Just found your channel and subscribed about 5 min into it. You bring a non-hyped, rational, educated approach to review that too many others don’t. Thanks for your reasoned commentary.
Great perspective Kevin! At the end of the day, a pocket knife has 1 function and 1 function only: CUT WHEN YOU NEED IT TO. It’s that simple. I love all kinds of knives and appreciate them all, thus feel that each and every one serves a purpose and fills a need for someone. That’s why I love CRK. Nothing I can’t do with my Sebenza and Umnumzaan. FYI- bare handed opening, man that thumb stud sucks! With ANY kind of gloves in ANY kind of weather, that is the best thumb stud! Remember, Chris Reeves creates his knives with the intention they be used. With that, have a great evening brotha!
your video convinced me to get one. I have the plain left hand version. I removed the flourinated grease and applied boker oil. best knife in my rotation. thank you so much.
I just got my small Inkozi a week ago and it is one of my favorites. It is much smoother opening and closing than my Sebenza. One thing I just learned is it can open like a lip/front flipper. It's going to tide me over until I can get a Gareth Bull Shamwari.
CR invented the stonewash, so if your gonna have stonewash... May as well be on a CR. People say he is outdated or overpriced but the are wrong period. The designs are timeless and like you said it will last a lifetime, you forgot to mention the giant sharpening notch and the fact that the blade actually gets thinner as you remove metal from the edge. They went over every aspect to make it the best it could be. I swear I’m not a fan boy. But I know how a Knife should be constructed and these are perfection. Try hard cutting with any zt and watch the lockbar move over. Try that with a Chris reeve, power cut with all your might! The lockbar doesn’t move. The ball interface is genius and simple.
Matthew Forrest Not outdated, it's a classic. I do disagree on the overpriced part though. I guess you didn't see the cold steel vs sebenza video where the lockbar failed miserably on the senenzsd (2 different ones, two different failed tests). I wouldn't have brought it up but you mentioned the locks.
Hue Janus just depend on what you value in a Knife. I think they are worth every penny. Especially if you take a close look to what else is out there. But it’s the little things. Unnoticeable to many. Only complaint I have is I would like to see different steels!
Hue Janus If you are using your knife like a knife, not spine whacking or batoning, you'll have no problem. I don't own any cold Steel knives nor am I going to put them down here. CRK makes some of the finest knives you can buy and stand by their products. Chris Reeve makes knives you'll want to pass on as heirlooms that you can actually put through its paces
If you put stock into those videos from cold steel.... than I guess that’s where the conversation ends. Buy a recon 1. Enjoy it. But I’ll stand by my comment of they are worth every penny. If and only if you know what your looking at and what it took to get there.
Matthew Forrest crk are fantastic knives, but if you’re trying to discredit cold steels lock and capability you’re failing here. A recon 1 would last 2 lifetimes and the strength to weight and cutting performance is unmatched.
There's a reason why Chris Reeve knives are the benchmark by which all other 'production' knives are measured. Attention to detail, tolerances, build quality, materials and design are why they're not cheap. The same applies to other products like Rolls Royce, Steinway, Rolex and so on. Most of us can't afford one so (sour grapes) we ridicule the price and say it's old and dated (whatever that means) but in the real world we'd love to own one. I would.
Stxn - agreed. But other manufacturers DON'T do it to the degree that Chris Reeve does. The market speaks for itself. Otherwise Chris Reeve knives would be out of business and the 'hundreds of knives' you speak of would have taken over this niche market.
paul greenwood The tune up job done at the factory isn't near worth the $800.00 price .other than that its cnc machine parts .the good steel and titanium would add a few dollars (not hundreds) .the same knife clone with d2 ( also very good steel ) is $45.00 free shipping ( oh you don't get a guarantee ) who cares its $45 .00 not $800.00 . Ill guarantee the clone will work well enough . But if you love it get it .but that's the only thing that makes crk s worth it . I would give maybe a $100.00 or maybe ever a little more ( only because its made in America ) but crk s price is just insane ( love ) i don't love crk s I don't even carry the clone even though i tuned it and it works very well ( its a good knife ) but its to blocky and heavy and small for the roll it supposed to fill ( the back story )! the cold steel recon 1 is thinner lighter very very strong ( many times stronger than the 25 or whatever he changed the name to ) a little larger .better grip on and on !
paul greenwood Reeves doesn't do it to $800.00 and more degree ! Samrenmu land 9103 . Much better knife .and you won't have to try and convince the world its worth hundreds of dollars . But if you don't like it then you also done like the sabenza .
What I don’t understand, Kevin, is whether or not you like the knife? Hahaha. It was good seeing the Lg Inkosi next to the Swish; one of those will be my next high end blade. I already have a small Inkosi and love it. Good review. Thanks!
and CRK has some of the best CS in the business. I love that you can use the crap of your knife then send it in for SAP and you get it back looking brand new.
Important to understand why the size of the pivot and stop pin as well as the tight fit of those. It's not just about over building or wear resistance. It's more sophisticated: They all provide essential lateral and shear strength.
I'm fixing to pull the trigger on my 1st Chris reeve knife and I'm driving myself crazy trying to decide should I go with the classic large sebenza or the new updated large inkosi?... I'm ready to get as soon as possible any help choosing would b appreciated
Thanks for taking the knife apart and showing the reason these knifes are so well made! I have a Sebenza on order, and I can see that an Inkosi in in my future.
hey Kevin, quick question I own the Inkosi and never regrown its convex edge, but do you ever use a sharp maker on a convex blade to sharpen it up! thank you.
A quick note: washer surface area has nothing to do with friction. For most materials, friction is only dependent on the friction coefficient between them and the force pressing them together, not the area of contact. Those washers are neat for other reasons though, like you pointed out.
In fact, since the washer design puts material further away from the pivot, the torque required to overcome the static friction on the blade becomes a little bit higher.
A combination of this and the Sebenza would be a knife worth buying. Removing the bushing pivot was a nearly terrible idea. The screws on the Sebenza are a much better design. I absolutely hate that the stop pin does not double as a stand off for spacing. Love the new large washers but why not keep the bushing in the center? Love the thicker blade. Love the mass of the stop pin. The only other major hang up I have with not only this knife but really all custom knife makers is the frame lock(aka Reeve integral lock). It's just one step from a liner lock. It's one of the weakest lock designs out there. No lock is perfect but there are far better options out there. The compression lock for one. The ball bearing lock. The Axis lock. The compression lock is a simple but genius solution. Pulling is a far more efficient method to restrain a blade from closing. And, That ball bearing lock is butter smooth.
I call my inkosi insingo the collection killer. I have been unable to carry anything else sice getting it several weeks ago. It may be the perfect "only one " knife. My umnumzaan tanto dethroned. Hope I snap out of it!
I have the same opinion. Just purchased one. I'd probably say the same for my large Sebenza 21. The rest of my non-CRK collection is going to get lonely ;)
Just stop lol. Saying you tuned a $25 knife to be as good as a Chris Reeves is a joke. That’s like saying you put a bigger turbo on a Honda Civic and now it’s just as good as a Porsche gt3.
Great review of an OK knife. Yes, CRK has the programing of his CNC down. For as long as he's been making basically the same knife, that's no surprise. An oversized stop pin does not impress me. If there are other components that will fail first, then it doesn't need to be so large. As to well thought out, there are some things that can be argued, however, a rounded spine is not one of them. Among the things that are missing are: ergonomics. The hand tapers toward the pinkie, the knife does not. Its pretty much a brick with the edges shaved. Pocket clip is hideous and NOT deep carry and only took 20+ years to figure out its better to have it NOT press on the lock bar! The sharpening notch is larger than necessary. If you're going to make it that large, why not go all the way and offer a finger choil? There is a reason a car's wheels are on bearings, not washers. No flipper and no over travel stop. Why? Surely he's seen what's become common place in the market? An over travel stop can be designed in so as to be virtually invisible and easily incorporated into a steel lockbar insert. Which brings up another question, why no steel insert? We know titanium is softer than steel and WILL wear, why not take the extra step? While he's at it why not mill some material from the inside of the handle and save some weight? Looked at this way, its about 50-50 hit and miss. This tells me he's happy staying in his comfort zone rather than bringing any innovation since he flipped a liner lock over and made the frame lock. Its common knowledge in the business world that salaried people are the most expensive part of any operation. The pricing tells me everyone is paying a lot for the ability to have their knives refinished for free, even if they never avail themselves of the service.
Len Zielenski For hard use knives, bearings are terrible. Ive had several quality knives such as ZT’s with the bearing pivots. They are awesome if all you do is flip your knife out and play with it. But once you start actually using it for things that involve dirt, water, blood, food etc the weaknesses of current bearing pivots come out. Every one of the bearing pivots I’ve used hard gets fouled quickly and when exposed to blood or water the bearings rust and cause the pivot to be basically destroyed.The washer system on the Inkosi largely prevents these issues. Bronze doesn’t rust and the larger surface area prevents a lot of stuff from getting into the pivot. Ive used my Inkosi hard for several years to include dressing deer, prepping food, in muddy and wet conditions and its super easy to clean under a faucet, cuts like crazy, is strong where it needs to be, the lock is awesome, is thin, light and user friendly for actual cutting tasks.
I'm NO knife fighter or anything even close. BUT my question is...will the finger groves combined with the jimping on the thumb ramp keep the hand from sliding forward onto the blade...in a "forward thrusting" action (like into a side of beef, for example)? I like knives that are versatile and "balanced"...and last ditch self-defense effort is one of those factors for me.
What do you think Kevin...The large Inkosi or the Umnumzaan? I'm leaning towards the latter as I only intend to purchase one CRK. Do you have a personal preference between these two knives? Thanks.
I have three Zaan's, one being the Wilson Combat. I also own a few Inkosi's large and small ..carbon fiber exclusive's included. I think the Inkosi is his best work to date. For me if I could only grab one ...it'll be the Inkosi. I am a fan boy though, been collecting all brands for many years. I went full circle and eventually landed with CRK being my favorite brand. In my early years I didn't get CRK. People call the Inkosi and improved 25. I feel they are all really different and have there own right, yet they all have the classic Reeve's look and design. I really do use them ...which as a collector I shouldn't do. They come camping with me and I do whittling and nearly all my camp duties with' well all versions get rotated.. Still have an Axe and saw though . I have been using all my other brands as well throughout the years, which only through actual use do you truly discover which is a good knife. I have fixed as well as I do recognize folders limitations. I agree with Brian!
I have the clone 25 .i bent the pocket clip to get it off the modified liner lock .$45.00 free shipping .delivered to the mail box If i spent the money for the real one i would be more inclined to carry it .but like the reason i stopped carrying the buck 110 .its to blocky and heavy . Try the sanrenmu 9103 .much better knife !
dated and over priced?? Maybe....but I still haven't found a knife that speaks to me like my CRK's do. The epitome of hard use and elegance balanced if you ask me. Don't like it don't buy one.
**Insert obligatory "overpriced, over-hyped, outdated, code 4, blah blah blah" comment. And I can't wait to get my hands on a CRK! If for no other reason that it makes me stop buying other knives :)
I'd buy one without hesitation if I had the extra funds...One day soon I will, then the Inkosi will be mine. Then a Hinderer Eklipse...then Reate Torrent...then...and on and on (lol).
Why not do a deer with it . Both the zt and the crk will fail .liner locks and modified liner locks are the weakest locks out .crk is a modified liner lock he didn't invent he modified some one elses idea! Very small knives are OK with liner locks .as mostly you cant put enogh pressure on them to make them fail .
You just voided the guarantee when you flicked it out ! Its not har use .its rough use .recon 1 is hard use .try that with a reeves .no one does because it cost far far to much .and if you love it its worth it .i dont ! Its not worth it . Patents are for twenty years after that its public domain . Thats why he keeps changing the desgin . Reeves knives are strong everywhere but the lock .34lbs it fails .
Paul Jenkins the inkosi is a fairly new design and the price isn't to high or they wouldn't sell any of them. Kevin does do awesome reviews doesn't he? He's in my top two go to knife reviewers easily. Possibly even numero uno.
I own an CRK Large Inkosi (and 2 large Sebenza 21), it is a nice knife, a collector, but the WE, Kizer, and Reate that I own have equal build quality (IMO) plus higher materials (pivot bearing, M390 blade steel, lock-bar/over travel stop inserts, not to mention fidget fun. For a folding, hard use, hard to beat (I mean beat) Coldsteel Max 4. No hate, just saying 😊
I own an CRK Large Inkosi (and 2 large Sebenza 21), it is a nice knife, a collector, but the WE, Kizer, and Reate that I own have equal build quality (IMO) plus higher materials (pivot bearing, M390 blade steel, lock-bar/over travel stop inserts, not to mention fidget fun. For a folding, hard use, hard to beat (I mean beat) Coldsteel Max 4. No hate, just saying 😊
I agree that on fit and finish the WE and Reate are similar but they are often not as well thought out (this is probably more directed at "We" who seem to love blades that are not great for cutting)
Paul Jenkins way way way over price . $45.00 for the clone closer to the real world .where people work for money and don't throw it away for no reason !
