CRKT CEO Micro, the 21st century's pocket knife

G.B., © G.B.

The CRKT guys remembered that invisibility is also a superpower. The one in the center between the two pens is the CEO Microflipper. 

Designed by U.S. knifemaker Richard Rogers based in Magdalena, New Mexico, the CRKT CEO Microflipper is a lightweight, inconspicuous pocket knife intended for everyday pocket carry. Its most striking feature is that, at first glance, it does not look like a knife: when carried in the pocket with the clip attached it might look like a pen. Of course, the designer's intent is not to create an insidious and disguised object, but rather to provide the gentleman with an accessory that, like him, is discreet and low-profile, to be carried where it is better not to alarm one's neighbors by blatantly carrying a knife: someone might misunderstand, and there might be trouble. Of course, all this talk has to be contextualized in one of the very many civilized countries where carrying small knives is permitted and legal.

The CRKT CEO Microflipper, which is in fact a scaled-down version of the CEO model launched on the market a few years ago, with a blade length of 80 millimeters, certainly well designed but perhaps still a bit too large for use when maximum discretion is required.

CEO Microflipper, or the importance of a low profile

Discreet does not mean neglected, and in fact every detail of the CEO Microflipper is well taken care of and contributes to conveying a high-quality impression. Starting with the handle, which consists of a pair of aluminum scales mounted on two stainless steel plates. The anodized finish with a very warm, almost pinkish gray hue on the outermost part contrasts nicely with the blued liner, the blued cap that closes the handle's rear, and the blued clip. Add to this is the 3D wave texture that enlivens the surface of the scales, appeasing the user's eye while simultaneously making the grip on the knife firmer. Last touch, the blade pivot pin and the rear screw of the handle take the same bluing. Every element of the handle contributes to making the CEO Microflipper extremely compact: although the section of the knife is rectangular, edges are rounded and do not give any discomfort when carrying the knife in a pocket. The clip allows extremely deep tip up (point up) carry and can easily swapped from one side to the other. 

Now we come to the blade, made of Sandvik 12C27 stainless steel: it has a drop point profile with a long, unsharpened false edge that greatly streamlines its appearance and measures 60 mm long by 2.18 thick. Available only with a plain grind, the blade is made in CRKT's standard, that is nicely, with a very even satin finish and features a more than satisfactory factory sharpening. The length is sufficient to cope with small everyday tasks, and certainly a bit more. Also nice is the workmanship of the side flipper, which protrudes fairly (perhaps even too much) when the knife is closed and provides a good grip for the finger that has to open the blade. The other half of the job is done by the "usual" IKBS (Ikoma Korth Bearing System) pivot system with captive ball bearings, originally developed by knife maker Flavio Ikoma for butterfly knives. 

G.B., © G.B.

The 12C27 steel blade of the CRKT CEO Microflipper has drop point profile, and is 60 mm long and 2.18 mm thick. 

The system provides excellent smoothness, and the CEO Microflipper's ease of opening confirms that. We did find one flaw, however: for those who have medium to large hands, the blade flipper requires some familiarizing and some finger contortion, but for them in the CRKT catalog there is the full size model anyway. Certainly, the CRKT CEO Microflipper is more suitable for small to medium hands rather than for "spades" like the writer's hands. 

G.B., © G.B.

A top view of the CEO Microflipper showing its essentiality, but also some ingenious details, such as the cap that supports the clip.

Now let's talk about the weight: the Microflipper stops the scale needle on the value of 48 grams, which is very little for a knife that in any case has a 6-centimeter long blade. 

All in all, the Microflipper CEO appears perfectly consistent with Richard Rogers' statement, "Simple, practical everyday carry folders are my passion. With each design I’m purposeful about what it can do to make life easier for the person holding it."

We conclude by pointing out that the CRKT CEO Microflipper is also available in a version with a sheepsfoot profile blade and anodized handle in electric blue color. The price for both variants is still the same, $60 or about 60 euros – a decidedly attractive figure. 

CRKT CEO Microflipper: specs and price