Review of CRKT Crossbones Pocket Knife

Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) 7530 Crossbones Folding Straight Edge Liner Lock Knife ★★★★★

I’ve been a fan of CRKT knifes since purchasing the K.I.S.S. ASSist 5650 back in 2011. After that, the EROS K455TXP, by Ken Onion, has been one of my favorite pocket knives to wear daily. That is, until just recently acquiring the CROSSBONES 7530.

While it is slightly longer and heavier (71g) than the EROS (47g), it has become my new everyday knife.

So, why the name CROSSBONES? I believe they had in mind something like this:

According to CRKT, “The brushed aluminum two-tone handle, when closed, resembles the shape of a dog bone and gives the Crossbone its name.” But as you can see, it technically would take two knives to make proper crossbones.

While I don’t think dog bones were what the ancient symbol originally intended, I do find the unique shape of the knife to be one of its more interesting traits.

The in-hand feel is great, and like the EROS, the grip is machined—but with larger texturing. I love the short (3.5 cm / 1.37”) pocket clip—it holds securely without sticking out too much. (Though I did have to bend the clip out a bit because it was too tight at first.)

While the EROS is so light and dainty that you barely feel it in your pocket, the CROSSBONES’ thicker body lets you know it’s there—but only slightly, and not uncomfortably so. The one thing that throws me off a bit is the pocket clip positioning—it is on the far side of the handle, opposite the blade. When removing the knife from my pocket, I’m used to rotating it in my hand before opening the blade, but with the CROSSBONES there’s no need. Just pull it out and flick it open. This makes for quicker blade access, but I had to retrain my brain since I’m used to pocket clips being toward the top of the handle, not the bottom.

Both knives share the same ball bearing pivot system, which is smooth and allows you to flick the blade open with little resistance. Since they can only be opened with the flipper—there’s no thumbstud—the IKBS makes opening it a breeze.

The CROSSBONES is unique in that it’s somewhere between a gentleman’s knife (like the EROS) and something I’d expect to find on a ninja or samurai (dare I say pirate?). It’s elegant, yet manly and slightly more rugged.

There were no defects or production issues on the one I received. No locking liner sticking, no lubrication deficiencies, and no warping of the metal. It’s perfect!

Jeff Park may very well has outdone his mentor, Ken Onion, with this one. While Ken did help him refine some of the details, Jeff deserves high praise for this design.

→ Click to view Crossbones on Amazon

→ Click to view Crossbones on Amazon