I just ordered my first CKF---what am I in for?

[Lance Leon]

I have a CKF Morrf 1, a Gratch and a Sukhoi 2. I'd say that the fit and finish is on par with Reate for each knife. My only real complaint is I wish CKF would make some smaller blades. Everything is in the 3.5" and larger range and that's just too big for weekday EDC.

Can't find any other fault with them other than size though.

They had the CKF Peaceduke a while back, which is pretty small. I believe there may even be one available on the trade subforum.

 

[Lance Leon]

I had a Peace Duke which was an awesome knife with perfect fit and finish. The only problem I had with it was that I was unable to get replacement hardware as that production run had ended. It came with some additional hardware but not all. From what I have seen their knives now come with a complete set of replacement hardware. CKF has a sub-forum on another forum.

That's really strange. I was able to get a replacement pivot for my Peaceduke less than a year ago. If you email them about discontinued models, they will usually tell you that there might be a wait but they'll try their best to find a replacement for you.

 

[falar]

I used to scratch my head at the whole "too big for carry" argument as I like 4" and more blades but I've come to realize that what pants you wear has a huge effect on what can be carried every day. I've had no issue with knives well over 4" but I wear "carpenter" style jeans. They must have bigger pockets than what some other people wear. They even allow for pocket carry of a wide array of pistols that people always say are not possible to do so with.

I forgo a clip much of the time as well.

 

[Lance Leon]

Just look at it this way. Since he started producing for CKF, Kevin John’s cloning seems to have majorly slowed down. He has been a menace to the high end industry by building such high end clones. (Famously he was building better Strider folders than the real Striders for a while)

So by getting a CKF you are helping him to produce a liscensee design rather than pirating designs.

I know that’s purely a twisted way of thinking about it.

I'd be interested to know the source(s) of Kevin John being the manufacturer for CKF. I would appreciate it just to sate my own curiosity.

 

[falar]

After I started this thread I googled it. Apparently Mikhail, aka "Mike", who is the face of CKF prior to founding it posted as "Kevin John" on a Russian Bladeforum type forum. He had that handle because he was a dealer of Kevin John knives in Russia. The assumption is that since he had that relationship with them that is obviously who he partnered up with to launch CKF. None of this is substantiated of course but I understand how business relationships work enough that I believe it.

I've also heard from people that say they are "in the know" that trying to pick and choose which "legit" Chinese knifemakers you buy knives from isn't as meaningful as many think. Basically, their knife industry is centralized in a certain region and has a number of machine shops that build things to order for ALL of the various "makers"/designers, they simply supply what they are asked to supply. It could be high quality clone parts, low quality clone parts, high-end original designed parts, etc. It doesn't matter as they build to order for anyone with cash and blueprints. Under this arrangement it would certainly be possible that some of the design groups only work with select suppliers or machine shops to keep the quality to price ratio where they want it but the fact would remain that the companies making knives in China aren't as separate as many are assuming.

 

[Lance Leon]

After I started this thread I googled it. Apparently Mikhail, aka "Mike", who is the face of CKF prior to founding it posted as "Kevin John" on a Russian Bladeforum type forum. He had that handle because he was a dealer of Kevin John knives in Russia. The assumption is that since he had that relationship with them that is obviously who he partnered up with to launch CKF. None of this is substantiated of course but I understand how business relationships work enough that I believe it.

I've also heard from people that say they are "in the know" that trying to pick and choose which "legit" Chinese knifemakers you buy knives from isn't as meaningful as many think. Basically, their knife industry is centralized in a certain region and has a number of machine shops that build things to order for ALL of the various "makers"/designers, they simply supply what they are asked to supply. It could be high quality clone parts, low quality clone parts, high-end original designed parts, etc. It doesn't matter as they build to order for anyone with cash and blueprints. Under this arrangement it would certainly be possible that some of the design groups only work with select suppliers or machine shops to keep the quality to price ratio where they want it but the fact would remain that the companies making knives in China aren't as separate as many are assuming.

I see. I wasn't aware of that particular connection.

It's true that a lot of the manufacturers/machine shops are centralized. And also true that they work closely together. But I can also tell you that manufacturers/brands which mess up AKA produce clones, are often 'outcast' by the others because it is a competitive industry and no one wants to catch a bad rep. It's not like a single factory producing all the parts at different grades for different brands/makers/designers. It's just industrial towns and manufacturing districts where you might find shops working together to produce the different parts (e.g.: hardware and blades from different places)

It's neither black nor white, the situation with Chinese manufacturers is a gray area and you will have get over the idea of some less than ideal goings-on, but rest assured that it's not as bad as some people make it out to be.

 

[Lapedog]

I'd be interested to know the source(s) of Kevin John being the manufacturer for CKF. I would appreciate it just to sate my own curiosity.

The story goes that Russians wanted high end knives but didn’t mind buying clones. The guy who started CKF once ran a website that specialized in these high end clones with Kevin John’s “triumph precision” clones being the top of the line flagship clones.

That clone website has essentially slowed to never restocking and now that same website owner is behind CKF.

The CKF Daboia is a Kevin John venom design. (Venom being the Kevin John original designs wheras the Triumph Precision label was the Kevin John clones) If you look at the CKF Daboia and the Kevin John Venom 2 they are the same knife built in the same factory.

Basically the CKF Kevin John thing is an open secret. Those behind the brands would rather keep them seperate to some degree because they don’t want the cloning history to tarnish the CKF brand in the eyes of western buyers who won’t accept that.

 

[falar]

Well, USPS doing something right for a change. They already have it back and will have my replacement coming my way sometime tomorrow.

 

[falar]

I still find it weird how off-center it can be up by the pivot but then ok down inside the frame.

They sent me a picture of my replacement today and it looked much better but they didn't hit the same angles I did. Fingers crossed.

 

[falar]

Got my replacement today and it is perfect.

There are some things I like better about it then my Hoback, but things I like better about the Hoback too. The CKF version definitely has a better action and came sharper, pointier, and with a better grind in the plunge area. The blade tang isn't ramped for the detent though like an actual Hoback. The edge isn't as easy to touch in the closed position.