CRKT spent two years proving the Padawan might maintain its personal in opposition to folders twice its value. The unique body lock flipper from Brazilian knifemaker Pedro Buzetti earned loyal pocket actual property with a clear silhouette, snappy IKBS ball-bearing motion, and 14C28N metal that saved its edge lengthy after the novelty wore off. Now CRKT is again with a beauty overhaul that is likely to be essentially the most attention-grabbing factor the corporate has finished at this value level all 12 months.
Worth: $80
The place to Purchase: CRKT
The Padawan Body Lock in Pure G10 takes a fabric most knife patrons affiliate with black tactical handles and presents it fully uncooked: undyed fiberglass laminate with a smooth, jade-like coloration that appears nothing like what you’d count on from a CRKT folder at $80. Paired with a black stonewash end on the blade, the distinction feels deliberate and refined moderately than ornamental.
The fabric angle that separates this from the unique
G10 reveals up on numerous EDC knives, however producers nearly at all times dye it earlier than it reaches manufacturing. Black, inexperienced, tactical grey: the choices hardly ever stray from the identical drained palette. Leaving the fabric in its pure state reveals off the layered fiberglass beneath, creating a visible depth that dyed variations merely can’t match.
CRKT debuted this variant alongside the Walker Blade Lock Pure and no less than one different knife sharing the identical undyed remedy. Below direct gentle, the uncooked materials reveals a cool, jade-like glow that shifts relying on the angle, nearer to polished stone than something you’d count on on a tactical folder.
The useful properties don’t change with the colour. G10 nonetheless delivers wonderful grip texture, moisture resistance, and sturdiness that outlasts most deal with supplies at this value tier. What modifications is how the knife reads in hand, and a pure G10 overlay on a stainless-steel body lock deal with offers the Padawan a glance that sits nearer to a $150 gentleman’s folder than an $80 on a regular basis beater. It’s a small visible improve that fully reframes the knife’s id, and at $80, it really is available in cheaper than each different Padawan variant on CRKT’s website.
Buzetti’s structure background reveals within the particulars
Pedro Buzetti educated beneath Flavio Ikoma, the Brazilian knifemaker who co-invented the IKBS ball-bearing pivot system (with Rick Lala) and created the Deadbolt Lock, each of which CRKT makes use of throughout its lineup. With a proper schooling in structure, Buzetti approaches knife design with the identical “type and performance, not one above the opposite” philosophy that defines his customized work.
The Padawan was his first CRKT collaboration, and the Pure G10 model marks the most recent variant in a household that now contains black G10, carbon fiber, and Micarta choices. Every model retains the identical clear geometry, however the Pure G10 is the primary to let the deal with materials do the speaking as a substitute of mixing quietly into the background.
The three.01-inch drop level blade sits on an IKBS pivot that delivers clean, constant opening by means of the flipper tab. Body lock engagement is clear, with a thick lock bar that eliminates the blade play widespread in cheaper folders. At 3.10 ounces and 4.14 inches closed, it disappears right into a pocket with out asserting itself.
The 14C28N metal, developed by Sandvik particularly for knives that want to remain sharp with out being laborious to keep up, outperforms most steels discovered on sub-$100 folders and sharpens again up with minimal effort. Sandvik’s 14C28N gained’t win arguments in opposition to premium steels like S35VN or M390, however for a knife you’ll really use each day with out babying, it strikes a sensible steadiness that pricier choices usually miss.
The place this lands in a crowded sub-$100 area
The EDC knife market beneath $100 has extra severe contenders than it did when the unique Padawan launched in 2024. Civivi, QSP, and CJRB all compete aggressively at this value with ball-bearing flippers and premium deal with supplies. What separates the Padawan is the mix of a stainless-steel body lock, not the cheaper liner lock discovered on most funds folders, with an aesthetic that punches properly above its weight class.
In case you’re buying strictly for metal efficiency or blade size, the Civivi Elementum and QSP Penguin each supply sturdy options with button lock choices and related supplies. What none of them carry at this value is a stainless-steel body lock paired with a deal with materials this visually distinct.
Worth: $80
The place to Purchase: CRKT
CRKT positioned this launch as a part of a coordinated “pure” materials rollout throughout a number of knives. That indicators the corporate is constructing a visible id round uncooked supplies moderately than counting on coated, dyed, or color-treated finishes to set new fashions aside. For patrons who’ve grown bored with the all-black EDC look, the timing couldn’t be higher. Pure finishes age in a different way too, selecting up refined put on marks and floor character that make every knife look barely completely different over time.
The CRKT Padawan Body Lock in Pure G10 is out there now from CRKT for $80.
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