whats your 'definitive' CRK?

[Locutus D'Borg]

Okay, let me clarify: the iconic CRK is the Sebenza but the one I carry most these days is the Mnandi.

 

[rexromic]

Small Insingo. It's a basic knife but I have carried nothing else for months now. It's a beautifully made workhorse.

:thumbup:

 

[MostMenAreRuthless]

 

[BenChiew]

Small insingo.

 

[FordFan]

The knife that drew me to CRK... large 21 Insingo (no inlays).

Large Insingo for me as well.....clipped to my pocket right now.

 

[XJ-linux]

For me the definitive CRK is the Large Regular followed closely by Large Classic. However, I carry a Large Insingo 90% of the time these days.

 

[humblerodent]

The Wood Inlay Annual Sebenzas were my favorite, but as for definitive I might have to say the large "P" model set the standard.

I agree. Not sure I could pick a favorite, but I would say the large P is the definitive CRK.

 

[Fooj]

Dang! This is a really hard question, and because of that, you'll have to suffer through a long post to hear my answer.

Certainly in the running is the Mnandi. I say that because if I view each of the CRK models within the markets in which it competes, I think the Mnandi stands farthest beyond its peers. The inlay (as opposed to overlay) is the best engineered scale mounting process in the business, the milled clip is an engineering marvel and aesthetically best-in-class, the Mnandi is arguably the toughest knife amongst its peers (a real wolf in sheep's clothing!) -- all at a price that is exceedingly low for what you get.

The OPR is where Chris got his start in production knives, and displayed, IMHO, great inventiveness as a result of a big customer problem that he perceived (as opposed to inventiveness for novelty, aesthetics, etc.)

Certainly, however, the Sebenza is the iconic CRK to most people, and it is for me as well. Specifically, I'll choose the large P with UG. It embodies so many of Chris's innovations:

• the integral lock that virtually all other major players in the folder market have imitated,
• the heat-treated lockbar face that most don't do because they don't truly internalize building knives that last a lifetime and beyond,
• the pivot bushing, which is so exceedingly tough to integrate into the manufacturing process w/o incredible tolerances,
• Misc features like the way cool non-symetric thumb stud, rounded spine, clip w/ pocket bump for retention, Ti scales on both sides (spare no expense to provide the best), and last but not least,
• The incredible artistry of hand machined graphics in Ti, a side innovation that Chris did in his "spare time" as he and Anne were certainly feeling extreme pressure while building a small business, and adjusting to life in a new country.

I apologize for the long-windedness. Please keep the hard questions to a minimum.

 

[pomelly]

The definitive CRK I have is my first CRK: the Mountainer

But I usually have a Large Sebenza in my pocket

 

[J_Roc]

Large Classic for me