I've come full circle

TRfromMT

TRfromMT

Joined
Jan 4, 2016
Messages
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I've had maybe 6 CRK over the past few years. The first was an insingo L21 sebenza. I sold it, and of all that have come through my possession, that one I always regretted a little bit.

Over the past couple years I have run the gamut - several spyderco, a couple Hinderer's, a few Shiro's, and a number of others.

I recently asked what I would want in a heirloom piece, one that will still be solid and classy in 20 years in my pocket? Not a fad. Easy to maintain. No bearings to mess up. Sharpenable. Top quality.

After a purposeful evaluation of what I want, including a healthy realization that less is more, I'm back with a L21 sebenza insingo. This time with micarta inlays.

Anyone else's knife journey come full circle back to the first CRK?
 
L21 insingo with red linen micarta ... my favorite for some years now!
 
I've definitely come full circle. My first good folder was an early Sebenza, and I went through a couple of Regulars as well. All sold years ago. Carried Spydercos and then Benchmades, got into the exotic steels, etc. Recently I realized that I really miss the perfect proportions and utter simplicity of the Sebenza and the rest of the CRK line. Sold all my other knives (except a Bugout and a Spyderco Salt) and was able to purchase 2 21s, a large drop point and a small insingo, both lefty carbon fiber Knife Art exclusives. I'm really enjoying them.
 
Similar full circle journey for me, in the past I had bought and sold off a Sebenza 21 with black micarta, and went through other brands as well always chasing the next grail and talking with other companies about the next great release.

During my journey, I made the decision to go all in with CRK for my manuals and fixed blades. Why? Yes they make a solid knife and yes they stand behind what they make, but more importantly to me their people from A to Z are super nice and humble, and they have always gone the extra mile to treat me like a valued customer. It’s about the people at CRK for me.

Personally, I rate CRK as “lapping the field” at #1 and I own their manuals and fixed blades, and I rate Protech (very nice people as well) at #2 and I buy their autos.

I still own other brands that I have accumulated during my journey, but any new adds for me will be CRK with an occasional Protech auto.

Here is a small Sebenza I own with the Insingo, it’s in my CRK daily carry rotation. The plains (Sebenza, Impinda, etc.) are my favorites, and I own inlays as well.

upload_2019-11-9_17-28-4.jpeg
 
Despite having folders by Shiro, Cheburkov, Olamic, ZT and others, I’ve been carrying my large Star-Benza exclusively since last December and I’m seriously considering doing a major inventory reduction next year. If I do that, I’ll be keeping my CRKs and thinning out the remainder of the herd. I guess I’ve also come full circle.
 
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I had a large lefty S30V several years ago. I didn't like that I had to sharpen so frequently so it got kicked out of my pocket by a Spyderco Gayle Bradley. After a few years that was replaced by a PM2 in M4 and carbon fiber. That lasted a couple of years and I wanted to simplify things. I did mental inventory of what I wanted, what I had and what I could get and went back to the Sebenza. Glad I did. I've been carrying it daily since March. I love the simplicity, solid feel and knowledge that I can take it to the office or use it in the field. Great knife. Just took some convincing...
 
I posted a response similar to this over at USN last week but it's fitting here.

CRK might not be the shiniest and blingy’est new trend in knives today but they produce some of the best production knives made, period. They just work. Fit & Finish, incredible tolerances, build quality and classic design are the standard many makers try to achieve.

Once I really started getting more seriously into knives, I was always trying to get the latest and greatest knife of the day for a while. I always had a couple CRKs but still always chased the shiny new object. In the last year or so, that has really changed. I primarily only buy customs knives and CRK now. The customs I love are from makers like Ray Laconico, Pena and Mayo. I consider them to be kinda the CRKs of the custom world? At least IMO. Clean, simple and extremely well made knives.

So from those 2 or 3 CRKs, I have now probably bought and sold 30 to 40 or so and currently have about 15 in the collection? Some users, some safe queens. I plan on adding more and have really started to focus on the more rare and unique 21, Regulars and Classics. I also really love the Zaan! Amazing knife.
 
I have only one large 21 with inlays that's been in my pocket daily for about last 9 months, I had ordered a WC-starbenza before summer but it got lost in the mail some how! never received it, really looking close at the Inkosi though as my 2nd knife to buy/own as I love the quality in CRK's, also I think its that DAM KNIFE BUG I have.:(
 
About 5 years ago I got a L21 drop point. I'm a lefty it was a righty. I liked it but wanted a lefty. So I sold it. But not being patient enough I couldn't find one right away and bought something else. Years went by and never picked up a lefty. Well about 2 months ago I decided it was time to join here and within a few days I had a umnumzaan and a inkosi both in lefty. I'm currently selling alot of my collection off the add more CRK. They really are worth every penny and for me I'm just at a point where I'm not losing knives anymore. So I don't worry about having to replace it.
 
My first Crk was a right handed large 21 DP. Ended up with a lefty after that and fell in love. Next was an umnumzaan. At first I didn’t carry them much at all bc I was afraid to use such an expensive knife. They were a grail for me. Almost 20 CRKs later I’ve basically sold off most of my other knives bc they never saw the lite of day. Now I work and use them with no hesitation. I have had a lefty Crk with me for the last few years that I can remember. I love a good used Crk
 
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I had the exact same experience! Started a couple of years and just came full circle. Fully how that works.
 
I listened to all you guys and got the best knife made. CRK. It is my pocket knife. I do realize now, I only need one.

...maybe two...
 
HST said:
I listened to all you guys and got the best knife made. CRK. It is my pocket knife. I do realize now, I only need one. ...maybe two...
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Watch that “maybe two” thing carefully. In less than a year, I ended up with seven CRKs in hand and two more on pre-order. My experience is that you need to be aware that you have two possible courses of action: get one large and one small and cap it right then or else you’ll find yourself on the way to filling a drawer with them. Good luck.
 
Maybe one day.

I never really "got" CRKs. But I recently stumbled across a limited run that Knife Arts did a couple of years ago. Now I want a CF Insingo.
 
I am casually attempting to sell my last Shiro (but will be perfectly content if it does not move...). Should it sell, one more CRK would be added, probably a 'zaan. I'd go that route before a small, but I've never had a small sebenza and maybe I should give that some thought.
 
I kept only one small 21 micarta insingo ... it's about my only "gentleman's knife" ... it will get a lot of pocket time through the holidays ...

but I will say of the handful of higher priced small knives I have tried ... the CRKs 21s beat the rest by far for me ...

other then that I reach for a bigger knife and toss one of my SAK farmers in my offhand pocket.
 
Somewhat resurrecting this old thread. The insingo L21 Sebenza has been with me now for 6 months. It gets to ride shotgun 5 or 6 days a week. (My only other pocket knives at the moment are my trusty Gayle Bradley 2, and a ZT 023 slipjoint.) I have really come to enjoy this knife more than I ever did before, possibly because it gets more time every week than when I had a large collection of folders.

I have finally come to like the edge, and the steel on this knife.

crAbtKFl.jpg


I actually started a thread one time about the edges on CRK getting better after some sharpening. (here: https://bladeforums.com/threads/better-after-a-good-resharpening.1658121/) I wondered if an edge would perform better after sharpening through any surface/heat affected area from the factory.

I have come to think, anecdotally, that it does take some sharpening to really "get to the good stuff." Just my opinion. Having come to this conclusion, I find this knife is truly mine now, like getting comfortable with an old friend. There have been a couple threads lately about sending in knives to CRK to have them sharpened. I honestly think you just cannot get to know your knife if you don't do this yourself at some point.

Apart from now being genuinely sharp, the lanyard finally gave up the ghost - frayed at the lanyard pin beyond what seemed befitting a $400 knife, so it got cut off. I sort of prefer it now without a lanyard.

Point of this original thread was about the full-circle journey back to a Sebenza. I'm still here, I guess.
 
I agree about sharpening your own knife, having messed up plenty (cosmetically) in days gone by, now I would not consider having someone else do it... As far as lanyards go, I like them ,and always use the hole in the scales, not the pin ( too small for old eyes) , plus it seems to swing better for me.
 
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