Req: Review of CRKT Cruiser

B

biogon

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Jan 2, 2002
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Looks like a very nifty carry knife, but I haven't heard a peep about it on the forums.

Anyone have one and want to comment?

How does the stop pin work on it? Does it require a deep channel cut out of the blade, like the Camillus Dominator?

What about blade/handle ratio, and thickness of handle?

-j
 
It is indeed a very nice knife. Excellent grip shape, texture, and palm swell. A bit too excellent - the handle is fatter than that of most of my other knives, and makes it feel a bit bulky when carrying in a pocket. It is also a bit heavy, weighing 6 ounces. (Personally, I consider this an ideal weight for my carry knives. My Chinook II is very comfortable to carry at this weight, because of its lack of bulk.)

The flipper works very well. After getting used to it, I am very comfortable with my ability to use it to deploy the blade very quickly.

The thumb stud sucks. In my opinion, it is mainly there as a backup, just in case you fail to "flip" the blade all the way open. The thickness of the handle is such that the thumb stud does not protrude beyond the handle. The thumb stud is also almost flush against the handle. The result is that there is no space to stick your finger next to the thumb stud to push the blade open.

If you are a lefty, it is even worse. For some reason, the left-hand thumb stud is shorter than the right-handed thumb stud, so it is even more difficult ot access.

The M16 series also has a thumb stud that is flush against the handle and does not protrude above it, but the top of the stud is textured, enabling you to grip it from above. On the desert cruiser there is no texturing on top of the thumb stud, so my thumb tends to slip off of it, making deployment using the thumb stud unreliable at best.

The thumb stud used to really bother me, until I got used to the flipper concept. Now I probably wouldn't use the thumb stud even if it had a better one.

The factory edge is acceptably sharp. Not as sharp as my Spydercos, but sharper than my CRKT Crawford Kasper folder and by CRKT M21.

The blade has a thickness of .14, giving it an acceptable weight ratio to the rather thick handle. However, I do tend to prefer a slightly higher ratio of blade-weight to handle-weight.

The "desert" coating on the blade and the handle coloring is rather novel, and helps to make this knife an interesting addition to my collection.

In summary, on the positive side, this knife has an exceptionally well designed grip, and the blade is deployed quickly and easily using the flipper. On the negative side, if you are stuck on using the thumb stud, I would not recommend this knife. If you intend to carry it regularly, you will also have to be fond enough of this knife to be willing to tolerate the bulk of the thick grip.

Personally, I feel that this knife provides good quality for the price, and was a worthwhile addition to my collection. I would recommend buying it because of its exceptional grip, but not as a primary EDC, due to its bulk.

Hope this helps.

Regards,
cds1
 
I'm guessing that the thumbstuds act as stop-pins, as on many flippers, so they have to be flush with the frame.
 
sph3ric,
I don't think so... when open, they don't contact the frame. The Cruiser is also known for having a "unique" stop pin setup...

cds1,
Awesome! Thanks for the great review. I'm not convinced on the usability of flippers... I don't like the extra wear and tear on the lock and the stop pin (I'm not skilled enough to work the flipper so that it just gently clicks into place... either it doesn't open, or I wail on it and it slams... :( ). That makes me a dyed-in-the-wool thumb stud user.

I guess I better check it out in person then. It otherwise sounds perfect -- I like some thickness in the handle, and I LOVE the guard, design, and the weight. I like a nice hefty EDC. Good to know about the thumb studs... you really helped me choose.

Thank you!!

-jon
 
Jon,

The thumbstuds are currently in the process of being extended to a more user-friendly length. I submitted the improved sizing recently. The head is both knurled and cupped for thumb contact. We're also readdressing the screw head side to made it more aggressive as well. The design was modified somewhat from my original submission from the thumbstud I use on my custom pieces, so that's getting re-addressed.

Don't sweat flipping the blade. That's what it's designed for. Flip it all you want and enjoy it. I do!

Jim
 
Oooh... I LOVE this place... straight from the horse's mouth.

Jim, that's great news. Sounds like it would fix the one reservation I had. Any idea when those revisions will start coming out of the factory? I will order one once they hit retailers. (I was about to when I posted this anyhow...)

Also good to know about the flipping. I won't hesitate then. ;) My CRKT M16's liner moved rapidly from left-of-tang to right-of-tang (over a few weeks) when I started flipping it, so that made me a little nervous.

BTW, what's your website? I found it before and I can't seem to now...

Thanks so much.

-jon
 
Jon,

There's no way to pinpoint right now when the thumbstud changes will be in place. It will probably be a few months out since thousands of them are already in the pipeline.

Personally, I'd just as soon take the thumbstuds off and use the flipper exclusively, streamlining the blade. But since a lot of folks aren't accustomed to flipper style knives just yet, they all gravitate to thumbing as that's what they've been used to.

There's some cool variations in the works with the Cruisers, so stay tuned.

Regarding the website question, it's:

http://www.jimhammondknives.com

Thanks,
Jim
 
Jim,

Thanks for the info.

I suppose the reason for keeping functioning thumbstuds is that half the time I carry around nobody who cares, and half the time I get to carry around some of the most PC sheeple alive.

A flip looks too much like an auto. :(

Thanks again.

-j
 
I am a right handed person, but i'd like to train my left as well. The best method i found for ambidex studs/disk opener to open is using both thumb and mid finger to start the opening, followed with thumb only. This will help the initial overcoming ball detent or backlock spring pressure.

Just my 2 cents.
 
I gave up and ordered one.

When I get her, I'll post a mini review. :)

Thanks, everyone.

-jon
 
Jim - if you're still watching this thread - what do you think of the idea of reusing the same handle design with a "fatter" blade design? The handle ergos are excellent, and I feel that the beefy, secure, hefty grip is asking for a wider, heftier tactical blade to go with it.

Regards,
cds1
 
cds1,

Not to contradict you, but would the M1 be close to what you're looking for? I always felt the Cruiser was like the M1, but with a pointy tip.

-j
 
I don't have an M1, so I cannot really say. In any event, an M1 wouldn't satisfy my personal needs, because I prefer the 3.75 inch blade length (which is just below the 4 inch legal limit here.)

From the looks of it, it seems that a larger M1 might do the trick. But again, being that I have never held one, I can't really say.

Regards,
cds1
 
cds1,

Thanks for your question regarding the blade shape. When we were having a meeting at the SHOT Show this year, going over the new designs, Kit mentioned to me the same thing. He said the only thing he would change with the design would be to have a fuller blade to the degree that the handle allows. When I pulled out the new blade style, Kit remarked, "You got it!"

The reason I designed the blade the way I did initially was that it was the folder evolution to the original fixed blade of the same design, and I wanted to keep them as close as possible in appearance.

The new fuller recurve blade will first appear in the new Special Forces version of the Desert Cruiser, which will have the double guard. It's also to be standard on the new smaller (European size) Cruiser that will have thin scales and a slightly different handle look. This is as far as this new blade shape has progressed so far in new designs in the series.

In my customs, I'll be offering this recurve blade as a choice myself. In addition, on my custom fixed blade fighter of the Cruiser, it too will now have a recurved blade shape. This design screamed for a recurved blade shape due to its overall flow.

Regarding the Cruiser vs. the M1, my personal observations in comparing them has been (now this is all personal opinion as the M1's a fine knife) the Cruiser handle has a better feel in the hand, the honeycomb hole texture is more secure and aggressive in the grip on the slightly sculpted/radiused scales of the Cruiser than on the flatter scales of the M1, and the flipper design has a longer throw to it allowing easier opening when using it.

I hope this answered your questions. If you have any others, just let me know and I'll try to cover them for you.

Thanks
Jim
 
Woohoo! I assume these will be CRKT/Hammonds?

A fat recurve, and a mini... Oh, dear. More to buy... ;)

Thanks for the update.

-j
 
Sounds cool. I'll be watching for that Special Forces version. Sounds like a knife I need to have. :) (The full guard will only make things harder to explain in NYC/NJ, though, but such is the fate of us knife-nuts. :rolleyes: )

Keep up the good work, Jim.

Regards,
cds1
 
One more thing - if you could convince them to produce a limited edition with the new blade style, without the double guard, and using a high-end steel (such as s30v), I will be greatly indebted to you. (It doesn't hurt to dream, does it? :) )

Regards,
cds1
 
This puppy ROCKS.

Plusses:
- It's larger than it appears in photos, which is unusual.

- The tip is as stabby/pointy as it looks, and it cut quite well for such a short blade.

- It's extremely comfortable in-hand. Especially for kitchen-knife (index-on-spine) grip, which is my favourite.

- I would indeed wish that CRKT used better/taller/more textured studs... they are 99% useless, except in conjunction with the flipper.

- The ergos are magnificent -- only thing is that it's a little fat in the pocket, but, well, look at what else I carry... I guess I'm used to it by now. It's the price you pay for great in-hand feel.

- The flipper is, indeed, one of the best I've used, short of the Chew or Duncan pivots.

- I seem to be the only person in the planet that likes LAWKS. I use it, and it's the only thing that gives me confidence in a liner lock. Of course, thicker liners would be nice too, but I'm not complaining... not really... well... it's like the SBT, I guess.

Minuses:
- Better materials, CRKT, PLEASE!? This thing screams for G10/Micarta, and at least 154CM/ATS-34. Teflon washers have a little too much play, and the long-term durability of o-rings in the pivot screw really make me wonder, even if it does improve the action.

- Fit and finish is par for CRKT, which is to say, excellent for a $60 MSRP knife, but doesn't compare to the $100-200 MSRP of a Spyderco or Benchmade.

- Tip-up carry is kind of iffy. It doesn't balance correctly for me; not sure why.

- It fits exceptionally well in sabre grip, but because of the ramp, it doesn't work in Filipino grip. It is also uncomfortable in reverse grip, and any of the edge-in grips (but duh, you knew that already.)

Bottom line: A-.

Points given for excellent ergos, blade design, and balance. Bonus points for the value (~ $40 at retail online stores.)

Points taken off for the thumbstud ergos and materials used in the CRKT version. Now, I hear there's a framelock custom version....mmmmm. ;)

-jon
 
Personally, I'll pass on the G10 handles. Considering the thickness of the handles, I think G10 would be too heavy.

Regarding blade material - good luck getting CRKT to make anything with a better blade steel than AUS8. Your lucky if you get that. I would definitely think it would be well worth the extra $$$ to pay for premium steel in a recurve-bladed version of this knife.

I definitely feel the same way about LAWKS. Makes my fingers feel a bit more secure. :)
 
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