A few weeks ago I made the decision to send my 21 back to Idaho for the famous CRK spa, but the main issue is I'm currently halfway across the globe in Asia and I don't think I can go back to carrying a non-CRK knife for the duration needed for spa treatment. So..... I took the only option that seems logical to me and got an Umnumzaan from a friend. I didn't know much about the Umnumzaan I'm about to get until I saw the knife, and to my pleasant surprise it's a 2009 model 
. The knife has a DOB of June 25, 2009 and I believe it has the two piece thumbstud (Mr. Reeve switched it to a one piece design after someone had one side of the stud fell off after an IED blast, hard use indeed 
).
The Umnumzaan feels heavier than the 21 and the blade in locked position reminds me of the xm18, I guess it is due to the design that uses the studs as the blade stop which greatly strengthens the pivot by pressing against the titanium frame. Lateral force gets distributed to the studs instead of the pivot alone, this design adds a bit of prying ability IMO. The tip of the Umnumzaan however is the direct opposite of the Spanto grind on the xm18, the Umnumzaan has an extremely thin tip that is very, very stabby (trust me, I stabbed my thumb accidentally when I was stropping the blade). The knife is so well built it practically has 'HARD USE' written on the blade, however I'd be careful with the needle tip when it comes to light prying. Enough words, here's some pics.
When I got home I took apart the knife, halfway through the process I realized the previous owner applied some locktite so I had to improvise.
Applied some grease and assembled the parts, here it is hanging out with my 21.
Here's some random pics.
After testing the edge a bit on cardboard, how I wish my 21 has the same type of aggressive stonewashing.
This is my favorite part of the knife, the harpoon tip is just so sexy looking
One thing I did notice is the opening action feels quite rough from the detent ball, similar to another 2010 Umnumzaan that belongs to a friend, anyone with similar issues? Any help to make the opening and closing smoother? There is no noticeable damage to the ceramic ball and the blade looks fine.
Overall I am very pleased with the knife and now I can send my 21 back to Idaho for spa I'm a happy owner of an Umnumzaan.
P.s. pardon the cellphone pics, I don't have spare cash for a dslr, if you know what I mean.
. The knife has a DOB of June 25, 2009 and I believe it has the two piece thumbstud (Mr. Reeve switched it to a one piece design after someone had one side of the stud fell off after an IED blast, hard use indeed ). The Umnumzaan feels heavier than the 21 and the blade in locked position reminds me of the xm18, I guess it is due to the design that uses the studs as the blade stop which greatly strengthens the pivot by pressing against the titanium frame. Lateral force gets distributed to the studs instead of the pivot alone, this design adds a bit of prying ability IMO. The tip of the Umnumzaan however is the direct opposite of the Spanto grind on the xm18, the Umnumzaan has an extremely thin tip that is very, very stabby (trust me, I stabbed my thumb accidentally when I was stropping the blade). The knife is so well built it practically has 'HARD USE' written on the blade, however I'd be careful with the needle tip when it comes to light prying. Enough words, here's some pics.
When I got home I took apart the knife, halfway through the process I realized the previous owner applied some locktite so I had to improvise.
Applied some grease and assembled the parts, here it is hanging out with my 21.
Here's some random pics.
After testing the edge a bit on cardboard, how I wish my 21 has the same type of aggressive stonewashing.
This is my favorite part of the knife, the harpoon tip is just so sexy looking
One thing I did notice is the opening action feels quite rough from the detent ball, similar to another 2010 Umnumzaan that belongs to a friend, anyone with similar issues? Any help to make the opening and closing smoother? There is no noticeable damage to the ceramic ball and the blade looks fine.
Overall I am very pleased with the knife and now I can send my 21 back to Idaho for spa
I'm a happy owner of an Umnumzaan. P.s. pardon the cellphone pics, I don't have spare cash for a dslr, if you know what I mean
.
