High end opinions wanted

ktataragasi said:
Do CRKs ever get to where you can flick they reliably?
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I wouldn’t say mine flick. I don’t think they’re designed for that. It’s more like they open smoothly with light(ish) but constant pressure along the pathway. I like the controlled action just fine.

If you want a truly flickable knife, I’d look at some of the other brands mentioned.
 
badmatt said:
With enough time.

or you could buy a Shirogorov!
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I'm looking to get a neon zero maybe at the end of the year.
craytab said:
To actually answer your question, yes. Mine does anyway.
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Thank you
TrainedBullets said:
I wouldn’t say mine flick. I don’t think they’re designed for that. It’s more like they open smoothly with light(ish) but constant pressure along the pathway. I like the controlled action just fine.

If you want a truly flickable knife, I’d look at some of the other brands mentioned.
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Thanks. I think my new Peña Mula is probably my ideal knife but the allure of CRK just nudges you when you are a knife junky.
 
The Curtiss F3 medium wharny really has my eye. Those who have an F3, would you recommend the flipper or non-flipper version of this particular knife, and why?
 
LLRJ17 said:
The Curtiss F3 medium wharny really has my eye. Those who have an F3, would you recommend the flipper or non-flipper version of this particular knife, and why?
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I really enjoy the flipper models, as the tab really helps the knives lock into my hand. The scales on these are smooth (unless your model has scalloping or other features) and so that tab really works for me. I have a Medium and a Compact, and enjoy them both. Curtiss sends them out with a screaming good edge, and you can't go wrong with his work.
 
Quiet said:
I really enjoy the flipper models, as the tab really helps the knives lock into my hand. The scales on these are smooth (unless your model has scalloping or other features) and so that tab really works for me. I have a Medium and a Compact, and enjoy them both. Curtiss sends them out with a screaming good edge, and you can't go wrong with his work.
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Appreciate the feedback.
 
I've owned knives by many of the makers in this thread, and I can't figure out why you'd think about spending $750 on a knife that wasn't custom?
 
Paratrooper06 said:
I’m not knocking “pocket candy”, but most people I’ve seen only take their olamic out for photos and to brag. Why would you hard-use a knife with rainbow-spectrum colors and customized finish? Not exactly something you’re going to go baton with or even cut apart cardboard with.

Now a CRK or a hinderer? all day every day for hard use
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I was recently tempted by an Olamic. Yes, luxury is part of the appeal. Would it be something I'd use often? No, probably not. It would come out on special occasions, or just when I feel like enjoying the luxury. I'd no more take it rock climbing or use it to cut up a bunch of dirty cardboard than I would do those things in my best suit.

Even now, my Civivi knives get lots of use and carry while my WE knives are a little more "fancy dress". They get used if tasks come up as I'm carrying them, but I won't choose them on purpose for a dirty job. Yeah, there is a case to be made for the irony in budget knives with budget steels getting tons of use while the knives with super steels and higher edge retention don't see the work they're designed to take on account of being fancy or expensive. (It's a bit like the guy who keeps a high-end performance car in the garage most of the time so it stays nice.) Still, having something like that can bring a little joy and it's nice to know you can use it if you need to...

That said, do you have any other issues with Olamic? Is there anything about the designs or build quality you don't like? Better yet, if I just put similar mods on a $200 WE that I already like and already has great action, fit and finish, etc.; would I be missing anything versus something like a Wayfarer?
 
Chronovore said:
I was recently tempted by an Olamic. Yes, luxury is part of the appeal. Would it be something I'd use often? No, probably not. It would come out on special occasions, or just when I feel like enjoying the luxury. I'd no more take it rock climbing or use it to cut up a bunch of dirty cardboard than I would do those things in my best suit.

Even now, my Civivi knives get lots of use and carry while my WE knives are a little more "fancy dress". They get used if tasks come up as I'm carrying them, but I won't choose them on purpose for a dirty job. Yeah, there is a case to be made for the irony in budget knives with budget steels getting tons of use while the knives with super steels and higher edge retention don't see the work they're designed to take on account of being fancy or expensive. (It's a bit like the guy who keeps a high-end performance car in the garage most of the time so it stays nice.) Still, having something like that can bring a little joy and it's nice to know you can use it if you need to...

That said, do you have any other issues with Olamic? Is there anything about the designs or build quality you don't like? Better yet, if I just put similar mods on a $200 WE that I already like and already has great action, fit and finish, etc.; would I be missing anything versus something like a Wayfarer?
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WE makes a great knife but they can’t hold a candle to olamic. My only issue with Olamics are the pocket clips. I also had a rainmaker open in my pocket and slice me up good when I reached in to take it out. The whippersnapper is my favorite but I haven’t seen any sent to distributors in over a year.
 
Chris Reeve Knives are hard to beat. They’ve won awards for many years in a row for their exacting manufacturing tolerances. Plus their customer service is absolutely outstanding! You need a new set of pivot washers, body screws, or new pocket clip say for your Inkosi, you can order them and have them in about 3 days. They also will refinish the titanium handles in different finishes for you if you want. Im sure they’re other manufacturers who offer these services but I can personally vouch for CRK.
 
I just bought both a CRK, and a Hinderer XM 18, so those will be interesting to try out and compare to the knives that I’ve previously had. Some pretty nice ones, but none with the level of reputation as is attached to either of these brands.

Maybe I’ll post my thoughts here.
 
vwb563 said:
Chris Reeve Knives are hard to beat. They’ve won awards for many years in a row for their exacting manufacturing tolerances. Plus their customer service is absolutely outstanding! You need a new set of pivot washers, body screws, or new pocket clip say for your Inkosi, you can order them and have them in about 3 days. They also will refinish the titanium handles in different finishes for you if you want. Im sure they’re other manufacturers who offer these services but I can personally vouch for CRK.
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I understand they have a cult following, and rightfully so… they just aren’t for me. Other manufacturers are pushing new horizons in precision and materials and I feel like CRK is just doing the same thing. That’s what they’re good at, more power to them. But my interests change all the time, I like to try new things, and I’m not the sort of person that can buy a sebenza and call it a day with the brand. I get excited when I see what new products each brand brings each year. Plenty of manufacturers are starting to realize that after-sale support is crucial to a company’s long-term success… Medford, Pro-Tech, I know of a few others. So I guess what I’m saying is, other people are giving the same level of service CRK does, while also pushing out new knives.
 
I’ve been down that road myself. CRK, Medfords, Demko customs, Koenig, etc trying to find my “perfect“ knife until I finally realized that the search itself had become more important than finding ”the knife of all knives” if that makes sense. I finally settled on my CRK Inkosi as my “grail“ and give up the endless search. But I do understand where you are coming from. Good luck to ya friend.
 
If you want to step out of the mainstream and keep it around the Sebenza price point, Arno Bernard?

93MBbFo.jpg
 
Personally: I love having a working work of Art...
While doing some Olamic research: I saw a disassembly video...
WOW!! They are built tough enough to make a brick outhouse jealous!
 
vwb563 said:
I’ve been down that road myself. CRK, Medfords, Demko customs, Koenig, etc trying to find my “perfect“ knife until I finally realized that the search itself had become more important than finding ”the knife of all knives” if that makes sense. I finally settled on my CRK Inkosi as my “grail“ and give up the endless search. But I do understand where you are coming from. Good luck to ya friend.
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I understand what you are saying! I also tried to find the “perfect knife” and to be honest sometimes “good enough” is exactly that, “good enough.”

I settled on a CRK Mnandi as my EDC because it is “good enough” for almost all of my cutting chores. If I need to do some heavy duty cutting at home I just grab an inexpensive fixed blade hanging on the wall in my garage.
I wish the OP luck and i hope he finds what he is looking for.
 
What constitutes a custom as compared to a mid-range or "mid-tech"? Choice of materials and finishes? Completely handmade? Small batch and/or non-production build schedules? Superior build quality/specs?

Thanks for your patience with my noob-ness! The depth and breadth of info here is amazing....
 
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