As a few of you may know, I have recently been asking for advice about which wood to get for a Mnandi my wife is buying me for my birthday. (I have decided to go with Desert Ironwood for my first one, because I'm almost positive it won't be my last... 
)
The Mnandi is a knife I have wanted for years, and I thought it'd be my first knife from CRK. Well, I got a chance to trade for an Umnumzaan. I got it in the mail yesterday, so that became my first. All I can say is, thank you Chris for making this knife!
I was immediately impressed with the obvious quality of workmanship and engineering that went into the knife. It has a nice heft to it, but it rides in the pocket like a much lighter knife.
Opening the knife, it was like the blade was riding on greased rails. Smooth and controlled. I believe a word folks have used is "hydraulic" to describe the feel. It is a very good word indeed, as that is how it feels when opening.
The way the blade lock up is amazing. It truly feels like a folding fixed blade. Zero blade play in any direction. One could be forgiven for wondering if the knife was "broken" when opened, as it felt like maybe it would never fold closed. It is that solid!
I was a bit concerned about closing the knife due to the limited area for disengaging the lock bar, as I have smallish hands. I needn't have worried. This knife closes much more easily than almost any other framelock I have tried.
I then spent a good portion of the night last night (and this evening) opening and closing the Umnumzaan and just grinning like an idiot.
There are only two things I do not like about this knife at this point:
1) That I did not buy one before this.
2) Trying to decide which CRK knife to buy next after I get that Mnandi! (This, by the way, is what my grandfather would have called a good problem to have!)
So thank you CRK for doing what you do, and for doing it so well. Thank you also to all the members of this forum. The time I spent reading your discussions, reviews, and thoughts on CRK knives made my decision to get this knife an easy one.
I am happy to join you all as owners of one of these fine tools, and I look forward to what I am sure will be more of them in the future.
)The Mnandi is a knife I have wanted for years, and I thought it'd be my first knife from CRK. Well, I got a chance to trade for an Umnumzaan. I got it in the mail yesterday, so that became my first. All I can say is, thank you Chris for making this knife!
I was immediately impressed with the obvious quality of workmanship and engineering that went into the knife. It has a nice heft to it, but it rides in the pocket like a much lighter knife.
Opening the knife, it was like the blade was riding on greased rails. Smooth and controlled. I believe a word folks have used is "hydraulic" to describe the feel. It is a very good word indeed, as that is how it feels when opening.
The way the blade lock up is amazing. It truly feels like a folding fixed blade. Zero blade play in any direction. One could be forgiven for wondering if the knife was "broken" when opened, as it felt like maybe it would never fold closed. It is that solid!
I was a bit concerned about closing the knife due to the limited area for disengaging the lock bar, as I have smallish hands. I needn't have worried. This knife closes much more easily than almost any other framelock I have tried.
I then spent a good portion of the night last night (and this evening) opening and closing the Umnumzaan and just grinning like an idiot.
There are only two things I do not like about this knife at this point:
1) That I did not buy one before this.
2) Trying to decide which CRK knife to buy next after I get that Mnandi! (This, by the way, is what my grandfather would have called a good problem to have!)
So thank you CRK for doing what you do, and for doing it so well. Thank you also to all the members of this forum. The time I spent reading your discussions, reviews, and thoughts on CRK knives made my decision to get this knife an easy one.
I am happy to join you all as owners of one of these fine tools, and I look forward to what I am sure will be more of them in the future.
