The Cryo, and how it stands up to its brothers.

I think the new Kershaw Hinderer collabs coming out this year will be better for me. I'm very much looking forward to the Thermite and ZT 0566.

The Cryo is nice for playing around with, but I don't prefer an all stainless handle for EDC.
 
I definitely think the popularity of the Cryo is because of Hinderer. I know as soon as I saw it, I knew it had to be a collab with Hinderer. Also, I really like the Cryo. It's a cool little knife that I throw in my rotation at work when I'm not carrying my zt0550, which is my main edc knife. As far as the Cryo 2 goes, I can't wait to get my hands on one. I always thought the Cryo 1 was a little small for my hands, but I think the Cryo 2 will be just right.
 
FCM415 said:
Right before the Cryo came out, there was word that a bigger Cryo2 was also in the works. I realized then that the Cryo is too small and have been waiting for the 2 since. Speaking to the OP, at this level though my CF Blur gets the nod on every level. Sooo...Not even sure if I'll get the Cryo2 either. We'll see.
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These are my thoughts exactly. I really like the look of the Cryo, but if my American made blur is already that much better in regards to toughness and general quality, it almost seems like a waste of 30 bucks.

As for the people who are genuinely recommending me to get a 200 dollar knife when I'm asking about a 30 dollar one... well, lol. I'm sure ZT appreciates the publicity though. Someday I'd love to get a ZT knife, but that seems like WAYYYY too much money for something so small and bulky.
 
Love the Cryo for what it is. At this price point it is hard to do much better for an assisted opener. Easily available for $30 - $35.

I do think it is a little small and would prefer a larger knife. That's why I have pre-ordered two Cryo II's. At higher price points, I like my ZT0200. It's a flipper but I don't own an assisted ZT yet. I will. But not yet.

So for the money and imo, the Cryo is a good deal. Nice features. The deep carry clip works well as shipped. If you move the clip it does not conceal as well because the clip mounts a little farther from the end of the knife. As far as I know the only blade option is 8Cr13MoV.

But is does not make sense to compare the Cryo with ZT's. ZT's are at a different price point and are engineered better - the cost reflects that.

IMO, I think build quality of the Cryo is on par with the Blur at its slightly higher price point. Having owned both I can say that my preference is for the Cryo. Better deep carry clip and it seems sturdier. It has the assisted opening tab in addition to thumb studs, and I prefer the steel frame and frame lock over the Blurs rubberized frame and liner lock. The Blur line does offer more blade and steel options though, and is an interesting knife in its own right. But for the money, I think the Cryo I has the edge.
 
agile_1 said:
Love the Cryo for what it is. At this price point it is hard to do much better for an assisted opener. Easily available for $30 - $35.

I do think it is a little small and would prefer a larger knife. That's why I have pre-ordered two Cryo II's. At higher price points, I like my ZT0200. It's a flipper but I don't own an assisted ZT yet. I will. But not yet.

So for the money and imo, the Cryo is a good deal. Nice features. The deep carry clip works well as shipped. If you move the clip it does not conceal as well because the clip mounts a little farther from the end of the knife. As far as I know the only blade option is 8Cr13MoV.

But is does not make sense to compare the Cryo with ZT's. ZT's are at a different price point and are engineered better - the cost reflects that.

IMO, I think build quality of the Cryo is on par with the Blur at its slightly higher price point. Having owned both I can say that my preference is for the Cryo. Better deep carry clip and it seems sturdier. It has the assisted opening tab in addition to thumb studs, and I prefer the steel frame and frame lock over the Blurs rubberized frame and liner lock. The Blur line does offer more blade and steel options though, and is an interesting knife in its own right. But for the money, I think the Cryo I has the edge.
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You just won the thread. Thanks for answering my question so thoroughly. That's exactly what I was looking for.
 
Jimmy Redd said:
I'll be the lone dissenter here and say that CQ does take a hit on this model, at least in my experience. Brand new, the Cryo I got came with blade play in all directions, centering so bad that it scrapes the scale and sounds like a pair of scissors when it opens, and (related) a bent non-locking side scale. I'm sure Kershaw would replace it for me if I sent it in but that's not something you should need to do with a NIB knife. Also, I find the handle a little small and uncomfortable for my large (XL Gloves) hands.
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I'm in complete agreement here. I've returned only two knives ever. Of those two, I only regret returning one. The one I regret returning is not the Cryo. My Cryo seemed sturdy enough, but its relative slickness in relation to its size made it difficult for me to use effectively. There were machine marks on mine, most prominent around the jimping. The finish was very good otherwise. Pocket clip was perfect. I generally steer clear of Chinese produced knives. The quality of Taiwan and Japanese knives, from my experience, is very close to, if not exceeding, U.S. standards. Some knives just have to be tried though, and I appreciated the Hinderer lineage of the Cryo. It just wasn't for me.

Oh, and the other knife I returned--the one I regret returning-- is a Spyderco Tenacious, another Chinese knife. I returned this one because I couldn't come to terms with its place of production. In that case, it was an unjustified reason.
 
I have the all black version of the cryo coming from Dave and I am pretty excited. Overall the knife gets pretty decent reviews ad its hard to complain about the price point. I am looking forward to it will be my third Chinese kershaw and I will have 5 USA made kershaws to compare it to.
 
Got my Cryo yesterday. I was fortunate to not have any factory defects. Love the knife. Only real complaint is on the ergos... there are simply too many hard edges. I put a dab of putty on the flipper because it was KILLING my finger every time I depressed it. Now? It's a great knife. Smaller than I thought, but in a good way. Definitely my new "bring it to work and abuse it" knife. I can take it out without freaking customers out, it'll hold and edge for a good amount of time, its tough as nails, and it can be used in more defensive situations in a pinch.

I'd LOVE to see an american / higher price point version of this knife. Overall I'ma give it 4.5/5, with its price point being the main factor here. What's being said is right. You just can't find better at 30 bucks.
 
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