Where does CRKT seem to be going?

Z

ZAXDAD66

Joined
Dec 7, 2005
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I just recieved my CRKT Triumph folder and it brought to mind a question I have had for some time. Does CRKT seek to become a "quality" knife company or a playground for mall ninjas around the world. My two newest examples, the Triumph and the Pharroh, are so close to being really nice knives but are held back by "something". The Pharroh is handy and good to look at but fit and finish is for the birds. I'm thinking of rebuilding it as a sort of reverse kit knife. Being a machinist and having rescued some badly damaged folders this could be fun and perhaps realize some of the knifes potential. Same set of problems with the Triumph. Nice ergo's and I'm getting sold on the Zeff serration pattern but it weighs too much and the "auto lawks" system is a pain in the butt. So darn close to being a favorite EDC.
So what do you think? Are they striving to become the next Chris Reeve? OK, that's over the top. But how about competition for Kershaw, Benchmade or Spyderco. Possible? Their Knives are in the !00 dollar range in some cases and it would be nice to see if they can "kick it up a notch" or if they want to settle for being "almost" a good knife. Your thoughts?

Brian
 
Like some folks will say CRKT did used to make nice knives, off the top of my head the S2 , the Contrail , Apache are good knives.
The M16 in Ti and Aus8 is nothing to sneeze at as are some of the other M series , all solid, well made knives. As with near any manufacturer there have been problems with less than satisfactory examples being sold , but CRKT is far from alone in that realm.

I think CRKT would have a good stab at the collector market , or higher end user market ( by that I mean folks who know the difference between a gas station knockoff and a well made knife ) if they would stop using steel lower than Aus8 , that said there is nothing wrong with Aus6 even but lets set a standard , shall we CRKT ?
Hell , even offer some knives in ATS34 like they used to !
Most folks would not mind paying higher price for better materials since CRKT does have some very interesting models , as a matter of fact they have IMO the most interesting looking models next to say ...Kershaw that I can think of , but they are not going to win any battles using Aus4 or 420J2 as a blade steel.
As far as being made in Taiwan ? Who gives a rip.... Benchmade , Spyderco , Kershaw , Buck and others are all having knives made in mainland China now, at least CRKT sticks with an ally and not a potential enemy , think about that CRKT bashers. ;)

Your last sentence though
Their Knives are in the !00 dollar range in some cases and it would be nice to see if they can "kick it up a notch" or if they want to settle for being "almost" a good knife. Your thoughts?
Click to expand...
what is a good knife ? I mean what exactly makes a knife good , or great , or crappy for that matter ?
Materials used , the end result , aesthetics , ease of use. ? or is a good knife in the eye of the beholder ?

Interesting thread , I wish a CRKT Rep would read this stuff and get a hint.
 
For starters they should quit that stupid left-handed chisel grind that they put on a lot of their knives. :mad:
 
My first question is, why do you say the autolawks is a pain? I had a fairly old m16 with the non-auto lawks and it seemed like a good idea to me, especially if you read the recent 'how did you cut your tendon?" thread

I wish CRKT would offer an M16 w/ S30V, ti frame-lock, etc. but I'm guessing they just want to stay in their price niche. It is pretty common for companies to get into trouble by trying to compete outside of their niche.

I definitely agree with the poster who mentioned Taiwan. They are a democracy and a loyal friend, and I hope that the U.S. never sells them down the river to appease China, as some pols have appeared willing to do. I never have any qualms about buying 'made in Taiwan.'
 
What I really like about CRKT is the wide variety of custom designs they manage to buy up and bang out at low cost. They have quite a few models that, just because of my interest in knife designs, I'd love to try... but I'd never really use most of their knives. For a user I'd stick to "boring" designs but high-quality materials; something by Spyderco, Benchmade or SOG.

I suppose I think of CRKT like those guys that make quirky concept cars; you'd love to have a drive in one, but you'd never even consider using it everyday.
 
I don't own any CRKT knives but I'd buy an M-16 in a heartbeat if it came with S30V or even 154CM steel.
 
The engagment of the auto Lawks isn't the problem. It's closing the damn thing. I suppose it would make up for a lack of lock up on liner locks but the ones I have lock up hard and tight. Trying to one hand them closed is a pain while holding the Lawks. I like the manual version of the Lawks and have it on a few folders that I've beaten the hell out of and they still survive. The auto Lawks, "Not so much." As far as a good folder I guess that for me is the feeling that if they would just go one or more steps up in the quality they would gain a whole new following. An hours tinkering, and of course voiding the warranty, goes a long way. Maybe I'm just to OCD when it comes to my sharp little friends. I want them to finish the knife, not me.

Brian
 
I dunno, Im sitting here with my M21 in my hand. I love the little knife, stong lock comfy and sharp, Aus-8 isnt any special but its fine for me. I would prefer 154CM or up, but yeah.
 
I agree that if they made AUS 8 their lowest steel and maybe ATS-34 (since they are made overseas, other wise 154CM from here) as a main line of steel, they would have a greater following and better sales.

I love my M16-14, but I will admit that it does require a lot more sharpening than any of my other higher end knives. I haven't used that knife since I worked maintenance about a year ago, before my fall semester started. It's a great knife, but I'm sure if it were made in a higher-end steel it would sell out off the shelves real quick.

At least a few sprint runs in S30V or 154CM on their popular models would be nice. I'm sure we can all agree that if a sprint run were done on some M16 models and even some M4s, we would all go broke buying them :D and CRKT would have it's sales and reputation raised up.
 
i have been EDing an M16 with the lawks device for over 4 years and bought a current produced model to replace it. the current production knife felt low quality to me compared to my early model piece and i was very dissapointed. the auto lawks device is a horrid design and i would never buy one with it. this experience left a slightly sour taste in my mouth in reguards to crkt's products and won't really be looking at any of their current models for purchase.
 
In my experience, even when CRKT was using ATS-34 in some of their older knives (Apache, Seahawk, S-2), it seemed they ran it a bit softer than other companies using the same steels. I'm just going by how they felt to sharpen, not any actual scientific evidence.

I'm attracted to a lot of their designs, if only to have them around to play with, but it would be nicer if they started using some of the higher end steels. Even VG-10 would be nice, as it seems to offer pretty good performance for not much more in price.

I thought they used 154CM in their domestically made assisted openers. Have those been discontinued?
 
Weasel, S-2, Apache, M-16 are all fine knives.

They have some nice new designs quite different from the three main makers.
With the three main makers you can predict their design.
Not so with CRKT, they have interesting designs from known desgners.

I wish their steels were better.
If they have Aus8 as the base line then this would be good
There 2008 line has a different line of steels that I do not know where they compare to other steels.

I wait till the prices have dropped, then get them on eby for much less.
Their retail prices are too high
For $50 to 60, I would be buying Benchmade with a good steel
But when I spend $50, I buy a Queen multiblade slipjoint in D2!
 
26 CRKT knives in my collection- only one I don't like is the Mo'Skeeter. Good enough to use, plentiful enough to replace, and easy on the wallet. BTW the wild weasel is 154CM- so they do offer models in better steels for us snobs. To me design is more important than steel type as long as it is done well!!
Great beginner knife brand for those not willing to drop hundreds on a knife.
I hate auto LAWKS though.
 
ZAXDAD66 said:
... close to being really nice knives but are held back by "something". ...
Click to expand...
That really describes my feeling about CRKT all along. Every CRKT I've ever had, used or handled left me wondering "If they had just ..." or "Why did they bother ..." Usually it's some performance aspect where CRKT cuts corners.
 
I really think that CRKT is a bit more focused on the T in their name. Their knives are reasonably afordable - generally rugged. And although I second or third the idea that ATS-34 as a increased price option on at least some of their products would be nice - their steels seem very reasonable for the use i give them and they do take a workin edge.
I do find they still suffer from piece to piece variability when it comes to fit ( bluntly -i just don't care about or pay a whole lot of attention to cosmetic finish). I'd also have to say I haven't come across a truelly awful-sloppy one recently - if anything -some are just over tight..
The autoLAWKS is not a triumph in ergonomic design - but it does lock their folders up for good and all. This is one of the reasons I gave my younger brother a Anabis - he's a Dentist and is really dependent on his hands - this knife will not accedentally close on his mits!
To sum up - I think and maybe they think they're primarily a tool company?
 
I've been fooling around with the Triumph for a couple of days and relearned the one hand closing for the autoLawks. It has an irritating vibration on opening from the assist rod that can be fixed by removing the assist rod. Just another of those "little" things. I much prefer the Manual Lawks. The nice thing about CRKT is their real world pricing. I won't be devastated if I lose one and have given them on a whim to friends who need a knife. I don't often do the same with better knives. Maybe they could develop a deluxe line with their "name" designers. If they are paying for the name they should use it to it's best advantage. Just MHO.

Brian
 
They've gone downhill. They're catering more to the ninja mall buyer, tons of SKU's, lower grade steel. I had their Apache, a decent knife. There is no reason they can't offer more than one or two models in ATS34, nor why they have to offer this 3cr whatever steel. They're just cheap, and want to use lower quality materials to save money, presuming the average knife buyer won't know the difference.
That's a pity, because from a design point of view I think they are among the best. If only their materials and execution would match. Imagine an M1 in a higher grade steel, this knife has a great grip, great design, a little heavy for my taste but nothing terrible... why not offer it in a premium grade steel?
EKnifeworks was recently offering the tan version combo edge for around $22 I believe.
Make it in ATS-34, tout it, $49 special run. I can't believe they wouldn't sell.
 
I have a few CRKT knives that I really like. They are not top shelf by any means, but are great beaters for work.
Also, I have gotten most of them from SteepnCheep.com. Most under $20.

I have a Kommer Full Throttle that I carry daily, and is without a doubt, the fastest assisted opener I have ever seen.
I also have a My Tighe, Tiny Tighe, and M16 that I got from them, all for under $20. They have some really good designs, and shapes that I like, I just wish the had some different materals in their blades. Id gladly pay close to $100 for some of their designs with better materals.
 
CRKT is not in the same league as BM, spyderco, or Kershaw. Let a lone CR.

I don't think CRKT is catering to Mall ninjas. It's more to your xtreme sports and trendy outdoor type people. Your hikers and back packers (read, not bushcraft people). You're kinda trendy types of folks. And honestly, they make a good knife for these people. These are the people who'll carry a knife nearly every day, but won't ever sharpen it.

So, I think CRKT is a higher end knife for Non-Knife people.
 
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