when I got my first CR I was underwhelmed. it wasn't until i bought a few other knives at similar or even higher price points that i truly appreciated the quality of a CR knife.

I'm right there with you on your thoughts with CRK. I love my CRKs and the thing that I am always so impressed by is like you said, the crazy tight tolerances. I've never handle knives that has had tighter tolerances or even equal. Another thing I love about CRK is that EVERY corner, inside and out, of the knife is precisely beveled including the chamfer on the spine of the blade where the jimping is. There really is a reason that CRK is so distinguished and its not just hype!

this is for sure one the best knives i have. great review as always.

Once you own an Inkosi, or a Sebenza the rest is downhill. In this day and age when knives are discontinued constantly for various reason the CRK’s will keep on going. Also the ease of maintenance, warranty, availability of parts, fit and finish, quality, etc is what drew me to purchase their different models. You can get the knife all dirty with mud and its so easy to take it apart that you feel you can really use it. Screws are large and few. I know it doesn’t look like a work of art like other very high end flippers but it’s simplicity and F&F is what’s really beautiful. If I would hVe bought one when I started collecting I think I would have saved hundreds of dollars. As always, Great review doc. ⚔️

Really does not matter which CRK you get first. Others will follow. The Sebenza 21 is the flagship model. I bought that one first. Epitomizes glassy smooth with a little break in. Own several now. I love the Inkosi heft, especially with the micarta inlays. Great user knife. The Sebenza does cut slightly better. Have the Zaan too. It’s the least good ergonomics but feels like a fixed blade. Have the Mnandi for a gentleman carry and really like it too. Love them all. Use them all. I take full advantage of the CRK spa treatments. They bring your knife to near new condition for a very small fee. Great company. Excellent knives.

I’ve got the large inkosi and large sebenza. They are outstanding knives in all respects. One thing, however, about the action. The action is great! It’s not intended to be flicked. The thumb studs are fine. You have to accept, going into one of these knives, it’s not a flipper. It’s designed to drive open with your thumb, not flick. I’m not sure why everyone criticizes this aspect of these knives, when crk says, up front, they aren’t designed for this. I have flippers, and ones that can be flipped with thumb studs, and they are intended for that. If that’s what you want, a crk isn’t for you.

I really love your reviews. Thanks for taking the time to dive so deep into this world of knives. I was cleaning my large inkosi while watching this video and felt so proud of my purchase. In my mind, you’re a true pro. Thanks Doc!!

Cool beans Doc, i dig it !! I have a 21 that i love. Its been in my rotation for 5 years. Never gets old. I mostly carry it when in a specific mood or special occasions but lately gets a bit more action. Hard to beat a sebenza

I have a small and I love it. Wish the handle was .25” longer but it’s still comfortable. Smooth, small, pinnacle of my collection, perfect for where I live. I bought the filler tab and the leather sheathe, wouldn’t have it any other way 👍

hi doc,chris reeve knifes are some of the best, though I don't own a Inkosi I got a new 21 large about two months ago and fell in love with the fit/feel of the knife, thank you for posting.

Great review! Thank you. 😀🤘

The selling point for me is the clip. The clip does not rest on the lock bar, alleviating pressure on the lock bar and the blade. I don't own one but if I did this might be my first choice out of the Chris Reeve collection.

Agree on the blue studs! When i bought my 21 small insingo i ordered silver hardware and double studs!!! Damn i need symmetri ! I can see my self trying out an Inkosi. Thanks for the diagnosis.

I thought I was set with my Sebenza but video’s like these made me realize I needed an Inkosi as well. Think once buy twice 😉

I never held an Inkosi, but I do own several CRK knives. I have a Benchmade 761 and 765, and they are very similar in size and appearance to a small and large Sebenza 21. The Benchmades flick open easily, and have great workmanship. They don’t feel quite as solid as a Sebenza, however. They’re very close, but my small and large Sebenza knives couldn’t be more solid. Chris is gone from the company, so that bit of mystique is now missing. Ball bearings can make a knife blade deploy fast and easy, but I think that’s what’s holding the Benchmade 765 and 761 back in terms of solid feel. I carry a Spyderco Domino every day, and its ball bearings can get gritty with pocket fluff, etc. My final diagnosis is that CRK knives are the gold standard IF that’s what you’re looking for in a knife. If you want faster than the eye can see deployment, they fail. Fortunately, I don’t mind knives that take a second to open, and don’t drop freely on my fingers.

Just got the small inkosi I do love the smoothness due to the extra large washers but the dual torx system tends to pull the blade to the right and I don’t know why could it be misaligned when out together? Or am I just to anal

Please Dr tell me more about your milled clip?!? Where did you get yours? I have more questions about these lovely CRKs. There seems to be bead blasted and sand blasted handle scales and some appear to be darker than others? I would love to get a milled aftermarket clip but how do you get the finish and color to match? Then there's blade steel. While they have migrated to s45vn nowadays. Please what can you tell me about the performance of their Damascus offerings?? Thanks all

Awesome knife edc

Great review Dr. Frunkey! Where can I find a pocket clip with micarta inlayed into it like the one you have on your Inkosi? Thank you!

I finally got a small tanto inkosi how long before I have to send it in for sharpening or sud I just have someone sharpen it for me

Agree on the S35vn comments. On a CR it’s ok. But on anything else it better be a great design for me to pic up. Gotta get yourself a star tac. Once it’s broken it is amazing. I actually filed the edge of the detent hole and I love the result.

Nice review! My large Inkosi (brown linen micarta) could be my lone folder. Insanely high quality design execution. It's truly a Goldilocks knife.

The thumb stud will make your thumb sore if you open it A LOT but it's low profile and pressed into the blade and won't snag on anything in a self defense situation. I seldom like thumb studs but i love these. They are pure class. I loved the Sebenza 25 and this is the same knife that went from one quirky proprietary washer system to another. The notch in the blade stop was weird but so is the set up now. I like them about the same and look at this as a Sebenza 25 so how could i not like it.

Curious about your aftermarket clip. Did you say Millet clip? Currently deciding between this and the large Sebenza. I’ve had a few of them but never kept them. The inlays initially turned me off but the look has grown on me.

Great blade.... stii not sure if its as good as my Z-Hunter. 😂😂😂

Do you find the grind deeper on the Inkosi vs the shallow hollow grind on the 25? The same? Thank you!

Are the inlays screwed in under the scale or adhesive. Thanks

I'm really upset that I got a Sebenza 21 rather than an Inkosi but it was used and I couldn't resist the price.

Nice review Doc! I agree with most of what you say, I have four CRK knives, I like to think I am a user, not a collector! Yet I very rarely carry any of the CRK knives but am quite happy to "own" them, quite why? not sure. I think one of thee reasons for not carrying more is the lack of "fidget factor" there are many "lessor knives with a much higher and more enjoyable FF (Fidget Factor!)

Ive collected knives for 20 years, since the age of 15. This week I got my first CRK: a large inkosi It makes all my 200-300$ knives look like a joke Worth every penny

Nice video Doc. What is the link on that pocket clip?

If you don't like the studs, you can front-flip it. I have 3 Inkosis (2 large, 1 small], and it works great on all of them.

Good video doc it is a great knife if you appreciate the details and the balance

The action is why i love the umnumzaan way more than the sebenza... it has the same glassy smooth feel but it flicks very easy plus the thumb stud is way better and more comfortable

I'm looking forward in the next few days to comparing a new CR large Inkosi with my new Land 912 Reeve copy. So far, I'm very impressed with my Land. Amazingly, the CR will have some stiff competition, I think.

I'm having a very hard time choosing between this and the regular 21. If the inkosi didnt have the second choil it would be easy to pick this over the 21 but I have no idea.

Hahaha, I saw you sold this off today! I would have grabbed it (I’ve been saving for one) but I was covered in grease at the time ☹️. At the end of the day I knew this wouldn’t be frunky enough for you. It’s perfect for me though! 👍

I think that the studs on the Sebenza is designed to remind the owner that it IS a SEBENZA you are holding in your hand. Is it a good thing? idk But if it starts to grow on you... The studs newer let you forget it's name.

Had a small incosie insingo would not deploy one thumb stud, had to be Pinch grip .to open. CRK made it good .immediately. sent me a small 31 .both are top of the line. Prefer the 31 but had to settle for a drop point. So the tanto and insingo blade are 31 coming around the first of the year. So I'm think once buy twice guy !. Service and quality is the Best in the industry. Kerry

Would love an inkosi. have small 21 which i like.

Have yet to grasp any of the Reeve line,that said after watching many reviews and dissembles this is the model I’m after.

You can loosen a crk knife if you loosen to get better action, my opinion is that it’s actually off centered if you decide to do that but, because he makes the machine that makes his scales so flat! It gives off the illusion of being perfectly centered. When in reality it’s probably a millimeter off but you can’t tell. Anyway over time all knives even crk knives will be off centered with extended use. Depending on how much you use your knife it will never be the same as the day you bought it

I love his stuff, I own the PJ Lg Inkosi Insingo / Sm Inkosi Insingo / Sm CF Inkosi Insingo. See a pattern developing ? Thanks for the video Neuro Man (Just gave you a SUPER Hero Name)

Thumb stud design and pain from deploying is perhaps the worst issue as well as the slowness of opening caused by the thick fluorinated grease. Having thumb stud on both sides is useless since you cannot open the blade with the lockside stud. But I have enjoyed the small Inkosi enough to finally invest in the larger brother. I wonder if you will miss having your micarta version. I couldn’t justify the extra cost but it sure is good looking. Perhaps the wood inlay even more so.

S35VN is a good steel for a EDC it's not crazy expensive it's holds a nice edge and like u said its easy to keep a nice edge over many years of use Good video Bro 👍 😆

Accessibility! It’s the best steel for any user chris Reeve wants you maintain the knife! It hold an edge well it’s not as great as some of the other higher end steels like m390 or 20 cv but S35vn is easier to sharpen. Probably why clip point is his choice

Yep, I couldn't agree more! Love my large Inkosi (carbon fiber/insingo). The gold standard of a precision cutter for the common man :)

Doesn't s30v have an edge in wear resistance and the only areas s35vn has an advantage is ease of sharpening due to its finer grain structure and toughness which in my opinion doesn't matter much on a pocket knife

Good look n talk Doc, i like that one! I liked the tanto sabanza best so its the one i got , outstanding knife! On the downside i think one CRK is enough for me, thanks again take care

My explanation was for the average laymen who doesn’t get into technicalities and may not have that much experience in knife education after all we all started the same but we all do eventually get there😀😀

Agree. My Inkosi has ruined my experience of every other knife I've had.

There’s a common misexpectation with folk conflating the action of bearing flippers with that of pivots employing pb washers. Chris and CRK never intended the action to be similar, rather to bring out the potential of pivots running on washers, and the hydraulic action achieved there (an action not too un-similar to that produced with DRRBS, which is also different from typical mrbs action). That said after break-in the action can be more “free” but still different than a pivot on bearings or a pivot on washers with a looseness from lower tolerances.

I am a big fan of CRK! That’s a beautiful knife and I personally love S30V. All around great steel. Excellent talking points Doc! Thanks!

Chris Reeve realmente é uma faca diferenciada?

I have the large sebenza 21. I love the action, and it sounds like the inkosi is the same. I don’t get the need to flick these knives, however. If I wanna flick a knife, I carry my Benchmade’s or zt’s. They are designed for that. I got my seb with the understanding I won’t be able to flick it. I can, and it’s easy, but I don’t. It’s hard on the stop pin sleeve and the lock face. You can actually chip the fish on the lockface and deform the stop pin sleeve to the point of changing the lock up to a later lock up. It ruins it. It’s not designed for it. So when you get one of these knives, you need to understand it’s not flickable, but appreciate how smooth and easy it is, but don’t flick it unless your willing to ruin it.

I don't own a CRK. I need to to for all the reasons you give here.

Things the Benchmade bugout does better than CRK (not to say it's better quality, just pointing it out.) Easy flickability with PB washers. Blue anodized thumbstuds that don't wear even with years of use. Stronger lock (watch cold steel's testing of Axis and CRK frame lock). Ambidextrous lock. One third the weight. One third the price. Better pocket clip. More customization options.

My perfect Chris Reeve knife would look like this. 1. Ceramic detent and lock interface. 2. The best pivot system ever invented the Reeves bushing pivot. 3. Double silver thumb lugs, I feel the same way about the Bucky blue ano. 4. Millet knives style inlaid micarta clip. Adjustable pivots are meh compared to the bushing pivot but, the ceramic detent and lock interface is superior imo to the carbidized titanium lock bar. No one does frame locks better than Chris Reeve but the ceramic is a big step forward in the evolution and function of the original design.

The Inkosi washers and pivot are 100 times stronger than my Hinderers tiny washers and bearings... and my Hinderers can easily go off center which drives me insane - never with a Chris Reeve. I love both but the Reeve’s are the best knives made imo.

You almost sold me doc! 😉😁 But my ceiling for this particular piece is $350. I have $25 knives that auto-center perfectly after each disassembly so to see this one do it is not that amazing. To own a CRK for collecting purposes alone I’ll spend that money. Great presentation! 👍🏻👍🏻

The engineering and close tolerances of the Chris Reeves knives are far superior to anything else on the market. If the knife does not have the “flick ability” , find another knife. This is the best money can buy. BTW, I also have a Para Mil 2 with S110V for fidgeting.

Totally agree with you about S35VN, its a good steel. I avoid the super steels like Maxamet and M390, I understand they have great edge retention but I don't want to spend a lot of time sharping a knife when it's needed.

Lol not all knives need to be “tacticool” and fly open and fall closed like its on bearings to be considered worth buying. These knives are designed this way, they’re a tool and they work. Also as far as opening, you don’t put your thumb directly on top of the nipple or it will feel like that. You go behind the stud and push out

S35VN isn't crap steel, but it's hardly anything special, IMO. Same performance as CPM-154, S30V, etc. Most people can't tell the difference. A lot has to do with the heat treatment and hardness. Hinderer (prob most manufacturers) runs their S35VN harder than CRK. Some say it hold up better that CRK and that CRK runs their S35VN too soft. Hinderer has since switched to 20CV. CRK helped to develop S35VN (true). There are plenty of alternatives in the stainless camp that do both: resist corrosion and keep an edge longer than S35VN. Good steel. Not great.

I'm 95% sure the Inkosi has a hollow grind rather than a convex grind. That is the reason you liked it so much as a slicer.

If I could thumb flick the blade open smoothly and consistantly ,, I would buy 2 .

So you're telling me that an old man who doesn't think he has to to prove anything by being high speed and low drag and who doesn't flip his knife while watching videos should buy one? The review seems a bit ambiguous.

Great video... just wish all the reviewers could get the pronunciation correct... it is NOT Ink-OH-si (like in OH MY G...) it is pronounced... In-KAAAW-si. (like in AWE-SOME)

S35 > S30 Bc it’s easier on the machines that produce these blades. Plus for knife makers & a loss for the consumer.

The thumb studs suck ass . When I finally got several CRK's in hand I was so disappointed . My MCusta 121D has far superior thumb studs as does my Kizer Uli T1 . A Rat 1 or 2 has better thumb studs and better action and costs 30.00 . For 500.00 i expect more .

Use your thumbnail I do

For a lot of the review, it didn’t sound like it’s the gold standard. I was thinking about buying this knife but after watching your review, I don’t think I will. : (

Why doesnt anyone use their thumbnail to open the knife instead of the flesh? Thats what i do and my knives fly open

Love my Sebenza. But i don't like S35VN. Sorry. Still love Sebenza and Inkosi.

I hate flicky knives. Smooth and slow is better.

Part 2: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/hNBmo5uhm9zKioU.html

These knifes just don't get my attention. There are a lot better knives out there for the money. Great diagnosis. Doc

360p *gang* Alright, gonna start watching this now.

Part 1: kzfaq.info/get/bejne/areZeNGZppnSYHU.html