CRKT Obake: The Elegegant Blade

Once again Columbia River [CRKT] has offered us another great edged weapon.
When Shane picked us us at Atlanta airport on our recent trip, one of the first things he did was show us a new knife, the Obake. Both Slacky and I were impressed with the design, and Slacky actually carried Shane's knife while over there.


The Obake was designed by Lucas Burnley, and inspired by the Samurai Kwaiken blade, with the characteristic grip wrapping. Originally this was  silk wrap over rayskin updated by CRKT as Nylon and artificial ray. This is then covered in a type of epoxy, which makes the wrap very stable, giving a very secure grip.




The drop-point blade is etched in a most attractive pattern.


[Blade detail]

CARRIAGE
   The Obake is designed to by carried vertically withing the waistband, using the ripcord method.



The Ripcord system mandates re-sheathing the weapon outside the belt, which is a significant safety bonus. Attempting to insert a sharp blade into a sheath mouth under stress can be problematic, and when using  internal-fit carriage the chance of self injury is high. The Ripcord draw method is simple....



The ripcord is fastened with an adjustable skull device....




There is an optional belt loop supplied, which positions the weapon horizontally on a belt:


[Obake on Kramer gunbelt]

SPECIFICATIONS:



Blade Length 3.64" (92.46 mm)
Blade Edge Plain
Blade Steel 8Cr14MoV
Blade Finish Titanium Nitride w/Etch Pattern
Blade Thickness 0.13" (3.3 mm)
Weight 2.4 oz
Handle Cord-Wrapped Handle
Style Fixed Blade Knife w/Sheath
Sheath Lanyard Yes
Sheath Material Glass Reinforced Nylon
Overall Length 7.63" (193.8 mm)



The knives were available in Walmart for $26. Over here Heinnie has them for £30.
I bought mine because it is a design that appealed to me. For self protection I prefer a TDI, HAK or, Push Dagger. That's not to say the Obake is lacking, on the contrary, it seems suited to both slashing and stabbing in a fight. However, it is a knife is just like to admire rather than to use.