CRKT Remedy Knife Review

Columbia River Knife and Tool company was founded in Oregon in 1994. CRKT is an American company that is known for its distinction in design, selection, and quality. For over two decades at this point, CRKT has put innovation and integrity first, making a commitment to build products that inspire and endure. They operate on a simple principle: that the greatest thing they can give their customers is Confidence in Hand. To accomplish this principle, they have been collaborating with some of the greatest knife makers and designers in the world. These designers include Lion Mah, Steven James, Michael Walker, Greg Lightfoot, Tom Veff, Ron Lake, Steve Ryan, the Graham Brothers, Pat Crawford, Allen Elishewitz, Harold “Kit” Carson, and even Ken Onion. Throughout these collaborations, CRKT has ended up with fifteen patents and patents pending. Some of these have been the Veff Serrated edges, which was invented by Tom Veff, the OutBurst assist opening mechanism, and the Lock Back Safety mechanism.

CRKT was founded by Paul Gillespi and Rod Bremer, both of whom were formerly employed with Kershaw Knives. However, the company did not truly take off until 1997 Shot Show. This was the Shot Show that they introduced the K.I.S.S, Keep It Super Simple, knife, which was a small folder that Ed Halligan had designed. This folder was a major success and within the opening days of the Shot Show, the years’ worth of product had sold out. Since that year, they have expanded the width of their products and ow sell a wide range of fixed blades and folding knives, multi tools, sharpeners, and carrying systems.

They have recently released a brand new everyday folder that is called the Remedy.

 

The Designer:

Liong Mah is the man behind this knife. He is from Palm Bay, Florida. CRKT says, “IF we didn’t know any better, we’d think the English definition of Mah is ‘practical’.” This is because Liong incorporates useful sensibility into all of his designs. Some examples of this useful sensibility is the G.S.D, the Eat’N’Tool, and the 2015 Mah-chete. As a kid, where others doodles cartoons in their school notebooks, he drew knife designs. Later, having learned CAD, he was able to bring these ideas to life by collaborating with many of the top designers in the industry.

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel. This is a Chinese steel that comes from the series Cr. In this series, the 9Cr formula is the top quality, with 8Cr falling shortly behind it. When comparing this steel to another type of steel, the most common comparison is AUS 8 steel, however, AUS 8 steel is slightly superior. 8Cr steel is a stainless steel, so it will resist rust up to a point, however, since it is a softer steel, you will need to keep up on your maintenance with the blade to keep it in great shape. Because this is a softer steel, it will be extremely easy to sharpen and you will be able to get a very sharp edge on it. And it will keep its edge for long periods of time. One of the best advantages that this steel boasts is how inexpensive it is. So while the steel will get the job done, it is considered an average steel, and it won’t excel at anything.

The finish on this steel is a satin finish. This finish is created by sanding the knife in one direction repeatedly with increasing levels of an abrasive. The main characteristic of this finish is how it showcases the lines of the steel. This finish provides you with a very classic look. This is because it is a traditional look that lies in the middle of how shiny the finish is. A mirror finish is going to be more reflective than a satin finish and a matte finish is going to be much less reflective than a satin finish.

The blade has been carved into a drop point blade shape. This is one of the most popular blade shapes that you are going to find and for good reason: this is one of the best all-purpose styles that you can find. To form this shape, the back, or unsharpened 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. The lowered point is what gives this blade shape so much control. One of the most common places that you are going to find a drop point blade shape is on a hunting knife. The reason that this is one of the most common places is because of how easily controllable the tip is. This tip makes it easier to avoid accidentally nicking the internal organs or ruining the meat of your game. The lowered point also adds strength to the tip. Drop point and clip point blade shapes are often times confused, because they are both very popular and very versatile. The biggest difference between the two is the tip and the strength behind the tip. On a clip point blade shape, the point is sharper, thinner, and finer, which gives you all of your stabbing capabilities. However, it also makes the tip much weaker and more prone to breaking or snapping during heavy duty use. The drop point is broad, so you don’t have most stabbing capabilities, which is one of the only drawbacks to this blade shape. However, because it is broader, you have crazy amounts of strength behind your point, which allows you to do the heavier duty tasks. This strong point also makes this blade shape a very popular style for tactical or survival knives. One of the last reasons that this blade shape is so crazy versatile is because of the large belly that provides you with enough length to make slicing a breeze. This large belly is why the drop point blade shape is found on so many everyday carry knives. All in all, the drop point blade shape is truly all encompassing. You will be prepared to take on all of the expected situations and also all of the unexpected ones that will pop up.

The edge on the Remedy is a traditional plain edge. One of the worries about having a plain edge is that it won’t be able to saw through those thicker and tougher materials like a serrated edge would be able to. While this is correct in most situations, and while a plain edge will never have the sawing capabilities that a plain edge will, if you get your plain edge sharp enough, it will be able to take on some of these materials. The plain edge has been designed for excelling at push cuts, slicing, skinning, and peeling. The plain edge is a perfect option for this everyday carry knife. One of the last benefits to an everyday carry knife is that it is easier to sharpen, because it does lack the teeth that a serrated or combo edge would sport.

On the spine of the handle, right where the blade meets the handle, there is a row of jimping to give you some extra control over your cuts.

 

The Handle:

The handle on the Remedy has been made out of stainless steel. This material is going to provide you with some of the best durability and resistance to corrosion and rusting that you can find. This is also an extremely strong material. Because of these three characteristics, the Remedy is going to excel at your everyday tasks, but it is also going to have the strength to take on those tougher tasks. There are a handful of drawbacks to a stainless steel handle though, the first being that it is not a lightweight material. Because the Remedy has a stainless steel handle, you are going to be able to feel it when it is in your pocket, but it isn’t so heavy that it is going to pull your pants down. The other major drawback to having a stainless steel handle is that it doesn’t provide you with exceptional grip and can be slippery. The jimping on the blade will help with grip, but CRKT has also added some layering/texturing to the back of the handle to provide you with a quality grip. There is also a very deep finger groove so that your fingers won’t slip and if by chance they do slip, there is a finger guard to protect yourself from getting sliced.

On the butt of the handle, there is a small lanyard hole. A lanyard will benefit you with this stainless steel handle because when you are using the Remedy, you can actually fold the lanyard over the palm of the knife to provide you with some extra texture. This benefit will be the best if you are trying to perform some of the heavier duty tasks. Or, you can loop the lanyard over your hand or wrist while using the Remedy to keep yourself from dropping the knife. This last point will be especially good if you are working in wet situations. With the remedy, the lanyard can really be an advantage.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip is stainless steel to match the rest of the knife as well as the hardware on the knife. The pocket clip has a small waist and a flared end. It is not quite skeletonized, but it does have areas that have been carved out. The clip on the Remedy has been statically designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle.

 

The Mechanism:

The Remedy is a folding knife that features a flipper assist opening mechanism. It is this flipper that will become the finger guard when the blade has been deployed. There are a handful of benefits to having a flipper as opposed to a thumb stud or slot, and the biggest one is that it keeps your fingers out of the blade’s way during the entire deployment.

This knife also features the IKBS ball bearing system. This system was designed by Flavio Ikoma and Rick Lala. The system sets lubed ball bearings into the folding knife pivot. The result of this system is a rapid blade deployment that is smooth and fast.

The last mechanism that this knife sports is the frame lock. The frame lock and the liner lock are very similar but the biggest difference between the two is that the frame lock uses the handle to form the frame and therefore the lock. Just like the liner lock, the frame lock is situated with the liner inward and the tip engaging 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 it at its furthest point. Frame locks are known for their strength and thickness, so the Remedy is going to be able to take on those tougher tasks. And you won’t have to worry about it failing you and the blade snapping down on your fingers in the middle of a task.

 

The Specs:

The blade on the Remedy is 3.572 inches long with a blade thickness of 0.137 inches. The overall length of this knife is 8.313 inches long with a closed length of 4.732 inches long. Because of the stainless steel handle, this knife does weigh more than your average knife, weighing in at 5.4 ounces.

 

Conclusion:

The Remedy is one of many new models that CRKT has released this year. It was designed by Liong Mah and the classy flipper was modeled after a traditional Finnish Puukko knife. This model features a stainless steel handle, a drop point style blade that is sports a satin finish, and a pocket clip that is designed for tip up carry only on the traditional side of the handle. The Remedy will change the way you view your everyday carry knives. Pick yours up at BladeOps today.