Knife Review: CRKT LCK+ Large Spring Assist Knife with a Satin Blade

The CRKT LCK+ Large Spring Assist Knife with a Satin Blade

The LCK+ is a fantastic everyday carry folding knife. However, it does have one thing that sets it apart from your other everyday carry folding knives: it has been built around the Assisted Opening innovation, which allows for crazy fast deployment speeds. In fact, if you blink, you juts might miss it. Not only does the LCK+ feature such a fast-opening mechanism, it also has other great qualities, such as the high-quality blade and the handle that is going to provide you grip in nearly any situation. Read on to find out why this speedy knife is the perfect knife for you.

The Blade:

While the main attraction of this knife is just how smooth and quickly the blade can be deployed, we can’t ignore the blade, which is also a great blade without the speed. The blade on this knife is made out of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel. The main attraction of 8Cr13MoV steel is that it works to keep the cost of the knife down. You get good bang for your buck, but the blade is not going to compete with the higher end knife steels. The best qualities of 8Cr13MoV steel are that it does have relatively high corrosion resistance and toughness. Both of these aspects are great qualities to have in your EDC blade, because you’re going to be using this knife frequently. These two qualities will work to keep the 

maintenance of the blade down, while allowing you to have a good quality blade each time that you do deploy it. The other big benefit is that it is a very easy blade steel to sharpen, so this knife is going to be easily maintained. This is also a great advantage of this steel for an EDC, because when it gets dull, you can easily have it re-sharpened and then you have your EDC back.

The blade has been finished with a satin finish. The satin finish is the most common finish. It falls in the middle of the spectrum—it isn’t the most reflective, but there are rougher finishes. It does increase the corrosion resistance of the blade, which is always an advantage on an EDC. It also adds a classy look to the knife but doesn’t truly stand out. Overall, the satin finish is a great finish, but it isn’t anything too special.

Finally, the blade has been designed in a drop point style. Like the satin finish, the drop point style blade is one of the most common. This is for good reason—it’s trustworthy and gets the job done. The drop point is a fantastic choice for an EDC because you have control over the point due to the lowered nature of it. But you also get a large cutting surface because of the large, extended belly. This means that you are going to be able to easily fulfill your day-to-day tasks with this blade.

The combination of the satin finish, the 8Cr13MoV steel, and the drop point blade work together to create a really solid EDC blade. Again, there are EDC’s with more additions, but if we’re talking bare bones, you can’t go wrong with any of these pieces. This means that the blade is going to be absolutely reliable, and only elevated with how quickly you can deploy it.

The Handle:

The handle is also really solid and reliable. It is made out of black glass-reinforced nylon that is both durable and lightweight. This material is one that you can’t go wrong with. It is both cheap, but it is also crazy tough and durable, some may say that it is even nearly indestructible. The glass-reinforced nylon handle and the 8Cr13MoV steel for the blade work together to make this a great budget friendly option. And don’t take budget friendly to mean lesser quality. These materials are reliable and a great option for your EDC. The handle is going to be able to take a serious beating without you having to worry about. And what could be better for your EDC knife that you know is going to get beat up throughout its usage?

The handle has grooves that go down the handle, which work to elevate your grip in practically any environment. This means that whether you are working in the mud, moisture, or even with grease, you are going to be able to keep a solid grip on this handle. Once again, CRKT has added this detail to make this a great EDC option. They have thought of almost any detail to make this LCK+ reliable and easy to work with.

The rest of the handle is super simple. It is essentially a rectangle, with both the spine and the belly being straight lines. The butt is slightly curved on the corners, just to cut down on any uncomfortable feelings. There is a very slight groove near where the blade and the handle meet. This can add a little bit of control to your grip.

Like the blade, the handle is a nearly perfect combination of details and materials to create a dependable, budget friendly EDC option.

The Opening and Locking Mechanism:

The opening mechanism is what really sets the LCK+ apart from any other EDC that you might have. This CRKT features the IKBS ball bearing pivot system. THE IKBS was designed by Flavio Ikoma and Rick Lala. Essentially, it is as system that sets lubed ball bearings into the folding knife point, which allows the blade to be deployed at a rapid speed while still incredibly smooth. The long version of the explanation is that the IKBS was actually originally designed for butterfly knives, but because it was such an exceptional innovation, it can be used in almost any kind of folding knife. Typically, it is found in a liner lock knife, which is exactly what the LCK+ is. The IKBS is set apart because the design allows the bulky elements of a moving system to be eliminated, which allows for much smoother opening. The IKBS even works to keep the liner lock in place, which makes it an even safer option to use for your EDC needs.

This is an assisted opening knife that sports a flipper. A flipper is super basic but works incredibly well. It is a piece of steel that is part of the blade. When the knife is closed, it extends out of the handle in a sharks’ fin shape. You use your thumb to pull back on this extension which activates the IKBS system and flips the knife open in record speed. There are a few major benefits to the flipper, one is that it is once the blade is deployed, the flipper is actually going to act as a finger guard, which is going to keep you even safer. Next, there is a slight learning curve to using the flipper, but once you do, it is super simple. Finally, the flipper allows you to open the knife with only one hand, which is really great for an EC, because you might have your hands full when you need to use this knife. The combination of the flipper and the IKBS system allow you to open your knife quickly, efficiently, and smoothly whenever you need it.

The liner lock is one of the most common lock mechanisms on folding knives. The basic design is that the blade’s liners are cut out and even bent, which creates a spring effect. This allows the back of the blade tang to be engaged when the blade is opened, which keeps it locked into place. The benefits of the liner lock are that it is simple to use and allows almost anyone to understand how to really work it. Just like the steel and the handle material, the liner lock is basic, but reliable, easy to work with, and makes a great addition to your great EDC.

The Pros:

The pros of the LCK+ is just how dependable of an EDC this really is. The blade steel, finish, and shape are common, but great options that work together to make a really nice EDC blade. With these materials, you know that you can work on whatever task you have at hand without damaging the integrity or quality of the blade. The blade is going to get the job done and get it done well. The handle is just as dependable. The glass-filled nylon is easy to work with, 

super tough, and super strong. This knife handle is going to be able to take a beating. One of the greatest aspects of the handle is that it has long grooves that go down the length of the handle, which allow you have a solid grip on the knife no matter what environment you are in. The blade material and the handle material are going to provide you with a low-cost knife that is not a low-quality knife. They work together to create a respectable, reliable knife.

The part that really sets the LCK+ apart from its competition is just how powerful and fast the deployment speeds are going to be. With the combination of the flipper and the IKBS ball bearing pivot system, you cannot go wrong. The combination of the two give you a system that is easy to work with, fast to use, and so, so smooth. You are going to be really surprised at how well this system works and how good it is for your EDC choice. The system allows you to open the knife with one hand and have the blade ready and locked into place in a moment’s notice.

The blade measures in at 3.62 inches long, which is plenty of cutting space, allowing you to easily slice. The blade has a thickness that measures in at 0.12, which is a sturdy blade, but not one that is going to feel or look ridiculously thick. Again, this blade has been practically perfected for your choice EDC. The handle measures in at 4.53 inches long, making the overall length of this knife 8.19 inches long. This is a larger knife, but due to the handle material, it is super lightweight, weighing in at a mere 2.8 ounces. This is even more reason that it makes such a great EDC choice—you can have it in your pocket, and it isn’t going to weigh you down whatsoever. You can easily take this wherever you go and the only time that you’ll have to think about it is right when you want to use it. And you’ll know that practically right in that moment, you can have the blade out and ready to use due to the exceptional opening mechanism.

The liner lock is just as dependable as the rest of the knife. Overall, the LCK+ is an EDC that you can easily rely on, turn to for pretty much any task because you don’t have to worry about the materials breaking down, and you don’t have to worry about putting a dent in your wallet. This knife is a great budget friendly option for your go-to EDC.

Final Thoughts:

The CRKT LCK+ was designed by Matthew Lerch in his signature look: functional art. This knife works exceptionally and looks great doing it. The blade turns into the handle with hardly even a seam. The materials work together to create function and form. Plus, the assisted opening allows you to simply flip the blade, which springs it into place, where it locks open ready for use in record time. In fact, blink, and you just might miss it. This knife is compact and powerful, the ideal option for your everyday carry folding knife because it has been built and designed around the Assisted Opening innovation. Better yet, this is a great option for your wallet as well, with the good quality materials at a great price. You won’t’ be able to beat the CRKT LCK+ Large Spring Assisted Knife with a satin blade. Make a good choice and order yours today from BladeOps.