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CRKT Ikoma Sampa Review

by A Sharp Guest Contributor 14 Comments

Last Updated: November 28, 2019
The CRKT Ikoma Sampa designed by Brazilian knife maker Flavio Ikoma is dubbed a “gentleman’s tactical folder” by the fine folks over at CRKT. If I had to give this blade a one line review, I’d say CRKT pretty well summed it up themselves. The Sampa was primarily designed by Flavio Ikoma, although it picked up a little international flavor from long time friend and blade brother Ken Onion, who apparently provided some insights that Flavio incorporated into his final design.

Buy the CRKT Sampa at BladeHQ

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General Dimensions & Blade Details

The Sampa is somewhere in between a compact and medium length folding pocket knife. With the overall length of 7-1/4″, a 3-1/8″ blade, and a weight of 2.7 ounces, the Sampa is super slim in hand, and has a featherweight feeling in pocket.

I would call the blade a semi-drop point shape. The AUS 8 stainless steel blade features a slight recurve, and a very shallow hollow grind. The blade was razor sharp out of the box and my model 5335k is equipped with a short run of triple point serrations. I like how this combo edge isn’t taken up by tons of serrations. It is a nice balance offering serrations when you need them, and razor sharp goodness when you don’t.

Handle, Ergonomics, Pocket Clip

Something that really sets the Sampa apart is the unique handle design. CRKT started with two slabs of T6 aluminum, machined an intricate series of grooves and hashes, and then gave the handle both a blasted and polished finish, that kind of looks like titanium. Although there are many deep cuts made into the handles, I found there were no sharp edges or uncomfortable areas when gripping the knife. The handle is fairly smooth and offers generous finger grooves for positive traction when the blade is locked open and ease of handling while deploying the knife. Despite this being a thin handle, it is still easy to get a good grip on this knife, and I don’t feel like I’m going to fling the Sampa across the room when I flick the blade open.

The pocket clip is interesting. It is mounted for right side tip up carry and rides low in the pocket making it well concealed. The clip becomes wider near the opening and easily inserts into the pocket – no matter how flimsy the fabric is. The downside to this style of clip is that it easily gets caught up on stuff. In the few months I’ve carried this knife, I have managed to accidentally catch and bend the pocket clip outward at least a half dozen times. Fortunately the clip can easily be removed with a small torx head driver and the clip can be bent back to its original position.

Deployment & Lock Up

Deployment of this knife is my absolute favorite feature. While the Sampa is not spring loaded for an auto assist type release, the pivot on this blade features Flavio Ikoma’s own ball bearing pivot system, the Ikoma Korth Bearing System (“IKBS”). The way this system works is that channels have been machined into the blade and handle around the pivot area and a set of steel ball bearings have been inserted. What this does is create a silky smooth deployment and offers a VERY evident lockup once the knife is fully engaged.

The Sampa makes use of a liner lock and the lock up is one of the tightest I’ve found on an aluminum handled EDC blade (second only to my Kershaw R.A.M. 1910). The linerlock lock releases easily with the push of a thumb. Once closed, the blade is held in place by a spring loaded ball detent. This is the kind of knife that you can’t help but open and close repeatedly. The smooth action and crisp lockup makes for a knife that is a joy to use.

CRKT Ikoma Sampa 5335K Review – Final Thoughts

The Sampa is a lightweight and super smooth folding EDC knife. Operation, deployment, and lock-up all come easy with one hand, and the ergonomics are friendly enough to facilitate extensive use of the razor-sharp combo edge blade.

Although the clip seems a little flimsy, and the polished handles panels pick up light scuffs in time, I hardly feel like these are deal breakers.

This Ikoma Sampa has definitely earned the title of a “gentleman’s tactical folder” and represents another solid offering from CRKT.

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I recommend purchasing the CRKT Ikoma Sampa from Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website, including BladeHQ, helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

CRKT Shenanigan Review

by Dan Jackson 5 Comments

Last Updated: September 6, 2019
I find myself typing this review as I usually do, in the wee hours of the morning. Dregs from a once cold beer are drying on the side of the glass at my desk, and knives scattered across the room are glinting faintly under lamp light. I had trouble with the intro on this one so I decided to save it for the end. Now that I’m done I still haven’t come up with anything witty to say. Not that I would classify my typical intros as “witty,” but I mean, the knife is called the “Shenanigan.” This should be an easy lay up – even for a hack like myself. Unbelievably, I’m still drawing a blank here…

Buy the CRKT Shenanigan at BladeHQ

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That’s probably for the best though, because this knife is no laughing matter. Despite the goofy name the CRKT Shenanigan is a seriously well thought out knife at a price that you would be silly to ignore. Designed by Ken Onion, and manufactured by the good folks at CRKT, the Shenanigan brings great utility to anyone willing to cough up enough money to cover the very modest $35 price tag. While the knife is by no means perfect I think that the good here far outweighs the bad.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Shenanigan sports a 3-1/4″ blade and an overall length of 8-1/4″. CRKT claims that the PPS (plastic handled version) weighs 4.1 ounces, but in my hand it feels much lighter. I’ve seen listed weights fluctuate from 4.1 all the way down to 3.7 ounces, and I’d put it closer to 3.7. Anyhow, not like that really matters too much, but my point here is the knife feels light for its size. It is a bigger knife, straddling the gap between EDC and tactical. Depending on your preferences I think it could lean either way.

The blade is a long and elegant modified-drop point design with a slight recurve and a swedge. The blade shape is one of my favorite features of the knife. The recurve, high hollow grind and good belly are all excellent for slicing, and the reinforced tip enables good penetration. CRKT did a very nice job with the edge; it is both well ground and extremely sharp from the box with an almost mirror-polished appearance. The blade’s good looks have been rounded out with a bead blasted finish and laser etched hallmarks.

Blade steel on the Shenanigan is tried and true AUS 8. For a knife at this price point I am very pleased to find AUS 8 here. A good mid range steel from Japan, AUS 8 easily takes an edge and holds up well to EDC tasks.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The Shenanigan PPS gets its name from the PolyPhenylene Sulfide (PPS) polymer that has been used for the handle material. This is some sort of highly engineered plastic, and it didn’t take a chemistry degree to figure that out. The PPS material is both lightweight and durable and is part of what enables this knife to be had at such a great price. CRKT set out to make a high value work horse, and I think this material selection fits the bill. The PPS is dense enough to feel satisfying and is virtually indestructible. Inside the handle are some partial steel liners adding strength and rigidity to the design.

For those that would like an upgrade to the handle material, CRKT offers just that. An aluminum version is also available if you absolutely cannot stand the idea of carrying around a plastic-handled knife. I think for many people the PPS will be totally sufficient as the aluminum scales almost double the price, but I’m really tempted to check out this upgraded version as well.

Ergonomics are excellent with the Shenanigan. First of all, it is a larger knife, and there is a good amount of palm swell to fill the hand. Curvature to the handle design allows for a precision fit into the palm. Meaningful texturing adds grip and feedback. Additionally, there is a good deal of functional jimping on the thumb ramp and the choil is large and well placed. The net result is that the Shenanigan is extremely comfortable in hand.

Unfortunately, the many things that make the Shenanigan so great in hand work to make it not so great in pocket. Being a longer knife I found the Shenanigan to take up a good deal of room, and the thick handle made it a bulky carry as well. Certainly this won’t be a problem for folks who like to carry a bigger knife, but the size and thickness could be a turn-off for those who want to streamline their EDC.

I will say, the pocket clip position doesn’t do the knife any favors. It’s mounted for right side tip down carry only. I’d love to see CRKT make this a 4 corners clip, or at the very least allow for tip up carry. That said, I found retention on the Shenanigan’s clip to be nice and snug. It’s a discrete looking clip that rides low and looks pretty good.

Deployment and Lock-up

Some will be surprised to learn that the Shenanigan is not an assisted open knife. Ken Onion is famous for designing assisted open folders so it could be easy to assume that the Shenanigan would feature a spring assist as well. This one does not have a spring assist however, and you need to use a flipper to get it open. The blade still deploys fast and smooth, with a combination of nylon and bronze washers inside. I don’t miss a spring assist at all with the Shenanigan. The blade jumps open with very little effort.

The Shenanigan uses a liner lock to hold the blade open. First impressions were that the lock looks kind of thin. Upon closer inspection I think it should work for EDC and utility tasks, but for harder uses I’m not as confident. Then again, the handles are made of plastic, so I wouldn’t suggest hard using this one in the first place. I got to play with two Shenanigans and both had good engagements. One had no blade play at all, the other had a slight amount of play (or an off-center blade – could never get it to balance 100% perfectly). For a $35 knife the lock meets my expectations, but if you can visually inspect the knife before purchase I’d go ahead and do that.

CRKT Shenanigan PPS Review – Final Thoughts

Ken Onion really hit this one out of the park when he designed this incredibly comfortable and functional knife. If you need big utility out of a small budget blade, I think there is a lot to like with this one. Stuff that I really liked included the blade shape, the steel, and the ergonomics. I wasn’t quite as wild about the position of the pocket clip, and found the lock bar a little on the thin side given the size of the knife and its potential purposes.

However, for $35 I think you are getting a hell of a knife here. You could pick up a couple without breaking a sweat and have a nice dedicated folder for the car, work or anywhere in else. I wouldn’t hesitate to suggest the CRKT Shenanigan to anyone looking for an inexpensive large utility blade. And that my friends, is no joke. 😉

CRKT Shenanigan PPS Folding Pocket Knife, Serrated Edge K480KKS

Bead Blast Blade Finish
Glass-Reinforced Nylon Handles
Triple Point Serrations
Designed by Ken Onion in Kaneohe, Hawaii
Limited Lifetime Warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, see company site for details

I recommend buying the CRKT Shenanigan at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

CRKT Ripple Review

by Dan Jackson 17 Comments

Last Updated: August 4, 2019
The CKRT Ripple is a design that had me doing a double take. The flowing lines and sharp looks were very “Ken Onion-y” and upon closer inspection the knife was in fact designed by Ken Onion. It turns out Mr. Onion has parted ways with the folks at Kershaw and he has been picked up by competitor CRKT.

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The Ripple was one of Ken’s first designs for CRKT. It’s something of a gentleman’s EDC knife, with Ken’s signature flowing curves in a low profile package.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Ripple comes in a few sizes. What you see here is the large version with a 3 1/8″ blade, an overall length of 7 1/2″ and a weight of 2.9 ounces. This is a nice size for an EDC knife. Not only is the Ripple lightweight at under 3 ounces, but it’s thin too. The whole knife is less than 5/16″ thick. Plenty of blade in a lightweight package. It’s a slim design that begs to be carried.

The blade is an attractive drop point design. There is an absence of the typical organic curves that Ken Onion is known for, but it still has his style and I find myself wanting for nothing. This is a really slender and refined blade and it comes with an exquisite tip. The swedge running 3/4 of the top of the blade is another elegant touch and the high hollow grind makes this a nice slicer as well. Personally, I love this blade shape.

CRKT has released this knife in several different steels over the years, but 8Cr14MoV is going to be the most common configuration. 8Cr14MoV has been discussed at length before, but this is a Chinese steel that is best known for being expensive, easy to sharpen, and holding an adequate edge. It’s on par with AUS-8, but below VG-10 and 154CM in the steel hierarchy. Feel free to check out my knife steel article for more information on different types of steel.

Handle, Ergonomics, and Pocket Clip

The handle of the Ripple is either made of 420J2 stainless steel (the framelock version) or aluminum (the linerlock version – shown here). The handle pieces have first been CNC milled with a ripple pattern. The handle has then been either a blue or black titanium nitride coating and then has been rubbed to reveal the silver look of the steel. It is a very unique look and can be difficult to capture in photographs although darkchild69, our featured photographer, has done an excellent job here. Another design element is the series of 44 small holes milled into the side of the handle. This is more for decoration I think, although it does lighten the handle up slightly. Finally, the handle is bolted together with two pillars. Very simple and as always, very easy to keep clean. This is a very slim handle and all the detail is unlike anything else currently on the market.

This is a thin metal handle so logic would suggest that this won’t be the most comfortable knife. In fact, the ergonomics are surprisingly good. The handle has been rounded and the flipper helps define the choil. Additionally, there is nice jimping on both the thumb ramp and handle. This provides plenty of traction and makes this a very easy knife to use for general tasks.

The clip is another interesting component. It is mounted high for tip down carry. It sits flush with the top of the handle and follows the line of the handle. One gripe is that the pocket clip it is tip-down right hand carry only. With the assisted open and the flipper, I can totally see why CRKT opted for tip down carry, but with 44 holes already in this knife, they really need to drill a couple more and make this clip ambidextrous.

Deployment and Lockup

The Ripple is a non-assisted open knife actuated by a flipper on the back of the handle. Those familiar with Ken Onion’s Leek, Chive, ZT 302, etc will be very familiar with this style of deployment. The flipper has been given some aggressive jimping that really bites into your thumb, you will not be slipping on this flipper. There are no thumb studs.

An interesting feature of the Ripple is the IKBS opening system. IKBS stands for “Ikoma Korth Bearing System” and means just that. There are a total of 16 ball bearings (8 per side of the blade). The bearings are uncaged and sit in little grooves machined into the handle and are used in place of teflon or phosphor bronze washers. Initial impressions are very good – the bearings make for a very fast and smooth deployment. This is one of the smoothest opening knives currently on the market (production blades at least). The IKBS combined with the assisted feature makes for effortless blade presentation. And apparently the bearings do not need much maintenance, which is good because I would not want to take this knife apart.

Here is an update from 2019: Over the past 8+ years I’ve owned countless bearing equipped knives. Generally they have held up real well. The versions with caged bearings are easier to take apart. This IKBS equipped knife includes loose bearings. You can take these knives apart too, but you need to be careful. Here is a great video from CRKT on how to clean an IKBS equipped knife.

The Ripple uses a steel frame lock, which is plenty strong for the kind of EDC tasks this knife was designed. Due to the intricate design on the handle you can hardly tell the framelock is there. I like how this looks and I also like how the framelock and adds to the simplicity of the design. However, I have noticed on multiple knives, the framelock extends very far over (see below) while others lock up early. Frame locks are designed to slowly break in and will travel over with extended use. Having the lock engage “late” from the start means that you may get less life out of the lock. If you get a Ripple with this late lock up, I would recommend talking with CRKT and getting it fixed because in my opinion, this shouldn’t happen with a new knife.

Here is a parting size comparison with my Boker Plus Urban Trapper:

CRKT Ripple Review – Final Thoughts

The Ripple is a beautiful knife. Ken Onion took a sexy blade shape and melded it with a wonderful handle. This knife “flows” from an aesthetic standpoint and I think the design is just phenomenal. The IKBS is both interesting and functional, long term testing will tell if this is a mere novelty or truly a revolutionary way to deploy a blade. The Ripple is made in Taiwan, which we now know (thanks to Spyderco) is capable of making some great higher end blades at a terrific value.

All things considered the CRKT did a great job with the Ripple. I would prefer if they re-worked the pocket clip so that it was ambidextrous, and a little less weird, but beyond that you get a lot of nice knife for the money. The Ripple is one of the knives that laid the foundation for Ken Onion / CRKT collaborations, and continues to be a great lightweight high value option for folks years after its original release.

CRKT Ripple EDC Folding Pocket Knife: Gentleman Everyday Carry, Satin Blade, IKBS Ball Bearing Pivot, Liner Lock, Textured Aluminum Handle, Pocket Clip K415KXP

Fast Opening: IKBS ball bearing pivot deploys the blade fast
Fast Opening: The flipper deploys the blade fast
Strong And Lightweight: Aluminum handle combines strength with minimal weight
Designed by Ken Onion in Kaneohe, Hawaii
Limited Lifetime Warranty covers any defects in materials or workmanship, see company site for details

I recommend buying the CRKT Ripple at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for reading and Stay Sharp.