CRKT Crawford Triumph Folder

Details

Written by JT McAvoy

Columbia River Knife Company, the name is synonymous with  great knives of all types.  It is no secret that I do believe that they make the best knives on the market today.  Other companies try to keep up and out do CRKT all the time.  Everytime I think somebody may be making a knife that can compete CRKT surprises me with a new innovative design that absolutely blows the competition away.  The new Crawford Triumph Folder by CRKT is no exception.

    I do not make these decisions lightly.  Before I can say this is a knife that is reliable and I would trust it with my life if need be it has to be tested.  I test a knife by torturing it in real world situations.  In my world there are a number of substances and environments that a knife will be exposed to as well as tasks it has to preform.  It has to preform in the tactical environment, on flight duty, and everyday carry as well.   This knife is a complete blend of unique design and functionality.

First a little about the knife.  The Triumph was designed by Pat Crawford, it was a custom design for CRKT.  The handle is ridged and grooved, and the blade is a thick 0.14”.  The blade is also made of AUS 8 stainless steel with a false edged on the top of the blade.  The blade is also coated in a matted black EDP coating.  The Triumph has an OutBurst assist opening and an AutoLAWKS system for safety.  What does all of this mean?  Simply it means you are holding a knife that is functional, safe, rapid opening, and has a uniquely menacing appearance.

    The first thing that I noticed when holding the knife was the feel of the handle.  The ridges and coating on it felt like nothing that I have ever held in my hand before.  On further inspection I found not only was it ridged but also had black green “G 10” scales.  At first it feels like the handle is abrasive and when you put the knife down you almost expect to see your skin rubbed raw.  This however does NOT happen.   What does happen though is you come to the realization that even with gloves on there is no way this knife is going to slip out of your hands unless you just let it go.  As you grow accustom to the feel of the handle it seems to form to your hand and honestly you get spoiled by it.  The feel of the Triumph eventually becomes second nature.

    The next thing I noticed about the CRKT Triumph was the OutBurst assist system.  Now me being like most people I did not read the instructions before I picked up the knife and began to play with it.  Therefore I had no concept of what was about to happen.  I went to “flick” the blade open with my wrist as I do with all other CRKT knives, this time was different.  On the flick motion with my wrist as my thumb pushed on the blade all of a sudden “SNAP” and the blade was almost instantly opened and locked in place.  The look on my face I am sure was priceless, I think i would have described it as shock and awe.  At this point I had to read the instructions to not only figure out what just happened but also how to unlock the blade so I could do it again.

It was at this point I figured out about the OutBurst  assist and the AutoLAWKS.  Basically when you open the blade to approximately 30 degrees the opening then becomes automatic and almost instant.  It is then that the AutoLAWKS kicks in and automatically locks the blade in place via to mechanisms.  This is for added safety and easy one handed operation.  

    Once I got done playing with the assist opening (it is cool what can i say) I then paid attention to the blade itself.  As if the OutBurst assist was not cool enough it then reveals the most wicked blade I have seen on a functional knife in a long time.  The blade has a matte black coating on it, a false blade on the top, and a tanto style tip.  What gives the blade its wicked appearance though is the serrated edges on it.  I am not a huge fan on the combo edges.  They have their uses but never have been appealing to me.  The serrated edges on the Triumph are different however.  They are very wide and angled at 60 degrees.  It reminded me of the serrations inside the mouth of a shark.  After a few uses I realized that it worked in the same manner as well.  So once the blade opens you have a thick blade that is tough, coated, and cut deep with little to no effort.

    So the next step was to carry the Triumph and decide if it just looks good or can it function.  Over the next 2 and a half months i carried it everytime I left the house no matter what the situation or occasion. Over that period of time it has cut rope, para chord, I.V. tubing, zip ties, even and load bearing vest.  the CRKT Triumph was also exposed to rain, mud, blood, jet fuel, and a host of other substances that required cleaning the knife.  At no time did the knife ever suffer any damage to the blade or the handle.  The knife also was very comfortable and well balanced during use and never slipped out of my bare or gloved hand.  The OutBurst also proved itself invaluable on several occasions.  When I had one hand occupied and needed a sharp object quickly there it was and never malfunctioned or let me down.  This knife did everything that I wanted it to and under every real world condition that I wanted it too.  It did so with unbelievable reliability.  My only wish was I had one to give my team members so they would quit eyeballing mine,  I had to watch them carefully.

    I can honestly say that there was not a thing about this knife that I did not like.  The handled was comfortable and has the user in mind for sure.  The blade is as unique in design as it is tough.  It even comes in a limited edition tiger stripe combo of black and subdued grey.  When used correctly as a tactical knife like the Triumph should be there is very little that it will not do, and do so reliably.  The OutBurst assist not only has the “coolness” factor but also proved itself very functional as well.  To me it is a must on all my carry knives.  The CRKT Triumph is also ambidextrous, which is a big deal to me.  So my hat is off to them for thinking of us left handed people.  As all others at shooting resources would tell you, the fact i like everything about this knife is amazing. I am picky and can find something wrong with everything.  Everything that is but the CRKT Triumph.  To me it is the perfect combination of art, form, and function.