CRKT Homefront EDC

UPDATE: Since posting this review I have noticed that cutting certain items was causing brownish stains on the blade. I also noticed that if I cut through Tape and the glue transfered to the blade, when I would get home to where I could clean this mess I would notice the area of the blade under the glue was clean while the rest of the area had what looked to be a slight darkening or patina. I was under the impression that the blade on this knife were AUS8 stainless steel and I have many knives made of this steel(the RAT1 and FinnWolf come to mind) that never had this problem. Just out of curiosity I tried to for a patina using similar methods that I have used before on Carbon steel and to my surprise the blade on my Homefront did patina. I also recall that recently CRKT had come into question for releaseing a sprint run of Hootenanny (another CRKT Ken Onion designed knife) that was supposed to be made of S30V steel and turned out not to be the case when customers found their knife to not be S30V at all. I am not sure what the case is here. I am not sure if this is a true AUS8 steel or not but in my case it doesn't matter. I fond that the steel on the knife holds a great edge that lasts long under moderate to hard use. I also find the patina to flatter the overall aesthetics of the knife. For me the knife is still worth 5 stars because I was willing to pay the asking price when I knew it was AUS8 steel which is by no means a top quality steel. If I had paid more for a S30V, S90V, orother premium steel and found this patina issue I might raise a fuss but I was never under the impression that I was getting a super steel and I paid the $70 price of admission based on the aesthetics of the knife and the takedown feature. However some of you might insist on the knife being completely stainless and if this is the case buyer beware. I will post a picture of my knife with forced patina. I also notice that the patina morphs day to day, week to week depending on what I cut with it. I personally think it looks amazingly cool but everyone has their own opinions. This thing is really cool on many levels. Ken Onion has made some of my favorite knives and I collect knives today mostly because some of Ken Onion's Kershaw knives released nearly 20 years ago were a gateway drug into knife collecting. This knife is as different from other Ken onion Knives as I have seen while still being Cool, practical, and innovative like other Ken Onion designs. This knife is cool in some distinct ways so let me break it down in sections. Innovation: Having a Knife with a takedown feature is so brilliant that it begs the question why it hasn't been done before?For one most people who love thier knives want to take them apart and clean/lube them but often put it off because it can be a hassle and if not done in the correct environment you can lose parts or have a spring launch never to be found again. This knife was designed like it was intended for a gun owner in that it takes down easy like field stripping a pistol or bolt action rifle. a few small motions and the thing comes apart without special tools, just like most firearms. The spring is attached so it wont be lost, the only thing on this knife that can possibly be misplaced is the Teflon pivot washers. Now anyone can develop a knife that comes apart but it takes a Ken Onion to make one that comes apart so easily, goes together so easily, and looks and works great too. They even silk screened (or maybe laser etched?) instructions inside the scales to show you how to put it back together in case you haven't done it in a while and don't have the manual with you. very intuitive. Leave it to Ken to make something complicated easy as pie. Style: This thing has a Retro-military look to it that is really neat. In many ways it looks very modern but it also has a kind of nod to an old school military look. Also the way the Take down feature blends into the design is way cool. In one way it flaunts it by having this big old take down switch emblazoned with a big bronze star as if to say , "Hey look what I can do.", but then the wheel that unscrews the back half of the scales is perfectly machined to match the Jimping on the back spacer. at a casual glance you wouldn't even know its a wheel and just assume its just the way the back spacer follows the contour of the knife. Then there's the Dark Earth colored anodized finish that looks sweet as heck (and its durable, I accidentally dropped mine on concrete and it did not scratch at all). The etching in the scales creates a faux bolster then in the grip area has a repeating chevron pattern that looks like herringbone, diamond plate, houndstooth or stripes, depending on what angle you are looking at it. Lastly there is a fuller on the blade that makes it look like a Marine Ka-bar fighting knife with a tad more belly. Practical: This knife is absolutely perfect for someone who wants to carry a medium to large knife as part of their EDC but doesn't want a knife that is too heavy. This knife has a 3.5 inch blade from tip to bolster which I guess is medium by most peoples standards but it acts like a large knife because of the exaggerated belly gives you more edge than a standard 3.5 inch drop point knife. The other plus about this belly is that its a big round belly but there is no re-curve which I found gives 2 advantages, long straight push cuts stay centered on the blade just like a re-curve so cutting heavy rope, canvas, long sheets of plastic and other fabrics and cordage is really where this knife excels. The other advantage is that you get the performance of a razor sharp re-curve blade without the hassle of having to sharpen a recurve. this knife is easily sharpened on a flat stone. So while this knife behaves like a larger re-curve blade it carries like a small lightweight. the aluminum scales are perfectly balanced with the blade and when you grab this knife for the first time you are amazed how light it feels in the hand. Its light and has a super deep carry pocket clip. It will occupy more space in your pocket than a small lightweight knife but it wont weigh as much. There are other practical touches like jimping on the flipper tab, thumb rest of the scales, and on the liner lock, but the last functional pat on the back is for the Sharpness out of the box. CRKT has been really bringing some cool stuff to the table in the last year or so and many of my favorite knives purchased in the last year were CRKTs which a few years ago I hardly even noticed as a company. Regardless of that I definitely notice them now and one thing I will say they all have in common is a consistent satin finish edge that cuts great. Most knives cut well out of the box and most knives can get a wicked crazy mirror polished edge, For most people a good edge is more than fine. I find that the CRKT knives have a smooth not toothy edge with a satin finish. many knives on the market cut great but when you look close have much coarser grind lines on the edge which cut well but have a toothier grabby tearing effect instead of a smooth slice. So if it works cool, looks cool, and it can do a new cool trick....I say it is cool, this has become my new every day knife. I have a lot of other really cool knives, but this one I know will work hard, clean up nice, and will probably look even better with some wear on it. I wish it had a harder steel than AUS8 but My RAT1 and Cold Steel Finn Wolf are both AUS8 and extremely popular knives that I have not had any issues with despite the fact that many folks argue it is a bargain steel. I feel for the price of the Homefront, they should offer a better steel but AUS8 is fine.