The kinda unspecified CRK talk thread.

rishma said:
Kettleman Kettleman . Epic post brother! Very fun to read and relatable to me. Thank you for sharing it. Bear with me here, you triggered a memory.

My most hated class in school was philosophy. I had to take it and found it to be torture. I’m a practical fellow and it made my head hurt. Funny thing is, a part of that study is burned into my brain. It was about the ancient Greek notion of virtue. My understanding of this concept captures my view of things/ belongings.

To the Greeks, virtue was not just morality but it was tied to the notion of function. An object has virtue if it performs its proper function with excellence.

I am not a collector in the traditional sense, I don’t have things I don’t use. In fact, an unused belonging bothers me and I tend to part with it. This has more to do with my upbringing than anything (which is a story for another time). I remember thinking that this concept of virtue actually explained my feelings about having stuff. If it’s not being used for its purpose or doesn’t perform its function with excellence, then it has no virtue and I have no need for it. This is why I like very high quality things, and I only have them if I use them.

I have no negative feelings toward collectors, collections, or safe queens. I am grateful for people who enjoy the hobby that way because they post great things on bladeforums and occasionally enable me to buy a knife that is no longer made that I’d really like to use.

Okay, somebody please post a picture of a knife.
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Well said sir! I like they way you explained it.
 
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Kettleman said:
R rishma

That is a great question that not very long ago would have been immediately replied to with a resounding YES. I have and continue to get an immense satisfaction and even joy from using the knives Chris designed and made to do the things they were designed and made to do.

I am not much of a philosopher and don't spend a lot of time thinking metaphysically, however I guess my approach to CRK knives does at least sit on a hill that it can be seen from...

I do tend to think of " things" from the aspect of what the maker, designer, artist, tradesmen created. Is a painting of a soup can more than a glance into a cupboard? Of course it is, it takes the artists vision and applies it in a physical reality for the world to see.

The question is can the painting be complete without fulfilling its purpose of being shared with the world? Would Mt Rushmore be just a pile of rocks if no one ever saw it? Is a farm plow art before its used for decades and than put into the corner of a yard?

I have often wondered how an art thief can enjoy a painting when its locked into a bunker far from anyones eyes...Can the painting give the same to only one person that it could being shared with the world as created to?

You ever notice no one seems to collect new hammers? When was the last time you heard of a warehouse being found filled with modern cars? My point is that the antiques and vintage things that are collected have for the most part been used for their intended purpose ( lightly for some collectors) and that is what makes them complete in my mind.

Now however as I become a " real" collector with what I think of as a fairly decent CRK collection Im starting to see some of my pieces as more than the sum of thier parts. The 25 you asked of is just another knife..except it's freaking brand new in its box and probably can't be replaced in its condition! Does that change anything? It never has for me in the past. The term collector being applied to me to replace the term user seems to have caused a slight shift in my thinking and even opening my eyes to the thoughts that what I used to call the " my precious " crowd.

Ive always felt a bit of excitement in unpacking a new knife from the past and shoving it into my pocket for a days use. Sometimes that was enough for me and I could than place it into its place on my shelf somehow believing I had made it and its maker happy to have fulfilled its purpose. Others I carried and used for a good deal of time and some stayed as my EDC for years. I kinda liked the rush of doing something that would make the collectors gasp..." do you know what that is? Do you know what you just did" where statements I liked hearing and often answered with a yep I used my knife. What I guess in a small way I was feeling " Yes I set it free to be what it was intended to be"

This 25 was intended to replace the one I have, carry and us regularly as its one of my favorite Chris Reeve designs. However I had a reaction markedly different when I pulled it out of the box. I had no desire to use it. I decided than and there it was going on the shelf and I would keep my user as a user...WTF? I than realized I add just received a NIB 31 Magnacut that should go on the shelf as well, I didn't need to carry it as I had other I could carry instead. Than. I thought I should start hunting mint examples of all my knives and keep the users so I could have both....Than I could build this real cool display case and they would become a tribute to the man and his company....

I could just keep them locked in my shop/den/mancave marveling at them everyday and maybe even picking them up and fondeling them. Maybe sometimes I could take them out to take a photo and share my precious with the guys on the forum/

Than I thought...WOW that happened fast! One second I was walking to the mailbox to get my new knife and the next second I had become....them?

Ive thought a lot about that moment since yesterday. Ive honestly just chuckled at the " my precious " crowd. I didn't have a clue how they could find the same joy I did by caring and actually using a knife by just having it. It's a tool to be used. Chris didn't make these to be collected, hell he stopped numbering them because he figured he had already made more than the collectors would want. He built a tool. A freaking hammer ( you know what I mean) to be used except....

...he did starting making them for the collectors when the inlays and annual started didn't he? He new damn good and well that no one was going to use a Mammoth Damascus Mnandi in SERE school

Look at me growing up and opening my mind!

Anyway after all that I decided that I wanted to be true to my feelings even though I am starting to understand others and maybe even thinking about a compromise. I'll be removing the lanyard and placing it into my pocket today as it was created to be. I will carry and use it away from work in the same rotation as the other 9 in my timeline collection. I will however keep the other( maybe) It will be used alongside my Micarta as my EDC / Work / Beater rotation because sometimes you feel like Micarta and some times you don't.

I think of the Micarta 25, and now I guess the other PJ 25 ( both of which I pulled brand new from the box) as my " I know Ill need a knife today" carry, and the others as my "In case I need a knife today" carry.
It allows me to carry and use my knives as intended but still having a collection of hard to replace knives I just love having.

ok that went long.......


Yes I'll be carrying the new 25. Probably. I think. Most likely. We will see.

Clay
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When your daughter inherits the knife, will it have more value to her minty or with a bit of her dad's history on it?
 
I also have nothing against safe queens. In fact, I could imagine myself keeping one under the right circumstances

Whenever I see safe queen listed for sale on the exchange, I feel a sense of disappointment, even though it's none of my business. The knife cannot have sinned in its curated condition, so the owner must have changed.

It seems like the destiny of all museum knives is to be sold by their owners, or indeed their widows. While the safe queen may appreciate in value, it can never truly be an heirloom, because it only ever mattered to one person. Dad's pocket knife, on the other hand, could be a treasure.
 
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Tried to do a search and couldn't exactly find discussions on this topic. As some of you may know, I just received my first CRK from Kettleman Kettleman , a Large Seb 31.

I have medium sized hands (actually almost the same measurements as the CRK "How to Choose a Knife Size" site) and find the Large to be...uncomfortable while opening the knife. Due to the size, I find I am unable to fully open the blade with my thumb without adjusting my grip half way.

I have a Small 31 on the way (Thanks again Kettleman Kettleman for starting me down the rabbit hole) and am excited to see if this is a better fit. I am wondering though if others have experienced the same or am I doing something wrong?
 
CHuynh22 said:
Tried to do a search and couldn't exactly find discussions on this topic. As some of you may know, I just received my first CRK from Kettleman Kettleman , a Large Seb 31.

I have medium sized hands (actually almost the same measurements as the CRK "How to Choose a Knife Size" site) and find the Large to be...uncomfortable while opening the knife. Due to the size, I find I am unable to fully open the blade with my thumb without adjusting my grip half way.

I have a Small 31 on the way (Thanks again Kettleman Kettleman for starting me down the rabbit hole) and am excited to see if this is a better fit. I am wondering though if others have experienced the same or am I doing something wrong?
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Haven't heard that before. Could be your grip?
 
I have never really been a 'safe queen' keep it unused type of a collector.

When it came to cars, guns, heck, just about anything I am a modify it for better performance and let's see what it can do guy.

When I bought my first ever new car in 1992, a VW Corrado, it had 400 miles on it and I was yanking out the entire suspension, replacing the exhaust, puting in a different cam and bumping the boost. My family and neighbors thought I was nuts. My friends mostly got it and cheered on from the sidelines.

A couple years ago I bought limited run Ruger Super Blackhawk revolver with the frame color case hardened by Doug Turnbull.
The guy t the shop was telling me "now don't shoot that. Take it home and put it away'. I lauged, because a week later it was in the shop of Jack Huntington Advanced Gunsmithing to get a whole slew of custom work done including a 5" octagon barrel.

It has been shot plenty since it's return.

I buy hammers. I go out and hit things with them.
 
CHuynh22 said:
Tried to do a search and couldn't exactly find discussions on this topic. As some of you may know, I just received my first CRK from Kettleman Kettleman , a Large Seb 31.

I have medium sized hands (actually almost the same measurements as the CRK "How to Choose a Knife Size" site) and find the Large to be...uncomfortable while opening the knife. Due to the size, I find I am unable to fully open the blade with my thumb without adjusting my grip half way.

I have a Small 31 on the way (Thanks again Kettleman Kettleman for starting me down the rabbit hole) and am excited to see if this is a better fit. I am wondering though if others have experienced the same or am I doing something wrong?
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I’m kind of almost in the same boat with fairly medium size hands (though I do need a large size glove). I have a Mandi, small Seb, small Inkosi, and a large Inkosi. I can thumb the large open in one motion, but I need to be sure I have the right grip first. But I’ll tell ya, the smalls aren’t all that much easier… to me. The action is beautiful, but again, I need to be holding those just right, too. The Mnandi is just a dream to fidget with pretty much any ol’ way.

So long story short, you’re not exactly doing anything wrong. Experiment with slightly different grips, like holding the knife higher or lower on the handle, or adjusting where you place your fingers, until you find one that feels most comfortable. Then have the knife handy while you’re watching tv or something and just keep opening and closing it. Eventually muscle memory will kick in and it will feel much more natural.
 
Danny Linguini said:
I’m kind of almost in the same boat with fairly medium size hands (though I do need a large size glove). I have a Mandi, small Seb, small Inkosi, and a large Inkosi. I can thumb the large open in one motion, but I need to be sure I have the right grip first. But I’ll tell ya, the smalls aren’t all that much easier… to me. The action is beautiful, but again, I need to be holding those just right, too. The Mnandi is just a dream to fidget with pretty much any ol’ way.

So long story short, you’re not exactly doing anything wrong. Experiment with slightly different grips, like holding the knife higher or lower on the handle, or adjusting where you place your fingers, until you find one that feels most comfortable. Then have the knife handy while you’re watching tv or something and just keep opening and closing it. Eventually muscle memory will kick in and it will feel much more natural.
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Thank you! Though, I am a bit disappointed to hear that the Small may not be that much easier. I will keep that in mind. I have been carrying/using a Spyderco for some time now, and the finger/spydie flick is a hard habit to overcome.
 
CHuynh22 said:
Could be, this video here actually shows exactly what I am experience Youtube Video : Skip to the 1:50 mark if your interested.
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It's hard to tell, but later in the video I think he's saying that he puts his thumb on the top of the thumbstud. If so, that may explain his difficulty. Really can't do that with a sebbie. Gotta put your thumb behind the stud. Not sure if that helps!
 
CHuynh22 said:
Tried to do a search and couldn't exactly find discussions on this topic. As some of you may know, I just received my first CRK from Kettleman Kettleman , a Large Seb 31.

I have medium sized hands (actually almost the same measurements as the CRK "How to Choose a Knife Size" site) and find the Large to be...uncomfortable while opening the knife. Due to the size, I find I am unable to fully open the blade with my thumb without adjusting my grip half way.

I have a Small 31 on the way (Thanks again Kettleman Kettleman for starting me down the rabbit hole) and am excited to see if this is a better fit. I am wondering though if others have experienced the same or am I doing something wrong?
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Since it’s your first CRK, you’ll need to be patient learning the knife. You’ll learn that if you get your thumb behind the stud as much as possible, follow the contour of the slab while part of your thumb is gliding on the slab, the blade opens without having to adjust your grip. Once the knife is broken in, opening it will be more pleasurable.
 
Ajack60 said:
Since it’s your first CRK, you’ll need to be patient learning the knife. You’ll learn that if you get your thumb behind the stud as much as possible, follow the contour of the slab while part of your thumb is gliding on the slab, the blade opens without having to adjust your grip. Once the knife is broken in, opening it will be more pleasurable.
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I agree that, like most things in life, time and patience will pay off. Other than my difficult time learning to open it fluidly, every thing else about the knife is what I expected and more. I am looking forward for the Small to arrive to compare and see which one fits my needs better.
 
I think it’s also worth mentioning that disassembling and re-lubing with CRK grease will (often) take a lot of drag out of the pivot, and feel WAY better for many months.
 
Modernflame said:
I also have nothing against safe queens. In fact, I could imagine myself keeping one under the right circumstances

Whenever I see safe queen listed for sale on the exchange, I feel a sense of disappointment, even though it's none of my business. The knife cannot have sinned in its curated condition, so the owner must have changed.

It seems like the destiny of all museum knives is to be sold by their owners, or indeed their widows. While the safe queen may appreciate in value, it can never truly be an heirloom, because it only ever mattered to one person. Dad's pocket knife, on the other hand, could be a treasure.
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I came back and read this post again because I liked the notion of dad’s pocket knife vs a safe queen. My dad wasn’t a pocket knife carrier, but the most treasured things I have from him fit into the same category, the things he used most.

I do think some of CRKs creations were never meant to be used. While fully functional, I think the heavily decorated, inlaid, fancy knives are in fact more art than tool. Where that line is drawn is debatable. I have seen some amazing sebenzas and mnandi that fall in this category. Thinking back to my previous post, if the purpose of those is indeed art, I suppose they have virtue every time they are enjoyed.
 
rishma said:
I came back and read this post again because I liked the notion of dad’s pocket knife vs a safe queen. My dad wasn’t a pocket knife carrier, but the most treasured things I have from him fit into the same category, the things he used most.

I do think some of CRKs creations were never meant to be used. While fully functional, I think the heavily decorated, inlaid, fancy knives are in fact more art than tool. Where that line is drawn is debatable. I have seen some amazing sebenzas and mnandi that fall in this category. Thinking back to my previous post, if the purpose of those is indeed art, I suppose they have virtue every time they are enjoyed.
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I completely agree with this.
 
Modernflame said:
I also have nothing against safe queens. In fact, I could imagine myself keeping one under the right circumstances

Whenever I see safe queen listed for sale on the exchange, I feel a sense of disappointment, even though it's none of my business. The knife cannot have sinned in its curated condition, so the owner must have changed.

It seems like the destiny of all museum knives is to be sold by their owners, or indeed their widows. While the safe queen may appreciate in value, it can never truly be an heirloom, because it only ever mattered to one person. Dad's pocket knife, on the other hand, could be a treasure.
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The dad’s pocket knife is the perfect way to put that. It’s the exact thing I am after with my Sebenza Collection. They all get carried and every time I see my kids they all want to see what knife is in my pocket, almost like a game at this point but I like to believe they look at it making a memory of the old man and a knife…..
 
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