Over the past few years CRKT has really stepped up their game by putting out great EDC knives with unique designs and superior feature sets at a more affordable price point. A great example is the crowd favorite Squid—a compact folding knife designed by Lucas Burnley, boasting a stout blade and a solid frame lock. Despite its popularity, more discerning EDCers felt the cheaper 8Cr13MoV steel in the blade held it back from being a top contender for the best bang-for-your-buck blade. CRKT heard it all loud and clear and recently updated the Squid with premium D2 tool steel and a new, blacked out stonewash finish to match. If you haven’t had a chance to see what the hype is about, now’s the best time to add this little big knife to your rotation.
Compared to the original knife, the upgraded Squid D2 has a stronger, more robust steel that’s achieves a higher hardness than 8Cr13MoV, leading to a sharper edge and better edge retention overall. It’s also able to take more of a beating, making those hard-use tasks that come up every once in a while something you don’t have to sweat about at all, especially with the reliable frame lock at the handle. Besides the steel this updated Squid keeps the stout drop-point blade shape that made the original a solid contender. At just 2.156” in length, it’s small and pocketable while being more versatile for carry, especially in places with stricter blade length regulations. At the tip of the blade is a well-defined point for easy piercing, and the pronounced curve near the tip also lends to ease of use when it comes to delicate slicing tasks. With its large ambidextrous thumbstud, finding the blade and opening it quickly is easy. It’s set up for right-handed tip-up carry, but it also has a lanyard hole at the pommel if you prefer carrying this small knife in that way.
With the new Squid D2, CRKT has taken a great everyday carry blade and made it even better by giving it the blade steel the original design deserved. If you sat on the original design because of the steel, now’s the time to pick it up. And if this is your first EDC knife, it lets you get high quality steel in your hands at a manageable price point. Check out the CRKT Squid D2 now at the link below.
