bolster lock

Reate Kirby Lambert Crossroads Review

I saw this knife on the cover of Blade Magazine and had to have it. That’s the short version at least, but the story goes back way further than that.

Buy the Reate Crossroads at BladeHQ

I’ve been a fan of Kirby Lambert’s work for years. He was one of those makers that captivated me with his crisp lines and clean work. The knives seemed to belie human intervention. I also remember when Andrew got a Kirby Lambert Wharn. It was late 2012 I think. It actually inspired me to get on Kirby’s books to try and order a Snap. I was on his books, but must have fallen out of line as I never got the follow up email when it was my turn. But that’s OK, a custom Kirby Lambert knife is an object I enjoy lusting over more than actually owning.

But when I saw the Reate Crossroads on the cover of that magazine, and realized it was a collaboration with Reate that could be had at production level prices. Well, its like I said… I had to have it.

And Reate making a knife I “had to have” is kind of interesting. Reate hasn’t gotten much love here. Beyond the Todd Begg Steelcraft Bodega, we haven’t featured a single Reate knife. That isn’t for lack of wanting. It’s more a lack of direction. Their stuff looks great, but their product line seems so deep and expensive that it’s hard to figure out where to begin. If you had to buy one Reate knife, which knife would be “the” Reate to buy? There is no easy decision, but feel free to make a suggestion in the comments. I think it’s the paradox of choice.

In contrast, the Crossroads was a no brainer. That makes it a smart move for Reate. If they can impress the consumer with their collaborations, people will be more likely to try out their OEMs.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Crossroads has an overall length of 8.375″, a 3.625″ blade, weighs 5.31 ounces, and is made in China. This is a hefty knife, with a lot of the weight focused around the pivot, so I can’t sit here and say this knife has been a strong daily carry for me. It’s more of a collectible. The knife looks like a pristine custom piece with its two tone blade, custom hardware, and marble carbon fiber hand scales. I’m having time using it hard. But for some this will make a great EDC piece. Others I suspect will baby the knife and keep it more as a collectible. I fall into the latter category.

Here is a size comparison with a workhorse from my collection, the Spyderco Paramilitary 2:

The blade is either a drop point, or a reverse tanto. Hard for me to tell. Or care, if I’m being completely honest. At any rate, there is a blade, and it’s a beautiful blade with a two tone satin finish. The blade has been given a deep hollow grind, and there is a long angled swedge riding most of the blade length. The end result is a functional blade shape with sloping belly, and needle fine tip. But it’s also a unique and somewhat unusual blade shape with what appears to be a broad sweeping shoulder, or a bull neck of steel that meets the top of the bolster.

One odd complaint is that although there is a large sharpening choil, the blade is not sharp all the way down at the heel. There is maybe a quarter inch of unsharpened blade. Hopefully my knife is an exception, but this is an odd omission on a knife that appears to have otherwise been lavished with attention.

Reate chose M390 stainless steel for the blade material. Readers of my various reviews of high end knives will know and love M390 for it’s ability to hold a keen edge, to be relatively easy to sharpen, and resist rust and corrosion. It also takes a nice finish as shown by this beautiful blade.

Despite the heel of my blade being unsharpened, the Crossroads otherwise came exceptionally sharp out of the pouch. Blade stock is relatively thick, but the knife still slices cleanly thanks to that deep dish grind. Can’t say I’ve run this knife hard, but my light duty has shown that the Crossroads is a capable cutter.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Crossroads is a bolstered knife, with your choice of handle scale material over titanium. The bolstered look is a Kirby Lambert signature, and it has been executed beautifully on this knife. You can barely feel the seam as you run your finger over the transition between the handle scale and titanium bolster, at least with this marble carbon fibered version. The hardware is all anodized titanium. The pivot in particular is a striking dual anodized affair. A floating titanium backspacer and lanyard pin rounds things out.

All said this is a beautifully rendered handle and it captures the essence of what makes Kirby’s work so special: his unique aesthetic coupled with an eerie level of fit and finish. There are superb details on this knife and the materials are all top notch. Check out that marble carbon fiber. You can get lost in this stuff:

By and large the Crossroads is a comfortable knife. First of all, the handle is generous and will accommodate most people. The finger choils are large and allow for plenty of room. Sometimes finger choils can constrict the user, but I didn’t find that to be an issue here. There is no jimping, yet the broad spine of the blade provides plenty of room for the thumb.

But I also found that my thumb caught on the tang of the blade. I’m talking about where the spine of the knife meets the stop pin. It’s shaped like a hook, and I wonder if something could have been done to ease that edge. One commandment of knife design is that the only sharp edge should be found on the blade, and in a way this knife violates that cardinal rule.

The Crossroads utilizes a titanium sculpted pocket clip. Some people won’t like this, but I think the titanium clip works great, and compliments the aesthetics of this knife perfectly. The clip has good spring action, and it does a decent job of holding the knife in your pocket. The smooth titanium and smooth marble carbon fiber won’t give you the pocket shredding traction of a Cold Steel or Emerson folder, but I suspect it will get the job done for most people, especially given the dressy nature of the knife.

The Crossroads is a big and bulky knife. There is no way around that, and you will feel the Crossroads in your pocket> Plus, the nature of the the bolstered design puts a lot of weight towards the pivot, so you will get some “pendulum” action if you aren’t careful. Not the best knife for daily carry, but if every knife was as practical as my Native 5 lightweight I wouldn’t have a whole lot to write about.

Deployment and Lockup

The Crossroads is a flipper with a multi-row ceramic bearing system. This is my first multi-row bearing system (MRBS) knife, and part of me is tempted to take it apart to see what that looks like (and show you). The other part of me doesn’t want to dick up the anodized titanium hardware. Been there, done that with my Fantoni CUT Flipper. I still regret the day I tried to take that knife apart and stripped the screws.

Here is a shot of the Crossroads next to my Olamic Wayfarer 247:

I searched online for a picture of the internals of the Crossroads and couldn’t find anything. For now we will all have to use our imaginations and figure that inside there is some sort of MRBS. It appears to be a caged bearing system as I peek into the knife. And I’d believe it given the glassy smoothness to this knife. The blade falls shut easily.

The detent is also ceramic with a crisp and punchy action. There is a detent ramp that adds to the fluidity of the action like the Wayfarer 247, but it still feels different from the 247. The action of the Reate is still sharper and hydraulic. The jimped flipper tab is also sharper, easily grabbing the pad of your index finger. I’d rate the action as a strong “9” on a 0-10 scale. It’s good. Damn good.

For lockup we have a bolster lock. Really, it’s a titanium framelock, but the marble carbon fiber overlay distinguishes this knife slightly from your typical full titanium framelock. Something different.

Lockup is bank vault tight. No play in any direction. The lock is easy to disengage thanks to a small chamfer on the inside of the lock bar. One thing I will note is that the edge of the carbon fiber, where it meets the lock, comes to a sharp point at the peak of the finger choil. I don’t think there is much they could have done beyond changing the design of the knife, but it’s there.

Blade centering is perfect on my piece. As I would expect on a knife like this.

Reate Crossroads Review – Final Thoughts

The Reate Crossroads is a beautiful piece. As someone who has pined for a Kirby Lambert custom for the better part of a decade, the Crossroads had the potential to let me down given the hype and anticipation of owning a Lambert for so long. But I’m pleased to say the knife doesn’t disappoint. It’s a beautiful piece featuring top shelf materials, next level fit and finish, and a dynamic design from Kirby.

But it’s not perfect. In some ways it is finished so crisply it’s uncomfortable. There are a couple sharp edges, namely on the back of the blade where the tang meets the stop pin, and where the carbon fiber bolster meets the lock bar. The knife doesn’t carry that well thanks to all the weight at the pivot. Also the heel of the edge is unsharpened. That may just be an issue with my particular knife.

In a perfect world I’d like to see those issues addressed somehow, but I still see these as relatively minor complaints given the overall splendor of the Crossroads. More of a collectable than an a user, but it’s as close as I’ll probably ever come to owning a custom Kirby Lambert.

Reate Crossroads – From $355.00
From: BladeHQ

I recommend purchasing the Reate Crossroads at BladeHQ or GPKnives. Please consider that buying anything through any of the links on this website (including Amazon) helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

CRKT Hootenany Review

by Dan Jackson Leave a Comment

Last Update: March 4, 2018
Hootenany, noun, a social gathering or informal concert featuring folk singing, and sometimes, dancing.

I don’t read too far into names, but I had to look Hootenanny up in an attempt to gain a little context. If you ever meet Ken Onion, the designer of the Hootenanny, you will quickly learn he is a fun and lighthearted guy. Perhaps the name offers more of a view into the designer himself, than the product at hand.

Buy the CRKT Hootenanny at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

The Hootenanny is Ken’s take on a folding hunting knife crossed with a modern Every Day Carry (EDC) piece. So perhaps the name harks back to old timey days, when people might regularly use their folding knives to prepare meals and whittle sticks around the cracker barrel prior to a good ole fashioned hoe down.

Either way, this struck me as one of CRKT’s best offerings of 2015, and I wanted to give it a shot.

General Dimensions and Blade Steel

The Hootenanny has an overall length of 7.84″, a 3.34″ blade, weighs 4.8 ounces, and is made in China. Since partnering up with CRKT, Ken Onion has seemed to favor thinner, lighter knives. I think that is a good thing. The Hootenanny is still a big knife, so any attempts to pare it down to something manageable are welcome in my book.

This is a “fish and fowl” knife, so it’s primary application is for hunting and processing small game. Extra length to the blade and handle are important for being effective in that role.

With that said, most people who buy this will likely use it as a EDC piece, and that is the main perspective that I evaluated Hootenanny from.

The Hootenanny has a slender upswept blade with a long curving belly and high hollow grind. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the blade is the run of jimping midway along the spine. All of these features were built into the knife with processing meat in mind. I’m not a hunter, and didn’t get a chance to take this one fishing, but I have used it in the kitchen. The knife slices well, and the upswept tip stayed out of the way when I broke down a chicken for dinner. I could see this having a place at a camp site, but did not test the knife in that capacity.

CRKT went with 8Cr13MoV steel. I’ve discussed this steel quite a bit (and you can always read further about knife steel on the knife steel page), but for the uninitiated 8Cr13MoV is a lower end Chinese stainless steel. It is easy to sharpen, but not particularly great in the edge retention department.

Given the ~$40.00 price point I think the choice of steel is appropriate here. You won’t find much else from a Chinese knife in this price range. I personally do not mind 8Cr13MoV at the right price. I was careless and my blade did develop a little corrosion during testing, so be sure to keep it cleaned and oiled like any other pocket knife.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The Hootenanny is a bolstered knife, with a stainless steel frame, FRN (reinforced plastic) handle scales, and a FRN backspacer. The handle has some nice details, with flush mount bolts holding the scales in place, curving lines cut into the gunmental gray bolsters, bolsters that are integrated into the liners, and an oversize decorative pivot. The construction is solid and the finish work is good. The pieces line up, the tolerances are tight, and the end result is a thoughtfully executed handle that makes the most of its humble materials.

The Hootenanny is a large folder and provides plenty of room for a variety of grips and hand sizes. The blade has a large foward finger choil, allowing you to move in close on the blade. The handle scales are lightly textured. The scales offer some traction, but aren’t as grippy as peel ply G10. There is jimping on the back of the handle, and also on the spine. All of these features are designed to hold your hand in place; presumably while gutting a trout or plucking bird shot from a dove. I used the knife in more pedestrian applications, and found the Hootenanny to be be comfortable and grippy. Ken knows ergonomics and that shows in the design and execution of the Hootenanny.

In the past, Ken Onion’s pocket clip designs have been criticized for being goofy. The clip on the Hootenanny is relatively subdued and discrete. It curves along the back side of the handle, and is really set for right side tip up carry only. Being a lefty, I prefer an ambidextrous option, but if you are only going to put the clip in one spot, this is the place to do it. The clip has good spring retention, and it buries the knife deeply in the pocket.

In practice the Hootenanny caries well for a larger knife. At nearly 5 ounces, you feel this knife in the pocket – especially with most of the mass being around the pivot. Still, the Hootenanny is a comfortable carry. The knife is thin and the pocket clip is strong, so you can clip the knife in place and then forget about it.

Deployment and Lockup

Like many of Ken’s designs, the Hootenanny is a flipper. The flipper is prominent, heavily textured, and easy to locate and flip. The detent is strong and the blade fires out with a loud metallic “thwack”. CRKT has done a good job with flippers in the past, and this Hootenanny is no exception. Inside there are what appears to be caged bearings, although CRKT has marketed this as an IKBS (Ikoma Korth Bearing System) knife. The action is smooth and the blade glides into the open or closed position.

CRKT and Ken decided to make the Hootenanny a bolster lock knife, which is basically a frame lock where scales run 3/4 the length of the handle. The bolsters are 2CR13 steel, and hold the blade securely in place. There is no lock rock or side to side blade play in my knife, which is what I would expect from a steel frame lock. My knife locks up around 70% – so it’s a later lockup, but it has stayed there since day one and there is no stickiness to the lock at all.

Here is a shot of the Hootenanny next to the Kershaw Blur:

My blade favors the lock side by a millimeter, but does not rub.

CRKT Hootenanny Review – Final Thoughts

The Hootenanny is a successful knife, and is probably my favorite CRKT design for 2015. This is a more subdued design for Ken. There is no recurve in the blade, the pocket clip is normal looking, the overall look is handsome with the dark scales and gunmetal gray bolsters.

The fit and finish of CRKT’s stuff has always been nice, and the Hootenanny is no exception. And I think given the budget CRKT made some nice choices here with the satin finished blade, IKBS, strong flipper and oversize pivot. The use of FRN keeps the knife reasonably light (that is a big reason why I decided to not review the CRKT G.S.D. – a handsome knife by a popular designer, but just too heavy for my taste).

If I had to complain, I would complain about the knife begging for higher end materials. Better blade steel would be at the top of my list. People harped on Cold Steel for years about their use of AUS-8, and now that everything is being rolled out in CTS-XHP, I think we need a new company to “encourage”. And CRKT is actually heading in that direction. They have collaborated with LionSteel, TOPS, and Condor to venture in to higher end products like the Hi Jinx, Hoodwork, and Mah-Chete. While CRKT is a company whose bread and butter is value and volume, the enthusiast in me can’t help but ask for a higher end version of the Hootenanny.

For around $40, the Hootenanny delivers a lot of bang for your buck. If you are in the market for a sturdy 3.5″ folder, you will be hard pressed to find much better at this price point. Perhaps the Kershaw Blur is the closest competitor, but these days they retail for well over $50.

The Hootenanny is a thoughtfully designed and well made tool, that works as either a folding field knife or large EDC.

Columbia River Knife & Tool 4008067-SSI Hootenanny Folding Knife, Multi-Coloured, 7.94-Inch

Fast Opening: IKBS ball bearing pivot deploys the blade fast
Visual Appeal: Modern, oversized pivot, adds style accent
Low Profile: Pocket clip provides secure carry
Designed by Ken Onion in Kaneohe, Hawaii
Limited Lifetime Warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, see company site for details

I recommend purchasing the CRKT Hootenanny at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.