Heads up, we’ve got a surprise product reveal from CRKT coming in hot today. The new models come from CRKT’s first collaboration with custom maker Princeton Wong, and they showcase both his engineering skills and great taste in TV shows.
Nucleus
One of Wong’s touchpoints for the visual language of the Nucleus was Mobile Suit Gundam, the seminal 1979 anime that kicked off the entire Gundam franchise, which has exerted a massive influence on the wider mecha anime sub-genre. Just like the classic Mobile Suit designs, the Nucleus is angular, aerodynamic, and stylish. Its 3.19-inch blade could best be described as a modified wharncliffe, but that term does not really convey the cumulative look here, in which a compound grind, massive, stepped opening hole, and chisel-esque swedge tip are in play.
CRKT is rolling this one out in two flavors, a high-end option or a more budget-friendly iteration. The high-end model’s blade steel is MagnaCut, while the entry-level model features 12C27N instead. And of course the handle materials differ too, with a titanium frame and carbon fiber bolster for the MagnaCut model, while the standard version [see feature image] shows off a stainless steel frame and a (really cool) red/black G-10 bolster.
Fial
Wong won the 2021 Best New Maker award at Blade Show thanks to his Fion, a super slick folder with a wine corkscrew hidden in its spine. Now CRKT is bringing us the Fial, a production version of that custom that carries the corkscrew concept forward seemingly unchanged, with a panel on the spine folding out to become the boot lever and allowing access to the corkscrew itself.
But the heart of the Fial is still the blade, a slick looking, fairly large clip point measuring 3.62 inches in length. As with the Nucleus, the Fial is offered at two different price points, with materials adjusted for each. The entry level model’s handle is made from stainless steel, and its blade is also rendered in 12C27N; the high-end flavor swaps in a titanium handle, while M390 replaces the 12C27N blade steel.
These models go on sale on June 7th, to coincide with Blade Show 2024 opening its doors.
Knife in Featured Image: CRKT Nucleus
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