What's with CRKT? Attractive knives, poor quality materials?

J

JDX

Joined
Mar 2, 2014
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I don't know much about crkt. But people really like their knives. I've heard the fit and finish are great, and a lot of people like the variety. But they use steel like 8cr13mov and 420j2.

Are they any good? Am I wrong in comparing them to kershaw? They both seem like cheaper knives that tend to be influenced by renowned knife makers. Any information would be great!!
 
CRKT business model is to get the best knives for the lowest price (there saying not mine). They are overall decent knives for the price. I have limited experienced with them but, from what other(s) say, for the price range they are decent.
 
I am in the same boat, they have some of the best designs, but the materials leave something to be desired. I got a CRKT knife, and the fit, finish, aesthetics, and pretty much everything was perfect. Blade centered perfectly, action was great. It was $400, and used 154 CM steel, which I guess could be the only downside, but since I don't need to rely on a knife to make a living, I don't need a super steel.

Solid knives, can't complain. :thumbup:
 
For the price they're ok. I felt that their steel was too soft and after having to use their warranty (which was good) I moved on to better quality. I can't really say how their current stuff compares to Kershaw's Chinese knives. The few of Kershaw's Chinese knives I have handled seemed very solid. The CRKT Ken Onion skinner is an impressive little knife.
 
We ain't the market CRKT is going after, to be frank. They sell in big box stores and I'm guessing the vast majority of their knives go to people who don't know, or care, that there are more cutlery steels than stainless and carbon. Nothing wrong with that, and they always seem to have a few budget gems in their lineup, but I would bet money that the reason you don't see a CRKT subforum here is that knife knuts and aficionados who are willing to drop a few hundred on a blade just isn't an audience they care much about.
 
nick21 said:
8cr13mov is a decent steel. Certainly on a different level than 420j2
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Really..? I've always considered 420J2 to be very comparable to Aus 8, which I think is just a hair better than 8cr13
 
Insipid Moniker said:
We ain't the market CRKT is going after, to be frank. They sell in big box stores and I'm guessing the vast majority of their knives go to people who don't know, or care, that there are more cutlery steels than stainless and carbon. Nothing wrong with that, and they always seem to have a few budget gems in their lineup, but I would bet money that the reason you don't see a CRKT subforum here is that knife knuts and aficionados who are willing to drop a few hundred on a blade just isn't an audience they care much about.
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I think this is right. In general, they're a step above Gerber, but I doubt many true knife knuts are terribly impressed with their product. I see CRKT as being in the same category as Kershaw's Chinese offerings, which means I'm not buying their knives.
 
I like CRKT's goal of producing some of the most innovative designs on the market, experimenting is always cool. Seems like most people here prefer the tried and true systems (benchmade axis lock (awesome design), spyderco spydie hole thumbstud replacement, traditionals, etc). This may be just me, but designs that aren't common and perform equivalent or better than common designs get my interest a lot more than a new super steel, though I do thoroughly enjoy steel performance statistics.
 
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I would like to see CRKT use some higher end steels (and some more titanium--which they've already started to do), but the quality of a lot of their stuff is quite high, considering the price.
 
JDX said:
Really..? I've always considered 420J2 to be very comparable to Aus 8, which I think is just a hair better than 8cr13
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Are you thinking of 420HC? If so, that's a very different animal and I'm right there with you. 420J2 is more comparable to 3cr13.
 
I have a CRKT MY TIGHE that I've had for about 10 years, and it's held up pretty well. The lock is solid, it still flips open quickly (it's assisted), and it's held up to some rough use including a some light batoning. The steel is German DIN 1.4116 though, which is a low-end blade steel.

My biggest complaint is that it really just doesn't hold an edge in comparison to my other folders, including Kershaws made with Sandvik's 14C28N. I would say that the Kershaw's with 14C28N that I've used (which were about $40-50) really do hold an edge about 20 times longer than my CRKT. Price-wise they are similar, but for performance I would choose Kershaw hands down. I tried selling the CRKT, but nobody wanted it, so I just keep is a loaner.
 
That's about right.


Their HT on AUS8 was terrible, they take a good design and underwhelm with chinese pot metal blades.
 
brancron said:
I would like to see CRKT use some higher end steels (and some more titanium--which they've already started to do), but the quality of a lot of their stuff is quite high, considering the price.
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What? My M16 liners were downright scary if it wasn't for the fact they knew their locks were shit and added a second lock instead of fixing the issue it would have been unsafe
 
My only CRKT is a camo Shenanigan that I bought for $20 from a guy that refurbs TSA confiscated knives...it flips well and its AUS-8 blade will hold an edge but the liner lock is very thin and the handles are FRN with no liners so it is my river knife. Cut a bunch of nylon rope last summer on the Guadalupe but I would not trust it for any heavier use.

Not bad but could have been so much better.
 
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Sunyata said:
What? My M16 liners were downright scary if it wasn't for the fact they knew their locks were shit and added a second lock instead of fixing the issue it would have been unsafe
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I tend to agree that their liner locks are lacking (I'm alliterative!), but they really do have some nice designs and can put out a quality product. The Liong Mah Eraser I had was, apart from the lock, just a fantastic knife. Great grinds, good F&F, very handsome, comfortable in hand and had flipping action that was as good as or better than some of the $200+ ZTs I've handled and owned.
 
JDX said:
I don't know much about crkt. But people really like their knives. I've heard the fit and finish are great, and a lot of people like the variety. But they use steel like 8cr13mov and 420j2.

Are they any good? Am I wrong in comparing them to kershaw? They both seem like cheaper knives that tend to be influenced by renowned knife makers. Any information would be great!!
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The crkt's I have are impeccable. Fit and finish is top notch, well thought out designs that are executed beautifully. Granted the ones I have are in aus 8 around 80$, but their aus 8 is great and well worth the price.
 
Everything in context. I have had a couple of CRKT knives that were pretty good, but really inexpensive. I liked them as they were a great value and I used them as a work knives that I had clipped to my tool bags when working. My knock is the same as others, that the blades held their edge only moderately well.

They are now starting to use different steels, namely some of the Sandvik stuff. I like the 12C27 on knives as it doesn't rust and takes a pretty good edge, and holds it. Good stuff for a work knife on the job site.

Do any of their knife steel hold an edge as my knives in S30V, 154cm, or the S110V on my Kershaw Shallot? Nope. But that never was their intention.

The local knife peddler that specializes in their products told me that he now carries the CRKT line almost exclusively because they have established themselves as quality knife makers. He really like the fact that he has almost no problems with the products as shipped to him due to their quality control. He liked the fact that when someone needs warranty work, they respond immediately.

And remember, easy to dull sometimes also means easy to sharpen. I use different devices to establish an edge angle on any knife I feel is appropriate and maintain it with a couple swipes as needed with one of my fine diamond rods. However, on the jobsite, if I knick a staple, use the knife normally till dull, drop it and it hits the blade edge, and all the other things that could happen during the work day I can clean up the edge on site at lunch with a piece of 600gr sand paper. With that sandpaper edge, it is significantly sharper than 99% of the knives in the site, and easy to maintain.

No, it isn't as sharp as a 1200gr edge on my Valloton stropped to a polish, nor do their knives hold their edges as well as a premium knife, but the CRKTs I have used will hold their own as a work knife. I think they are a good value for a workingman, or anyone else that needs easy, convenient maintenance. When some of my knives get dull it can be a real pain to sharpen without my gear which really diminishes the utility value for me.

Robert
 
midnight flyer said:
Everything in context. I have had a couple of CRKT knives that were pretty good, but really inexpensive. I liked them as they were a great value and I used them as a work knives that I had clipped to my tool bags when working. My knock is the same as others, that the blades held their edge only moderately well.

They are now starting to use different steels, namely some of the Sandvik stuff. I like the 12C27 on knives as it doesn't rust and takes a pretty good edge, and holds it. Good stuff for a work knife on the job site.

Do any of their knife steel hold an edge as my knives in S30V, 154cm, or the S110V on my Kershaw Shallot? Nope. But that never was their intention.

The local knife peddler that specializes in their products told me that he now carries the CRKT line almost exclusively because they have established themselves as quality knife makers. He really like the fact that he has almost no problems with the products as shipped to him due to their quality control. He liked the fact that when someone needs warranty work, they respond immediately.

And remember, easy to dull sometimes also means easy to sharpen. I use different devices to establish an edge angle on any knife I feel is appropriate and maintain it with a couple swipes as needed with one of my fine diamond rods. However, on the jobsite, if I knick a staple, use the knife normally till dull, drop it and it hits the blade edge, and all the other things that could happen during the work day I can clean up the edge on site at lunch with a piece of 600gr sand paper. With that sandpaper edge, it is significantly sharper than 99% of the knives in the site, and easy to maintain.

No, it isn't as sharp as a 1200gr edge on my Valloton stropped to a polish, nor do their knives hold their edges as well as a premium knife, but the CRKTs I have used will hold their own as a work knife. I think they are a good value for a workingman, or anyone else that needs easy, convenient maintenance. When some of my knives get dull it can be a real pain to sharpen without my gear which really diminishes the utility value for me.

Robert
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I bet price point has much more to do with your friend's sales than reputation for quality. People like to buy cheap things, look at WalMart. Aisles and aisles of cheap crap. Are you going to find the best TV there? Nope but you'll find one that'll work. One time I took a friend shopping as he had no car at the time. I looked in his cart and there was grey pork. Like greyish/green. Bleeping disgusting. I asked him about it. "It was 40 percent off." Nasty. I never ate at his place again.
 
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