Knife Review: CRKT Eric Ochs Intention Assist Knife

The CRKT Eric Ochs Intention Assist Knife with a Stonewash Blade

The CRKT Intention was designed by Eric Ochs, who is known for making knives that are seriously rugged. The Intention is just that: rugged. The blade is made out of a high-carbon stainless steel, which is the ideal option for this tactically inspired EDC folding knife. You can easily use this for tactical needs, but it is not so intense that you couldn’t use it for your EDC needs as well. The drop point blade shape has a reinforced tip, which adds to the strength and ruggedness that this knife sprots. Even better, the handle has been made out of G10, which is durable and will offer you grip in a wide variety of situations and circumstances. In fact, the G10 handle has been designed around the offset center detail with reverberating details for a two-fingered balance grip. Finally, the CRKT Intention has been equipped with an assisted opening mechanism as well as the IKBS ball bearing pivot system. This folding knife is going to get the job done when you need it most. From tactical to EDC, there isn’t much that the Intention cannot handle.

The Blade:

The blade on this CRKT folding knife is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel, which is known to be a budget steel. However, when it comes to budget steels, this is definitely one of the best. Some budget steels require the quality to be seriously compromised, but with 8Cr13MoV steel, you are getting some serious bang for your buck. This steel is super easy to sharpen, which does mean that you can get a good, sharp edge with ease. Having a sharp edge is a massive necessity for an EDC, because it allows you to whip out your pocketknife and take on whatever is at hand. The other massive advantage of 8Cr13MoV steel is that it is highly resistant to corrosion, even better than some more expensive knives. This means that maintenance is a breeze, and you won’t have to spend loads of time keeping this steel quality.

Next, the blade on this Eric Ochs designed knife has been finished with a stonewashed blade. This continues the ease of maintenance, because the stonewashed finish has a textured appearance to it. This textured appearance can easily hide scratches, dings, or other wear and tear that is bound to accumulate on an EDC pocketknife. Plus, Eric Ochs is known for his rugged designs and the stonewashed finish is one of the more rugged-looking finishes that you are going to come across int eh cutlery industry. The stonewashed finish also pairs really well with the rest of the knife design, which is all rugged and tough. This finish only enhances what the blade can already do, and makes it look good while it does it.

Finally, one of the most unique aspects of the CRKT Intention is the blade shape itself. The blade is a version of the drop point, although it has many modifications to it. First, it has a reinforced tip, which does mean that the tip is going to be a bit thicker than your standard drop point, but it also means that it is going to be a lot tougher than your standard drop point. This reinforced tip allows you to move about your day and take on any of your EDC needs. Plus, since this is a tactically inspired design, you could even get away with performing some of your tactical needs with this knife. Next, the belly is not your traditional curved belly that a drop point blade shape typically has. Instead, it starts of straight and then angles upward about halfway up the blade. This shape still provides the cutting surface that is needed for your slicing though.

The Handle:

The handle on the Intention is another design feature that is supe unique to the CRKT Intention. First, it is made out of black G10. G10 is made out of fiberglass and resin, which means that it is a tough, hard, strong, and super lightweight material. Already, there are massive benefits to having a G10 handle on an EDC or tactical knife. The main advantage is that it really can stand up to a massive number of environments, circumstances, situations, and can take a beating in the process. This handle material will ensure that the Intention is just as tough and rugged as it looks like it is. Plus, because it is a lighter weight material, the G10 handle allows the CRKT Intention to be just slightly larger than your standard EDC, without weighing any more than your standard EDC.

Next, the actual design of the handle is unique as well. In the middle of the G10 handle, there is an offset detail hole, which is surrounded by ripples for a unique aesthetic and grip option. These ripples will ensure that in most environments, you are going to have a solid grip on this pocketknife. Plus, the offset detail hole does cut down slightly on weight as well, because it is less material than if there were no hole.

The rest of the handle has also been designed with intention. The spien is mostly straight, but does have a slight curve to it, which allows it to fit more comfortably in your hand. Then, the belly of the handle has two inverse grooves with a slight point in the center of the belly. This design will allow the knife to fit more comfortably in your palm and relive some of the stress, which means that you can use it for longer periods of time. The butt of the Intention’s handle is rounded.

The Mechanisms:

The first mechanism that I want to get into detail about is the assisted opening mechanism. The assisted opening mechanism is a great in-between opening mechanism. It isn’t as manual as a traditional folding knife, because the opening mechanism is going to kick in part way through the process. But it’s also not as legally restricted as a fully automatic knife. The assisted opening mechanism is a great in-between, a well-balanced folding knife that will be easy to use. CRKT explains how assisted opening works writing “it’s held securely closed in your pocket, but initiate the deployment, and part way through the rotation the blade opens at impressive speed for simple, powerful, one-handed opening.” One of the most important aspects that CRKT mentions is how you can open this knife with just one hand. This is going to make deployment a breeze. Plus, whether you are working on an everyday task that you need to keep one hand on, or whether you’re in an intense tactical situation, the opening is going to be easy and fumble-free. You should not have issues getting this knife opened.

The assisted opening mechanism is paired with a flipper. The flipper is a small piece of the blade’s metal that extends out of the back of the handle when the knife is closed. To open the knife, and trigger the opening mechanism, you pull back on the flipper, which will swing the blade open and lock it into place. One of the biggest advantages about the flipper is that once the knife is opened, this piece of metal acts as an enhanced finger guard, which just adds an element of safety to this unique knife.

Another feature of the Intention is that it boasts the IKBS ball bearing pivot system. This ball bearing pivot system was designed by Flavio Ikoma and Rick Lala. It is a system that sets the lubed ball bearings into the folding knife pivot. This removes the need for any of the bulkier parts of the opening system, which cuts down on weight and drag. The result is a blade that can be smoothly and quickly flipped open. The biggest advantage of the IKBS ball bearing system is just how quickly and smoothly the knife is going to open. The lack of drag means that if you are in a tactical situation, you don’t have to worry about precious seconds when each and every second counts. If you are using the CKRT Intention has solely an EDC, then the IKBS is going to make your life smoother and more convenient.

The Details:

The details of the Intention are also a perfect combination of design elements for a knife that you are going to want to have with you at all times. The blade on the Intention measures in at 3.53 inches long, which is a standard size for an EDC knife. This provides enough cutting area that you don’t have to worry about actually completing any task. However, it also does not provide too much extra cutting surface, which could make this EDC feel unwieldy. The advantage of having the ideal cutting length is that you can easily use this without feeling like the knife is overpowering you. You have complete and total control over the blade at all times, which can be critical in a tactical situation. Next, the blade measures in with a thickness of 0.12 inches. This is also an ideal thickness, because it means that this knife is going to be more durable and easier to use because you don’t have to baby it. You won’t have to worry about the blade snapping, because the thickness provides the durability and stability that you desire out of your EDC.

Next, the handle measures in at 4.5 inches long, which makes the overall length of the Intention comes in at 8 inches even. The benefits of having the handle measures in at 4.5 inches is that that provides enough room for you to comfortably hold onto the knife. However, it also does not bring too much extra length into the picture, which allows the overall length of the knife to be kept smaller. Since the overall length of the knife is kept smaller, the CRKT Intention is an easy knife to have with you at all times, which is exactly what is important with an EDC knife. A good EDC is one that is convenient for you to have with you at all times, and one that you want to have with you at all times. The Intention checks the box for both of those aspects.

Finally, the Intention weighs in at 3.6 ounces. This is a great weight for an EDC, because it is not so large that it becomes annoying to have with you. But it is also not so lightweight that you feel you cannot really get any task done. Again, like many elements of the Intention, the weight is in that Goldilocks realm.

Lastly, the Intention features a pocket clip that provides a secure carry. This low-profile pocket clip is attached to the back handle scale. Like the blade, the pocket clip has been finished with a stonewashed finish, which does add in continuity to the knife. The clip is mostly straight with a slight lip at the butt. CRKT’s logo is stamped in the middle of the clip. The secure pocket clip is one more design feature that really elevates the Intention, because it allows you to easily have this EDC with you at all times.

Final Thoughts:

The CRKT Intention, designed by Eric Ochs, is sure to make waves. This knife takes inspiration from tactical every day carry knives and is crafted around the idea that your intentions and actions have the ability to make a wave of change. In the middle of the G10 handle is an offset detail hole, surrounded by ripples for a unique aesthetic and grip option. The drop point blade is built of high-carbon stainless steel and features a reinforced tip. The smooth feature of this knife is complemented by the smooth action open of the Assisted Opening and the IKBS ball bearing pivot system. “With the Intention, one move could change everything.” This is a great knife to have with you at all times, because it is so durable and quality. With the Intention, you are prepared for anything that may come your way. Order yours today from BladeOps.