Up The Columbia River… Without a Paddle

timberweasel

timberweasel

Joined
Jan 5, 2011
Messages
6,194
There doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of love for CRKT on the forum. Cheap steel, poor fit and finish, shoddy chisel grinds, and they have a sea of low-end variants polluting their stock which seems to confuse the end-buyer… the complaint list goes on and on.

But is Columbia River Knife & Tool really all that bad (rhetorical question, btw)? I would submit that their price-points are actually quite reasonable for their product-grades. You pay twelve dollars and you get a twelve dollar knife. Caveat emptor applies.

I own two CRKT knives and am satisfied with them: a Ripple 1 and an M16-01KZ. I paid around $100 for the Ripple (love it) and about $25 for the M16 (it’s ok,) and feel that I got my money’s worth in both cases. I now have a couple of Drifters on the way. I simply don’t feel the hate for CRKT and would consider buying more.

So…

Let’s not discuss how crappy CRKT is. I’d like to hear about some Columbia River knives folks own and are pleased with. We may have a lot of lemons on hand, so let’s make some lemonade! :D




...or maybe this thread will quickly sink to the bottom of the pile due to lack of interest... :o
 
I don't own any CRKTs, so I don't have anything of substance to add to this thread. But I would just like to say that I really enjoy your thread titles. :D
 
I have an M16 for my beach knife. It hides in the trunks pocket very well and is operable with the flipper despite being filled with Lake Michigan sand.
 
The ashworth turtle is pretty nice , got it as a gift for my wife and she lives it ! And I have a Ichi which is a pretty neat little knife as well !
 
I loved my M16-13SF... until I bought a Kershaw that was cheaper and made in USA, and it wound up being a world better in quality. I'd argue that I spent a lot on the M16 and got less then I paid for. So in that case, I disagree with you.

However I generally wind up loving CRKT designs when I see them in a catalog or on a website. I'm usually drawn to them and say 'hey I'd buy that... oh wait'. Thats when I see CRKT on it, and the advertised price, the materials list, made in Taiwan or wherever, and I wind up passing.

They need to bring their execution up to the level that their designs deserve.
 
M16-13Z was the first knife i purchased all on my own (sometime after i turned 18) at a local Army Navy store (only brand that appealed to me ATM) probably within the next 6 months i bought the M16-10KZ (EDC sized tanto serr. blade) the EDC sized plain edge spearpoint blade with green aluminum handles which i lost, and the M16-13DSFG (tanto blade Veff serrations, G10 handle with a tan-ish finish)
not long after, my dad plopped a bag of metal that someone had not to returned to pay for at his pawn shop, inside the bag was
BM875 Sentinel
BM800SBT
BM812S (satin blade)
Spyderco Endura 3 SS
and a EDI Genesis 2 (a severely bent and striped pocket clip screw helped fate take this one away from me)
that was the end of buying CRKT's
 
I have CRKT KISS Bright&Shiny (model: 5600). It is a good small and sturdy knife. My ex-girlfriend bought it for me in 2003 in St.Petersburg :)
p.s. mine is made in Japan, blade is aus6.
 
I liked the Voodoo & regret selling it,because they're discontinued now(the US made ones).
That's about it.
 
My first folder was a CRKT so they do have a certain significance to me. I'd agree their knives aren't exactly the best but like you said, their price reflects the quality.

My current CRKT's are:
- G.W. Hawk D.O.G. (my first folder; loved it when I got it but now just sits in my collection)
- M21-14DSFG (fun to play with, too big for EDC but would make a good camp knife or tactical/defensive knife)
- Tiny Tighe Breaker (small little assisted opener, good size for a backup blade)
- Crawford N.E.C.K. (neck knife; not really neck knife guy but I carry it on my belt sometimes)

All in all, I'm not CRKT's biggest fan but I do enjoy their knives for what they are.
 
I've had reasonably good experiences with them. My old M16 did pretty well and was tough for its size, but its liner lock wore out really fast and took a lot of power to move it over...

I'm still using an old CRKT/Lightfoot colab from like 2003.

I try to buy American though.
 
They make very good stuff for the price. Not perfect, but I have been happy with all of their items but one. One of their new small tools didn't make me happy so I sold it quickly. Aside from that I've been very happy with their stuff.

I have several of their Bear Claws and really like them. Also, have a Hissatsu that was customized by a member here to look more traditional (very nice now!). Also, have had several of their small tools that I have really liked as well as their Exitool that resides on the seat belt of my wife's car.

Oh, I also have a few of their Ringers designed by AG Russell. Like those also. Carried one in my survival kit while in OEF.

Also, really like the Casper Companion for a fixed blade of that size it fits my hand perfectly.

I'm sure I have forgotten a few of their things that I have laying around.
 
My knife collecting frenzy started with crkt. I think for the price they make a decent knife
 
I have a CRKT Stubby Razel. Not as good as my Graham Bros Razel of
course, but close. For 40 bucks, damn close.
 
I think in the low end, they might be competitive. But around $50, their knives can't compete with Japanese or American Kershaws and Spydercos with super steels.

I do have a Tiny Tighe Breaker, though, that cost around $50. It just has AUS-8 steel, but I really like the knife. It looks great and has excellent ergos. I found out about it when I went to a gun show and found a knife booth. Out of all the models he had, this one jumped out at me from the table. I can't see why they discontinued it. BTW, it's better with the A/O and LAWKS removed.
 
my EDC is a CRKT BULL - basic utility liner lock
small enough not to make the folks at work freak out
big enough to handle my workplace cutting chores
easy to sharpen.
I also like my stubby razel and wish they had not discontinued the stiff KISS series quite so quickly -- the non-tanto was a great knife.
 
You summed it up pretty well.

I don't see any reason to hate CRKT, nor much reason to get excited. As you note, they are what they are and priced about as they should be.
Their callaborators come up with some interesting ideas, but most wind up being implemented in a less than exciting manor.
Aside from their knives, I've tried several of the tools and found them pretty much a dissappointment.

I've had several CRKTs and traded most of them off.

Currently have an M4. Part of the ho-hum decent knife for the money group.

Also a Natural2. Really an interesting knife. Ergos are a bit off for me, but the materials, f&f, jeweled bolters and pocket clip, and the fairly decent file work make it stand out in its price range.

Do have and EROS, but its almost hard to think for it as a CRKT, it's quality is so much higher than the bulk of the line...but then the price is considerably higher too.
 
I have a bunch of them, but I really like the old school ones from when they used ATS-34 like these.

Dsc04592.jpg
 
They are not as bad as they used to be, and they were never the worst knife you could buy.

I have ended up with a few CRKTs over the years, my first was a side hawg. Which I had no reason to dislike aside from very soft steel. It was light, fairly strong and very rust resistant. Which worked great since it was strapped to my kayak. I like chisel grinds, I find they hold up to more trauma, are simple to sharpen, and I don't have any issues with usability unless I'm trying to cut a slice of cheese off a block of sharp cheddar.

After that I had an m16, that was a down point. Very poor fit to the parts, scary thin liner, and again poor blade steel. Still it didn't break on me, ended up giving it to a friend who didn't have a knife.

Skip a few and recently my sister bought me a Suma. I'm a bit blown away by it. Very good fit and finish, aside from one nick in the anodizing on the liners I wasn't able to find a single error with the fit an finish. The blade steel is good enough, easy to sharpen and holds it for a bit, very similar to my Tenacious' edge retention. The only negative is one that I actually opted for when my sister asked, veff serrations. I had had them on other models and always thought they were handy, but ground too thin to hold up to much use. I figured why not give them another shot. Well turns out they are still ground too damn thin to hold up to rough use, but that aside its a great knife. Thick liners, good pocket clip, flipper doubles as a guard, and the darn thing opens with authority. Not bad for the low cost, good enough that I now glance at their models from time to time. They really have come along from what they used to be in the very recent years, hopefully they go back to the older practice of using good steels.
 
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