CRKT Dragon as an everyday knife?
- Thread starter NG VI
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Discontinued knives sell for less than half the MSRP at the end.
The designers knew what they were doing and the design is sound in the context of what Bob Kasper wanted it to do.
The steel isn't the best, but it is a defensive tool and not a camp knife.
The designers knew what they were doing and the design is sound in the context of what Bob Kasper wanted it to do.
The steel isn't the best, but it is a defensive tool and not a camp knife.
"Everyday" in the broad sense of a handy using knife, no. It's a 4 1/2 inch fixed blade. That means sheath carry, and most employers won't allow it on the premises.
As a knife itself, it doesn't conform to the style typically chosen. That would be a 3-4 inch, flat ground folder with a secure lock and pocket clip. The Dragon's extremely tapered tip would be fragile and difficult to control cutting open boxes. It's a difficult design to choke up on for fine cutting, and the swedge grind makes the actual cutting edge taper fairly steep. It is simply too big, too pointy, and carries with too much difficulty for office, retail or job use. "Everyday" isn't what it does.
In the field, the same characteristics are still a problem. It isn't the optimum choice for working with wood, dressing game, or preparing food. That again goes to a 3-4" flat ground blade.
A great many knives are made because they can sell them, it doesn't mean they have much application in daily life. Those are actually fewer and harder to find than it would seem - knives with exotic looks and combative capability tend to capture the imagination of buyers far more than practical ones.
As a knife itself, it doesn't conform to the style typically chosen. That would be a 3-4 inch, flat ground folder with a secure lock and pocket clip. The Dragon's extremely tapered tip would be fragile and difficult to control cutting open boxes. It's a difficult design to choke up on for fine cutting, and the swedge grind makes the actual cutting edge taper fairly steep. It is simply too big, too pointy, and carries with too much difficulty for office, retail or job use. "Everyday" isn't what it does.
In the field, the same characteristics are still a problem. It isn't the optimum choice for working with wood, dressing game, or preparing food. That again goes to a 3-4" flat ground blade.
A great many knives are made because they can sell them, it doesn't mean they have much application in daily life. Those are actually fewer and harder to find than it would seem - knives with exotic looks and combative capability tend to capture the imagination of buyers far more than practical ones.
mdauben
Member
I have one, and in many ways it's a great knife. Fits the hand well, functional design, hellacious slashing weapon. That's the thing, however, its designed as a weapon and is not really optimal for most everyday cutting tasks.
If you want a knife for everyday carry, to do the sort of common cutting tasks a knife can do, I'd be looking at something like the Spyderco Delica, Kershaw Leek, Benchmade Griptillian, or even a Victorinox Farmer or Cadet. If you really want a fixed blade, you might also look at the ESEE Izula or Becker Necker. Any of these would make much better "EDC" knifes than the Dragon.
If you want a knife for everyday carry, to do the sort of common cutting tasks a knife can do, I'd be looking at something like the Spyderco Delica, Kershaw Leek, Benchmade Griptillian, or even a Victorinox Farmer or Cadet. If you really want a fixed blade, you might also look at the ESEE Izula or Becker Necker. Any of these would make much better "EDC" knifes than the Dragon.
As the others have pointed out, the question is: What do you want to do with the knife?
If you want a relatively long fixed blade for self-defense, you can't go wrong with the Dragon. It's one of the best self-defense knives you can get for this price.
If you want an EDC utility knife, get something else.
Another question you should ask yourself before buying this (or any) knife is how you want to carry it.
It's too big to carry in your pockets unless you modifiy them. You could carry the knife in a MercHarness, with a belt loop (inside waistband) or as a neck knife, but these carrying methods all have certain downsides, and may not be comfortable for you.
It's better to have a little LaGriffe or a waved Delica in your pocket than a CRKT Dragon at home in your drawer.
If you want a relatively long fixed blade for self-defense, you can't go wrong with the Dragon. It's one of the best self-defense knives you can get for this price.
If you want an EDC utility knife, get something else.
Another question you should ask yourself before buying this (or any) knife is how you want to carry it.
It's too big to carry in your pockets unless you modifiy them. You could carry the knife in a MercHarness, with a belt loop (inside waistband) or as a neck knife, but these carrying methods all have certain downsides, and may not be comfortable for you.
It's better to have a little LaGriffe or a waved Delica in your pocket than a CRKT Dragon at home in your drawer.
It'll probably be a pretty light use knife, the occasional cardboard and probably some paper trimming uses.
Found it while looking to replace my old M16, so I'll have a reasonable folder I can wear. But I'll be outside and in town this winter for work, I was thinking about carrying it IWB, seems like the best bet for a knife like this.
Found it while looking to replace my old M16, so I'll have a reasonable folder I can wear. But I'll be outside and in town this winter for work, I was thinking about carrying it IWB, seems like the best bet for a knife like this.
Yo Mama
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I've never had a Wharncliffe blade, but always thought they were spoken about very useful. This is just a large Wharncliffe, why wouldn't it be used more than just for self defense?
Steel is lower quality, but really for the price what do you expect? I wish CRKT would make more domestic offerings.
Steel is lower quality, but really for the price what do you expect? I wish CRKT would make more domestic offerings.
If self-defense is important to you, and if you're not going to use it for anything else than cutting some cardboard and paper, get the knife. You can't really go wrong at that price
mdauben
Member
Part of that is because it is so large. I've got a couple of Wharncliffe folders with blades around 2-3 inches long that work just great for EDC tasked. The Dragon being so much longer becomes somewhat less handy and for me at least the edge geometry does not work as well as a smaller knife. The point of the Dragon is also some what delicate which could result in bending or breaking it in rough use.
I'm not saying it won't do EDC tasks. Its just that other knives would do them much easier and better.
I'm a ham-handed shudderfest with a pair of scissors, so one of the things that drew me to this CRKT, aside from the apparent price drop, is the longer, straight, plain-edged blade that will allow me to use well over half the width of the paper as my guide if I do need to make a cut myself.
Oh I do photo work, so the cuts should be pretty. The knife also appeared to be flat and come with a nice, trim, good-quality kydex sheath. Just like with guns, having the right shaped knife makes a difference in carrying, but having a good carry setup is the single most crucial aspect of carry.
For this knife, with the belt I have, and the clothes I wear when outdoors, this might as well be a folder clipped to my pocket, it would actually be less comfortable than the Dragon.
I see the comment about the point being maybe more delicate than necessary and certainly more delicate than your average 4.5" fixed blade. It's definitely no Glock field knife, that's for sure. I think the knife will hold up very well to the kind of use I'll be subjecting it to.
Oh I do photo work, so the cuts should be pretty. The knife also appeared to be flat and come with a nice, trim, good-quality kydex sheath. Just like with guns, having the right shaped knife makes a difference in carrying, but having a good carry setup is the single most crucial aspect of carry.
For this knife, with the belt I have, and the clothes I wear when outdoors, this might as well be a folder clipped to my pocket, it would actually be less comfortable than the Dragon.
I see the comment about the point being maybe more delicate than necessary and certainly more delicate than your average 4.5" fixed blade. It's definitely no Glock field knife, that's for sure. I think the knife will hold up very well to the kind of use I'll be subjecting it to.
I had not seen the Dragon previously, but Sam and I collaborated on the Shivver, which has a similar blade shape. It's really a dedicated defensive knife, and some of the things that "optimize" it for being used a certain way- delicate piercing point, long straight razor-like edge- also mean it won't work as well for daily use.
The Shivver looks great John! I meant to comment on those very small, almost chisel-like knives you and I believe it was Sam1911 were experimenting with, they look like they would be awesome little retention or general small cutting knives, I'm really starting to be drawn to the idea of having a small fixed blade in the place of the more common mid-sized folder, it's cold up here and I work outdoors, so fumbling around with a folding knife to me is pretty unappealing, and ever since a liner lock closed on me I haven't really trusted folders in general.
I showed the Daily Kiris to Sal and Eric Glesser. Unfortunately, I got food poisoning last night, and didn't get out of bed until late this afternoon...so I didn't get a chance to talk to the Glessers about them.
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