The CRKT LCK Pocketknife: The Full Nick Shabazz Review

[@BirdShotIV]

Agreed Nick, this one is a standout for 2018, thanks for the shoutout as well! Frankie and Bird

[@mikepipher3347]

Fun fact, this knife (LCK) was designed to look like the Ruger LCP2. The pistol acronym stands for Light Compact Pistol, so the CRKT is the Light Compact Knife. If you look at the pistol the milling on the slide looks exactly like the texturing on the knives scales.

[@BrockNessMonster1991]

Worddd 👍🏻

[@brandonwordmusic]

I have an LCP2 and thought this knife looked familiar!

[@ASMR-soothingsounds]

Truth

[@kerryrwac]

First a Medford that cuts . Then a Chinese Kershaw that was worth a hoot . Now a Cricket achieves gem status . There are dark forces at work here . What could possibly be next .

[@GoldBold563]

kerryrwac quality controlled benchmades with reasonable prices?

[@johnbowen5336]

The Apocalypse?

[@kerryrwac]

That would lead to the apocalypse John Bowen mentions .

[@kerryrwac]

A definite possibility .

[@Viktormajstor]

Don’t forget the zombie ka bar that’s actually pretty good.

[@korbendallas9722]

Next T-shirt idea “ I measure length in ounces, yeah I’m a freakin wizard “ 😂

[@afternoont1135]

I hope he does a, "stealthy pocket pecker" shirt too

[@petertorque]

“Blacker than a goth kid’s sock drawer “. Bwahahahaaa!!!! Genius.

[@ratride1]

Two low priced knives that are of decent quantity brings joy to my heart. We all can’t afford 100 dollar knives.

[@andyrichardson6188]

At some point I noticed I had ~8 low priced knives. For the same money I could have 4 good knives or 2-3 great ones. $80 gets you into the great knife range. I'll take 2 non-China made great knives over 8 with crappy steel any day. With all due respect to Nick, compared to ESEE, Ontario, and Buck, the CRKTs and Kershaws with crappy steel don't cut it in terms of value.

[@TheReTurnersFlips]

Andy Richardson Most Bucks are made in China and are Absolutly horrible knives now. Even newer 110s quality has dive bombed.

[@krislong9338]

Even if we can afford 100 dollar knives, it's nice to have some that cost less and aren't junk.

[@krislong9338]

Also, I'd take a CRKT or Kershaw with a decent design over most recent Buck folders. The 110 deserves its reputation as a stellar classic good sized folder, but they put out some seriously ugly and junky knives. CRKT and Kershaw put out some cheesy designs as well, but you can find plenty of good knives from them.

[@kidthorazine]

They actually do make this knife with a satin finish blade, though the blade shape is different as well (that one is a drop point). I'm actually seriously considering grabbing that one.

[@mikepipher3347]

That's the one I have. Very nice when you consider the cost.

[@earlyx1225]

I really enjoy when you sound like you’re smiling.

[@billbush1270]

This knife is now $75 on Amazon, and I just picked up the last one for $39 on Ebay. There is also a drop point version out, same steel.

[@gaylenstone9329]

On another note you do some great reviews on knives, really good info and to the point with useful comparisons. Thanks a lot for the videos/reviews.

[@rodrigoteresa7944]

I'm just gonna be that guy. Make it (also) in 14C28N or D2, charge 5 bucks more, and I'll buy that faster than you can blink.

[@andyrichardson6188]

I'm guessing the issue for CRKT is that 95% of the customers don't know the difference and don't care. They're probably selling 10x more of these at $25 with crap steel than with D2 at $33. The price has to go way up to offset the lost sales.

[@stephenbarone4053]

Considering crkt charges 50 or more dollars for knives with Aus 8, I'm guessing if they went with D2 this knife would be $100.

[@randomguy-z2l]

Rodrigo Teresa if they made steel options available on most of their knives, they would sell. To us knife enthusiasts at least. Like if I could get this in at least d2/sandvik/vg10 I'd buy for around 70 bucks.

[@kaiz1845]

Honestly though with so many good knives using shitty steels, I‘m surprised that custom knife blades isn't a legit market yet, lol.

[@flinchfu]

Rodrigo Teresa Five bucks more for D-2? Sign me up.

[@Lokahi-fo-life]

Funny thing is this was delivered as I was watching this video. So, I was checking it out as I listened to you. I agree with everything you said, the only thing I would have liked in addition to your comments as some gimping on the top. Thanks again Nick!

[@Davidkennellymusic]

I ordered one of these last night because you teased it in a live stream a while back. I loved the look of it and I cant wait to give it a try.

[@zachbradley1356]

Good review but i have 1 question... Do you by any chance ever digress?

[@CJDubbs]

Just picked one of these up off ruger's website for 16 bucks. What a nice budget nice.

[@LTT.Official]

Offer another version with d2 and satin blade, I'm in.

[@thefinder8087]

Nick! This just makes me want the Spyderco Smock Flipper Knife to come out and for you to review it. Is that something you're planning on getting?

[@KamakazeTaco]

A little bit of thicc-ness is always a good thing

[@grimflipz]

You forgot to mention the good sharpening choil. They make it easy to sharpen this softer steel..this is a very nice buy... Great video AGAIN, Mr. Shabazz

[@tony2169]

The scales on the knife were inspired by the Ruger semi-auto cocking serrations on their pistols.

[@jamesan8156]

Your reviews are entertaining and informative. I’m becoming a knife junky. I bought 8 knives in one year based on your reviews. Thanks Nick;)

[@maxx42069]

Day 2: I have successfully reviewed two Chinese budget knives and deemed them gems. Subjects still believe I am the Nick. Initiating phase two.

[@Washyourbellybutton]

😂😂😂

[@redpillow2]

Out another 25 bucks, thanks Nick.

[@randmichaels6654]

Thanks for another great review! I liked the looks of this little knife when I first saw it but thought, "CRKT... 25 bucks... never mind" But, thanks to your "gem" rating I figured, what the hell? So, I ordered one. Unfortunately, the reverse tanto in the video seems to be out of stock everywhere I looked. So, I ordered the other one with the drop point, which is in a nice satin finish and should make it more lunchroom friendly and "gentlemanly". Who knows? At this price, if the drop point version works out well for me, I may pick up a second on with the reverse tanto when they become available again. Thanks again, for helping me spend little money on a great little knife.

[@randmichaels6654]

As a follow up, my knife arrived today. Pros: 1. Shockingly good action! If I didn't know better I'd think it was on bearing rather than phosphor bronze washers. I have to try really hard to NOT get it to flip out to lock. Seriously! And while it's not fallie shuty, it does close very smoothly. 2. Love the deep carry clip with recessed screws. 3. Very light at 2.5 ounces on my scale. 4. Very slim height wise, and takes up little room at the rear of my pocket. Width is slim as well. 5. Fits my medium sized hands well. 6. Grip texture provides adequate grip without being overly aggressive. 7. LOVE, LOVE, LOVE the blade shape! I got the satin finish drop point style. I tend to like the slimmer blades like this and the Kwaiken from a visual perspective. Just a personal taste thing I know, but it's what I like, and this blade is very attractive to me. From the overall shape, to the little swedge, to the hollow grind, to the finger choil, to the satin finish, I like the blade. 8. Came pretty sharp. A few minutes on my strop and it was hair popping sharp with the factory bevel. Cons/wants: 1: Finger choil is a bit short. And I don't have large fingers. Probably end up cutting my finger if I used it much as a forward finger choil. But at least it serves as a nice sharpening choil which is more than you can say for a lot of other knives. 2. Wish it had a little gimping on the rear of blade spine. 3. Yeah, I know it's cost effective, and that it serves the purpose, but I really don't like the FRN scales Just makes the knife look and feel cheap. Well... it is, so... But still... 4. I try to be realistic about blade steels. And I know that the 8Cr13MoV is "ok" in the real world that my knife will see. But, I'd really like to see it in Sandvick or D2, or some other budget steel with better performance. 5. The pocket clip is a bit short, IMO. It's comfortable in the hand, and doesn't cause hot spots like many others, but... The short length, combined with the weak tension tells me that it may not be the best for secure retention. I'll probably end up loosing this knife for that reason. 6. Related to numbers 1 through 5 above, I'd love to see an upscale version of this knife with D2 steel, G10 scales, a slightly longer forward choil, gimping on the spine of the blade, and a slightly longer, stronger clip. Keep the action and all dimensions as is, and it'd be the perfect EDC for me. 7. Give me the above and replace the G10 with a nice set of bone or stag, and this would make an excellent, classy gentleman's carry. That's something that I'd be willing to pay decent money to get. Overall though, for $27 I can't complain. It's a real GEM of a knife!

[@bradb5094]

Good review. I like the version with the satin, drop point blade.

[@mountainmanwatchreviews8081]

No voyager xl comparison?

[@hooper4581]

25 beans ! I’m sold Looks like a great little every day beater. Nice 👍 Always appreciate your reviews nick. Well done

[@rayericsson9317]

Most of my deep carry clips have screws in the pocket path. Kudos to CRKT for addressing this annoying issue. This is a great EDC that you won’t hesitate to loan out to others and can beat on without the worry of damaging a more expensive blade. Also glad to see that tiger isn’t billboarded all over the blade and handle. Nice job CRKT!

[@fasteddieful]

Awesome knife. Gonna pick one up. What sort of missions do woodpeckers go on, by the way ?

[@franknowakowski3103]

Stopped in at Blade HQ on my way dow I-15 to Las Vegas. Took a look at these and bought the other model with the polished, drop point blade. Sharpened it a bit more when I got home and it is a reasonably price gem! Great letter opener. Love these cheapies that really perform!

[@charmaine.s_EDC]

Hi Nick, thanks for the review. Been looking for a small, nice, inexpensive pocket knife for me.

[@thomash4578]

I purchased this knife because some random jackass said it was a good budget knife. He was absolutely right! One of the things that impressed me was the size when folded. It is about the same size as a hefty fountain pen. That makes it really easy to carry. Ease of carrying is something that I feel a lot of knife manufacturers forget. My EDC equipment spends most of the time being carried and only a little time (relative) being used. When looking for EDC, I look carefully at the ease and comfort of carrying. Equipment that is awkward or uncomfortable to carry is, in my opinion, ill suited for EDC. This knife is very easy and comfortable to carry, whether I am in shorts at the dog park or in a suit in a board meeting. That's EDC to me. My hand are way more manly and larger than The Nick's hands, but this knife fits well in my gorilla hands. The blade is just long enough to be practical without looking all murderly. Now, there is a lot of steel snobbery in the knife world. I get it and kinda don't get it. Is the steel on this knife the best? Of course not. It is no where near the best...but is that bad? Do I need the best quality steel in a knife? Well, my ego says yes. I deserve only top quality equipment, simply because I am me. My rational mind disagrees. I use my knife a few times a week. Sometimes more sometimes less. I am not out there taking down Tangos nor am I defusing doomsday weapons just as the timer gets to 007. I am an ordinary guy who needs to cut ordinary things in an ordinary way. The steel on this knife is completely capable of handling my ordinary cutting needs in my ordinary life. I don't need top of the line knives and I certainly don't need to pay for that unnecessary quality. I wonder how many people are paying a lot for unneeded quality? The quality you get for the price you pay for this knife is amazing. There are knives better than this one. There are knives cheaper than this one. I am not sure there is another knife at this price, with this quality of construction that is this easy and comfortable to carry, in my opinion. That's the total value, for me, with this knife. I don't carry a knife to impress people, nor do I carry one to scare anyone. To me a knife is one of the most basic tools out there. For the price I paid for this knife, it does all that I need it to do

[@Gpknives]

Great assessment of the LCK Wharncliffe Nick. I agree with you on all points. If they did this with G10 and stonewash Sandvik steel it would be a serious contender for top 10 2018. I can see why they leave the flipper long for people with beefier digits but with as well as the LCK flips I think they could have gotten away with slimming it down. Still, for the $$ it's a great knife.

[@motorcyclemark2889]

On sale for $14. Frankie and bird have the link I just ordered one

[@ToastyMonk]

Came to this review exactly for that reason, and I too just ordered one 🥴

[@numbone]

I just got 6 for gifts and to get free shipping

[@TheKnifeJunkie]

Blacker than a gothkid’s sock drawer ... nice!

[@ericdavid199]

Probably the coolest looking pocket knife I've ever seen

[@crmplex1]

The jimping/gripitude looks very similar to that of the Ruger LCP. I like that they did that. Great review as always!

[@EDCwithAaron]

I thought you said that when crkt does something thats worth a damn quality wise that you would stop calling them cricket? I recently picked up the HVAS and while the value isn't as insane as this, it is a really really nice design.

[@NickShabazz]

Old Habits Die Hard!

[@ParamountPocket]

Also, tell me im not the only one that totally sees the knife as an actual bird during the "pocket pecker" part lmao. Totally looked like a black pigeon or somethin

[@naturesbest7977]

Dude! Your reviews are awesome!!!!!!

[@dobypilgrim6160]

Just got mine. I am about as impressed with it as you were in this review.

[@bloodgain]

My brother bought me this knife for Christmas. I don't think I would have given it a second look online, although I think CRKT makes OK knives in their price range. But in the hand, it's a great knife that doesn't weigh your pocket down too much (or make it too light *rimshot*). Great gift!

[@shooterfan1974]

The handle texture mimics the slide serrations on the Ruger LCP II and Security 9 pistols. The knife is also available with a nickel or stainless look drop point (I think that's what it's called) blade.

[@Pew7070]

Now kids can get a cool and cheap pocket knife. Nice! Great gift for intro to the insanity of knife collecting. That’s super! But for a seasoned nutcase like me: beautiful junk. Either 8Cr or butterknife steel = same. If there would be a PM steel version besides this one I would buy it in a heartbeat #moneyvote. On some level this is like wasting good designs and execution on poor materials. Which is a sin.

[@KnifeCultureUSA]

There is an LCK with a silver blade , but it has a different shape. I think I like the shape of this one better.

[@1turdontherun]

If only some of these well designed and well executed budget knives would come out in say d2 steel with appropriate price. They would sell like gangbusters. This and the Atmos.

[@brr8888]

Kyle Quevillon There are tons of great budget knives in D2 just not from CRKT.

[@abc456f]

Kyle Quevillon Real Steel and Ruike are putting out solid value knives in 14c28n. Bestech has some good choices in D2. Steel Will cutjack 3.5 in D2. Rat1 or 2 in D2.

[@oscarmedina1597]

I’m fairly certain Kyle is aware of the various D2 options out there. He”s not the only one who wishes that CRKT would produce D2 versions of some of their knives.

[@ozyrob1266]

My thought exactly on the steel. I hope they rethink this.

[@TurfSurf]

my fav budget knife of all time

[@stoutdog56]

I have the clip point in satin and it is equally a great value and flips fantastic. I recommend it and wouldn't hesitated to buy it again.

[@AriMWeinstein]

A new species in the Pocket Pecker Flock! Nice.

[@grumpyoldwizard]

Strange how the sheepsfoot/wharncliffe/reverse tanto/seax blade is getting some popularity. I always like the cutting power of this shape but they were pretty hard to find in the past. I like this blade because the tip aggressively leans into the cut instead of sweeping away. BTW if you go to buy it, its under Ruger, not CRKT.

[@xvaldez3284]

Got one a year or two ago and I love it. Beat the absolute shit out of it cause its 8cr and it's easy as hell to sharpen and you can go from butter knife to wicked sharp in like 5 min. I've cut drywall, used it to pry staples from floors and furniture, shave, gut fish, dig out weeds, cut plexi glass, etc and it's still going strong. Carried it for over a year and although you do have to maintain that edge I dont really mind cause with higher end steels i tend to not use them as much cause although they hold an edge better but it's more of a pain to sharpen. I mean maintenance takes like 2 min out of your day every other week for a good working edge and for the action reliability and price point it's an awesome edc and beater knife

[@AUTOIGN]

Just ordered this from amazon. The Atmos is my favorite knife, I have a blur , delica , Rat 2 , Honey badger and many others can't wait to get it.

[@myimorata7678]

Bought one today because I loved the styling and the blade. My only concern is that it's not spring assisted so, unlike Mr. Nick, deploying it fully with a flick of a finger is, for me, a challenge. (I'm older and my manual dexterity and hand strength is not what they used to be -- maybe the fault lies with me and not the knife) That said, it's really an attractive knife, handsomely priced, and welcome to my collection.

[@DavidGriffis]

I'm a novice and able to flick it open and close it with one hand. Fits nicely with my Ruger LCP II .380 and my Compact Supert 8 9mm too. Looks nice.

[@BT-cn7ne]

This knife is one of my favorites! the size, shape, profile: my favorite $25 knife. Does anyone have a recommendation for a high end version of this?

[@loyalpoehler3991]

does comes with a satin blade option!

[@umoramayori]

They have a "drop point" ( more like spear point) version with a satin type blade finish.

[@lukescrase5134]

Between the kershaw fraxtion, atmos, the honey badger and the crkt lck....... Small, budget, unassisted knives are taking over the knife game completely 👌👌

[@BradGryphonn]

A very nice little blade.

[@themawsjawz_9491]

Glad I saw this review. Liked the design but wrote it off because it's CRKT. Glad this channel gives me a reason to spend more money.

[@chriselliott484]

which one you suggest more the Kershaw atmos or the ruger

[@murtezatt]

"You get a little bit of thickness and thats always a good thing." PREACH BROTHER AMEN

[@Spitsz01]

I have the Fossil with the shark teeth, it is exxxelent. It looks like they made another winner!

[@morayjames92]

Great review Nick thank you. If you like the Atmos (Kershaw) the LCK (CRKT) the Fraxion (Kershaw) the Chill (Kershaw) then make sure to check out another Jens Anso design in the Kershaw Method. Amazing fit in the hand very light weight very easy to flip and what ought to make you delighted is that it has one of the smallest most unobtrusive and smoothest flipper tabs that you are likely to find. A very smooth action easy to use comfortable to hold knife with a very attractive drop point blade shape. To me all of the above listed knives deserve special budget "gem" commendations.

[@ryanhill7318]

Starting to LOVe your reviews Nick. Youre turning me into a knife feind though

[@lukebilstein5190]

I’m getting one thanks for the review you sold me

[@seanschmidt143]

What a great review! Just by chance. I happened to order this blade on Amazon a few days ago for 23 bucks

[@marcusgrimes726]

Don’t reverse tantos usually have the leading/top portion near the tip sharpened? Looks like a pretty standard sheepsfoot blade to me

[@NickShabazz]

Nope, not usually. But you're right, this is pretty sheepy

[@marcusgrimes726]

Nick Shabazz im not super familiar with reverse tantos. Can’t say I’ve seen a whole lot of them. But I guess the term is pretty interchangeable with sheepsfoot. Either way, Knife is cool. I really like Mathew lerch’s stuff.

[@rodrigoteresa7944]

"CRKT's low end" what's their high end lol. The Hijinx?

[@kidthorazine]

They actually do make higer end stuff, like my main office work EDC is a CRKT Swindle with 12C27 steel. Which was like $50. They also make some fairly high end fixed blades, which are generally way better than their folders.

[@andyrichardson6188]

I just looked. They have some nice designs. I can't find one knife of theirs with steel worth owning. Not one.

[@djshiva]

"Blacker than a goth kid's sock drawer." LMAO

[@bronsontolliver9027]

Looks like a great replacement for my Kershaw Hotwire.

[@JeffyLube]

Is it birdshot iv or does the iv stand for 4?

[@TheHairymango]

So better than the pilar?

[@JustIn-op6oy]

I honestly wish they would just go to something like Acuto+ as their default steel.

[@pop4803]

Ok Nick , which do We buy first the atmos or crkt?

[@future_phonk]

The handle texture on the handle are like serrations on a pistol’s slide.

[@L3001USPSA]

I finally found one of these, and it's the other blade style (satin, drop point). It's sold in a blister pack, so I couldn't try it out first. Mine does not have that good of a detent and does not fire reliably without some wrist. What can I do about this? I guess I can take it down, clean and reassemble to start with.

[@L3001USPSA]

I did disassemble it and clean it and it got much smoother. I don't have nano-oil. I used GunButter and slicked it right up. I'm kind of surprised how slim this knife is, but I like it.

[@LongOdds]

Mine came rough as well. Loosened the pivot enough to get it to fire reliably and I got way too much blade play. Took it apart, cleaned, and oiled it. Still rough. I'll give it a day to break in, but looks like this one is going back. Read some recent reviews stating the same, the more recent purchases/batch may not be up to par.

[@rossco5995]

What's better lck or atmos?

[@Buzzby4020]

I just checked a seller and verified that this is a right-hand-only knife. The world is unkind to southpaws! I really wanted one.

[@PimpolloMorales]

Buzzby1949 I'm left handed, I just take out the pocket clip. On flippers I don't think the direction of the clip really matters towards opening it anyway. :)

[@hardtime63]

Agreed, on pretty much, every point. Great review, Nick. Wish they would move to a better steel as well, however.

[@mitchellsmith6055]

You should look at the CRKT Cuatro!!!!!

[@bigB6flyer]

Anyone tried stripping the black off the sheepsfoot blade model?

[@icas80]

These are on sale for $15 at ShopRuger!

[@charmaine.s_EDC]

I agree that it should come in different colors, at least for the handle. Black blade color is fine with me

[@richardgeorgesmiley168]

A must buy right now and maybe if your into Big look at the larger Ruger branded CRKT`s.

[@loyalpoehler3991]

just ordered it with the drop point blade !thank you Nick , knife #504!

[@gaylenstone9329]

And I lost it when he said "this knife is blacker then a goth kids sock drawer" bahahahaha

[@lacanian_lifter]

Question, how would one go about stripping the TACTICAL EXTREME BLACK NIGHT COMMANDO XXX coating off of this cool blade?

[@ikksksknsk4720]

sandpaper?

[@tokyo8236]

Can't find one of these anywhere

[@numbone]

@tokyo they still have these at shopruger.com for $14.99

[@wallybanner512]

The Caligo is also excellent

[@xDarkPrototypex]

Im surprised they didnt paint the edge black

[@totschopper]

Do people still wear white socks?....

[@BrockNessMonster1991]

Jay c - I do not believe so

[@totschopper]

Brock Nasty 🕴

[@EDCwithAaron]

Jay c not people, nick.

[@The4cp]

Yes, yes I do

[@fuhq5121]

Grey

[@jesses.8880]

Anyone know where a person may purchase, this SAME knife? The unassisted non bearing reverse tanto, as seen in the video? Any replies helpful, thanks for your time.

[@DaddyClown4805]

Someone needs to send nick a timber rattler western outlaw His reactions are priceless

[@astrazenica7783]

I'd never want to see the Shabazz's face or anything but maybe we could hear him shave with it? It has that straight razor vibe

[@Noahnelson91]

just ordered this guy. if I had $200 to spend on a knife I would get the zero tolerance 0450CF. What I really like is the size and the tanto blade

[@VictoriaOfTheDead]

Just recently purchased mine for $14.99, nice knife.

[@rooster6271]

I'm a freakin wizard lol, I had a good laugh...... great work with the reviews Nick keepem comin!

[@HAFGaming]

6:22 blacker then a goth kids sock drawer. Oh my god i cant stop laughing

[@knightmarex13]

that deep carry clip is very sog-esque