My first REAL knife

After years of buying/selling/owning/losing/breaking Bucks, Shrades, Gerbers, SOGs, Benchmades, Moras and knives from pretty much every other major knifemaker on the planet, I believe I have now graduated in to a whole new world.... That's right ladies and gentlemen... I have just purchased and received my very first (and certainly not my last) CRK!!!

I purchased the CRK Shadow III and to say that I am "impressed" with this knife would be a gross understatement! I have put the RSK in the safe for a while as I am going be "forced" to EDC this fine knife for a while. I really just bought it for hiking and camping but after handling it I feel compelled to EDC it at least on days when I can easily conceal it. It's perfectly legal to carry where I live either concealed or exposed, I just chose concealment to keep from frightening the PHRASECENSOREDPOSTERSHOULDKNOWBETTER.. My office is casual but not THAT casual. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> With a pair of jeans and an untucked (never tucked it in anyway) button-down shirt it is virtually unnoticeable. It's also small enough to wear exposed around the neck for those outdoor events like some of my summer hikes that do not require sturdy pants and belt. At $209.00 w/ overnight shipping it is the most expensive knife I have ever bought (although I have come close a few times) and I had reservations right up to the point when I opened the box. Since that point its been worth every last penny. Here's what I have managed to squeeze (and I mean really tightly SQUEEZED) in to the handle so far.

1 Small Ferrocerium Rod (ripped from a Doan MFS)
3 MP-1 Tabs
1 Condom
1' x 2" Duct Tape
3 Sparklite Tinders
2 Butterfly Wound Closures

I think with a lot of persistance I can repack everything and probably jam one more Sparklite tinder in there. Either way, I will enjoy trying. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

This is how I crammed it all in there and still made it so it is easily removable.


I kind-of rigged it so it stays with the cap whenthe cap is unscrewed and removed from the handle.

Very nice knife and excellent job making the duct tape tube. I have one of these too and have tinder straws and a BSA hot spark in mine, but that tape idea opens a whole new possibility.

Enjoy.

Did you use regular drinking straws or the smaller ones typically used for stirring coffee?

This must be why you were looking at Puritabs.

Yep. This and another "micro" kit (which will probably be a carbon copy of this kit with the addition of signalling equipment) I am working on for certain specific situations that require it (won't bore you with lengthy details) are exactly why I'm asking about puritabs in the other thread.

As you can see I decided to stick with the MP-1 tabs. I repacked this morning and actually only have two MP-1 tabs in there now. I had to make a choice between 3 MP-1 tabs and 3 Sparklite Tinders or 2 MP-1 tabs and 4 sparklite tinders. I decided (atleast for the moment) that since fire/warmth is important in these winter months, I best opt for an extra tinder. Those tinders are invaluable (to me anyway) when it's pouring rain and you need to get a fire going.

I didn't just start this thread to brag about my new knife (although I'd be lieing if I said that I don't enjoy sharing it with my ETS buddies). I am also hoping to get opinions on what I am choosing to keep in it. With that in mind I have made some changes that I would to share.

I have recently grown tired of wearing my watch. I still have the clock on my cell phone so there is no issue there but this does leave me without a compass. So, since I am EDCing the new CRK Shadow III and happen to also own a Tadgear SAS compass I thought ... welll ... you know where I'm going with this.

Here's the new list w/ some explanation of why I chose certain items. The packing method is for all practical purposes the same as the above pics. Please give me your opinions, ideas, critique on this "kit" and how I may be able to imporve it.

-- 2" x 1' Duct Tape - With only one condom for a water treatment/storage I feel I must have a way to patch it up if needed.
-- 1 SAS Compass - I have been EDCing a compass for so long (in my watches) that I simply feel naked and helpless without one.
-- 1 Ferrocerium Rod - This is my one and only fire starter. No room for redundancy in a kit this small. I had to make it a little smaller than what I originally had (shown in the pic) so I cut about a 1/4 off of it and drilled a lanyard hole in the end to make it so I could operate it with a lanyard attached and still have about the same amount of useable striking area as a full-size rod with no lanyard to act as improved handle
-- 1 Condom - Water storage and purification.
-- 2 Katadyn MP-1 Tabs - Water Purification
-- 4 Sparklite Tinders - Fire making
-- 4"sq of HD aluminum foil - This was added primarily as a packing aid since duct tape doesnt stick well to the shiny side, however I imagine this could be used as an extremely crude and barely even effective visual signalling device.
-- 6' of 100# Fireline - I doubt I need to explain to any member of this forum the need for cordage for lanyards, lashing, etc.

I would have loved to add a whistle and mirror but there is simply no room so I will have to rely on burning green leaves to make white smoke for daytime visual signalling, fire/flame light for nighttime visual signalling and my lungs for audible signalling if/when the items in this kit are truely all that I have on me. I probably dont need to tell you that if/when possible to carry other items in addition to this kit, my Fox40 mini whistle and a lighter are at the top of the list followed closely by a large sheet of plastic and a signal mirror.

brian,

I actually used the oversized plastic straws from Starbucks. Stuffed full of cotton/vaseline, then folded over with a short straw section slipped over to hold the fold. I think I have 2 (maybe 3 but I cannot remember) of these full length plus the BSA hot spark all jammed in the cap so it removes as a set. I think I had to tie some thin string around the whole thing to keep it narrow enough to slip into the handle.

This cann't go on !! It has to stop !!!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/mad.gif" alt="" />

Last week, on this same forum, a post about pocket lights induced me to make some purchase (Nuwai Q3, Inova 24/7, Nightstar II a.s.o.....
I had not spent money on lights for some time ... and thought I was cured !
<img src="/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />

Now, jeez .... you have to show us your new CRK !
I was about to forget that I decided 6 months ago to offer myself (for my 50th birthday anniversary) a CRK folder (a Mnandi, with a Damascus blade).
Seeing that buying it in France would almost double it's price, I resigned myself not to .... As for having it sent directly, it would add about 50%, due to Custom's taxes and French VAT.


So, these indecent posts have to stop ! Someone (Chris ?!? Doug ?!?) has to do something about it !!!! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Losing the watch doesn't mean you are without a compass...unless you literally had a compass strapped to the band.

Knowing the time (from your cell phone), it is an easy matter to sketch the clock and determine North from there...

It's a timex expedition with the compass actually built in. Are referring to the "sundial" method of telling time and direction? I know that isnt the proper terminology which is why I used the quotes. I'm talking about the method similar to that which is discussed in FM21.

Well I must say I have been eyeing the Mnandi since it came out and now that I have had such an excellent experience with my first CRK knife, I'm now looking a lot closer at the Mnandi and even getting renewed curiosity about the large Sebenza. I'm looking around my office/playroom right now thinking "hmmm what could I put on Ebay to raise money for another CRK." <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Yup, the sundial method...but, of course, it assumes you can see the sun...no problem in Texas <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> but if you go north a bit we're having some pretty cruddy weather as of late.

Actually we havenn't seen much of the sun in a couple weeks down here either. Although as you say, fog and heavy cloud cover is pretty rare 'round these here parts. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Well Mnandi sure is pretty but I can't justify a knife that small as hard I abuse knives. I did however order a Sebenza large classic last night. You people are gonna get me killed (by my wife) you know.

I just got out and dusted off my copy of FM21... the big book, not the feild guide, and reread (acutally more like studied, memorized and practiced) chapter 18. There's actually a bunch of pretty effective methods for determining direction that I had forgotten and/or overlooked in the past. If you can see the stars (or even just the moon) at night or have enough sunlight to cast a decent shadow during the day the only real disadvantage to these methods compared to a small button compass is that a couple of them require time (no more than 20mins for all but one method) to aquire a decent heading. Thanks for inspiring me to do the research. I feel much less dependant on my compass now that I am armed with this knowledge.