CRKT Squid, the little big folder

CRKT Squid
Squid and Akari (above), are both designed by Lucas Burnley for CRKT. Akari is clearly inspired by japanese blades

Designed by Lucas Burnley CRKT Squid is based on the concept of a compact pistol. 

Squid is a "no frills" Every Day Carry, small enough to be a good companion in our pocket but with a fully functional blade fit for most of our daily tasks.

Lucas Burnley is a young and talented american knifemaker. 

In 2003 he founded Burnley Knives in Albuquerque,  New Mexico. 

Raised with a daily dose of stories of survival, off path adventures with his father and action movies, Lucas now has transformed his passion for blade in a succesful business and right now he is not accepting orders due to a lengthy backlog.

Knife aficionados can take advantage of cooperation of Burnley and CRKT as Lucas designed several models fot the Tulatin knifemakers. 

Apart from the Squid, he designed fixed models Obake, Achi and Akari, clearly inspired by japanese blades.

CRKT Squid
Right side of CRKT Squid. The clip is removable but not adjustable

CRKT Squid folded is 90 mm long, the drop point style blade is 57 mm long and 3 mm thick.

Blade is made of 8Cr13MoV tempered to 58-59 HRC, it features an ambidextrous opening pin and friction grooves for a secure grip and is a very good balance of tip strength and point geometry for utility tasks

Frame is 2CR13 steel. 

Stainless steel clip allows for a tip up  carry, it is removable but not adjustable. Once open, blade is locked by a fame lock, quite heavy to disengage but this is not a problem. Blade locks with a clearly audible "click" noise. 

CRKT Squid is available with stainless steel or blued "stone washed" finish. This means that the main parts of the knife are thumbled with little stones, and the result is a weathered finish, with decoloured edges and random scratchy pattern on the blade and grip. 

This finish resists corrosion and hides minor scratches, apart from giving to the knife a "vintage" look. In the blued model the decoloured edges on the blade and grip add extra depth to the knife contour. Squid is also available in a inox version where the "stone wased" effect is more discreet.

Very compact in size, Squid packs functionality of a full-size tactical folder, into an easy to carry, compact design. Handle shape is good even for large handed users and the trapeze-shaped lanyard hole gives additional support. Clip is removable but not adjustable. By removing the clip the Squid thickness is reduced from 14 to 9 millimeters (.35") making it even easier to carry.

Weighting 96 grams (3.38 oz) CRKT Squid is not exactly feater light but its strenght resides in the bulky and strong profile. Maybe it is not an elegant and slim gentleman's knife, but if you need a strong EDC knife, Squid is fit for you. Retail price is another good news: a mere 30 USD  (26,5 €).

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