J1904-CF

I just recently started to get into cleaver style blades which are immensely easier to sharpen. I was looking into a budget friendly knife with powder metallurgy that was incorporated into the blade manufacturing process. I did my research and it seems that the AR-RPM9 material seems to have good marks for edge retention, easy of sharpening, toughness and corrosion resistance. ( This is Artisan Cutlery's proprietary development for their budget knives). I also decided that I wanted something with a simpler liner lock system and passed on the button type locks or the recoil locking mechanism on the CJRB knife, since there would be less potential mechanical problems in the future with the knife. I reviewed the reviews on CJRB Crag knife and made my decision to purchase it. ( I have collected knives for over 30 years and have over twenty knives ranging from Benchmades, Kershaw Cutlery, Spyderco, Zero Tolerance, and Kubey Knives. ) . Basically, I view some of the YouTube review videos such as Nick Shabazz and GideonsTactical to evaluate the pros and cons of any knife that I plan to purchase.Since I just picked up the knife today, I took a closer look at it . The quality of this Crag model is impressive. The blade has a good lock up with the liner lock system . Although, upon inspection, there is no steel block insert in the liner lock to assist with the wear on the liner, but this is a " budget" knife, so this is not a "deal breaker." The model that I received had no directional "play," and when I used the thumb flipper, it was firm yet smooth upon the blade deployment. The one thing that I noticed was that the edge was not sharp, so I had to sharpen it. I used my WorkSharp Precision sharpener at a 23 degree angle and started with 600 grit and, then, 800 grit, 20 passes on each side of the blade, starting from tip to heel using a " pull" motion. Reason I started from the tip is to maintain the point and avoid the "rounding" effect.Overall, after I was done sharpening the blade, the black PVD finish was unblemished and the blade has a sharp working edge. 23 degree sharpening angle is a compromise for the blade to have a durable yet sharp edge. (The thinner the angle will result in a less durable edge but closer to being "razor like" sharpness so it is a trade off.) I'll have to see how the knife performs at work, but I think it will be a definite winner. If you are looking for potentially good, but budget value knife, this one is worth considering since it has a nice thick blade stock as well as a nice, firm and smooth"flipper" system. Also, if you are looking for an easy sharpening system and have troubles using whetstones for sharpening, the WorkSharp Precision Elite Sharpener is an excellent alternate choice.

Seems to be a well made product, I really like the cleaver style blade. When it arrived It was sharp enough to handle anything you would want to do with it but after about 10 seconds on my ceramic rods and a couple passes on the leather barbers strop and it wad RAZOR sharp. I purchased this blade to be a "work" edc but it's to nice to mistreat so it's going to the "casual " etc spot and I'll find something else for work.

This knife was a replacement for the last two I lost, and honestly, I’m really glad I picked this one again. Not only does it look great with its clean, square edge, but it also holds a sharp edge really well. It’s lightweight, easy to clean, and has that no-nonsense, functional style I like.I carry it in my right pocket, and even though it’s gotten caught on a few things, the clip has held strong—it’s never fallen out. I also really appreciate the adjustable carry setup. You can switch it from left to right side and top to bottom carry. Knife folks will know what that means, and it's a nice touch.Definitely a dependable EDC knife I’d recommend.Only downside is the weird gold/yellow/green ring around the main bolt, may take it out to paint black or silver.

I recently purchased 3 knives from CRJB, a Rampart, Barranca, and this knife, the Crag, all with the copper scale options. The main difference between the 3 comes down to blade shape so I'll lump most of my thoughts all together for the review. One thing to point out with the Crag is despite all the listings at all retailers I could find and Artisan Cutlery's own site stating the blade is D2 mine is stamped as AR-RPM9. Artisan did announce a while back they'd be moving several knives under the CRJB brand from D2 to AR-RPM9 so maybe they're still clearing out "old" D2 stock. If you have a strong preference for either steel it might be a good idea to contact sellers first to see if they can verify what you'll be getting. These are all fairly "budget" options, especially considering the copper which tends to run a bit more pricey than some other material options. Blades all came decently sharp, well enough to be put to work right away with no issues. One knife did have a small chip on the spine near the tip and another has the edge grind go up in to the plunge line making it look like it was someone's first day sharpening, but neither issue impacts use. 2 of the 3 had a pretty nasty grinding feel at the pivot so I tore the knives apart to clean everything well and apply oil. After that they're all nice and smooth, definitely not in the fall shut category but a gentle shake or two and they close up nicely. Detents are maybe a touch on the weak side for my personal preferences, but I can't shake them open and I have no concerns they will ever open without intent. None of the knives have failed to fully deploy unless I clearly messed up. Fit and finish is a bit of a mixed bag. The knives that have already been taken apart were pretty raggedy, the liners have random grind marks in places, one had a couple copper chips stuck between the liner and scales. The screws were a bit tricky to get out, there's some sort of dried goo acting as a thread locker I'd assume, but it's still quite sticky when trying to remove. All knives look just fine when assembled. The copper scales do have concentric rings from the machining that are almost not noticeable when looking but can be felt. Nothing bad, but if you're looking for super smooth shiny copper you'll have to put in some work. All things considered, I'm happy with each one, but you'll have to decide if the negative points are more than you'd like to deal with. If you don't want to take the time and effort to tune up a knife, or return one that needs tuning, I'd probably suggest to take a pass. If you're OK with putting in a little work to make the knife exactly how you want it, I think there are far worse options out there you could be getting.

Awesome knife, great action, no play, blade is centered, sharp and looks amazing. What else is there to say

Great sharp knife. Smooth easy action and doesn't stick at all. Detent is also not too strong and not too weak. Good work knife. Perfect size for me. CJRB has some good stuff. Not all of them are good but this one is safe.

Easy to carry and easy to maintain. Very sharp and has worked wonderfully for me ! Great quality