Mobile – Versatile – Vital
Ready for something different? Out of a catalog filled with steel framelocks and G-10 comes the CRKT Sketch, a plastic-clad powerhouse featuring a utility-minded wharncliffe and surprisingly solid construction. CRKT touts it as being “blue collar through and through…just like you.” Color of my collar aside, this black-on-red budget blade has been an interesting companion. Here’s my full review of the CRKT Sketch.
Picture this – You’re at a neighborhood barbecue when someone asks you to cut some potatoes. But, oh no! They forgot to bring a knife. No problem – You pull out your fixed blade, the potato salad gets made, and no one is freaked out by your trusty tool. Yeah, that’s not this knife. The SOG Pillar is more about living in the wild, slaying prey with your bare hands, and building a shelter out of their hides.
The CRKT Batum is a big, dumb, partially-trained Black Lab that lives in your pocket. It’s huge and rough around the edges, but it loves you so, so much. You can’t even be mad at it when it misbehaves. You just shake your head and smile, wagging a finger and telling it to center its blade, stop dropping open, get off the couch, or whatever. It’s a knife that, in spite of its flaws, you can’t help but like. Here’s how it fared in the wild.
I’ll be honest – I’m a little burned out on folding knives. But as I gain experience in the world of bushcraft, I’ve discovered a new passion for fixed blades. Steel Will decided to feed this flame, sending a complimentary Druid 205 model for testing and review. Here’s how it held up after several weekends of hiking, camping, and unwarranted abuse.
Am I “Ready to Make It?” It’s an almost quintessentially American question, plastered across the side of a Chinese knife box. Inside is the RUIKE P801, a $30 flipper framelock running on (gasp!) ball bearings and featuring steel that’s more AUSpicious and 8Credible than many other knives MoVing in the same arena. Have I found the new king of budget blades? Read on to 440-see. (Ha! Steel puns.)
We’ve seen it countless times – A high-end knife becomes a market hit, prompting the maker to release a budget-minded version cast from more affordable materials. Companies such as Spyderco and Kizer have made a mint with this practice, while generally maintaining an acceptable level of quality. So when Stedemon offered to send me a budget rendition of their popular SHY tantos, I eagerly assented.
Journeywind Junk 