Check out Columbia River Knife & Tool's slick little workhorse. Stubby, isn't it?
It's been a while since I've done a Blog Blade Review, but that just means I've had more time to live with the knives I'm reviewing. This time around CRKT sent me one if its chunky little Stubby Folding Razel. I like it because I view pocket knives as more of a tool and not a weapon. And this little folder is all about the tool aspect.
First, the shape of the stainless steel blade is hard to ignore. Its flat, sharpened nose and squared-off edges resemble a woodworker's chisel and not a pocket knife. And its for woodworkers this knife was primarily designed. I don't do woodworking, but I found the corner of the lower edge perfect for quickly slicing open boxes and making quick cuts. And the flat, sharpened nose came in handy when I had to cut a zip-tie up in a somewhat inaccessible spot on one of my Jeeps. Just shove it up and into the tie and it's done. Way easier than trying to cut it with a regular pointed-tip knife.
It's not a svelte, thin knife. The Ram's Horn handle feels great and is chunky even in my large hands. Unlike some longer-handled CRKT knives I've had, the pocket clip which attaches to the pivot side of the handle (I'm used to knives with clips mounted to the opposite end) doesn't seem to interfere with the grip. The handle is removable but I can't see why you'd want to on this little worker. Despite its short size, the handle is surprisingly stable and secure in the hand. There's no assisted-opening, but the thumb knob is knurled and well-sized. The action is a bit stiff, but one-handed opening is not hard.
Built on a shortened frame, I was a little surprised at how much thumb pressure was required to release the lock to close the knife. The locking tang doesn't protrude very much and it takes a bit more thumb pressure than I was expecting. It's still managable for one-handed operation, but if you've got little girly hands you may need to two-hand the closing on this one.
In all, for a list price on CRKT's web site of $49.99 the Stubby Razel should prove a very welcome addition to your pocket if a true work and utility knife is what you seek. The blade is thick and solid, not thin and flexy. There's no feeling that you'll harm it with heavy and borderline abusive use. It's a tool, plain and simple.