The Complete Guide to Chris Reeve Knives: Every Knife, Explained

Chris Reeve is one of the most impactful, historically significant knife designers operating today. And, while the knife and EDC worlds are relatively small when compared to other global industries — like entertainment or automotive — they’re surprisingly robust. For instance, Blade HQ, one of the foremost retailers of bladed tools, has almost 50,000 active listings (of which over 35,000 are in stock).

So for any one knife or maker to stand out is a pretty wild achievement. Hopefully, that puts into perspective what a significant impact Chris Reeve has had on the industry at large.

We’ve gone to great lengths to outline everything you need to know about the designer and his brand — from the current catalog of offerings to Chris Reeve’s innovative contributions to the EDC and knife industries and even a bit of history of Reeve and his brand. You might even find your next favorite EDC knife.

Folding Knives

While not the whole of CRK’s business, folding knives are definitely what the brand is known for (especially the mother of all high-end pocket knives, the Sebenza). Here are all of the current models Chris Reeve Knives has on offer.

CRK Sebenza 31

Chris Reeve Knives

Chris Reeve Knives Sebenza 31

One of the most iconic knife designs of all time, the CRK Sebenza is considered the high-end folder by which all other high-end folders are judged. This is equal parts a modern marvel and heirloom piece, which deserves a spot in every EDC fanatic’s collection (so long as they can afford the investment).

Specs

Blade Length	2.99 or 3.61 inches
Blade Steel	CPM MagnaCut or S45VN
Handle Material	6AL4V Titanium (optional canvas Micarta, bog oak, box elder burl and Macassar ebony onlays)
Locking Mechanism	Reeve Integral Lock
Total Length	6.98 inches or 8.40 inches

Pros

• One of the best EDC knives ever made
• Highly customizable
• Available in two sizes

Cons

• Extremely expensive
• Sometimes hard to get

• $425 at Chris Reeve Knives

Originally introduced back in 1987, the Chris Reeve Sebenza is a legend in and of itself, courtesy of its incredible build quality, top-notch design, and extremely tight tolerances (no play in this blade). But CRK hasn’t rested on its laurels; the knife has been redesigned a handful of times across its decades-long lifespan, helping to continuously keep it relevant and maintain its spot among the best EDC knives one can buy, even in 2024.

Editor’s Note: while you can choose which handle and blade shape you want on your Sebenza 31, the blade steel is decided by the manufacturer based on what’s available, although the average user likely won’t be able to tell the difference.

CRK Impinda

Chris Reeve Knives

Chris Reeve Knives Impinda

Leave it to CRK to craft a minimalist slipjoint folder that’s, to coin a phrase, functionally opulent. Yes, this knife is made to the same standard as everything the brand makes, but it’s also well-suited to hard usage — the kind of knife you could actually use in the outdoors and not feel bad about. It also won the American Made Knife of the Year at Blade Show 2018.

Specs

Blade Length	3.13 inches
Blade Steel	CPM S35VN
Handle Material	6Al4V titanium
Locking Mechanism	Slipjoint
Total Length	7.144 inches

Pros

• Beautifully minimalist
• Smooth, secure action

Cons

• Expensive, especially for a slipjoint

• $500 at Chris Reeve Knives

Made in collaboration with Bill Harsey — another legendary knife designer — the CRK Impinda is a two-handed, non-locking knife. But it’s more than just your average slipjoint; it was made to open smoothly and quickly but close safely and securely. And while it’s a different beast than most of CRK’s other knives, it still boasts the brand’s signature style.

Editor’s Note: The Impinda only comes with a S35VN blade, but the brand has noted that an S45VN version is coming soon.

CRK Umnumzaan

Chris Reeve Knives

Chris Reeve Knives Umnumzaan

Meaning “The Boss” in Zulu, CRK’s Umnumzaan is the largest knife in the brand’s folding knife lineup (edging out the large Sebenza 31 by just a fraction of an inch). But it has more than just size, boasting superior tolerances, greater blade strength, and top-notch ergonomics. It also won Overall Knife of the Year at Blade Show 2008.

Specs

Blade Length	3.68 inches
Blade Steel	CPM MagnaCut
Handle Material	6Al4V titanium
Locking Mechanism	Reeve Integral Lock
Total Length	8.409 inches

Pros

• Extremely tight tolerances
• Improvements to locking mechanism
• Ergonomic

Cons

• Quite large

• $500 at Chris Reeve Knives

The CRK Umnumzaan is one of the brand’s few offerings that doesn’t come in any alternative materials and size, but it doesn’t really need to. It is, however, offered in either left- or right-hand orientation, as well as with a drop point or tanto blade. This hefty folder is exceptional from tip to tail and even has some extras not found in other CRK folding knives — namely a glass breaker tip.

CRK Inkosi

Chris Reeve Knives

Chris Reeve Knives Inkosi

While the EDC world is quick to sing the praises of the long-timer Sebenza, there are others keen enough to give a second glance to the brand’s Inkosi. While they are similar, especially stylistically, the Inkosi has a leg-up in the form of its Ceramic Ball interface, which improves the RIL by helping prevent it from wearing down.

Specs

Blade Length	2.8 or 3.6 inches
Blade Steel	CPM MagnaCut or S45VN
Handle Material	6AL4V titanium (with optional canvas Micarta onlays)
Locking Mechanism	Reeve Integral Lock with Ceramic Ball Interface
Total Length	6.5 or 8.4 inches

Pros

• Two sizes, three blade shapes available
• Designed to prevent wear and tear

Cons

• Can't choose blade steel

• $425 at Chris Reeve Knives

If you want a Chris Reeve knife that’s just like the Sebenza but isn’t actually the Sebenza, the Inkosi is probably the knife for you. However, while they have similarities, they also differ in some key ways (namely in the improved Reeve Integral Lock). While not as storied as the Sebenza, the Inkosi has its own collection of die-hard fans (many of whom will likely proclaim that the Inkosi is the superior knife).

Editor’s Note: while you can choose which handle and blade shape you want on your Inkosi, the blade steel is decided by the manufacturer based on what’s available, although the average user likely won’t be able to tell the difference.

CRK Mnandi

Chris Reeve Knives Mnandi

The smallest, most discreet knife in CRK’s entire lineup, the Mnandi somehow looks very unique — when compared to the brand’s other offerings — while still being distinctly CRK. its nail nick offers ambidextrous opening, while the natural wood onlays mean that each example of this knife is unique.

Specs

Blade Length	2.74 inches
Blade Steel	CPM MagnaCut or S45VN
Handle Material	6Al4V titanium with bog oak, box elder burl or Macassar ebony onlays
Locking Mechanism	Reeve Integral Lock
Total Length	6.34 inches

Pros

• CRK's smallest, most discreet knife
• Onlays make each handle unique

Cons

• Only available with hardwood onlays

• $500 at Chris Reeve Knives

Interestingly, along with being the brand’s smallest and sleekest knife, the Mnandi is also the only of its folders that can’t be purchased with a plain metal handle — meaning all three options come with hardwood onlays. While that might be a downside to some, it’s a boon to those who appreciate the beauty and uniqueness of natural materials.

Fixed-Blade Knives

Along with being the designer, manufacturer and purveyor of some of the best folding pocket knives on the market, Chris Reeve also has a small selection of more outdoor-friendly, hard-used fixed-blade knives. In fact, the brand has won awards for them. Here’s what CRK currently has in its lineup.

CRK Backpacker

Chris Reeve Knives Backpacker

The original version of the CRK Backpacker came out in the 1980s. This version takes inspiration from that design while updating it for modern outdoor usage. And while it certainly costs a pretty penny, it has the design and materials to back it up — including removable handles for easier maintenance.

Specs

Blade Length	4.019 inches
Blade Steel	CPM Magnacut
Handle Material	Canvas Micarta
Sheath	Kydex
Total Length	8.627 inches

Pros

• Based on a classic 1980s Chris Reeve design
• Removable handle scales

Cons

• Large investment for an outdoor knife

• $300 at Chris Reeve Knives

For many, spending $300 on an outdoor fixed-blade knife might be a non-starter. But there’s plenty of reason to consider such a big investment for a knife as adept and well-designed as the Chris Reeve Backpacker. The materials, for starters, are top-notch (which is to be expected). But the real benefit is that the knife can be easily deconstructed — either for maintenance or to potentially strip even more weight off the knife (you can ditch the scales and wrap paracord around the skeletonized handle, should you desire).

CRK Green Beret

Chris Reeve Knives Green Beret

Putting a name like “Green Beret” onto one of your knives results in some certain high expectations. Thankfully, this CRK knife, designed alongside William W. Harsey, lives up to all of them. This is a true hard-use tactical fixed blade made for extreme usage, as the name suggests.

Specs

Blade Length	7 inches
Blade Steel	CPM MagnaCut or 4V
Handle Material	Canvas Micarta
Sheath	Nylon
Total Length	12.375 inches

Pros

• Designed in collaboration with William W. Harsey
• Durable, shock-absorbing design

Cons

• Extremely expensive

• $375 at Chris Reeve Knives

When you need a huge fixed blade and no others will do, there’s the CRK Green Beret. As its name suggests, this is not a knife for the faint of heart — both because of its intended usage (hardcore outdoor applications) and its rather high price point. However, this is the kind of knife whose overall quality and design will pay dividends to those who can afford it.

CRK Inyoni

Chris Reeve Knives

Chris Reeve Knives Inyoni

A more purpose-driven knife than a lot of what Chris Reeve Knives has on offer, the Inyoni is actually meant for fishing and fowling exclusively. That being said, there’s no rule that states you can’t use it for general outdoor purposes. Like its sibling, the Backpacker, it also has removable scales, which means you can cut down on its weight even more.

Specs

Blade Length	3.775 inches
Blade Steel	CPM Magnacut
Handle Material	Canvas Micarta
Sheath	Kydex
Total Length	7.957 inches

Pros

• Much more discreet than CRK's other fixed blades
• Especially lightweight
• Removable handle scales

Cons

• Intended exclusively for fowing and fishing usage

• $275 at Chris Reeve Knives

At only 2.4 ounces, the CRK Inyoni is extremely lightweight. And it’s even lighter if you remove its handle scales, dropping it down to just 1.6 ounces. That makes this an exceptional knife for anyone trying to cut down on how much they’re carrying, all without sacrificing its capabilities and overall strength and durability.

CRK Pacific

Chris Reeve Knives Pacific

This knife is actually the civilian, for-sale version of a knife made to celebrate the 50th Anniversary of 1st Special Forces Group (Airborne), making it a part of history as well as an exceptional military-inspired cutting tool. And while it requires a large investment, its overall quality and materials more than make up for it.

Specs

Blade Length	6 inches
Blade Steel	CPM MagnaCut or 4V
Handle Material	Canvas Micarta
Sheath	Canvas
Total Length	11.5 inches

Pros

• Multiple awards won
• Extremely high-quality materials and build
• Made in collaboration with Bill Harsey

Cons

• Significant investment

• $375 at Chris Reeve Knives

If you were to pick a Chris Reeve fixed blade on accolades alone, you’d end up with the Pacific, as this knife won Blade Show’s Best American Made Knife of the Year award in 2007 and was ranked on Field & Stream’s Best of the Best in 2008. Of course, even without those awards, this is an exceptional, hard-use outdoor knife.

Other EDC and Knifemaking Contributions

While this brand (and its namesake) is best known for making knives, that’s hardly the only contribution Chris Reeve has made in the world of everyday carry and knifemaking. Along with setting the standard for high-end folding knives with the Sebenza line, Chris Reeve is credited with inventing and/or helping develop several storied mechanisms and materials that, even were the brand to fade, will ensure that CRK and Chris Reeve go down in the annals of knifemaking history. Below is a quartet of the maker’s most impactful works.

Photo by Sean Tirman

Reeve Integral Lock

Probably Chris Reeve’s most significant non-knife contribution to the world of EDC is the RIL (Reeve Integral Lock), also known colloquially as the frame lock. Invented back in the late 1980s, Chris Reeve crafted the RIL as a means of improving the strength and reliability of a popular, existing lock: the liner lock, also known as the Walker Lock.

The idea was similar: when the knife was opened, a spring-loaded metal bar would slot in below the blade to keep it from closing back into the handle. The difference, however, is that the frame lock (or RIL) was a thicker piece of metal integrated into the handle itself, whereas the liner locks of the time were thinner, additional pieces of metal. The increase in thickness/mass meant a stronger overall lock, and the integration into the handle itself added even more strength, as a lock failure meant an overall handle failure instead of just a liner failure.

This lock is remarkably commonplace these days, easily placing among the most common locks currently in production across pretty much every significant knifemaking brand. It may even be more popular than (or at least on par with) its predecessor, the liner lock. This invention alone will ensure Chris Reeve is remembered, so long as there’s a knifemaking community.

Photo by Sean Tirman

CPM S30V Steel

Chris Reeve’s first steel collaboration (made in conjunction with Crucible [or Crucible Particle Metallurgy], one of the foremost steel-manufacturing brands in the world), CPM S30V is one of the first examples of an EDC “super steel” and, for a long time, was touted as the best all-around steel you could get your hands on. A martensitic metal — meaning it’s made from a hard and brittle combination of carbon and iron — high in chromium, vanadium and molybdenum (a trio of fairly common steel additives used to improve the performance of alloys), S30V steel is known for its toughness, corrosion resistance, edge retention and more — although it doesn’t have any specific strength, touted as a true all-arounder.

When it first came out, S30V was the talk of the EDC and knifemaking worlds, but it has since become more of a baseline super steel, largely marking the entrance to the higher-end knifemaking world. These days, it’s a lot more affordable and easy to get than it used to be, but it is still very much a respectable, widely-used blade material beloved by the community.

CPM S35VN Steel

The second collaboration between CRK and CPM, S35VN was made to improve upon S30V. And while it did by the numbers, the two might not exactly be different enough for the average user to tell a difference. In fact, both steels have nearly the same amount of carbon, chromium and vanadium in their makeup, while S35VN also has niobium (another steel alloy additive) added to it to the tune of 0.50 percent.

Both steels have roughly the same level of edge retention and corrosion resistance, but S35VN gets the edge (no pun intended) when it comes to chipping resistance without sacrificing wear resistance. As such, S35VN is technically the better of the two, but it’s a slim margin. Still, the achievement is an impressive one.

Photo by Sean Tirman

CPM S45VN Steel

Finally, the third in Chris Reeve’s collaborations with Crucible (and the most recent, dating to 2019, a full ten years after the last one), S45VN follows the same basic conceptual path as its two predecessors. That is to say: S45VN was created to improve upon S35VN, which was designed to improve upon S30V. And like its predecessor, it did just that — albeit perhaps incrementally.

Like S35VN, this steel sees similar levels of carbon, chromium, vanadium and molybdenum while maintaining the 0.50 percent niobium of its predecessor. How does it differ? S45VN sees the addition of nitrogen to the tune of 0.15 percent. All told, this is another largely incremental improvement over the previous iterations, at least where the average user experience is concerned, but it is still an impressive achievement on Chris Reeve’s resume.

CRK

A brief history of Chris Reeve Knives

Chris Reeve got his start in knifemaking all the way back in 1984, long before the concept of everyday carry (at least as we know it today) was even a thing. He had actually been working as a tool and dye maker when he decided to make the switch to full-time knifemaking, operating out of a one-car garage in Durban, South Africa (where he’s originally from). In 1987, CRK released the original Sebenza, one of the most iconic and significant knife designs of all time (which has seen several iterations since its original release [the Sebenza 31 is the current version]).

For a long time, Chris and Anne Reeve were the company’s only employees. But, through hard work and determination, they grew their business until 1989, at which point they made a massive move from South Africa to Idaho, USA — where the company is still headquartered to this day. Truth be told, the move, a huge undertaking, was necessary for the continued success and future of the brand, as the company’s largest customer base was found in the USA (and still is to this day).

In 2015, after over two decades of incredible work and innovation, Chris Reeve was inducted to the Blade Magazine Cutlery Hall of Fame, alongside other incredible craftspeople, like Al Buck (of Buck Knives), A.G. Russell (of A.G. Russell), Sal Glesser (of Spyderco), Michael Walker (inventor of the liner lock) and so many more. To this day, CRK is still one of the most respected knife brands and produces knives that function as the standard by which other high-end folders (and fixed blades) are judged. Read more about CRK here.

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