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- Sep 5, 2005
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Going through my stuff again, I happened across three CRKT Ryan 6 (Option B) knives (fixed blades) and one Ryan 7 black. I've got to say that the latter is one strange duck. With a little over three inches of blade length, the blade itself is like a lump of sharpened steel. The reinforced FRN handle is of a boomerang shape and is easy to hold onto, but still oddly lacking in a comfortable angle. Some people I showed it to actually like it, although I don't. It's billed as a tactical knife (both are, really, and both models have AUS6 blades).
The Ryan 6s were very popular. They were well made, strictly tactical in design and when last seen were selling for only twelve bucks, complete with a clip on sheath. To be honest, I don't know what the Ryan 7 set me back, but I have to say it does have a charm of sorts. By that I mean it's fun to play with and handle. And it is oddly handsome. The thumb disks are oversized and virtually useless, but again, they're oddly attractive in their own way. The blade is thick and can be used to pry, if prying is needed. There's also a Lake and Walker Knife Safety handily located.
In my view, the knife is too short to be used in a tactical sense. Its lack of a decisive point makes it a poor choice even for handgun retention and I've yet to find a way of flicking it open. I believe the knife was later made with 420J2 stainless, which would make it even more useless, about par with a lead sinker. Even so, the white lettering on black is sporty and the Ryan logo adds a nice touch.
I've also got one Ryan 6 without a sheath that I've been using around the house for the last several years, and it's been a pretty good beater. It sharpens up well, but doesn't hold the edge very well. It makes me wonder why CRKT would take something like the older brother, make its blade from AUS6 and then say, "Hey, this blade isn't crappy enough. What do you say we downgrade it a notch?" The blade geometry of the Ryan 6 works, but the thick slab-a-steel Ryan 7 clearly doesn't. What must the 420J2 version be like?
Anyway, I just wondered if anyone was hanging on to theirs and even if CRKT was still making this. I'd love to see the Ryan 6 come back in a VG-1 or AUS8 configuration, and perhaps a bit larger.
Does anyone have one of the Ryan 7s that they've used?
The Ryan 6 (Option B) has a great shape and is a good tactical piece.
The Ryan 6s were very popular. They were well made, strictly tactical in design and when last seen were selling for only twelve bucks, complete with a clip on sheath. To be honest, I don't know what the Ryan 7 set me back, but I have to say it does have a charm of sorts. By that I mean it's fun to play with and handle. And it is oddly handsome. The thumb disks are oversized and virtually useless, but again, they're oddly attractive in their own way. The blade is thick and can be used to pry, if prying is needed. There's also a Lake and Walker Knife Safety handily located.
In my view, the knife is too short to be used in a tactical sense. Its lack of a decisive point makes it a poor choice even for handgun retention and I've yet to find a way of flicking it open. I believe the knife was later made with 420J2 stainless, which would make it even more useless, about par with a lead sinker. Even so, the white lettering on black is sporty and the Ryan logo adds a nice touch.
I've also got one Ryan 6 without a sheath that I've been using around the house for the last several years, and it's been a pretty good beater. It sharpens up well, but doesn't hold the edge very well. It makes me wonder why CRKT would take something like the older brother, make its blade from AUS6 and then say, "Hey, this blade isn't crappy enough. What do you say we downgrade it a notch?" The blade geometry of the Ryan 6 works, but the thick slab-a-steel Ryan 7 clearly doesn't. What must the 420J2 version be like?
Anyway, I just wondered if anyone was hanging on to theirs and even if CRKT was still making this. I'd love to see the Ryan 6 come back in a VG-1 or AUS8 configuration, and perhaps a bit larger.
Does anyone have one of the Ryan 7s that they've used?
The Ryan 6 (Option B) has a great shape and is a good tactical piece.
