What happened to CRK???

palonej said:
Or it may be nothing at all. I don't put my knives under an electron microscope.
I recently picked up a large 25 and a 21. Both are simply amazing tools.
I'm happy. Don't really care who tells me I shouldn't be.
Joe
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Sorry Joe.... you can't be happy with your knives. Any of them.
 
I know very little about CRK knives but, I honestly didnt see the "glass like" smoothness people talk about. At best the knife I owned which was new was pretty almost scratchy. I would go as far to say it was one of the least smooth knives I have used. It did flick open pretty well, it was the Sebenza small 21 knife art edition. I sold it shortly after. Something like a bm 940 is way smoother and even my dragonfly is smoother opening.
 
Damn!!
If that's the case........alright.....you guys are correct. The 2 lemons I got wouldn't baton through a cinder block!! I want Chris back immediately and I want my money returned.......plus an additional few hundred for psychological distress!!
AND......I put them under the Hubble and found a flaw!!
They will be hearing from my lawyers today!!
:D:D
Better vox????

vox801 said:
Sorry Joe.... you can't be happy with your knives. Any of them.
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palonej said:
Damn!!
If that's the case........alright.....you guys are correct. The 2 lemons I got wouldn't baton through a cinder block!! I want Chris back immediately and I want my money returned.......plus an additional few hundred for psychological distress!!
AND......I put them under the Hubble and found a flaw!!
They will be hearing from my lawyers today!!
:D:D
Better vox????
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THAT'S THE SPIRIT!!!!
 
lemonslush said:
I know very little about CRK knives but, I honestly didnt see the "glass like" smoothness people talk about. At best the knife I owned which was new was pretty almost scratchy. I would go as far to say it was one of the least smooth knives I have used. It did flick open pretty well, it was the Sebenza small 21 knife art edition. I sold it shortly after. Something like a bm 940 is way smoother and even my dragonfly is smoother opening.
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Pretty much my experience as well. I really did not feel my Sebbie 21 large standed out in terms of smoothness as compared to other brands like Spyderco, ZT, Benchmade, Hinderer and Reate. FYI, that Sebenza was purchased here second hand. The knife was made in mid 2016.

Also, when received, the knife had a noticeably sticky lock. Sent in for service and it took full eight weeks (granted it was during Xmas / New Year). CRK re-treated the lock face. The issue was gone but I did pay shipping back ($17? IIRC). Was it good customer service? Definitely. Was it above others like ZT? Probably not.

I sold the knife soon after it came back to me from CRK.
 
It's a Sebenza, no other knife elicits a love hate relationship with it's owners. There is a small contingent of folks who are like meh. They don't care one way or another but for the majority you're either smitten or offended, I'm smitten but I've had no issue with any of their blades and will be watchin' Anne and Tim in the future to see how this goes. I'll say this though, Anne allowing the Reeves name being associated with that plastic handled knife bein' made in Italy was a mistake and something Chris would never had done. I wish Anne and company all the luck in the world, someone said it best earier. They have some big shoes to fill comin' in behind the master himself.
 
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My knife-buying days are winding down. I'm emphasizing more on enjoying and using the knives that I have. I certainly don't NEED any more knives. But I am planning on eventually getting a large Inkosi, just because. That will almost certainly be my final CRK, so nobody will be retiring off of earnings from me. Regardless, I still wish all the best for CRK, and hope they can carry on the tradition of quality for decades to come.

Jim
 
I'm a lefty and I wonder if anyone has found any difference in QC with them? I've heard they only make lefty blades once a year, so I suppose that could either be a bane or a boon. Either way I've put in an order for a sm 21 insingo (my first CRK) and will mention any problems I notice. I like that CRK/ARK makes dedicated left hand framelocks--I don't really see many others doing that and it's nice not being limited to ambi designs or deal with right handed models.

More directly to the point: so long as customer service stays the same or improves, I don't really see a problem (although it is frustrating paying big bucks for something that needs tinkering... but tinkering with/tuning a knife can be part of what makes this hobby great).
Erik
 
The two Crk that I own are well made tools. I love the look and feel of my Startac but have never been overly impressed with my Sebenza 25. Other than being rather dull out of the box, both were spot on.

While I don't believe that we're are witnessing the demise of Crk I hope stories like that of the Op don't become a regular topic on blade forums. For me, part of the allure of Crk are the tight tolerances and perfect fit and finish. It's really what has set them apart from others. Unfortunately, anyone following Mr. Reeve has almost impossible shoes to fill.
 
I like my Zaan, but feel my Gayle B. is better for knocking around the shop and yard. I'm not an angle snob and don't use my knife as a razor. I like a good general cutting edge and every CRK I have used had it.
 
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Pomsbz said:
What's with all the forum policing? This is the second thread in two days from you where I've seen you doing it. You're not a moderator are you?
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I am, and if a member asks another member to stay on topic there is nothing wrong with it. It's one member attempting to help another newer uninitiated member. So, if there are any problems, please feel free to direct them my way and I will be more than happy to do my utmost to take care of things in an amicable manner, unless we are beyond that point. Thanks.
 
T. Erdelyi said:
It's a Sebenza, no other knife elicits a love hate relationship with it's owners. There is a small contingent of folks who are like meh. They don't care one way or another but for the majority you're either smitten or offended, I'm smitten but I've had NP issue with any of their blades and will be watchin' Anne and Tim in the future to see how this goes. I'll say this though, Anne allowing the Reeves name being associated with that plastic handled knife bein' made in Italy was a mistake and something Chris would never had done. I wish Anne and company all the luck in the world, someone said it best earier. They have some big shoes to fill comin' in behind the master himself.
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Mark me down for the meh club. I can see why people love em and I can also see why people think they're a rip off.

I always go custom knife when I'm spending sebenza money.
 
austonh said:
Before we all don our tinfoil hats and cry the sky is falling; there are some significant changes happening at CRK that will affect fit and finish. As you can imagine, Chris left under not the best circumstances as his wife and son took over, either was part of a divorce settlement or pending a divorce settlement. While CRK has been legendary because of their incredible quality over the years, they haven't actually capitalized upon that brand recognition and reputation to its full potential. Many knives were rejected because Chris was OCD. When you're taking a company toward max profitability; either running a cash cow into the ground, or attempting to get it ready for a sale, your income statement needs to show very health profits for another company to make a worthwhile offer. The margin of error will widen to improve profitability.

That's not to say that CRK is not able to still make an incredible knife, it's just saying that CRK moving forward may not have that same level of anal retentive fit and finish that it once held. It is sad to see things change that we hold very dear, but that is life. As some companies slowly drift to the background, others will come forward to take their place. C'est la vie.

PS. The move away from the pivot bushing system of the 21 was a cost saving measure...

How many people have I upset?
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I was gonna say a few things to piss off the fanboys that don't wanna hear a single criticism , but you hit the nail on the head, and said it more eloquently.
Yes, I believe the divorce was an issue.
Yes, Chris did have OCD traits that made his blades/knives more "perfect" than others.
Yes, new owners (even if they're family) are trying to maximize profits.
Yes, this does affect overall quality control eventually.
Why are so many surprised? This happens everywhere.

I collected and worked at a boutique gun/knife store in the 90's and remember my boss had an original Sebenza with the ats34 blade.
Nothing sounded like it.
Around that time I ended up with a large and small "original regular" in BG42. Wish I didn't sell them years later since the the BG era became so valuable. .
When I got back into collecting around 2010, I bought a pair of used large and small "Classic MM" Sebenzas.
Good enough for me, and had enough of the old mojo.
I didn't like hearing that they did away with the pivot bushing in the 21 era.
I caved and got one anyway since I wanted a micarta slabbed Insingo badly.
Still prefer the better fit and finish of my Classic MMs, even if they're beat up users.
 
Does anyone know when left handed Sabenzas started becoming an option?
Since the beginning, or were they only introduced later on?
 
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