Over the past couple of years CRKT has really hit the ground running by putting out high quality everyday carry knives made in collaboration with renowned custom knifemakers. Better yet, they’ve been able to do this while maximizing value for your money, offering their designs at affordable price points that can fit within any EDC budget. This year, CRKT continues to introduce great everyday carry blade designs that deserve your attention. In this latest release, they’ve ramped up their partnership with Ken Onion to bring you more of his custom expertise in production knives you can actually buy. Check out his latest designs in our quick roundup below.
Stylus
The Stylus is a slim and sleek modern gent’s everyday carry knife designed by Ken Onion, which pairs a 3.18″ 12C27 Sandvik stainless steel blade with a lightweight textured aluminum handle and a lightning-quick spring-assisted flipper opening with smooth IKBS ball bearings at the pivot point. This assisted opening feature makes this ideal for one-handed operation, and a secure liner lock holds everything in place during use. The slender profile of the drop-point blade helps it get into tight spaces and its thin profile makes it great for regular package opening use too. There is a bit of a recurve built into the belly that improves its slicing capability as well, making the Stylus an all-around classy EDC tool.
Shenanigan Maroon
The Shenanigan is a reintroduction of one of Ken Onion’s classic designs, improved in 2021 with a new spring-assisted opening and IKBS ball bearing pivots. The blade steel has also been switched to 1.4116 compared to the original’s AUS-8 stainless steel, and the blade is slightly longer at 3.35″ in this edition. The new blade also comes with the signature organic blade shape that’s often found on Ken Onion’s designs, with a well-defined point mixed with an extended belly on the blade and a slight recurve that makes this knife a great slicer no matter where you are in the cut. And the dark stonewashed blade contrasts nicely with the red glass-reinforced and ergonomic nylon handles that provide you the best grip on the blade during use.
Shenanigan Black with Veff Serrations
The addition of Veff Serrations turns this version of the Shenanigan into a rough-and-ready tactical knife with a blacked-out design to complete the look. The aggressive Veff Serrations on the blade make cutting through rough material like rope easy compared to its plain-edge counterpart. Not only do the larger Veff serrations offer improved cutting performance through tough material, but their size also makes them easier to sharpen and maintain.
