CRKT Hole In One, WTF?***UPDATE 6/12/09

"WTF is that?!", you ask?
That was my first thought too. This is a CRKT project in conjunction with an Oregon knifemaker/engineer named Tom Hitchcock. Good retail knife dealers will have this in the $25-28 price range, before shipping. I'm intrigued, for sure.

I have one of these headed my way, this design was just too far out and atypical, so I had to order one. It's inexpensive enough that if it gets here, and I totally hate it, I'll gift it to someone, or put it up for trade on craigslist for ammo or something. Pretty funky design, evidently somewhere in there, is a springloaded carabiner clip to attach this puppy to a pack or keyring.

this is what I know so far:
# Blade: Length: 2.50" (64 mm)
# Thickness: 0.14" (3.6 mm)
# Steel: 420J2
# Taiwan manufacture

CRKT has always been a leader in trying new stuff and giving designers a chance to have their work known far and wide. The CRKT warranty is pretty awesome (lifetime) and I've exchanged emails with CRKT president Rod Bremer, who seems like a hell of a nice guy.
Anyhoo, my Hole In One (no sex jokes guys!) should be here next week, and as soon as I get it, I'll post impressions right here on SB&T.
stay sharp
-Aaron


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Friday, June 12, 2009 addendum:
I got my Hole In One today via UPS! This thing is AWESOME, it's totally UNLIKE ANY KNIFE you have ever handled, the two-and-a-half blade length is only from the SHARP tip to the end of the sharpened edge, overall, it's actually a pretty large piece. It feels good in the hand and the blade swings out either way 360 degrees, then locks up. All you need to do is depress the little locking plate to unlock it, oh, did I mention it locks CLOSED also?! This is a knife that must quite literally be seen to be believed. The only thing that doesn't thrill me is the bead-blast gray finish, typical to a large majority of CRKT knives. Sure the bead-blast gray looks good, but if you live near saltwater as I do, or sweat half as much as I do, your knife will soon be spotted in little brown/orange "pre-rust" spots. Even Sentry Solutions' Tuff-Cloth, great stuff that it is, doesn't seen to help this problem. I have had similar pre rust occur on every bead blast finished knife I have ever owned, custom pieces, Benchmades and Emersons among them. So obviously the tendency of bead blast finishes to attract spotting is not at all contingent upon the cost or implied value of a knife, it simply IS what it is.

I realize it's a fairly inexpensive, attractive was to dress up a knife without doing a teflon based black coating, but it's because the blasting treatment opens up the pores in the steel so moisture and sweat can really take hold in there. Granted with regular tuff-cloth treatments and buffing out those little spots with a good metal polish (flitz or metal glow), your gray blade will never truly rust, but hey, it IS a carbon steel blade of which the shine has been blasted off, of course it's going to develop stain faster than a BK1 or black teflon coating. Anyhow, I would heartily suggest visiting a CRKT retailer, or just taking a gamble and buying a Hole In One online, hell son, it'll only set you back about $30 bones after shipping, and it's way fun to play with!
Hole In One FTW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!