CRKT Fossil Knife Review

Columbia River Knife and Tool company, or CRKT, is an American company that is known for distinction in design, selection, and quality. For more than 20 years, CRKT has put innovation and integrity first, making a commitment to build products that inspire and endure. They collaborate with the best designers in the world and operate on a simple principle: that the greatest thing they can give their customers is Confidence in Hand. This company was founded in 1994 and is currently based in Tualatin, Oregon. This company was founded by Paul Gillespi and Rod Bremer.

CRKT did not truly take off until the Shot Show in 1997. This was when they introduced their knife the K.I.S.S. This was a small folder that had been designed by Ed Halligan and it was a success. Within the opening days of the Shot Show, the years’ worth of the knife had sold out.

CRKT produces a wide range of fixed blades and folding knives, multi tools, sharpeners, and carrying systems. They have collaborated with custom knife makers such as Ken Onion, Harold Carson, Allen Elishewitz, Pat Crawford, Liong Mah, Steven James, Greg Lightfoot, Michael Walker, Ron Lake, Tom Veff, Steve Ryan, and the Graham Brothers.

As of right now, CRKT owns fifteen different patents and they have multiple patents pending. Some of the patents that they currently own is the Outburst Assist opening mechanism, Lock Back Safety mechanism, and Veff Serrated Edges.

CRKT knives are durable, reliable, and will last a lifetime with you. They are committed to innovation, so you know that when you purchase a CRKT knife, you are purchasing a knife with the newest technology on the market. One of their newest releases is the Fossil, and it is a game changer.

 

The Designer:

This knife was designed by Flavio Ikoma, who is from Presidente Prudente, Brazil. He says that ever since he was a young kid, he has wanted to be a knife maker. In his adolescence, he worked on knives of the Japanese sword variety in his father’s shop. He has gone on to learn metallurgy, to work with Ken Onion, and to become a force for innovation. Flavio brought to market the revolutionary IKBS ball bearing pivot system, along with Rick Lala. He has also evolved the classic locking liner with the ILS safety, which is exclusively available from CRKT in the No Time Off knives.

The Blade:

The blade on the Fossil is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel. This is a Chinese steel that actually belongs in a series of different Cr formulas. The most quality out of the Cr steels is 9Cr, however, 8Cr is close behind. This steel is most commonly compared to AUS 8 steel. AUS 8 steel is the superior steel out of the two though. 8Cr steel is softer, less durable, and more prone to rusting and corrosion. But don’t let yourself be turned away from this steel because of that. Just because this steel doesn’t resist rust and corrosion as well as AUS 8, it is still considered to be a stainless steel and will resist rust and corrosion with the help of good maintenance and the proper environment. And because this steel is a little bit softer, it is a breeze to sharpen. Many knife sharpeners could sharpen 8Cr steel in their sleep. This steel also holds an edge very well and you can get a very fine edge on this steel. One of the biggest advantages that this steel boasts is how inexpensive it is. But, with steel, you do get what you pay for, so while this is an average steel that can get the job done, it will not excel at anything.

The finish on the 8Cr13MoV steel is a satin finish. This finish is created by sanding the steel in one direction with increasing levels of an abrasive material. This material is usually sandpaper. This finish is usually considered to be in the middle of all of the finishes. It does help to resist rust, but there are finishes that resist rust easier. And while it does cut down on glares and reflections, it is nowhere near matte. However, it is also not a super shiny finish like a mirror finish. This is a classic finish that will provide you with an elegant look. The biggest characteristic that the satin finish has it how it showcases the lines of the steel.

This steel has been carved into a drop point blade shape. This blade shape is created by having the unsharpened edge of the blade, or the back of the blade, slowly curve until it reaches the sharpened edge of the blade, forming a lowered point. The lowered, or dropped, point, is where this blade shape gets its name from. This dropped point provides the user with a variety of different advantages. One of these advantages is that with a lowered point, you have more control over your cuts and slices. This is open of the reasons that it is such a popular blade shape among hunters. They don’t have to worry about slipping or nicking any of the organs or damaging the game’s meat. One of the other advantages that the lowered point provides is that it makes it a broader point. Because of this, the knife has much more strength behind the tip, so you can take on the heavier duty tasks without worrying about snapping the point of your blade. This shape of blade is known as one of the most versatile blade shapes on the market. While the strong tip is one of the reasons it is so versatile, the biggest reason why it is so versatile is because of the large belly. This blade has a big belly with plenty of length to make slices a breeze. Most of your everyday tasks involve some form of slicing, so having a blade that can easily slice is a big feature that you should be looking for in an everyday carry blade.

On back end of the blade, near the handle, there is a cut out portion of the blade. This cut out portion adds a unique look to the blade, but you can also use it to flip the knife open if you prefer.

 

The Handle:

The handle on the Fossil is made out of stainless steel with a G10 overlay. Stainless steel is one of the most durable handle materials that you are going to find. It is also extremely resistant to corrosion, which does cut down on maintenance time. However, this material is not lightweight at all; it adds quite a bit of heftiness to your knife. One of the other drawbacks to a stainless steel knife handle is that it can be rather slippery. To combat this, the manufacturer has to add some sort of texture to the handle. In the Fossil’s case, CRKT has carved out dimples in the stainless steel and the G10 overlay to make it look like an aged fossil.

The stainless steel portion of the handle has a G10 overlay. G10 is a laminate composite that is made out of fiberglass. This material has similar properties to carbon fiber, except that it is much cheaper to produce. To make this material, the manufacturer takes layers of fiberglass cloth and soaks them in resin, then compresses them and bakes them under pressure. The resulting material is crazy tough, hard, very lightweight, yet still strong. Because it is such a lightweight material, it helps to keep down the weight, because the stainless steel is so heavy. G10 is actually considered to be the toughest of all the fiberglass resin laminates. To make for a solid and comfortable grip, the manufacturer will add texture to the G10. Like I mentioned, this G10 has had dimpling added to make it look like an actual fossil. The G10 overlay on the Fossil is a dark brown color, which adds a nice contrast to the silver stainless steel. Where the dimples have been formed, the G10 has more of a black color to it.

On this handle, there is a deep finger groove to provide you with a secure grip no matter what the environment is. CRKT has also added a finger guard to keep your fingers safe from slipping and cutting yourself on the sharp blade. On the butt of the handle, there is some shallow, thick jimping.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip is kept in place by three small, silver screws. The silver screws and pocket clip match the rest of the hardware on this knife. This is a tip up pocket clip that can be carried on the right hand side.

 

The Mechanism:

This is folding knife with that sports a frame lock. The frame lock is situated with the liner inward and the tip engage the bottom of the blade. The frame lock is released by applying pressure to the frame to move it away from the blade. When it is opened, the pressure on the lock forces it to snap across the blade, engaging at its furthest point. Frame locks are known for their strength and thickness.

This knife uses a flipper mechanism to deploy the blade. The flipper is a triangular, sharks fin shaped protrusion that juts out of the back of the handle when the blade is closed. To deploy the knife, you pull back on the flipper, which puts enough of pressure on the blade to “flip” it open. Once the blade is opened, it locks into place because of the frame lock. The flipper protrusion is also the piece of the blade that turns into the finger guard when the blade is opened.

The Fossil also sports the IKBS ball bearing opening mechanism. This mechanism was invented by the designers Flavio Ikoma and Rick Lala. This is a system that sets lube ball bearings into the folding knife pivot. The result is a rapid blade deployment that is smooth and fast.

Even though this is a manual opening knife, it won’t feel old fashioned at all. This knife opens quickly, smoothly, and efficiently. Because it is a manual opening knife, there won’t be any of the pesky knife laws that come with having a switchblade.

 

The Specs:

The Fossil comes with a lifetime warranty. The blade on this folding knife is 3.96 inches long, with a thickness of 0.15 inches. When the knife is opened, it measures in at 8.88 inches long, and has a closed length of 4.95 inches long. This knife weighs in at 6.1 ounces.

 

Conclusion:

Even though Columbia River Knife and Tool company took around three years to truly take off, they haven’t really slowed down since. They have developed a reputation of designing and making quality knives that stand the test of time. They have a commitment to innovation, so they are always trying to collaborate with the best knife makers and designers in the world. Because of this, they can provide you with some of the newest, most innovative, and ground breaking technology that is around. When you purchase one of CRKT’s knives, you know that it will be able to take a beating and survive with you throughout your adventures.

The Fossil was designed by Flavio Ikoma. This knife will really be able to take on anything that you throw at it. To start off, Flavio chose 8Cr13MoV steel, which is a durable steel that can get a crazy fine and sharp edge. This steel is able to get the job done. The blade sports a pain edge and a satin finish that effectively shows off the lines in this blade. To match a great blade, Flavio chose to make the handle out of a stainless steel that sports G10 overlays. The dimpling in the handle provides you with an exceptional grip, while also making it look like an actual fossil. This is a manual opening knife that sports a flipper, a frame lock, and the IKBS Ball Bearing Pivot System. This knife will be a fantastic addition to your knife collection. Pick yours up today at BladeOps.