CRKT Deviation Folding Pocket Knife: Distinctive, Futuristic Design, Dual Blade Finish, Tanto Point, IKBS Ball Bearing Pivot, Liner Lock, Two Tone Handle, Reversible Pocket Clip 2392

I bought this knife and love it. It's very solid, weighty, pocketable, well made, SUPER sharp, and looks great!The shape and hollow grind of the 3" straight-edge tanto blade with its part brushed and part mirror-polish finish, is aggressive, unique, handsome, and top notch. The flipper tab and detent feel great and, coupled with the highly respected, reliable, quick and silky-smooth IKBS ball-bearing system on the pivot, flipping the blade out is a pleasure. The liner lock is very solid with no blade movement vertically or laterally once it snaps into place with a pronounced and satisfying "click."The pivot is large and has a unique, three-layered or stair-step design. It's very solid, adjustable, and beautiful, and is identical on both the back and presentation sides.The frame is actually quite thick and SOLID and makes up the bulk of the knife's weight. It just feels like quality. And the stainless-steel finish is very nice and consistent, front and back. Some of the edges on the body, due to the design, although not sharp, are, in fact, "sharPER" than what I might ordinarily prefer. But it's not what I'd call an uncomfortable knife. It feels quite alright in the hand.With that in mind, please note that it's no heavy duty workhorse of a knife. I'd say it's more of a cross between a very effective EDC and a stylish gentleman's folder of sorts. It's definitely got the looks, yet it's a very usable knife at that.The clip allows for a very low ride in the pocket and in tip-up position (which is preferred by most). Yet most clips on knives are not made very solid and this one is no exception as it leaves much to be desired and is thin and bends out of shape a little too easily. I mean, it's not entirely unfortunate, but CRKT (and most other production knife manufacturers) need to pay far more attention to their clips. So the clip is my only real complaint and, at some point, I'll have a thicker, solid, custom one made.The only other thing I didn't like too much on this knife, was the matte blue finish. It wasn't unattractive, but the shade and texture of the blue did not catch my eye in particular, although the overall design of the knife did. Also, the blue rubs off too easily and is not durable. So, as you can see in the photo I uploaded, I covered those blue sections, front and back, with matte-finish (not gloss), self-adhering 3M DI-NOC black carbon fiber flex wrap (which you can buy here on Amazon for very little cost). I had to make use of a heat-gun (one of which I bought on Amazon for about $30) to make the carbon fiber wrap more pliable and apply it properly into all the nooks and crannies; followed by carefully cutting away the excess with an Xacto knife. Once it cools, the high-quality wrap hardens and is very durable and, not to mention, looks fantastic. To me, it gives the knife a much nicer look and I think CRKT should consider making this the default finish in those sections.To be quite honest, clip and blue-finish sections aside, I'm quite surprised at how much quality CRKT squeezed out of this model at this price point. The blade is south of $40, yet it feels like it's three times as much. I'm very happy with my purchase and I would never hesitate to recommend this company and this particular knife. I own two other CRKT models (a Mah Eraser and a Van Hoy Snap Fire), and they're both great blades. For production knives at the under-$50-price-point, CRKT knows what they're doing.Highly recommended.

When we think of the most elite forces involving combat and how they select their official weapons products most people have little to no understanding about the criteria used. For one thing the "official" knife, is a trick question... I trained special forces in the martial arts and what I learned was that aside for some basic understanding, the men were on their own to select what they wanted to train in. It does stand to reason after all, if I took a convention of French chefs to paris, would I have to recommend a restaurant?Yet there are some contracts that are handled for weapons...Not terribly long ago the Seals were said to switch from the Sig Sauer P226 to the Glock. The reasons can be boiled down to the mecca of all rationals when it comes to weapons theory and practice: Reliability. A Weapon needs to function under as many conditions and under duress...and there are weapons that do that well, including bladed weapons. This tends to leave innovation as a category where brave men fear to tread... Why change things that work well, when you could be designing them to withstand more duress, and to function more reliably?With that said a folder by its very nature comes with a stacked deck. There is a joint in the knife design, a weakness...in order for the weapon to open and close. Some of the more sophisticated blade arts have recognized this problem, hence we have the Bali Song, a weapon that solves this problem because the joint is shared... For the most part we have various other modifications that seek to make the joint stronger, not a wrong headed strategy by any means.CRKT has shown innovative designs for improving a folding blade. One such design, that I see employed now is the ball bearing circle that makes up the joint in the DEviation. This design spreads possible joint failure over a much greater surface area. It also reduces friction in areas where it is counter productive. Combine this with a frame lock that is solid and you have a very well designed knife.The little touches on this knife show design that is at a premium: a clip that lets the knife hang low, multiple ergonomic ridge work in the knife frame to allow dexterity and grip integrity. The assist mechanism also acts as a protective cover for the fingers and even a blood groove if need be...I know that might be a bit much for some, but blood can slip a blade out of the hand and this knife can be used very well as a weapon. Let me address a few of these touches which can be discussed at length: This is a single edged blade...and in my humble opinion that is exactly what it should be. Combat knifes that use a Tanto design give one an extra half inch to fit on the blade corner, and a nice sharp 3 plus inches to cut...I want the back of the knife to have a good spine, to be useful in pressing, deflecting, hitting, etc. The knife is heavy and it should be heavy! It is weighed so it can be thrown, and it can be used with dexterity.This knife could easily sell for a lot more, it is very well made, innovative and in spite of the classic touches, including the Tanto blade, it is innovative in the right ways. Kudos!!

As many of the other reviewers have stated, this thing is SHARP out of the box. It's my first CRKT and certainly won't be my last. The blade alone is worth the price! The deployment is very smooth and the IKBS bearing makes for easy one-handed opening, especially with the integrated flipper. The frame lock is quite sturdy, but upon closing, there is a small hitch that makes it not as smooth as my other knives. The clip is fantastic and allows for a deep carry with no issues (and is reversible for left or right-handed operation.) The futuristic design is really cool and I love how the blade looks great both opened or closed. The exposed metal on the handle was a bit sharp initially, but after a month or so it has worn smooth.The main downside is the sturdiness of the IKBKS system. I find that I have to adjust the tension on it once a week or so (I'm rough on my knives, so take this with a grain of salt!) otherwise there is a lot of play in the blade and it hits the side when closing. The other thing is this knife is HEAVY. The all-metal construction makes for quite the hefty knife.TL;DR version: Fantastically sharp knife, wouldn't recommend it for first-time knife owners due to the heft and need for maintenance.