CRKT Box Scores, a Hit and a Miss......

I just received two new knives from Columbia River Knife and Tool and I have mixed feelings about them.

I was very excited about the Fire Spark. 

CRKT's Assisted Opening Fire Spark

It’s a new addition to their black box professional line.  (Gee, I wonder who they are copying.)  I really like the way the knife looks.  Spear point blade with false edge, black blade and outburst opening system which opens the knife with a little thumb pressure.  Very nice indeed.   

Has both the LAWKS and Fire Safe systems.  A nice combination of features.

But then add the Lake and Walker Knife Safety System (LAWKS) which prevents the open knife from unlocking during use and the knife should be a world beater.  The metal handle has a nice G10 insert and is tapped to accept the clip in all four locations, tip up or down and left and right.  I talked to CRKT years ago about doing that on their knives and was stonewalled.  I’m glad to see the change. 

And it's tapped to move the clip to any position.

 

All and all, it’s a good looking knife.

Except it doesn’t open very well.  On my knife, the blade only opens part way.  No, I’m not hampering it with my fingers and I’m giving it enough of an opening shove.  I also don’t like the way the spring rattles in the knife when it’s open.  That’s preferred to rattling when closed, but still knives shouldn’t rattle.

What really has me spooked is it doesn’t match the images on the CRKT website.  Maybe the images are from prototypes.  Maybe there’s been a design change.  Maybe, maybe and maybe….

Nope, it’s going back!

I also got an M21-02GL.  It’s a true left-handed knife.  

It's not just for Lefties, but it's great for them!

With most liner lock knives your right hand thumb pushes the liner lock to the unlocked position and you close the blade.  For lefties their thumb must pull the liner lock over.  That’s not easy, but it’s not impossible; it just takes a little more practice.  This knife has it reversed.  The left thumb pushes it to the unlocked position.

Photoshop sucks at annotating, but it's a left liner lock.

The Auto-LAWKS is located on the left side so the left thumb doesn’t accidentally bump it off as you move the knife around in your grip.  It’s also easier to manipulate with your index finger when closing.

Like all the M16/M21 knives it has the flipper that enables you to open the knife so fast, so easy and efficiently you’ll wonder what’s all the hubbub about automatic knives.  The G-10 scales are textured and give you great grip.  But the knife is set up for only tip down carry.  Bummer.  I guess they haven’t gotten the message after all.

Okay, I’m not a lefty.  My sister is and I remember the bad old days when everyone forced you to be a righty.  She had it pretty hard in school and the world doesn’t make too many products for southpaws.  So I’m very happy to see the possibility of a line of real left-handed knives.  

CRKT's Left-Handed M21 next to my right handed Kasper

It was funny, but not fun, to watch right-handed people try to use this knife.  I practice with my left hand a lot.  I struggled a little.  Maybe the best reason to own this knife is to remind us of tolerance for people who have difficulty doing a task we find easy to master.

If you carry a knife in the left pocket, you might want to check it out.

Losing My Temper

The Dalton gun show this weekend was certainly interesting.  I found several things I was looking for and I lost one I normally keep.

I lost my temper in a big way.  This doesn’t happen very often.  I normally just fume inside, and then vent on my way home or on my blog.  In fact I almost lost it twice at the show.

The first time I had a customer who would not believe me when I told him Camillus was made in China.  He just wouldn’t believe me.  I mean it’s listed on the package and honestly, the quality isn’t the same as compared to when they were made in America.  I can be mistaken about country of origin or type of steel in the blade, but I never lie to a customer.

He almost throws the knife on the floor and tells me:

“This is terrible.  They should be shot!”

Camillus was unable to compete in today’s markets and went out of business.  Somebody bought the name and moved it overseas.  You have to understand, Camillus didn’t ask me (or apparently him) about making knives in China.  I’ve had about all I can take of the automatic response that a knife made in China or anywhere other than the USA is by definition a “crap knife.”

“Let me show you some made-in-the-USA knives,” I said.  “Why don’t you buy an American made knife from an American knife seller?  Maybe if we buy enough American knives we can convince the manufacturers to bring production back to America?”

“I bought enough American knives,” he sniffed and walked away.  I didn’t see any in his translucent plastic bag.  Clearly a near miss on the temper scale!

By the end of the Sunday I went for a walk and bought a few little things I was after.  I returned to find a fellow opening and testing all my Benchmade knives.  He had borrowed a pen from us and was writing the numbers down.  

I’ve seen this before.  It usually means they will go online and search for the best deal.  I’m okay with that.  I usually give them a card and suggest that if they find one, email me and I’ll give them the best quote I can.  They seldom do this, but it is the way of sales.

“You’re going to see if you can find it online?”  I asked.

“No, I’m going to have my buddy, who’s a dealer, order me one.”

So in other words, his buddy doesn’t want to invest his money in buying Benchmade knives so our shopper can try them out and then decide which one he wants.  But it’s okay to come over to my table and check ‘em out and rub my nose in the fact that I cannot possibly make a sale.

I admit I lost it.  Now, Sister Mary used to say bad language was a sign of the illiterate and un-educated.  I agree with her.  I could have said:

“You are clearly are a nasty, pathetic waste of humanity who will certainly die alone and unloved in a hospital for advanced stage syphilitic patients.  And I hope when you get back to your kennel tonight, your mother bites you.”  That would have been the smart thing to say.

Instead I said: "Get the f**k away from my table.  (You should) Eat sh*t and die on your birthday.”

Childish?  Yes.  And I regret it.  I’m still P.O.ed and I know Sister Mary would have been disappointed.

My friend, Scott

His name is Scott.  I’m proud to have him as a friend.  My wife and I met him because our circles of interest include shooting, knives and adventure.  We aren’t drinking-buddy-close but I always looked forward to seeing him at the range and at activities like Camp Perry and knife shows.

I always thought our friendship would grow tighter and I’m still convinced that will happen.

Scott’s on a rough stretch of road now.  This patch looks rougher to me than the others he’s told me about.  

Nobody knows what God’s plan is for any of us.  We don’t know at the time what difference will come from the million trivial decisions we make everyday.  We just put one foot in front of the other and think we know where we are going.  Sometimes we need a little help.

Please keep Scott in your prayers and thoughts.  It doesn’t matter if you don’t know him or me.  It doesn’t matter if you read this today or in ten years.  Your thoughts and actions are known by the ultimate score keeper.

I cast my bread on the waters and trust.  That’s enough.