FOG HORN 2017

Twobirds Flying Publication

CRKT Homefront with Field Strip Technology

Ken Onion Design

Copyright 2017, Towbirds Flying Publication. All Rights Reserved.

 CRKT Homefront with Field Strip Technology
2017

CRKT HOMEFRONT with Field Strip Technology

By: Sal Palma recurve. I used it to slice up some canned ham
when Hurricane Irma rolled in. It saved the day
Ill tell you!

Hollow ground blades are, at least for me, a so-

Knifemakers, or more accurately bladesmiths,
are artisans and expressionists. Its easy for me
to imagine them living and working in the
communes of Sausalito or the Height Ashbury
in San Francisco. Theyre not simply artistic, as
can be seen from some of the exquisite work of
French bladesmith and Parisian Bastien Coves,
theyre also metallurgists, smelters, welders
and engineers.
so decision. The hollow ground blade gives you
a razors edge you can shave with, BUT edges
tend to break when called upon to perform
heavier work. Kens choice of blade steel
tempers to sufficient hardness as to mitigate
that risk; however, I still prefer the flat ground
profiles for a working knife. This is simply my
preference much like saying that one prefers an
oaky Chardonnay over one less seasoned. Be
assured that Homefront will admirably perform
any EDC task you can throw at it.

Ken Onion of Kaneohe Bay, HI, fits all those

descriptions. A former U.S. Marine, Ken was
inducted into Blades Cutlery Hall of Fame. He
invented the SpeedSafe assisted opening
mechanism for Kershaw Knives and is now
credited with numerous designs produced
under the CRKT label. If you see a hollow
ground blade with a sweeping belly and a touch
of recurve, chances are its a Ken Onion design.
Ken now has another industry first design, Ken Onion included a bayonet lug style flipper
under the CRKT label, the Homefront with Field that deploys Homefronts beefy modified drop
Strip Technology. point blade smoothly and with all the authority
of a Gunnery Sargent. He also did something
CRKTs Homefront is an exceptional EDC folder.
that I found interesting, when he added flutes,
Everything on this knife is top of the line. Its 3.5
port and starboard, along the blade spine.
inch blade is made of AUS 8 steel with and HRC
These are not blood grooves and my theory on
index of 57-58. It is a slicer from the ground up
blood grooves is that theyre like racing stripes
with a gorgeous sweeping belly and a slight

Copyright 2017, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

 CRKT Homefront with Field Strip Technology
on a car, they dont make the car any faster but
they add to esthetics. In Homefronts case, I
believe the grooves are a combination of Kens
artistic expression and practical consideration
of lightening an otherwise very muscular blade.
Homefronts beefy blade, with a thickness of
.133 inches, is stout to be sure. So, removing
some of that metal, to lighten the blade, is
probably a good way to allow for easier
operation and subsequent deployment using a
flipper. It also helps to move its center of
gravity rearward on the handle. Homefront is
balanced so its center of gravity is about of an
inch aft of its axis point.
Generally speaking, a handle can make or break
a pocket folder and Homefronts is extremely
well implemented. The 4.7 inch, 6061
machined aluminum handle sits very
comfortably in the hand and is very supportive
of a variety of grips. Ken used tank gimping
along to top of the handle for a very secure grip.
2017
So far Ive described what is unquestionably an
excellent pocket folder built with excellent
craftsmanship and materials, but thats not its
most exciting feature. My joy stems from what I
see as a revolutionary design concept, the Field
Strip Technology.
The common performance sapping condition
encountered with even the most competently
designed folder is the accumulation of dirt. Its a
given that every available nook and cranny will
collect lint, sand and mud. Accumulations of
these substrates will lead to lock failures, rough
operation and even axis failure or wear and
deterioration.
So, we all know that cleanliness is next to
godliness but taking apart your pocket folder is
sometimes impossible but more often a pain in
the derrire. Good news, Ken Onion has saved
the day with his Field Strip Technology.

In addition to providing a comfortable and

secure grip, the handle is tasked with a couple
of other functions.

First, it provides the

pocket clip attachment
point. The clip itself is
excellent and slides
easily over clothing
without damaging the
garment. It also allows
the knife to sit deeply
into the pocket. My only disappointment with
The Field Strip Technology is a slick, easy to use
the clip is that it is not reversible.
mechanism that allows you to completely
Second, the aluminum scales provides the breakdown your pocket folder to clean and
foundation for Kens innovative field strip lubricate all of its components. The operative
technology. word here is easy!

Copyright 2017, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved

 CRKT Homefront with Field Strip Technology
There are three components that I need to
cover in this review. The first is the knurled
wheel located at the rear of the knife handle. Its
function is clamping the two handle scales
together. Rotating the wheel in a clockwise
direction separates the scales, and a
counterclockwise rotation clamps the scales
together.
The second component is the pivot point clamp
shown below. Its function is to clamp the
handle scales at the pivot point. It does not
affect pivot point tightness.
These two components are the only fasteners
used to breakdown or reassemble the knife.
Copyright 2017, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved
2017
Occasionally, looseness of the blade at the pivot
point creeps in. This is characteristic of all
pocket folders so designers provide an
adjustment to tighten the blade at its pivot
point to eliminate any wobble, the Homefront is
no different. That adjustment is located on the
opposite side of the pivot point clamp. This
adjustment has nothing to do with the Field
Strip Technology. Do not over tighten the pivot
point should your blade wobble! That sounds
almost X rated.
Ken and CRKT did something that I thought was
the personification of enlightenment, they
etched instruction on the inside of one of the
scales.
In closing, Id like to describe CRKTs Homefront
pocket folder using the words of a fallen CPO
CRANK: its slicker than cat shit on linoleum. I
give it a great big BUY rating. Sadly, Ken and
 CRKT Homefront with Field Strip Technology
2017
CRKT will likely have to deal with more knock-
offs than the corner 7-11. Do check out this EDC
folder, with Field Strip Technology, it belongs in
your pocket.

- SP

Manufacturer Specifications

- Blade Length 3.502" (88.95 mm)

- Blade Edge Plain
- Blade Steel AUS 8, HRC 57-58
- Blade Finish Brushed Steel
- Blade Thickness 0.133" (3.38 mm)
- Closed Length 4.728" (120.09 mm)
- Weight 4.8 oz
- Handle 6061 Aluminum
- Style Folding Knife w/Locking Liner
- Overall Length 8.313" (211.15 mm)
- M.S.R.P. $150

Copyright 2017, Twobirds Flying Publication, All Rights Reserved