Everyday Carry

CRKT Fall Releases

Authored by:
Gabriel Colin
CRKT Fall Releases

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Innovative and affordable knives, interesting collaborations, and impressive showings with each passing season—few do it as well as Columbia River Knife and Tool. And this year is no different, as they’ve covered 2021 with a strong lineup of knives and tools to fit every budget while pushing the limits of style and functionality for EDC. As we close in on the end of the year, we’ve picked out three more new knife releases from the brand, with some fresh takes on old favorites and new models to get excited for.


Provoke Compact

Upon first glance at the CRKT Provoke, its puzzling design looks nothing like most folding EDC knives on the market: its blade doesn’t sit under a scale, it’s oriented seemingly backwards when closed, not to mention its peculiar ring-shaped handle. But once the Provoke springs into action, its design becomes clear: it’s actually a modernized take on a karambit, a traditional Indonesian knife design with a curved blade that excels in self defense applications. Made in collaboration with custom knifemaker Joe Caswell, the Provoke was designed to stay neatly hidden away while closed, only to come alive with a push of its "kinematic manual deployment mechanism." Rather than swinging the blade out on a single pivot like most folding knives, this deployment mechanism leverages two crossbars to push the knife into its extended position instantly. The Provoke Compact is every bit Caswell's vision of a morphing karambit, in a size more suited for EDC.

It features a 2.26" blade made out of D2 steel in a hawkbill shape. This blade is about 0.2" shorter than the original Provoke, for added portability. When fully closed, the Provoke Compact measures in at 4.54", almost half an inch shorter than its larger counterpart. True to its name, the Provoke Compact is more portable thanks to its weight-saving aluminum handles, shaving its weight down to 4.41 oz instead of the usual 6.1 oz. Overall, the Provoke Compact comes as a unique knife for tactical applications, complete with a deployment mechanism that’s as innovative as it is performant, all in a pocket-friendly package for discreet EDC.

Pick Up the Provoke Compact


Kith

Coming all the way from Orangeville, Pennsylvania, this design by Ken Steigerwalt lives up to its name “Kith,” the Old English word for “friend.” Designed as a low-profile gentleman's knife, the Kith takes cues from traditional mid- and back-lock folders to make something entirely new: a folding knife with a front-lock mechanism that uses its liners as springs. This innovative type of deployment is not only easy and comfortable to use, but it will also give you added security, preventing accidental deployments inside your pockets. The drop point blade is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel and measures in at 2.95“, an ideal length that offers plenty of cutting edge to work with for daily tasks while adhering to many regional knife restrictions. Last but not least, the Kith's glass reinforced nylon scales take on an elegant, narrow shape befitting a low-profile gent's knife.

Pick Up the Kith


Piet Blue

Designed by renowned knifemaker Jesper Voxnaes, the Piet Blue is a sleek and functional EDC knife made for life in the city. Only 0.3“ thin, the Piet Blue brings portability to Voxnaes’s organic yet utilitarian design language. Don’t let its low-profile fool you—it still boasts a solid 2.69" blade made out of D2 steel that’s tough enough for an everyday carry. The blade features a useful drop point shape with an extremely fine tip, making it ideal for piercing and detail work, which is something you might do a lot of in an urban environment. This blade deploys via the use of an oversized thumbhole, giving you an easy ambidextrous operation. Once open, it stays securely in place thanks to a liner lock. The handles are made out of GRN and feature a slight texture to them for added grip. Finally, continuing to honor its name, the backspacer comes in a beautiful metallic blue for a pop of color.

Pick Up the Piet Blue

Discussion (1 total)

Tamorand ·
I went to a Knife show in Houston last week and got a chance to play with all the different versions of the Provoke, including a couple knock-offs.
I have been handling knives for 40 years and I have NEVER felt so uncomfortable handling a knife as I was trying to pocket carry, deploy, and simply USE the Provoke.
That is a dangerous knife. Doubly so for the user IMHO.