Squid Compact

This is just about everything you could want in a pocket knife. The blade is incredibly sharp out of the factory, we're talking closer to katana than your dad's Swiss Army knife. If it holds onto the edge with occasional honing over time, there is literally nothing to complain bout. Opening is an assisted flipper. Press the tab with enough force (or use the thumb studs) to overcome the detent and bias, and it will snap open. Perfect for one handed use. It is not strong enough that you should fear dropping it or anything like that, just enough to pay attention that nothing is in the way. The frame lock is sturdy, and easy to disengage. The opening assist also gives it some resistance to being closed, which is probably safer for folks who want to close their knife with one hand as well. It's important to properly set the spine's backside so it wrests against the seam of the pocket (i.e., make sure it's as close to the pocket's edge as it will go, so the pocket physically prevents the blade from opening) as with any other flipper. Given the assist, it would probably be less forgiving of improper carry. Testing this with an old pair of BDU trousers and trying to (safely) press the tab, I'd say if it gets opened while carried properly, you shouldn't be jamming rocks in your pocket or were being groped quite vigorously. We're talking less it's stored with your keys and comb and more someone tried to grab hold of you and ended up ripping it out of your pocket. The grip is nice and solid despite its lightweight. It's probably the perfect size if you prefer a larger handle (or have larger hands). It's also easily to disengage the frame lock without accidentally pressing on it, and it's not so terribly stiff as to be difficult. Presuming you don't toss it out of the back of moving truck, or try and hammer with it, there's nothing negative there. It also gives a fairly decent handgrip, unlike many of the smaller pocket knives I've had, this one doesn't skimp on being able to use the bottom fingers for a steadier grip. In terms of blades, the shorter/chunkier style makes it pretty stable for light stabbing and very effective to cut with, since you can readily apply pressure. Tasks like breaking down furniture boxes, which are often larger and unruly cardboard that won't fit a recycling bin, is a breeze. If I ever needed to demonstrate why you use a sharp knife for safety, this would be the one. I don't know if I should thank the knife designer or whoever designed the machines edging the blades, but it's superb for a pocket knife. IMHO--an excellent tool both for household utility and everyday carry. Just be mindful of it being an assisted flipper. This is not the kind of knife that you give children as their first knife. Nor that you let fools borrow. It's a good tool. Respect it as such. Worst thing I can really say? It tempts me to acquire another, so there's one for my EDC pocket load and another could be near the garage as the goto "Knife, household, utility."

I first bought the Black Stonewash a few years ago as a cheap EDC for about $24. At such a cheap price it wouldn't be the end of the world if it was lost or damaged so I could be rough with it. It held up perfectly well to this day, still almost as good as new. The original Squid is short, sturdy as hell, and nonthreatening in shape, perfect for less permissive environments. The steel of the Squid is 8Cr13MoV, perfectly reasonable and serviceable for its low price point, but you'll be honing the edge a little more frequently. The grip is a little small, but a short paracord lanyard helps the pinky get a little more purchase on the handle while assisting on the draw from the pocket. The frame lock is strong and locks up very positively, and it's wonderful to fidget with, making a satisfying click when it engages. The tightness of the pivot screw is tough to keep perfectly adjusted with its nylon bushings, with a tiny sweet spot between too tight to smoothly open and so loose as to be wobbly and flaccid. The tricky tightness is also key to keeping the blade centered in the grip when it's stowed. Then the Squid XM released and I purchased it immediately. First from a different site before it was available on Amazon, then again as a gift once it came to this site. The XM is a direct and total upgrade to the Squid. The D2 steel is tougher stuff than the original's chinese steel, but that doesn't mean you should slack on edge maintenance. Honing the edge will keep it razor sharp for longer, and I find a 25° angle edge is the best for this blade. The longer blade and handle make the XM better for bigger mitts and jobs where you need a little extra to bear down on. The G10 is incredibly grippy while being gentle on the hands, as opposed to the smooth steel face of the original. The assisted open is seriously strong, bordering on overkill, to the point where the knife has jumped out of my hands before I got used to it. The XM's assisted open does lower the fidget factor, but it's an entirely welcome upgrade over the thumb-stud-only of the Squid. The flipper on the heel of the blade serves as a finger stop so you can choke up higher on the blade than the original. The ball bearing pivot means that you can torque down the pivot screw a little more without seizing up the action, keeping the tip centered in the grip. In summary, this is seriously my favorite knife, and with proper care and cleaning it will last for years. The XM is absolutely worth the price over the original.

Excellent quality control. No blade wobble. Secure frame lock. All screws snug. Opens and closes with ease. Good design, ergonomics and build. I recommend this crkt knife as a good investment, well worth the price. Outperforms knives costing double this price.

These are a very solid, convenient little knife. I've had several and will probably buy a few more - I use them at work and they are occasionally stolen by jealous coworkers. It fits nicely in the pocket after breaking in the clip, and fits well in my average-size hands. Opening and closing works smoothly with one hand. Wearing gloves doesn't affect it much, unless they are very thick. I've used this knife under water, in snow, in mud, and in dry dirt. I've had them covered in stuff that should never touch human skin. After a good wash, the blade operation has remained very smooth. I use a small whet stone to sharpen the knife in the field, but the jobs the knife is performing take a toll on the edge quickly. It's been a screwdriver, scraper, and digging tool multiple times. It's easy to sharpen and I'm happy with the lifetime of the edge that I get.

Great edc knife. Extremely sharp right out the box. Solid, sturdy, smooth action. 10/10 been carrying a Crkt for years.

This is a good knife on a budget. Is it super cheap? No. Is it made from the fanciest steel? No. Does it have the best features? No. But is it a dependable knife? Yes. Will knife-snobs scoff at it? Yes. But you can buy 3-10 of these for the cost of their preferred knives. It was made to work, not look pretty. I find the release a little awkward, but that's likely because it's so small. I opted to carry this at work instead of a box-cutter because I just prefer a proper knife. This thing is solid, thick, and heavy. It's sturdy enough to do any job a sane man would try to accomplish with a (non Cold Steel) folder, but small enough so as not to frighten those who think that knives were made with the sole purpose of harming human-beings. It's heavy for the short blade. Very heavy. The pocket clip has excellent retention; perhaps even a bit too much. But that means it's in no danger of going anywhere. Yes it will need sharpened frequently with regular use due to budget steel. No the clip is not adjustable. No it can't be disassembled. But it's a sub twenty-dollar tank of a knife that just works and works well. It's not fancy. It's not a knife you brag about online. But if you ever lose it, you're not out $60-300 either. And while it may not be art in the form of a blade, I personally really like the plain stainless look, and I'm quite fond of this little-guy. And it IS little, so bear that in mind. I find it a positive, as many places in the US with tougher knife laws count this as a pocket knife. YMMV, of course, so be sure to check state and local laws. Ib conclusion, I consider this a good little knife, and I can't recommend it enough.

I was hesitant to give this a good review because to be honest, the design is great but there's a few pain in the butt things about it. I was looking for compact EDC knife with a 2" or thereabouts locking blade, two handed operation, more utility work than anything else and definitely not for self defense. The clip, as well as the locking portion of the blade, is really well designed. Nicely shaped, easy to use with or without gloves for two handed opening but also one handed if you're pretty dextrous, easy to lock and unlock without it accidentally folding closed on your fingers. I really like this design, and with the steel they use I don't think it will wear out that quickly like my old Spyderco knife did for EDC use over a year. The handle is easy to hold with a notch for the index finger, using Allen key screws to hold everything together, including the clip with two separate screws for that. On the Spyderco I had before I was pretty happy to remove the clip as it was more of a pain in the butt than functionally useful (I was always afraid to break it), but I rather like this clip and it's a nice, solid piece of metal. I wear XL gloves for most gloves and I find the knife handle a tiny bit on the small side; I think this is acceptable as it is only a 2.14" blade, and to me it does look a little strange to have an excessively large handle on a smaller blade. On the not so good side, CKRT has a compromise when thinking about the idea of what a cutting edge should be. I'm a bit of a snob here so I'm willing to give it a free pass on this one, but all my EDC knives are sharp enough to cut through a kiwi fruit or grape - kitchen knife edge sharp. While the knife edge was a workable edge for utility work and would maintain that edge for a long time, the cutting edge on the knife is rather dull to the point of actually tearing stuff rather than cutting it. The tricky part here is the steel used is pretty typical of this price range of knives: not so good for abrasion resistance but will hold an edge nicely, same for Spyderco's Endura knife which has similar steel properties and a similar blade angle from the factory. I prefer a much sharper edge, which tends to require more maintenance for this grade of steel, so if you're looking for a super sharp knife that is also a pocket folder I would say this could do the job, but there's probably other ones out there that could do the job better and they probably cost a lot more. The only other thing that was somewhat annoying was that the open-assist knobs at the base of the spine cannot be removed. For the Lansky blade sharpening system, where a clamp attaches to the blade and you can use that to set a grind angle, the knobs can get in the way of sharpening. If you're using a conventional wet stone setup it'll be fine, but there's just a bit of a gotcha there. Overall, I actually really like this knife, even more so now that I gave it a half decent cutting edge, and if I lost the knife I wouldn't be that upset because it is so cheap. The design is very well thought out and I don't think it will wear out that quickly. Thinking about the price and value for money, I'd give this a solid 5/5 rating in all departments for what you get if you buy this. To put it another way, if the price were tripled, I'd still give it about a 3.5-4 out of 5, with the design being quite solid but the blade lacking and the solution being to use a better steel variant for the blade itself.

Pros: Price Cons: Difficult to open with one hand The Bottom Line: This is a fantastic EDC knife that comes at a great price point. For the past few weeks I have been using this knife as my EDC. I have been moderately using it on a daily basis. Some of tasks that I use it for are opening packages, sharpening a pencil (I was in a pinch), and cutting rope. I have been very pleased with this knife. It has done everything I have needed it to do. Blade Sharpness: The blade came out of the box reasonably sharpened. It wasn’t shaving sharp, but it was by no means dull. A Lansky sharpening system would be all you need to put a razor sharp edge on it. The blade is made from 8Cr13MoV Steel which holds its edge fairly well, and it isn’t too difficult to sharpen. Looks/Finish: I love the black stonewash finish. It does a great job of hiding little scratches from daily use. The knife doesn’t look bulky, so it hides in the pocket pretty well. It also doesn't look threatening to someone who might not be used to having knifes around. The deep-carry pocket clip, which is tip up carry, has a small CRKT logo on it. There is also a lanyard loop above the pocket clip. Price: The price of this knife is one of its greatest features. It does not feel like a sub $20 knife. If you lose yours you can easily buy a new one without breaking the bank. You're going to be hard pressed to find a better EDC knife at a better price. Durability/Build: So far this little guy has held up exceptionally well with no sign of giving in. The blade locks up solid in the frame-lock, and there is no side to side blade play. The blade is also not off center when closed. Ease of Use: This knife does have a thumb stud to open it. That being said, it is not easy to open with one hand. The thumb stud is too close to the frame to get any leverage. The blade does lock closed firmly. The frame lock is also too stiff to comfortably close the knife with one hand. The ergonomics of the handle are good for its size. I have fairly normal sized hands, and a three finger grip is a perfect fit. There is a nice little choil for the index finger and jimping on the back for your thumb.