Would You Tell Me What is So Special About Chris Reeves Knives?

Nothing special about CRK in todays market. So many makers as good as them. Still not bad stuff though well made very good choice of steels and materials. Never be anything other than mid tech though.
 
shane45-1911 said:
I would remove it. No telling how many spammers will get your number and sell it to other spammers.

And I agree with most of the posts above regarding CRK - variety is the spice of life. They are special only to the people that think they are special. No different than any other brand/maker who have their followers. :)
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Tooooo late. Just made $5.85 for selling Niall's number and birth year.
 
CRK still puts out a well made product, made domestically. Again, not cheap and not the most expensive. Over the last two years I've had a fair number of folders ranging from $400-1000. The 750-1000 range is where I usually hit the point if diminishing returns.

My Umnumzaan is still one of my favorites and what I carried today.
 
Niall88 said:
Hey gang, I am new here on the BladeForums, but I am not a noob in regards to knives. I own, use, have bought and sold Hinderer, Spyderco, Medford and others. I am very discerning and picky with my knives. However, I want to ask this question, with genuine curiosity, and would like to hear from others. What the heck is so special about CRK? I bought a Sebenza 21, I think it was, many years back. Took it out of the box, handled it and returned it immediately. I could not stand the wimpy pocket clip, which laid right on top of the frame lockbar, which I don't like, and it just did not impress me for the money. Can any of you experts enlighten me? I would appreciate it!
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I have no idea. I had one for a week, hated it. Couldn't grip the thumbstuds. That was 7 years ago. I handled one Sunday still don't like it.
 
the father helped to develop CPM S35VN end then his tolerance where second to none at that time, these two factors are what made the sebenza 21 so popular, but I will say there not for everybody !!
 
There’s really nothing special about them. If I had to guess, they’re probably one of the most talked about knives, people compare other knives to them, and most people that have sold them, have gone back to own one.
For me, being left handed, CRK offers a good variety of left handed knives. They work for me. It’s not the perfect knife, but it’s perfect for what I want from a knife. A CRK brings a smile to my face when I use one. They operate the same every time it’s used. It’s the one knife I own that I‘m not concerned about when I use it, from cutting a piece of tape to using it in wet muddy conditions. It’s easy to clean, take down and reassemble. The Allen wrenches, lube, loctite are included with the knife.
Most of the people I’m around that aren’t knife people are more impressed with a CRK than any other knife I own. Not everyone gets the hang of a flipper, not everyone likes a blade to drop shut. It’s hard for me to understand how someone would like a CRK better than a Shirogorov, but they do.
 
3fifty7 said:
Man I think your perspective is way off. I’d say 90%+ of the knife owners in the USA would consider a CRK upper echelon. Now there are others out there more prestigious, expensive and considered better but they get the attention of a very limited audience.
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People outside of the knife collecting community forget that the vast majority of knife owners consider Benchmade, Spyderco, and the like upper echelon. Most won’t go higher than Buck, Case or Kershaw and get along just fine.
 
The Aflac Duck said:
CRK makes a good knife, there’s no doubt, but in recent years they’re not the pinnacle of quality that they use to be since many manufacturers can put out an equally great product.

Where CRK does excel is their knives have an excellent warranty, the spa service they offer is great, if you lose a screw or bend a clip it’s easy to get parts, you can even buy a new blade too or upgrade to Damascus.

CRK has sort of become the “Glock” of knives. They aren’t low-end, they aren’t high-end either (relatively speaking), but they make a consistent product that works well and can be serviced very easily.
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Benchmade, specifically the bugout I'd say is the "glock" of knives, many will see it as high end but still fairly attainable in terms of price. You gotta remember that 99% of knife users aren't hobbyists like we are, most people think spending $200+ on a knife is insane, hell the fact I just bought a Sebenza for $450 still seems insane to me. When people see I'm carrying a really nice knife on me they're like "oh is that a benchmade" even if it's a Winkler or Bark River because benchmade is that top tier in their minds. It's just interesting to see how people's perceptions of knives differ between communities, but I didn't think I'd ever see someone saying that CRK aren't high end knives. Which is fine, it's your own perspective I was just surprised by the comment.
 
I give CRK credit for innovative designs, top shelf execution and customer service par excellence'.
They pretty well created the whole titanium frame lock excellent quality folding knife niche. And have done a good job of updating design details and blade materials. And I like they are American made.
 
Knives are hand tools, so I struggle to rationalize paying even $100 for a knife that I use less than my $30 hammer. I just won't get $400 worth of enjoyment from any tool.
 
I think pure reputation has a lot to do with it; they're a byword in American knife-making.
Someone here on bladeforums put it very nicely when they said something along the lines of "the sum of the parts of a Sebenza doesn't match the price of a Sebenza", and I think that was a very neat way to put it. They're nice knives, and nice to look at, but won't work harder for being pricier.
I bought one for my brother six years ago, and got one for myself at the same time. I sent mine back; he loves his. Last month I gave them another shot, and the Impinda was an instant favorite but the Sebenza just doesn't feel right. They're not manually intuitive tools for me. They don't feel like an extension of my hand. Power to the people who love them, though, and they're always fun to look at.
 
Niall88 said:
Yes sir, and I do like the simplicity for sure. Bells and whistles are not my thing. But I am really leaning these days toward liner locks, getting away from frame locks. Do you have any feedback on that subject? Would like to hear it.
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The Mnandi is essentially a liner lock and is constructed even more simply than the Sebenza
 
CRKs look well made and people who love them (of course) swear by them.

However, I think you can do just as well w/other knife brands in the same price range.

I've never owned one and never will because CRKs only come w/thumbstuds which are my LEAST favorite blade opening device.
 
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