CRKT Burnley Squid Knife Review

CRKT, Columbia River Knife and Tool, was founded in 1994. From day one, they chose to put innovation and integrity first. They made a commitment to build knives and tools that would inspire and endure. They collaborate with the best designs in the world and operate on a simple principle: that the greatest thing they can give their customers is Confidence in Hand.

The company is currently based out of Tualatin, Oregon and was founded by Paul Gillespi and Rod Bremer. Some of the tools that they produce include fixed blades, folding knives, multi-tools, sharpeners, and carrying systems. These are all quality tools that the users know they can rely on. Some of the fifteen patents that they own include the Outburst assist opening mechanisms, the Lock Back Safety mechanism, and Veff-Serrated edges. The Outburst is the company’s proprietary mechanism for their assisted-opening knives. These knives are standard pivot joint liner lock or frame lock folding knives Inside the knife there is a spring tab that catches the tang of the blade as it is manually opened. The Lock Back Safety mechanism, also invented by Ron Lake, is similar in function the LAWKS mechanism. It is a lock back folder with a switch that can prevent he locking bar from being depressed. Inside the handle there is a small rod with a flange near the butt of the handle. The other end is connected to a switch near the pivot end. When the switch is pulled back, the lock functions as a regular lock back. Veff-Serrations were developed by Tom Veff, a sharpener and knife maker, and are exclusively licensed to CKRT for production. The Veff-Serrates differ from standard ones in that they are large and set at an angle of 60 degrees whereas most serrations are small and arranged 90 degrees form the cutting surface.

CRKT has collaborated with custom knife makers such as Ken Onion, Harold “Kit” Carson, Allen Elishewitz, Pat Crawford, Liong Mah, Steven James, Greg Lightfoot, Michael Walker, Ron Lake, Tom Veff, Steve Ryan, and the Graham Brothers.

Today we will be discussing the Burnley Squid knife.

 

The Designer:

The man behind this knife is Lucas Burnley who comes from Orleans, Massachusetts. CRKT says, “When you ask Lucas what drew him to the knife world as a teenager, he’ll tell you it was stories of survival, off-path adventures with his father, and a healthy dose of action movies.

Over the years, he has experimented with a broad range of styles to artfully combine classical examples with modern materials and techniques, such as with his Obake™ knife. Lucas believes knives are a personal expression of independence. We couldn’t agree more.”

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel that has been hardened to a 58-60 HRC. This is a Chinese produced steel that is becoming increasingly common on Chinese made knives. 8Cr is the most common formulation of this series and is often compared to AUS-8 steel. However, 8Cr13MoV steel is a little more prone to corrosion and not as hard as AUS-8. The biggest advantage that this steel has is that it is extremely inexpensive. When you are comparing it to the newer steels, it is not going to stand up. But when you are looking at the cost and what you get out of it, this is a great steel.

The blade has been finished with a black stonewash finish. The stonewash finish is created by tumbling the blade in an abrasive material, which is usually pebbles or rocks. This finish is designed to hide scratches while also providing a less reflective nature than a brushed or satin finished blade. A black stonewash is a blade that has had an acid treatment that darkens the blade before it undergoes stonewashing. The acid oxidation enhances a blade’s rust resistance by placing a stable oxide barrier between the steel and the environment. The stonewashed finish works to maintain the look of the blade overtime.

The blade on this knife has been carved into a drop point style blade. This blade shape is a great all-purpose shape that can really stand up to almost anything. This is also one of the most popular blade shapes on the market today. The back edge of the knife runs straight from the handle to the tip of the knife in a slow curved manner, which creates a lowered point. This lowered point provides more control and add strength to the tip. It is also this tip strength and the ability to hold up to heavy use that makes this blade shape a great option for tactical and survival knives. The drop point blade is easily controllable, which makes it easier to have control over your cuts. This also allows you to perform fine detail and tip work. One of the things that make this knife so versatile is the large belly that makes slicing extremely easy. Of course, the drop point style blade does have a disadvantage. Because of its relatively broad tip, it is less suitable for piercing than the clip point. The drop point is going to equip you to take on a large variety of tasks. The drop point on this knife is a chubbier drop point, which makes it great for everyday tasks.

The blade on this knife is a plain edge, which lets you take on a wider variety of activities, which is perfect for an EDC knife.

The Handle:

The handle on this knife is made out of stainless steel. Stainless steel is a great material for your knife handles because it provides great durability as well as being incredibly resistant to corrosion. Unfortunately, stainless steel is not going to be very lightweight. Also, stainless steel is pretty slippery, so the manufacturer has to add in texture, grooves, or ridges for you to have a solid grip on the knife. The overall benefits of a stainless steel knife handle is that it is going to be strong, durable, and extremely corrosion resistant. That begin said, it is also going to be heavy and can be pretty slippery.

The handle on this knife is pretty classic. The spine of the handle slopes down slowly to the butt of the handle. The belly has a thick finger guard that will protect your fingers if you do happen to slip. The finger groove that follows the guard is deep, which will provide you with a comfortable grip. After the groove, the belly bulges out slightly before curving towards the butt of the handle.

The stainless steel on this handle has also been dark stonewashed to match the handle and give the knife a rugged look that will look good through the ages. The stonewash hides scratches and smudges well, which significantly cuts down on maintenance time. The butt of the handle does have a lanyard clip, which is a bonus for this knife. You can use a lanyard so that you don’t have to use the pocket clip. The lanyard will also let you remove your knife more quickly out of your pocket. Lastly, the lanyard will let you add a touch of your personal style to this knife.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this knife is not reversible. It has been attached to the handle for tip up carry and only on the traditional side of the handle. This is a skinny pocket clip that is the same width the entire length down. The clip is kept in place by two black screws, which match the rest of the hardware on this knife. At the tip of the pocket clip, it dents inward, which helps the clip attach to your pocket more securely. This is a deep carry pocket clip, which will help the knife stay more securely inside your pocket while also being more concealed inside your pocket. The clip is black, which matches the handle and the blade.

 

The Mechanism:

This is a manually opening knife that has been equipped with a thumb stud as well as a frame lock. Because this is a manual knife without a mechanism that makes it spring assisted or automatic, it is going to be legal in more states and areas. However, it is not going to be as efficient as the two other styles of knives.

The thumb stud is a small barrel that has been attached to the blade where the nail nicks usually are. The thumb stud is easy to get the hang of. Plus, this thumb stud extends through both sides of the handle, which means that it is more ambidextrous. Of course, there are the drawbacks. For starters, the thumb stud does extend fully out of the handle. This means that it might get snagged on things or get in the way when you are trying to use your knife. Also, one of the biggest disadvantages is that the thumb stud does put your fingers in the path of the blade when you are opening the knife. There have been plenty of stories of people getting their fingers sliced when they are trying to open their knife. Don’t be careless when opening this knife and definitely make sure you know how to use the thumb stud before you try to open it quickly.

The knife has also been equipped with a frame lock. The frame lock and the liner lock are extremely similar except that the frame lock uses the handle to form the frame and therefore the lock. Because of this, the handle does have two sides. Just like the liner lock. The frame lock is positioned with the liner inward and the tip engaging the bottom of the blade. To disengage the lock, apply pressure to the frame to move it away from the blade. When it is opened, the pressure eon the lock will force it to snap across the blade, locking it at its furthers point. Frame locks are most known for their strength and thickness, which is perfect if you are going to be doing lots of heavy duty tasks with the knife.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 2.14 inches long with a blade thickness of 0.11 inches. The handle on this knife measures in at 4.490 inches long. When the Squid is opened, it measures in at an overall length of 5.71 inches long. This knife weighs in at 3.4 ounces, which is an ideal weight for a knife that you want to have with you all the time.

 

Conclusion:

             When CRKT is discussing this knife, they say, “It’s a pistol of a knife: it obliterates tasks. This Lucas Burnley-designed everyday carry knife is compact in stature but packs some heat in the features department. It comes with a frame lock for safety, and friction grooves on the drop-point blade for a secure grip. Be careful where you point it.

The Squid™ is an everyday carry folding knife from designer Lucas Burnley of Albuquerque, New Mexico. Based on the concept of a compact pistol, it’s small in size and big on ability. Don’t let the 2.25” blade fool you; this is a full-on, tactically inspired knife that’s ready to take on your largest cutting challenges. By keeping it wide at nearly one inch and using the drop-point style, Burnley was able to give the blade a good balance of tip strength and point geometry for utility tasks, packing all the functionality of a full-size tactical folder, into an easy to carry, compact design.

Just like any good gun, you want something that’ll keep you safe. That’s why the Squid™ comes with an internal frame lock and deep pocket clip for a secure carry.
When you’re ready for this knife to see some action, use the thumb stud to deploy the blade.

So go ahead and bring this sidearm with you wherever you go. Just remember, it’s loaded.” You can pick up this knife today at BladeOps.com and get a new favorite EDC knife.