The Road To CRK...

Aidansdaddy17

Aidansdaddy17

Joined
Mar 30, 2012
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For most of us we started collecting out of a simple excitement for knives. Most of us started this when we were young. Usually Cub Scouts or Boy Scouts. Time passes and all you have is an old SAK or lockback. Then it starts, whether young,old or in between, you see that one. That one knife that opens up the flood gates to collecting. The obsession.

You buy different knives here and there. Never stopping. Looking for that one. The perfect EDC. Many times you really believe, telling yourself that you found it. Finally. Then hours, days or weeks, sometimes months pass. And you find yourself hungry again. Not yet satisfied. One more....."Only one more, then I'm done." You tell yourself. Deep down you really aren't. Stumbling upon others reviews or videos, discussions and pictures. It keeps pulling you in. Stealing your thoughts. Consuming your days.

Ordering all sorts of blades. Keeping some. Selling most. Returning others. It's that perfection you crave. That smoothness. That click.....the satisfying lock-up. Perfection. We notice all of the little things wrong with knives. It's our hard earned money. If somehow the flaw is miniscule, it will bother you forever. Tugging at your sub-concious. Dealers, customer service, makers and companies will lose their minds as you call or mail constantly. Questions, questions that need answers.

Then one day.....it's there. You.....just get it. It all makes sense. Now some will argue. Maybe most. They are satisfied withe Spyderco, Benchmade, Cold Steel, Kershaw, SAK, GEC(Nice)....so many more. I am satisfied. Carry and love some of those makers. Amazing companies. Yet, for us, the addiction. The "knife nut" is always lurking, reading and watching. You know it, I know it. Chris Reeve is calling. Reaching out without even noticing. Not even trying. Maybe it's an evil plan. He gets it. Wants us to understand. (Explains the anger;))

So here we are. Here I am. I know what I have to do now. Now starts the second leg of my journey. "Which one? What do I buy?" (Large Insingo, I think)
Will I be happy? Will it make me happy? Only time will tell. My gut will tell. Yeah, it's a lot of money. Make excuses both ways. If we all add up what we have spent on knives thus far....I can guarantee that it's well over $500 dollars. Probably more than a thousand dollars. (Hinderer:thumbup:) So don't hate either way. That's the beauty of collecting. To each their own. It is what it is people. Custome knife collection is a whole other ballgame and thread. Most of us go the semi or production route.

In closing, I part in saying, "Thank you knife world. Thank you people for giving this dork something to look forward to. A hobby, obsession....an addiction. Thanks for your support and kind words." (We justify our need for and to eachother.) Bring it on Chris Reeve. The wait continues. The excitement we crave of that single white box with it's blue cloth. Even you seasoned owners still crave. Buying, trading and selling yours. To find that perfect CRK amongst the many. The one. Where is it? Hope, faith and love are all we have. :barf: (Or is it guns?)
 
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I think there's another step after CRK, which would be full-boat customs. I haven't personally made that step yet, I'm still on the CRK level, and happy to be there. :)
 
Great post, very fun reading.

My favorite knives tend to be the ones I cant get sharp at the tip of the blade. No matter how hard I try and follow the edge of my blade I'll never get the tip of my Sebenza and Strider sharp, and they're my most used knives.

You're going to love that Sebenza, and you'll keep on buying more of um :D.
 
For me it's not really a straight line progression. I have a few higher end knives including a CRK Umnumzaan, but I still shop for knives in all price ranges. I also like different styles, so I might spend $400 on a CRK or a Strider, but I'll buy a Case Bose collaboration too.

I would say that the most fun I have is buying something knew and then sharing it here.
 
JPD1998 said:
For me it's not really a straight line progression. I have a few higher end knives including a CRK Umnumzaan, but I still shop for knives in all price ranges. I also like different styles, so I might spend $400 on a CRK or a Strider, but I'll buy a Case Bose collaboration too.

I would say that the most fun I have is buying something knew and then sharing it here.
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I totally agree. I'm just talking about my prgression to this point. Maybe others too. Yes....I find that my GEC-new love-is awesome. New addicition.
 
I went thru the "knife progressions" rather quickly. I came back and settled in with CRK, and i'm pretty satisfied..
 
Aidansdaddy17 said:
I totally agree. I'm just talking about my prgression to this point. Maybe others too. Yes....I find that my GEC-new love-is awesome. New addicition.
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Then of course there's slipjoints with stag scales , Buck 110 customs, Case vault knives, the latest Demko design from cold steel....... :)

Seriously , I think every knife aficionado needs to experience a high quality knife from a maker like CRK.
 
JPD1998 said:
Seriously , I think every knife aficionado needs to experience a high quality knife from a maker like CRK.
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I'd say it's more important to experience high performance knives, ideally, high quality/high performance vs. high quality/mediocre performance.
 
I was on the same road.....now with my crk I am satisfied and sold off a bunch of other knives that won't be used.
 
Same here guys, I'm about ready to take the jump. I've spent over $1000 on knives in 2012 alone and for some reason I always talk myself out of taking the leap of faith. Usually my reasoning is that in general, framelocks are not my favorite lock type and there is nowhere anywhere near me that would allow me to handle one prior to purchasing. $350+ is a lot of coin to drop on a knife you have never handled...
 
I got there. I have a nice Umnumzaan being lubed and loved and adjusted at CRK. Sat in a safe for a few years before I got it.
And yes, I have a fair number of knives that I probably will seldom use, once my Umnum comes back home.
Sonny
 
It really comes down to what people want or need in the end and their budget.

Some people get by with gas station knives all of their lives while others have something like a Buck 110 and are fine and still others move into the higher end knives like Spyderco and are more than content.

Then there are some who move into the high end mid techs and customs were the sky is the limit.

People do have to be careful though not to expect miracles once moving above the Spyderco range, that $400 knife really isn't going to perform 4X better or part the red sea.
 
lemmuhj said:
I went thru the "knife progressions" rather quickly. I came back and settled in with CRK, and i'm pretty satisfied..
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Nice post. I relate to what lemmuhj said above. Going to sell pretty much all my small collection, and get my second Sebenza (and last) in Micarta.
 
Yesterday I upgraded from a clicky twist lock thingy OLFA to an autolock. It's amazing.

Wharncliffe blade, 0.5mm thick, made in Japan, easier to open than a regular folder, super comfortable and secure grip, it locks shut so it's legal to carry pretty much everywhere in the world, the thin blade is super easy to sharpen, and I can abuse the tip as much as I like given that replacement blades cost about $0.50 a piece.
It's a box cutter, that's what it does, and it does so perfectly. I can think of nothing that comes close in terms of pure package opening performance, at any price.

The special edition ZT0560 that I'm waiting for? That's for spreading mayo on sandwiches.:D
 
Ankerson said:
It really comes down to what people want or need in the end and their budget.

Some people get by with gas station knives all of their lives while others have something like a Buck 110 and are fine and still others move into the higher end knives like Spyderco and are more than content.

Then there are some who move into the high end mid techs and customs were the sky is the limit.

People do have to be careful though not to expect miracles once moving above the Spyderco range, that $400 knife really isn't going to perform 4X better or part the red sea.
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You are correct. I agree 100%. Any knife will cut. Any will do most jobs well enough for the simple man. It's the form along with fit and finish for me. I've had a Benchmade 940(Didn't seem worth it) A Bradley Alias II(Horrible sticky lock for me. Once in hand, eh) And recently the ZT 0560(great! Just not my style)

Truthfully, will I realize a huge difference between the 0560 and Insingo? Maybe some within the tolerances.....no pun intended. Not much though. Prefer something smoother in hand. :jerkit: ha

FYI, I EDC a Spyderco Sage 1. I love it. Perfect for me. Sold my Sage 2&3 along with the ZT for a possible CRK purchase. Loved all three. They just didn't scratch that itch yet.
 
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