said:
Thanks for the review and pics.

I've had one for almost two years now. It is a cool little fixed blade and the price isn't going to give you sticker shock either. I bought mine at a gun shop in Statesboro, GA for ~$20 IIRC.

I don't know too much about the steel but mine sharpens up about as easy as 420HC from Buck or Gerber which is fine for such a small blade.
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Thanks, yeah I the price was as much of a draw as the size.

The RC is stated as 52-55 so I was thinking it should be pretty easy to sharpen, thanks for confirming that :)
 
Great review. Might have to dig my dogfish out to play :)
 
Great review and I like that little blade! Well done, but I'm tired of you having it so easy with starting a fire one-handed...I want to see you do it blindfolded, no hands and only using your toes:D

ROCK6
 
ROCK6 said:
Great review and I like that little blade! Well done, but I'm tired of you having it so easy with starting a fire one-handed...I want to see you do it blindfolded, no hands and only using your toes:D

ROCK6
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Thanks man, it is a cool little blade.

Well...not sure I could do it with my toes...blindfolded maybe but the pictures would probably suck :D
 
I like the blade shape on it. For around 20 bucks I might pick one up for the fun of it! :thumbup:
 
Ironic, the Dogfish was the knife that set off my knife enthusiasm. I bought it, played with it for a day, and returned it. I just didn't like it at all, so I went looking for a better neck knife, and wound up with an Izula. After that, a RAT-1, and then it was off the the races for me.
 
I was looking at one of those a while back, but read a review or two saying the sheath didn't hold the knife too well. Have you had any problem with the knife falling out?
 
Steve_Holt said:
I was looking at one of those a while back, but read a review or two saying the sheath didn't hold the knife too well. Have you had any problem with the knife falling out?
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The sheath isn't as tight as what I'm used to, but I haven't had it fall out or anything. If you put the knife in it "sharply" (quick and with some force) it's harder to pull it back out. Not sure it that is pushing it past the retention point better, creating some sort of vacuum/static tension, or all of those but it works. I did consider heating the sheath with the knife out of it and squeezing it together a little for more retention and I will if I start having any issues with retention but in wearing through different activities over the last week to see how it would do in the field it hasn't once come out of the sheath while around my neck...even jogging short distances (I'm not a runner...unless there is a real need :D)
 
Steve_Holt said:
I was looking at one of those a while back, but read a review or two saying the sheath didn't hold the knife too well. Have you had any problem with the knife falling out?
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Yes the sheath wears out fast. If you use it often,after a month or so,and you still plan on using it as a necker you will need to replace the sheath.

I passed mine on to my son, the factory sheath still serves fine for pocket carry. But any sharp jolt will drop the knife as a necker.
 
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