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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Hollow Handle CRKs
- Thread starter M.Link
- Start date
- Joined
- Apr 19, 2012
- Messages
- 8,099
In this forum, you will get lots of "good"
There is a reason for that, because they are great knives! I have an aviator, and it is a really nice knife. The negatives that come to mind are the extra care needed to prevent corrosion and the very high price. (If you can even find one for sale) The CRK one piece knives are very solid and well made, but for the amount of money a nice one will run you there are far more cost effective options in both "traditional" and one piece knives fixed blades.
Check out you tube, there are some decent videos on the one piece knives.
There is a reason for that, because they are great knives! I have an aviator, and it is a really nice knife. The negatives that come to mind are the extra care needed to prevent corrosion and the very high price. (If you can even find one for sale) The CRK one piece knives are very solid and well made, but for the amount of money a nice one will run you there are far more cost effective options in both "traditional" and one piece knives fixed blades.
Check out you tube, there are some decent videos on the one piece knives.
- Joined
- Aug 2, 2004
- Messages
- 18,850
I carry and use a modified skinner (the scout) and it's a superb knife. The OPKs are great but they can be a bit hit or miss, IMO. The larger knives are not particularly suited to the production method as I see it. The round handle and balance of the knife is, IMO, not that great on the larger knives, but that neutral round handle and weight distibution is exactly what makes the smaller knives so useable. :thumbup:
:thumbup:
nyefmaker
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 29, 2008
- Messages
- 6,257
The OPK ( One Piece Knives ) are what brought me to CRK. I will have to go back through my list, but have probably owned over 2 dozen of them. They are the finest knife of its kind in my opinion.
With the knurling, they offer tons of grip in pretty much any condition. Though I would recommend gloves if your gonna chop with one. Come with heavy duty sheaths as well from Gfeller.
Like HAZE above, The Scout is a modified version of the Ubejane, the CRK skinner. I got an extra skinner just so I can do this mod when I get a shop setup again.
As for the best all around of the regular production, I would find it hard to beat the Shadow IV size. It has a 5.5" blade and is nice and thick.
The A2 blade steel holds a pretty nice edge as well.
The biggest thing with them now is $$$. Like anything else CRK, they go up in price when discontinued. But in my opinion they are worth it. Several sell on here often, just gotta figure out which model you want and ask around or wait for one.
With the knurling, they offer tons of grip in pretty much any condition. Though I would recommend gloves if your gonna chop with one. Come with heavy duty sheaths as well from Gfeller.
Like HAZE above, The Scout is a modified version of the Ubejane, the CRK skinner. I got an extra skinner just so I can do this mod when I get a shop setup again.
As for the best all around of the regular production, I would find it hard to beat the Shadow IV size. It has a 5.5" blade and is nice and thick.
The A2 blade steel holds a pretty nice edge as well.
The biggest thing with them now is $$$. Like anything else CRK, they go up in price when discontinued. But in my opinion they are worth it. Several sell on here often, just gotta figure out which model you want and ask around or wait for one.
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2010
- Messages
- 1,091
Honestly, I have very little experience actually using fixed blades, despite owning a few. For me, the CRK OPK's are appealing for a lot of the same reasons that their folders are; well engineered, streamlined designs, beautifully executed. It also doesn't hurt their appeal that they are discontinued. As far as actual use, I don't have much practical experience or knowledge of their durability, but the hollow grind of my Shadow I out-bites all my other large fixed blades (Junglas, TGLB, Trail Master, Recon Scout) in chopping.
Whether the thin hollow grind in A2 is as durable, I don't know. That's why I've been so interested in hearing from anyone who has bought and used an Impofu, it looks to have a similar hollow grind, but obviously in 3V.
The one thing to note is that the round handle does require that more attention be paid to the blade orientation. It helps to choke up a bit to use the guard as an indexer, but that doesn't help much when you are swinging from the butt of the grip. Of course, this is mostly a problem when trying to chop with one of the larger OPK's. I'd imagine that it's much less of an issue with the smaller OPK's.
Whether the thin hollow grind in A2 is as durable, I don't know. That's why I've been so interested in hearing from anyone who has bought and used an Impofu, it looks to have a similar hollow grind, but obviously in 3V.
The one thing to note is that the round handle does require that more attention be paid to the blade orientation. It helps to choke up a bit to use the guard as an indexer, but that doesn't help much when you are swinging from the butt of the grip. Of course, this is mostly a problem when trying to chop with one of the larger OPK's. I'd imagine that it's much less of an issue with the smaller OPK's.