The Free Range Hunter from CRKT is a welcome addition to my knife collection. I’m always on the lookout for a simple, but well-made pocket knife, and like most outdoorsmen, I own several knives, yet still find myself browsing them in stores and online. My tackle box has two “multi-tool” knives, my backpack has a fixed blade, and I have a handful (no pun intended) of pocket knives. So to buy another one it needs to be something I don‘t own already, as well as one I feel I have a real use for. And if I hadn’t been given this knife for a review, I’d be asking Santa to put one in my stocking this holiday season.
When I received the Free Range Hunter folding knife, the first thing that got my eye was its grip and weight. The grip has several sections that are rubberized, and they are located where each finger lands along the inside, and all the way down the spine for the palm. These non-slip sections made it easy to cut away tangled fishing line and process the fish we caught. With a thumb stud for extending the blade and the rubber grips for sure handling, I never had any problems with slippage, and the lightweight design and locking blade gave me extra confidence, even with wet hands.
Most hunters and anglers like to be able to deploy and break down a folding knife with one hand, because the other hand is holding your trophy catch. The smooth action of the blade makes both tasks very easy. The knife’s clip point blade offers a standard no mess angle for any cutting chore, while the heavy click of the lock blade reassures you it will not collapse on your fingers when in use.
Although this Free Range Hunter is the smaller of the two folding Russ Kommer designed lock blades offered by Columbia River Knife and Tool, it is large enough to handle just about any job you might tackle while taking game. On several outdoor trips, I’ve offered it to many friends and family members, all with different sized paws, for their opinions, and most noted the same comfort and lightweight qualities.
If you are looking for a lock blade that you want to use in the field but also be light enough to clip to the pocket of your everyday pants, give this bad boy a try. www.crkt.com
– Joel
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received the Free Range Hunter for free from CRKT in consideration for review publication.