Fast forward to 2020: This knife has replaced my Delica, Caly 3, and Dragonfly. Mine has the Natural Linen Micarta inserts which are functional as well as aesthetically pleasing. I do love my Spyderco's, but this CRK fits squarely in the small and light, yet high quality and value category.

Regarding the card they include with every knife that warns the owner about how sharp the blade is: Back in the mid 90's, Chris Reeve himself was sharpening every blade by hand, on a slack belt grinder. That creates a "Moran edge", which is convex and cuts unbelievably well when it's done right, while lasting a very long time too. Those knives were so sharp that it was almost shocking. That card was a smart idea then, to warn the owner that this was sharper than any knife they had ever seen and to be careful. Now, of course, the edges are flat ground like any other blade and the card seems dumb. But it would have looked bad to suddenly stop including the card when the edges became average, so they had to keep including it and probably always will.

Just got this knife in s45vn in oct 2021 (knife born sept 2021) and seriously impressed, every grind and edge is perfect. The sand/rock texture on the titanium smooths out very quickly. The edge is very polished right out of box, very well done, i do believe its convex so first sharpening will take awhile but no complaints on edge otherwise. It fits my hand perfectly, id imagine longer fingers/bigger hands wouldn’t fit well. For me what works good opening, is thumbnail flick it out halfway, then slow roll the rest of the way. I can slow roll the blade out the entire way, but other way is faster, and easier on the thumb. Anyway, highly recommended in 2021. Ps love your reviews nick

Excellent and honest review - thanks for posting.

Gotta love Nick's OG voice in these early reviews!! :)

Nick, really diggin your vids and just subscibed .. wanted to say I've had my Inkosi now for just over a month. It is my user and been re-sharpened and has some snail trails on it. I also took of the blue..everywhere. Opened and cleaned now many many times. This is one of my favorite knives by a long shot. I do have all CRK's and then some and in many combinations ..in all I have a very decent collection. The 25 micarta I have I think is one of his best, I know this is viewed as a small 25, but it really isn't in the way a small 21 is to the large 21. It is a stand alone knife, and the only high quality small folder around ..I have an Unfaan as well and that is the penultimate high quality smaller folder, alas no longer made. I have large hands size 10 and I find the ergo's superb, a comfy four fingers all the time and all hand positions seem to work for me. It thumbs out like a boss, blade drops free ..always centered. I thumb out left handed just as easy. The Inkosi is the bomb..seriously I feel it's a classic in the making. IMHO worth every penny and I do highly recommend this to anyone. Great review and really enjoyed your view on this and other blades you do.

Mine came razor sharp just got it today and love the texture love the blade thickness!! Just an amazing knife

You're doing a great job with your reviews. Keep up the good work

Thanks, great review.

Excellent review! keep it up.

Are you a voice actor? Your voice has so much character. I think you would play characters from the 1950's really well and I don't mean that as a negative! Great review by the way, you've got a new subscriber!

I actually love how it feels in my hand. I'm fortunate to have an excellent knife shop in town that always has Chris Reeve knives in stock. It's my favorite EDC.

Nick, I have to agree with you, the finger protrusions have always looked uncomfortable to me, which is why I haven’t bought this knife. Thank you, for saving me some money.

Nick, you should totally do a disassembly of the inkosi small or large, that would be awesome because no one has any vids of that up.

Thanks for another great review. The ergonomic issues seem to be a universal agreement with most users: most guys seem to prefer the small Sebenza 21 over the small Inkosi but the large Inkosi over the large Sebenza 21. I'm curious about the Mnandi's ergos as a gentlemen's folder but can't really justify the price atm since I edc a plain small Sebenza 21. Also, I just took delivery of a grey lightweight Chaparral yesterday so that role may be filled (I would like some nicer dark wooden scales for it though).

thanks your review. ve y good as always. here is something that i have yet to hear any one talk about with Chris reeve knives. and that is they are not cheap and there is noway to test one without buying one getting one in ones hands and being able to say yea i want it you have to take a leap of faith. i cant help but wonder if a lot of postive reviews are not a result of people justifying there purchase.

Thanks for the review.

did the heavy weight nano oil make the deployment faster over the grease?

The texture is not rough on your pockets at all. Literally every g10/FRN handled knife I've ever owned, is substantially worse.

Awesome video man.

Nick, good and very thorough review as usual. I started with a small Sebenza and after getting a small Inkosi, I wished I would have started with it. I might never have bothered with a Sebenza. The Inkosi is so much smoother and the unlock is effortlessly smooth. I also found out that The Inkosi can be opened like a front flipper, a method I have grown fond of. Having both now, at least I have a way to compare the two. Hands down, the Inkosi is the better knife. Time will tell if I keep the Sebenza. I agree with you about the cost. Since they continue to sell after all these decades with no change and few updates to the design, the price probably won't change. Good quality American workmanship comes at a price that those of who own one or more, have agreed to.

literally one of, if not the most important part in me liking and buying a knife is the ergonomics of coarse the steel grade ,build quality and looks are right there , but if a knife isnt comfy in the hands and or gives hot spots how wouild you enjoy using this to do what its intended which is get handled and work and cut, but yeah thanks for the good review

Hoping they make this in the Insigo blade shape.

Very nice small folder! :)

I got a small tanto Inkosi today. The super tight tolerances are impressive, much like how LEGO is, but as a working knife, I don’t think it makes the cut. Luckily I got mine for $165 under the lowest eBay price. I will be reselling it.

thx Nick. You just saved me 620 Euros. Just bought the Mnandi and love it.

I wondered how it would feel in hand and now i know . The handle points are the same problem i have with my ZT 0450 . Too bad about the handle as the blade's a useful size and shape .

I'm curious about the tanto version. Do you have any insights (if you've used one)?

I ask this...if CRK just started and they brought to todays market (filled with ZT, WE, Kizer, Spyderco, etc ) the Sebenza for $400 bucks...would they sell even 5% of what they do today ?? Just saying. ..

Thank you for your thoughts. Please forgive a simple question; how do titanium knives do in the pocket? Do they get scratched, discolored or other problems. I don't have a titanium knife, I plead poverty.

Completely agree about the CRK sharpness. Very disappointing in that aspect.

I have a 25 with micarta on lays and the micarta and the fact that the choils are actually big enough to fit your fingers in makes a big difference in the ergos. It is also simple to flip as well because there is enough room to flip it straight up. I also found it less painful to use your thumbnail. To me the size of the inkosi dosnt make sense ergonomically. I.E. the handle shape should have been modified because the knife is smaller than the 25 .

ill buy it

Drinking game.... Drink everytime Nick Shabazz says "thats a wonderful thing"..... F**KING HAMMERED!

I agree the native 5 is very ergo in the '' normal '' grip. but not versatile. I dont know about the inkosi, never handeled one and dont mind it since i like my small 21, but the small 21 is a very versatile knife.

Seems like a great knife if you don’t mind the price.Dude do you work with your hands?

I’ve got XXL hands, and I find the Inkosi fits exceptionally well as a 3/3.5 finger knife. No hotspots to speak of. Try using KPL ultralight… action gets spooky good.

This is a very attractive little knife! Also: Cool! You're going to review the Native? AWESOME!

And thats why I'm a Patreon, as of now.

Have this knife and Love everything about this knife. Sell yours to me and I will be twice as happy, please.

How does this blade compare to the Small Sebenza in terms of size? Similar?

Nick which do you like better inkosi or mini grip with AWT scales, I wanted the inkosi, but after I got the AWT scales on my mini grip I thought this is a very capable knife, less expensive ,similar blade size. great video.

Maybe the price will go down? I agree with you there. I want this knife, and I'll probably pay the asking price. But one can dream!

Maybe i have sweaty hands but i dont like titanium for real use. For playing and opening other knives boxes;) its nice tho..

375?!? Hundred dollar markup since then. How things have changed. The filming background for example.

It's great in the hand if you hold it the right way. Many folks love it as well. A gem in my pocket.

Man this knife looks so good especially in the new natural canvas micarta, that I want to buy one. Too bad you didn't crown it a gem.

nick pleas do a dissasembly thanks bro

this review echos every other Inkosi review I've watched. Very disappointing and makes me happy I held off getting one. Do you own (or have ever owned) a Seb 25? I really really really like that knife. The handle feels like it was molded from my grip - it's that comfortable. I love it so much, that's why I almost pulled the trigger when the Inkosi came out but at the time was tight on funds...

Shabazz is the best.

Nick. Again, you made me save some money with your review. If possible, have you considered reviewing a few of the most common knife sharpeners like the Spyderco Tri-Angle and such and presenting the "the good, the bad and the ugly"?

I'm new to all of this edc and knife game, and just watched the Nick sebenza return video for the insigno and now this. Is it just me or do both of these knives resemble mini griptilians? Anyway, seems like a nice knife. Thanks for the video

I seriously thought about treating myself to an Inkosi, but when I compared it to my Spyderco Techno, it just is not worth twice the price of what I already have.

Check out the new Rike Knives Thor 4s for a very small INTEGRAL gem.

The thumb stud on the clone is father away from the handle .the blade has hollower grind .the clone doesn't have the ball in the lock .i had to cut down the big washers and polish them .washers that big you might as well not have washers .now its smooth as can be .still glade i didn't spend a ton of money on it .and i like the challenge of making it work . I don't recommend to the average user .only to the people that like to make them work . Pretty much none functional out of box .

one of the best small pocket knives made get hold of your self , such a princess you are !!!!!

Chris Reeve Knives. Not for the soft handed

And how would you compare the Inkosi to the ZT 0450? Which is one hell of a good knife (the 450 that is)

Nick do you offer a sharpening service? I was wondering if you were interested in doing a review on my 25 ? I'd be more than happy to send it to you, even if you don't do the sharpening .

You do really love about the battoning with mnandi LOL

But thats as far as I will go with Chris.

250 to 275 that would be a good price for that knife...

6 years later your voice is unrecognizable… that’s kinda creepy.

I can't help but fantasize what beautiful Bark River fixed blade I could buy for $375! And trust me you can buy a really nice one.

Its so so impressive that they included a 2 cent allen wrench.

The “ugly” mentioned about price and bead blasting are not real issues imo. Hideous handle cutouts and out of place, nipple like pivot kept my wallet safe from this model.

Wow, that is nice but ya know I am the happiest bird in the tree with my Benchmade 565 Mini Freek for $106. It's my favorite small folder.

I dont want to attack Chris Reeves. I am sure he has more talent in making things in his pinky than in my entire body. But there is absolutely nothing about this knife that makes me want it. Especially the looks (design). I believe thumb knobs do not belong on the blades. Its like lets put something on the blade to make it caught on something or interrupt a deep cut. Bad enough sharpening choils or choils in general get caught on cordages somethimes when cutting. IMO frame locks are ugly and monstrous. Nothing about this knife says $375. If it was in a drawer full of knives, I would not pick it to cut open a bag of chips let alone carry it in my pocket. It dont look like it would be comfortable in the hand or pocket.

The knife does not come sharp if you're a sharp-snob. It's a mere legal notice so some dumb-ass doesn't win a lawsuit.

Sabenzas are a myth as Rolexes and Montblanss are -- fruit of a successful marketing strategy. They are well built, but that is it. How come they have developed a sound price/value combination? I guess there are two factors here -- they became a status symbol and they keep their market price. What better than this (satisfying vanity and one's pocket at the same time)? Well... my craving for blades, watches and pens go beyond this. I like objects which can be called "works of art", which sustain virtues like form and funcion in harmony -- good design/project and engineering. Of course I am curious about the fluidity when oppening a Sabenza's blade and the "click" it makes when it gets armed and when it gets back in the handle. I like the materials used in a Sabenza and all other "goods" that you talk about, the smoothness of the back of the blade, the size of the pivot washers, etc. But I definetively do not like the proportion (and general form) of the blade vs. the handle, as I can very well see (and agree with) your "bads" and "uglies" of this Sabenza. So, I am out of it and thank you for being an iconoclast os sorts.

$425 dollars today in October of 2022. I believe they have become a cult brand which fetches more money. 😅

there knives are overpriced not like benchmade but over priced we all know benchmade is overpriced

im probably the only one here that thinks this but that little nub above the word "Idaho" when its closed is unacceptable, again my opinion but the fit and finish needs to be seamless and perfect and for $400 ? gonna be a deal breaker for me and plus I daily my para 3 its the only knife ill ever need.

Nick you have girly hands

I sent you a D.M. on instagram , let me know if you got it thanks Frank.

over priced , so many suckers out there that Reeves is still in business after the Sebenza design which is SUPER OLD-

This seems like a purchase made out of boredom. You were just sitting around with $400 burning a hole in your pocket. So you decided for some reason to pay full retail for an overpriced production knife. $400 in your pocket ▬ *GOOD* $400 started burning your pocket ▬ *BAD* Sell at a loss ▬ *UGLY* You paid $375 for a unlimited, unexclusive production knife that is available everywhere ▬ *CRAZY*