- Joined
- Feb 4, 2015
- Messages
- 4
The Cryo is a popular knife, probably due to its feature to price ratio. The most commonly mentioned shortcoming is weight. Some others included the thumbstud catching on pocket, low blade to handle ratio, slick scales. Early examples had issues with blade centering and lockbar slop, but these appear to be worked out, at least in my example.
I EDC either a Leek in my jeans coin pocket or ZT0770cf in my front pocket. The ZT is just a little too long and wide to comfortably fit in the coin pocket. I was curious if the cryo might be a larger option for the coin pocket, and it was just a little too big and heavy, which sent me into "what-if" mode and the waste of an afternoon. I decided to see if I could make the cryo more coin pocket friendly.
My strategy was to reprofile the handle to remove all the bulk around the lanyard hole and hollow spacer, remove scale steel wherever possible, and to remove the thumbstud. This is just quick and dirty work with handtools to see if a more deliberate effort would be worthwhile.
First the beginning weigh-in (4.2 ounces):
After removing the lanyard section:
Before working on front scale:
The front scale contains the SpeedSafe mechanism, so it is already thin enough in this area. Elsewhere I used a small throughole as a pilot hole for a carbide mason bit to remove metal from the inside but hopefully still keeping enough strength in the structure and enough scale to hold on to. Fully skeletonized scales give you no surface to hold.
Afterward:
The back scale does not have the SpeedSafe mechanism, but it has the lockbar and travel stop to keep away from. I decided I could throughhole the lockbar, if I kept away from the cutaway area.
Before:
After:
Finally, I removed the thumbstud from the blade, which thankfully was just screwed in, not hydraulically pressed in, and put everything back together.
Final weigh in (3.6 ounces):
So, what did I learn from a wasted afternoon? To my surprise, removing the lanyard hole bulk made the biggest difference in EDC. Afterward, the Cryo fit in the coin pocket, and the gentle curve at the bottom of handle not only felt better in the pocket, but in my hand as well. Removing the thumbstud also greatly helped in pulling the knife out of the coin pocket. As for the weight reduction, I was surprised that dropping the weight from 4.2 to 3.6 ounces did not make more of a difference in feel while in pocket or hand. Yeah I could feel the slight weight difference, but it didn't seem to matter in or out of pocket.
I realize Kershaw already offers a slightly lighter G10 version of the Cryo. If they were to update the Cryo, I guess I would recommend they lose the bulky portion around lanyard hole and shorten or remove the thumbstud. I don't think either would effect its price point, and both would greatly improve EDC carry.
I EDC either a Leek in my jeans coin pocket or ZT0770cf in my front pocket. The ZT is just a little too long and wide to comfortably fit in the coin pocket. I was curious if the cryo might be a larger option for the coin pocket, and it was just a little too big and heavy, which sent me into "what-if" mode and the waste of an afternoon. I decided to see if I could make the cryo more coin pocket friendly.
My strategy was to reprofile the handle to remove all the bulk around the lanyard hole and hollow spacer, remove scale steel wherever possible, and to remove the thumbstud. This is just quick and dirty work with handtools to see if a more deliberate effort would be worthwhile.
First the beginning weigh-in (4.2 ounces):
After removing the lanyard section:
Before working on front scale:
The front scale contains the SpeedSafe mechanism, so it is already thin enough in this area. Elsewhere I used a small throughole as a pilot hole for a carbide mason bit to remove metal from the inside but hopefully still keeping enough strength in the structure and enough scale to hold on to. Fully skeletonized scales give you no surface to hold.
Afterward:
The back scale does not have the SpeedSafe mechanism, but it has the lockbar and travel stop to keep away from. I decided I could throughhole the lockbar, if I kept away from the cutaway area.
Before:
After:
Finally, I removed the thumbstud from the blade, which thankfully was just screwed in, not hydraulically pressed in, and put everything back together.
Final weigh in (3.6 ounces):
So, what did I learn from a wasted afternoon? To my surprise, removing the lanyard hole bulk made the biggest difference in EDC. Afterward, the Cryo fit in the coin pocket, and the gentle curve at the bottom of handle not only felt better in the pocket, but in my hand as well. Removing the thumbstud also greatly helped in pulling the knife out of the coin pocket. As for the weight reduction, I was surprised that dropping the weight from 4.2 to 3.6 ounces did not make more of a difference in feel while in pocket or hand. Yeah I could feel the slight weight difference, but it didn't seem to matter in or out of pocket.
I realize Kershaw already offers a slightly lighter G10 version of the Cryo. If they were to update the Cryo, I guess I would recommend they lose the bulky portion around lanyard hole and shorten or remove the thumbstud. I don't think either would effect its price point, and both would greatly improve EDC carry.