UrFrndlyNebrhoodS
BANNED
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2012
- Messages
- 458
One man’s unofficial review

It all began a few months ago while browsing over the Chris Reeve Knives photos only section here on BladeForums. One can’t help to admire the many versions and varieties within a small group of knives. Each person has his or her favorite style and particular model but one thing remains the same - they are all Chris Reeve Knives. Having owned most of the folder models - the Mnandi, the small Sebenza, the large Sebenza, the large classic Sebenza, the large regular Sebenza, the large annual Sebenza, and the Umnumzaan, it became obvious over time that they all possessed the same things. The things that make Chris Reeve Knives what they are and the quality and ingeniousness they exude. It was these same things that eventually overcame me with curiousity the simple fact of there was one knife yet to experience in the CRK family. The Ti-lock. Like many others it seems, I too overlooked this knife for several years and when it debuted, immediately waved a hand at it and shuffled off the notion that this could be the next best thing. Yet overtime, the things that made CRK’s what they are, the excellence, the creativity, led me to a place of less and less pessimism. So after browsing what little threads there were on this folder and viewing a few YouTube vids, I layed down the cash and eagerly waited for its arrival. Six days later and the unboxing began. Now before I indulge with my first impressions and/or final impressions (having owned it for a little over 2 weeks) I shall start off by stating the aspects features which drew me to the knife, followed by common cons, some interesting notes and comments, and then followed by suggestions for future generations of the Ti-lock. Without further delay…
In addition to the sheer curiosity of another CRK creation some things in particular drove me to finally take the plunge. Those are ergonomics, blade shape, the uniqueness of the locking mechanism, and size and weight. Having heard rumors of the ergos, they were all confirmed upon holding the Ti-lock for the first time. It is the most ergonomic CRK to date slightly surpassing the new Umnumzaan. The blade shape harkens back to the original regular Sebenza model with more “meat” towards the nose and swoops forward like a hawk closing in on its prey. The simplicity of the locking mechanism is very cool and innovative in a way that has never been seen before yet really works. What most people don’t realize about the Ti-Lock is that it is almost the exact same size closed as a small sebenza yet has a blade length almost that of a large and perfectly in between the large and small sebenza.

Sometimes the large sebenza feels a bit big for EDC carry in urban environments and this is where the Ti-Lock shines. With a weight about that of a small sebenza, the Ti-Lock rides comfortably in the pocket of shorts or casual slacks.
Here are some possible reasons why a CRK fan or knife enthusiast might initially reject the idea of owning a Ti-lock. Each will be addressed in the order listed below:
“I don’t like the funky lock-mechanism as it looks flimsy and why stray from perfection of the RIL’s?”
“I don’t like the clip style - it doesn’t seem as effective as the sebenza clips.”
“The aluminum copper alloy lockpin/thumstud is too gaudy.”
“The takedown is more complicated when it comes to cleaning/maintainence”
“I have heard too many rumors of it being hard to close one-handed -something the sebenza excels at.”