CRKT CEO Knife Review

By Randall Chaney

Editor’s Note: In today’s article, Randall Chaney offers his thoughts in this CRKT CEO knife review. The author is not offering advice or guidance on carrying a knife (or any other weapon) in a work setting. He is rather referring to his own personal situation. Springfield Armory provided this knife to the author for review.

I ask your forgiveness for moving from coworker to senior leadership during my career. My squared-away uniform morphed into a single-breasted suit and silk tie. The everyday carry (EDC) ceased being defensive and devolved to office-appropriate utility.

In such a transition, the Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) CEO folding knife makes a superlative administrative aide in your upscale environment. Springfield Armory is here to support you with its branded version of the so-named “Chief Executive Officer” model.

The Why

One should not wander into the vestibule of a white-collar enterprise sporting the Ka-Bar-inspired Springfield Armory Field Knife or an unnecessarily oversized tactical folder. As Major Toht asserted in Raiders of the Lost Ark, “You Americans, you’re all the same … always overdressing for the wrong occasions.” Dress to blend, not to offend. That was the intent when custom bladesmith Richard Rogers put cursor to CAD program to design the CRTK’s CEO model, a boardroom-ready knife.

Low-profile styling is certainly on the agenda. The CEO visually starts with glass-reinforced nylon (GRN) scales, which are patterned to resemble metal engine turning or carbon fiber or crazy concentric circles. It is largely interpretive. Due to this texture, the handle has a positive and grippy surface, but is not slick. Great choice here for a small folder. These scales look expensive but meet the reasonable price requirements of this sub-$50 knife.

Details on the CRKT Folding Knife

The overall build of the CEO, opened or closed, is slender and elegant. Mr. Rogers wanted this knife to appear in a pocket to be a pen or similar instrument. The 9/16th” maximum width of the handle ensures its role as a discreet device with a practical purpose. To pair with its in-the-background intent, the CEO tapes at a shadowy 4.45” in length closed and scant 2.10 ounces. Drilled voids in the right-side stainless-steel liner help to keep the package light.

The CRKT CEO’s 3.1” blade of 8Cr13MoV stainless steel is flat ground to a scalpel’s keenness. It opens via the Ikoma Korth Bearing System (IKBS), a premium cage-less ball-bearing pivot that provides smoothness and stability to the forward rotation. Invented by Brazilian knifemaker Flavio Ikoma and the Lala brothers at Korth Cutlery, the IKBS is normally found on higher-end folding knives.

CEO’s IKBS system ensures a quick deployment without the need for a mechanical assist. The blade is captured by the ubiquitous Walker liner lock for a reliable engagement. My test and evaluation knife perfectly aligned the lock bar to the blade face. The ball detent kept the sharp portion secure in the handle until it was called to action. Some knives do not give this measure of confidence.

The machined thumb stud, which works the blade outward, is best approached with a gentle sideways nudge, as a slim knife can be difficult to manipulate. In an office setting, I am less focused on a one-handed deployment. Knives can be scary to many desk-dwelling employees, so a deliberate, non-threatening dual-hand approach to blade opening is recommended. It beats a flashy wrist flourish and audible snap to peacock your steel … which will likely provoke a stampede to Human Resources.

The CEO’s clip is folded over for deep concealment, keeping the knife riding low in its placement. From across the conference room, a CEO could be erroneously seen as an ordinary pocketed pen. The curved clip is affixed to the right side of the frame and configured for tip-down carry.

While tip-down carry was first employed on early liner lock folders to prevent the blade from an unintended opening by gravity and motion, better-engineered detent ball engagement on modern knife liners makes this optional.

A Refined Working Knife

Mr. Rogers is a talented knifemaker and designer. Strangely, his “corporate office” is a working cattle ranch in Magdalene, New Mexico, not some skyscraper in Gotham City.

Rogers says, “I try to design knives with clean lines. I like knives that are slim and light, something that you can carry without noticing it until you need to cut something. I am constantly refining existing designs and trying new things.”

CRKT CEO Specifications

• Blade Length: 3.107″ (78.92 mm)
• Edge: Plain
• Steel: 8Cr13MoV
• Blade Finish: Satin
• Blade Thickness: 0.086″ (2.18 mm)
• Grind: Flat
• Closed Length: 4.448″ (112.98 mm)
• Open Length: 7.625″ (193.68 mm)
• Weight: 2.1 oz (59.53g)
• Handle: Glass Reinforced Nylon
• Style: Folding Knife with Locking Liner

Hands-On with the CRKT CEO

Putting the CEO through workspace chores, I liked how the lean blade excelled at opening envelopes and cutting up a McIntosh apple as a snack. There is no shortage of boxes to open at the desk, loading dock or mailroom. Cardboard, packing tape and plastic casings readily reveal their contents under the CEO’s application.

Out in the garage, I attacked some boxes, just to make some random cuts. I liked how easily the thin blade traveled through the medium. After I had finished stabbing and slicing, the stain-resistant blade was not only as sharp as when I started but it was unmarred by the continued abrasion. Even the Springfield Armory logo was still intact. A quick wipe with a clean cloth and a bit of oil and the CEO was ready to go.

While Mr. Rogers’s CRKT CEO was the 2019 Blade Show Best Buy of the Year winner, he is no stranger to awards, as his acquisitions include dozens of making and design awards and two Bests in Show at Atlanta’s Blade Show. His savvy is apparent with the CEO. You can purchase a custom version handmade by Rogers himself, but that will cost you twenty-two times the Springfield Armory-CRKT offering’s MSRP of just $45.00.

Final Thoughts on the CEO Knife

After toting it around for a few weeks, I really like the CRKT CEO. This little knife rides unobtrusively, stays keen, and is solidly built. It has a nice mixture of ability, style and bargain price. Those three qualities do not often add up on a spreadsheet, but maker Richard Rogers did a stellar job as this one’s project manager.

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CRKT CEO Thumbstud Black, with Springfield Armory Logo