New Models from CRKT!

[Grant Lamontagne]

These were just announced yesterday.  Here's the email I got from CRKT:

Dear Valued Friends of the Press,

CRKT is excited to announce 6 brand new mid-year releases for 2013!

Three new designs by knifemaker, Brian Tighe.

•   Tighe Rod (model 5265)
•   Tighe Dye (model 5280)
•   Tighe Coon (model 5270)

And a new design from knifemaker Matthew Lerch, the Moxie, which is available in three different color combinations!

•   Moxie-Black (model 1100)
•   Moxie-Green/Black (model 1101)
•   Moxie-Gray/Black (model 1102)

Please see the attached press releases for additional information on these great new products which will be available in August.

Thank you for your support!

I have some photos too, but I'll have to add them later as I am just on my way to work.  I've put them in Dropbox for now, and you can download them HERE.

I'm betting Brian Tighe has more designs than clever name puns!

Def

[thebullfrog]

Yep. More same-ish looking Brian Tighe designs. I've become really bored with CRKT the last few years. I used to be a pretty big fan. Not that their knives have gotten worse or anything, I'm sure they're still perfectly well built,   I think it's that they haven't really gotten any better either. Nothing against Tighe, et al, they do a fine job, but it feels like all their new stuff looks exactly the same as it has for years. Or totally crazy and impractical. They just don't have anything I find compelling any more. I would rather see them start improving some of their existing stuff with better materials etc, than constantly designing 50 new knives a year that all look basically the same anyway. Having Ken Onion on board has helped, but even a lot of his newer stuff is trending too much towards tacticool. Every time they come up with a good design (the Swindle is interesting) it's saddled with low end materials at pricing where the competition is offering much better.

[Syph007]

I like Brian Tighe's custom work, but they dont quite translate to mass production I think.  He lives an hour from me, and I bought my Damasteel from him.

I want to make slipjoints with fancy scales like he does on folders...

[Grant Lamontagne]

I've seen those knives in person- the real ones, not the production versions. Luckily I know Brian and Glenn, the guy who designed that lock mechanism.  They are amazingly beautiful in person.  I think I posted a pic a while back of the original and production versions together a while back.

I have to say I really like CRKT.  Yes, some of the stuff is not terribly original, but lots of companies do that.  Benchmade regurgitated the 830 Sentinel several times over for example.

The way CRKT works is that they offer a commission to designers- their design, CRKT' production and distribution networks.  That has to be paid for somehow so they can take chances on names that might not be as well known- if that means making variations of the same things a few times over from "Big name guys" like Brian Tighe, Ken Onion and Ed Halligan so that guys like Ray Kirk can get in then so be it. 

Def

Sent from the place I sent it from

[thebullfrog]

That actually is a good point I probably should have mentioned, the designers they use do amazing work in and of itself, and it's the watered down production versions that getting boring, not the actual designs. And like I said, I do like CRKT myself, they've long been a favorite of mine. Problem is these days it's hard to talk myself into buying any of them. I'm not a steel snob at all. I like AUS 8, and it's 8CR13MOV counterpart. My favorite "beater" steel in fact. The problem is when CRKT asks $45 - $50 for 8CR13MOV or 12c27, when I can go to Spyderco and get VG-10 or to Kershaw for 14c28n for basically the same price.

I understand their business model with commissioned designers, and that's fine, but I would like to see them start offering some more higher-end materials at a competitive price range. It doesn't have to be a Tighe, or Onion, or what have you. From the standpoint of being a collector, it's fine because your looking for the designs (even if they are getting a bit stagnant these days), but as someone who needs the best bang for the buck in an actual user, it doesn't make any sense to buy most of CRKT's offerings these days. I bought craploads of CRKTs years ago when I felt the value proposition was better. And like I said Tighes independent work is simply stunning, it's the mass produced versions I'm finding so dull.

[thebullfrog]

Oh, and I do wanna add, things like bringing on Kirk, and the way they support designers and take some chances is something I totally applaud CRKT for. They ARE a great company, which may be the whole problem lol. I WANT to support them. I just have a hard time justifying it when I look at the Ken Onion designed Swindle for $45 on Amazon, then the Ken Onion designed Leek for $38, when I start comparing materials, etc.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I totally get what you are saying, but I really don't give a rat's hind end about the steel. There's so much more to EDC than steel as Victorinox proves hundreds of thousands of time each day.  They have (arguably) the least quality steel of any major brand knifemaker (leaving out Taylor or United) and yet pretty well every SAK can out cut virtually anything else.

To me, the important things are how it feels in your hand and how it carries when it's not. Plus it has to be pretty...

Frankly I'm seeing the lines from Spyderco, Benchmade and Kershaw to be somewhat stagnant lately, but then to each his/her own.

Def

Sent from the place I sent it from

[thebullfrog]

I never said everyone else WASN'T stagnant as well lol. In fact the whole industry seems to be in a lull.

I generally agree with you on the steel in and of itself, but Victorinox does an amazing job with whatever it is they use. Good heat treating, awesome polishing. CRKT likes to bead blast everything so I've always had rusting issues with their knives. Nothing severe, but those annoying little pits that you always have to keep up on. Kershaw does the same thing, this will be important further down. All things being equal, there's a lot more to knife performance than marginal differences in steel composition, but when I have a budget to keep I want to get the most for that money I can. Which means I need to look at things like features and materials and choose the best bang for the buck. This is where for me personally CRKT keeps losing me.

I'm ordering a Kershaw Leek today. I decided I wanted a decent light/medium duty EDC. My biggest concern was thin, so it would fit in my Skinth with everything else. That also means 4" and below. My budget is $40 because that's what I just sold my SOG Vulcan for. My best options were the SOG Twitch, Kershaw Leek, and CRKT Swindle. I haven't been too enthused with SOG's QC being all over the board of late so veered away. Now leaving aside that the Swindle is too long, let's compare: 8cr13mov vs 14c28n. A huge difference? No, not really, but Kershaw has a slight edge. Now AO VS. non- AO. Personally I'm completely ambivalent one way or the other, it's not really a factor for me, but it IS an extra feature that costs Kershaw money. Plus the CRKT is made in China, the Leek in the US with much higher labor/production costs. Both being bead blasted which I hate means maintenance is about the same. Now, the Swindle averages $5-$10 more expensive. Why? It's not like the "but Ken Onion!" argument really works here. Build quality is likely on par.  It just doesn't make sense to me to buy the Swindle for (slightly) more money, to get (slightly) less features and a (slightly) lesser steel, leaving out the buying Chinese VS US argument entirely.

I would never, ever fault anyone for enjoying or buying a CRKT, I do totally support them as a company and what they do. I genuinely am a fan and often recommend them as an alternative when people ask me for buying advice. But for me as a consumer, I just can't see any compelling reason to spend my money there. This also holds true for every person I recommend them to: They always come back with "Yeah that's nice, but why would I spend the same money for 'that' when I can get 'this'?"

[jekostas]

Some cool looking stuff, actually.  The Brian Tighe pieces are a little too funky for me but I like the Moxie.  I'm still thinking about getting the Lerch Enticer, too.

And like Grant, I applaud CRKT for being very innovative with their designs.  AUS6-AUS8 or equivalents in terms of steel is perfectly fine by me.

[Grant Lamontagne]

No worries Froggie, no one is judging you by how many CRKT knives you may or may not have! 

 Not every brand is for every person!

Def

Sent from the place I sent it from

[thebullfrog]

One thing is for sure though: you have to be trying really, really hard to look through CRKTs ginormous catalog and not find something you like.

[Goatlord666]

One thing is for sure though: you have to be trying really, really hard to look through CRKTs ginormous catalog and not find something you like.

i second that!