We’ve got another big lineup drop today, this time from CRKT. Fixed blades, folders, line expansions, and even another collaboration piece with TOPS Knives are on the docket for 2025.
Walker Blade Lock
Michael Walker is a legend both for the beauty of his pieces and his mechanical innovations – and this year he’s partnered with CRKT to bring out this production folder sporting the Walker-designed Blade Lock. The concept is simple: the thumb stud used to open the knife is also the lock mechanism. This is actually a modernized, renovated version of a much older CRKT Walker collab by the way.
Twist Tighe Compact
Hogue offered a helping hand in bringing this Brian Tighe-designed OTF to life. The chassis made from carbon fiber with an aluminum slide, and the blade steel on this full premium CRKT piece is MagnaCut. And yes, it is Compact indeed, with a blade length of 2.67 inches.
Minimalist Nessmuk
Alan Folts’s latest addition to his Minimalist lineup of compact, but hardworking fixed blades is this take on the Nessmuk, possibly the most famous outdoors blade profile around. The 2.9-inch blade on this Nessmuk clearly takes a lot of cues from the original, but tuned up a bit and paired with the Minimalist line ultra-deep finger groove handle design.
Kasilof
More interesting fixed blade news from CRKT: check out the Kasilof, which is made for the company by TOPS, who also helped to roll out the Soldotna last year. The Kasilof’s narrow, almost Bird and Trout-style blade is 3.87 inches long and made from TOPS’s ol’ faithful, 1095 carbon steel. It comes with a leather sheath and is quite lightweight at 2.4 oz.
Straight
T.J. Schwarz has a fresh folder inbound, the Straight. It looks like Schwarz was inspired by the Japanese kiridashi, a utility knife with an upslanted chisel blade. It’s made from D2 steel, opened with a thumb stud, and equipped with a liner lock.
HZ4
Here’s a smaller version of James Williams’s HZ6. The aptly-named HZ4 has a blade length of 4.76 inches, and is made from black-coated SK-5 carbon steel. Obviously inspired by historical Japanese blades, the HZ4’s handle mimics both the shape and look of those weapons as well, with cross on the G-10 scales that reference the tsuka cord wrapping technique.
Crossbar Lock M16 Series
This one is exactly what it says on the tin: CRKT’s flagship folder, this time with a Crossbar Lock in place. This style of locking mechanism has been seeing a ton of play in recent years and it’s cool to see this long-lived Kit Carson design get rolled out with one. Three sizes are available, from the 3.11-inch 02, the 3.57-inch 03, and the 4-inch 04.
HangTi
Richard Rogers conjured up a really unique piece here. The HangTi is a neck knife available with either a kiridashi or a drop point blade, but here’s the twist: the whole thing – edge included – is made from titanium.
Viento
Rogers has a folder in store for us as well. The Viento has an upswept, 3.23-inch cleaver blade paired to a downswept steel and G-10 handle, complete with liner lock and pocket clip. This is a mid-range CRKT piece and so the blade steel is D2.
Squid Button Lock Family
Last but not least, Lucas Burnley’s CRKT classic, the Squid, is getting a button lock variation. This one is being rolled out across both Squid sizes by the way, the standard and the XM. Scal options include multiple colors of both G-10 and Micarta.
Featured Image: CRKT Nessmuk Minimalist
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