Showcase: Chris Reeve Knives (CRK) Inkosi Upgrade / Customisation

Chris Reeve Knives have been creating superbly built classic knives for decades. Once you have made the commitment to this level of quality, the next logical step is to really put your stamp on it by adding embellishments and customisations. This showcase details the upgrades and customisations I have added to the standard Inkosi I reviewed early last year, and have been made possible only thanks to Tim Reeve’s (and the team at CRK’s) amazing attention to detail.

The Four Upgrades/Customisations/Options:

This knife is no drawer queen, and although I use without abusing I realise this is the best it is going to look, so for this showcase I have pulled out all the stops to capture it at its finest. Once old and showing its age I can look back at how it looked in its youth.

This Inkosi has been given four embellishments, any of which could be done on its own or combined with any of the others, and these are by no means the only options as the joy of customisation is that you can find what works for you.

Hawk Clip:

The first of the four updates has got to be the easiest and possibly most functional. CRK’s Hawk clip is a pocket clip that allows me like pocket clips. It has a ‘pinch-to-open’ design making fitting it to your pocket as easy as it gets and, as you can release it with a pinch, you get no pocket wear at all. Why can’t all pocket clips be like this? In this case it is a limited edition Hawk clip in a tumbled finish; typically they are bead blasted.


 

Adding a Wicked Edge:

Edges can be functional and sharp without being beautiful. Wicked Edge knife edges are beautiful and functional, and of course stunningly sharp. There is an investment in time to put a precise, even, polished edge on a blade, and an edge which in itself won’t last any longer, so the decision to have a Wicked Edge is more about the looks than ultimate performance. They just look so good.


 

Custom Engraved Handle:

And now the jewel in the crown. Tim Reeve has been designing and making limited run custom engraved handle designs, adding another level of interest to the CRK lineup. That said, in this case it is a special one-off engraved handle designed and executed by an artist. You’ll also notice this is not an engraving made on the original handle scale, but instead is a replacement which is able to simply swap out the original handle thanks to the super precision of all CRK knife parts.


 

Video Edited with – Cyberlink Director Suite 5 (PowerDirector 16 and AudioDirector 7)

Belt Pouch:

Once you have taken the care to make your CRK knife your own, do you want to let it roll around with your pocket change, or hang onto the edge of your pocket, or would you rather provide it with a secure carry option? In fitting with the quality of CRK, the belt pouch offered to house and carry it is of equivalent quality but in leather. If you are a specialist in crafting metal, then instead of changing focus for the leatherwork, CRK have their pouches made by Gfeller, a well respected maker, and one that can live up to the CRK logo it bears.

A minor note is that the Hawk clip does make the fit into this pouch a bit tighter, but it does fit OK and the leather will accommodate it more over time. The knife with original clip slips into the pouch more easily.


 

The complete Upgrade:

The best it will ever look, and captured for posterity, this is the Inkosi wearing all it finery. It’s going to be carried, it’s going to be used, and it will bear the signs of wear, so perhaps it will look even better in time.


 

Looking forward to seeing the Impinda with custom scales. What will you choose for your CRK?

Gear Review: Wicked Edge Advanced Alignment Guide and Low Angle Adapter

This is a supplementary review to the Wicked Edge ‘Field and Sport’ Sharpener Review as it covers two optional extras that extend the functionality of a Wicked Edge Sharpener. The Low angle adapter has been around for some time, but the Advanced alignment guide is a recent addition which further enhances the precision of the sharpener.

The Low Angle Adapter is a clamp extension for a Wicked Edge sharpener which allows for angles as low as 10°. The Advanced Alignment Guide provides measurable reference points for repeatable knife mounting. It allows a Wicked Edge user to be able to tilt a knife in the clamp to find the optimum knife positioning and record the setting so the mounting position can be repeated during the next sharpening session.

Low Angle Adapter – A few more details & What it is like to use?:

For this supplementary review it makes more sense to combine the different sections I normally use, so we will look at each of these optional extras and how to use them at the same time.

Unpacking the low angle adapter.

The main body of this clamp extension is black anodised aluminium.

An area is milled out of the adapter for the sharpener’s standard clamp jaws to slide into and grip.

The other side has a different profile as there is the adapters blade clamp plate.

Taking this blade clamp completely off shows the milled pocket into which it sits. The milled out areas on each side (for the sharpener’s clamp and the adapter’s blade clamp) ensure precise alignment of all parts of the adapter during use.

To clearly illustrate what this low angle adapter does, here is the standard clamp of the Wicked Edge, and at the low angle set for the stone, the stone is hitting the clamp jaw, so won’t reach the knife edge (unless the knife is very deep).

With the guide rod at the same angle, fitting the low angle adapter allows the stone to completely clear the main clamp and work on a knife blade fitted into the adapter.

All standard angles are still available even with the low angle adapter, but remember the scale on the main clamp will now not be exactly correct as the height of the blade has changed. Make sure you note down the fact the that adapter was used along with the angle shown on the scale for the guide rod.

Advanced Alignment Guide – A few more details & What it is like to use?:

With the Wicked Edge system you note down the various settings used for each blade so that in subsequent sharpening sessions you can repeat the angles precisely, reducing the amount of metal removed. The Advanced Alignment Guide gives you a further level of precision for the positioning of the blade in the clamp, and allows you to angle the blade and record the exact position you used.

When it arrives, the guide has a protective film to ensure you get it completely free of marks.

With the protective film removed you can see the grid printed onto the guide and two holes which are used to fit the guide to your sharpener.

Before this alignment guide was made, you had to use the simple ruler scale built into the clamp to position the blade, relying on the blade spine to sit squarely onto the depth key.

To use the new guide, when you fit the two pronged depth key into the clamp, first pass the prongs through the holes in the alignment guide and then into the clamp. Now you have a 2D labelled grid which allows you to precisely position and record where the blade tip is set. This also means you no longer have to put the blade spine down onto both depth key prongs and can rock it one way or the other to better present the knife edge for sharpening. Another level of precision.

Review Summary

The views expressed in this summary table are from the point of view of the reviewer’s personal use. I am not a member of the armed forces and cannot comment on its use beyond a cutting tool or field/hunting knife.

Something that might be a ‘pro’ for one user can be a ‘con’ for another, so the comments are categorised based on my requirements. You should consider all points and if they could be beneficial to you.

_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
Things I like What doesn’t work so well for me
_______________________________________________ _______________________________________________
Finer Edge Angles available. Relatively expensive.
Smaller blades can be sharpened.
Blade positioning even more repeatable. Doesn’t sit against a flat surface so can move backwards and forwards.
Much easier than the standard ruler.

 

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