CRKT Outrage Review

There are a lot of everyday carry knives out there, but few have as unique a design and form as the CRKT Outrage. The Outrage is an EDC folder style knife with the designer Ken Onion’s uniquely curved look.

The knife itself is solidly built out of quality materials and has a number of distinct features. The style and look of this knife put it in a category of its own.

For its quality, design, and function we give the CRKT Outrage 4 out of 5 stars.

CRKT Outrage Features

Blade – The blade of the knife is made from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel. The steel is considered a budget grade with decent edge retention and ease of sharpening. It is a equal quality steel with similar knives in the category and is useful for most moderate and heavy cutting tasks and everyday use.

Handle – The handle is made of 6061 textured aluminum and features a wave like curve design. The design of the handle functions both as an aesthetic and ergonomic design choice as the wavy curve pattern functions to form finger grooves for holding the knife.

The textured aluminum helps to reduce slipping and improve grip. Many handles on similar knives are made of plastic or rubberized polymers making this one standout.

Deployment and Lockup – For deployment the knife features an IKBS ball bearing system to enable rapid manual deployment and secure opening. The ball bearings are high quality and enable fast action deployment even after heavy use. The bearings hold the blade securely in the open position to prevent injury.

For lockup the blade features a stainless steel liner lock that holds the blade securely into the handle of the knife. The liner lock is extremely sturdy while still conforming to the shape of the blade.

Additional Features – The knife features some jimping on the back of the knife blade for further enhanced grip for difficult tasks. Many similar pocket knives do not feature jimping on the blade.

It also features a removable belt clip that makes right handed carry particularly comfortable, while the curvature of the knife also allows for comfortable left handed carry. The overall design of the knife blends comfort and function.

Blade Design, Make and Function

The blade is made from 8Cr13MoV stainless steel with a satin finish. The steel of the blade is sturdy and sharpens easily. The blade itself is a Ken Onion modified design.

It features a mix between a standard drop point blade which is known for a strong tip with less piercing ability, and a clip point that has a weaker tip strength but better piercing and stabbing ability.

The blade length comes in just under 3.2 inches giving a decent cutting length for the blade. The blade features a plain edge and a satin finish.

The belly of the blade curves earlier than other knives but still features a solid cutting surface. This unique blended blade lends itself well to EDC tasks, having a mix of cutting ability and puncturing strength broadens the scope of uses for the knife.

Handle Make and Ergonomics

The Ken Onion wave design of the handle makes not only for an intriguing looking knife, it also has very solid ergonomics. The textured 6160 aluminum build of the handle provides a solid surface and the texture helps to prevent slipping due to the slickness of the metal.

The handle features grooves for holding four fingers and a finger space under the base of the blade for added grip and for use with delicate cutting or piercing tasks.

The addition of jimping along the back end of the blade helps to improve grip further. The design allows for easy forward carry but may be awkward if attempting to carry it in reverse/defensive stance.

Deployment and Lockup

The IKBR bearing system used to open and secure the knife is a solid sturdy choice. The bearing make the blade very easy to open with the flipper and allows for rapid deployment. What’s more the bearings hold the blade securely open when in use, lowering the risk for injury.

Using a bearing system allows for more smooth fluid motion when opening the blade, meaning no sticking or failing to open completely.

For lockup the knife uses a 2Cr13 Steel liner lock. The lock is set comfortably within the shape of the handle and doesn’t disrupt the aesthetic or function of the handle. The thumb ledge on the bottom of the blade allows for quick closing of the knife and the liner lock holds the blade securely in place.

The solid steel liner lock also adds a bit of sturdiness to the handle as the lock runs the length of the handle.

Additional Features

This knife doesn’t offer a lot of extra frills. However, it makes up for that fact with its unique design features. It fits comfortably in either hand and the contoured removable pocket clip makes it easy to carry around.

At a length of 7.88 inches and a weight of 4.5 ounces, this knife sits somewhere in the middle of being a “big” pocket knife and a small lightweight knife. The design is what gives this knife more utility than others in the same knife category. 

CRKT Outrage Review – Final Thoughts

The CRKT Outrage sits in its only special place among EDC knives. Some users may prefer a more specialized knife featuring a standard drop point blade or more common features such as a lanyard loop or additional jimping on the blade.

What this knife offers is a solid steel blade designed to be multifunctional for various tasks. It features both good cutting and piercing ability at the sacrifice of some blade tip strength. The aluminum textured handle provides a sturdier handle and the texture and finger groove design help to cut down on some of the slipperiness of a metal handle.

Deployment and lockup are smooth and easy and fit well within the design of the knife. Overall, this is an excellent multipurpose EDC option to add to your pocket knife collection.