This Affordable Pocket Knife Was Specifically Designed to Be the Best All-Around Option for Everyone

CJRB’s new Maximal offers a pretty compelling mix of blade, handle, deployment/locking mechanism, ambidextrousness and price.

By Steve Mazzucchi

Published February 10, 2025

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“What do you do when the thing you’re looking for just doesn’t exist? Well in my case, I had to design it myself.”

So says Knife Center’s own David C. Andersen in a promotional video for CJRB’s new pocket knife, the Maximal.

cjrb maximal full — The new Maximal wraps a lot of respectable features into a pretty affordable package.

As a longtime knife expert (and sometime designer), Andersen is often asked for a universal knife recommendation, but he always felt like the available options fell short in one way or the other.

He insists the Maximal solves that problem, and from what I can tell, he might be right.

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So what makes this new knife so great? I’ve followed Andersen for a while now, and he sure seems like my kind of knife nerd: a dude who knows a helluva lot but isn’t at all pretentious about it.

He seems to bring that same attitude to this knife design, which is fetching and functional without being fussy.

cjrb maximal off side — The offside of the blade showcases not only its designers signature but the flavor of its blade steel.

That starts with the blade, of course. It’s a 2.95-inch drop point made of AR-RPM9, Artisan Cutlery’s proprietary steel.

It’s no MagnaCut, but it cuts like a champ and is fairly easy to maintain, making it a smart choice for an affordable knife.

The sharp point and full belly should make it easy to tackle a variety of cutting jobs, and coming in under three inches skirts legality issues you might otherwise encounter in certain states and countries.

cjrb maximal side — This rarely seen angle provides a nice look at the Crossbar lock mechanism that holds the blade in place.

The handle is also compelling. Available with two different materials, G10 and Micarta, it appears to be both sturdy and ergonomic.

The little finger guard near the blade improves not only grip but also safety, letting you know your hand is close to the sharp part.

This knife also offers one of my favorite locks, the Crossbar. In addition to being super reliable, it’s a flick of your wrist away from serving as a bonus deployment action (alongside the thumb studs).

cjrb maximal off side folded — In addition to black and red G10 handles, the Maximal is available in green Micarta.

This mechanism enables you to safely close the knife with one hand, by simply pulling the tabs back and giving the blade a tap, or letting gravity do the work.

Rounding out the Maximal’s all-appeal is its friendliness to left-handers. Not only are the thumb studs and crossbar lock ambidextrous, but also the deep-carry pocket clip is reversible, making it a truly equal opportunity option.