For as far back as I can remember I’ve carried a folding knife in my pocket. One of the things I was taught in my early teens was never to leave the house without a knife and a lighter (two essential survival tools). But you quickly learn, if you USE that knife it gets dirty and needs maintenance. The blade needs to be sharpened and the pivot needs to be lubricated. I complained for several decades about folding knives using uncommon hardware – star screws, torx screws, allen screws, ad nausea – because it made them difficult to maintain. For the past almost two decades (since 1999) I carried a particular manufacturer’s knife every day simply because it used common hardware; the everyday Philips head screw. I could easily strip it, clean it, maintain it, etc. and put it back together with a single tool – a small Philips head.
Well, welcome to the new millennia. Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) at this most recent SHOT Show (which we’ll be talking about until next year’s SHOT Show) released a knife which incorporated their proprietary “Field Strip” technology. This design allows the knife to be disassembled and reassembled without any tools at all. I was like a kid in a candy store standing in the CRKT booth and giggling about the simplicity of the design and how wondrous it would be to have a knife I could clean and maintain without needing any tools. Of course, I’d need something with which to sharpen the blade, but there are sharpening tools to be found in abundance.
The Basics
The Homefront is a Ken Onion design – and anyone who knows knives knows that name. The online published information about the Homefront credits Ken with designing the Field Strip technology as well. CRKT calls it, “in-field, no-tool take apart capability.” Here’s how it works:
With the knife in the closed position, push the front release lever away from the blade, then spin the turn release wheel on the rear of the handle away from the pivot shaft. Once you feel the handle release (it will start clicking if you keep turning the wheel), pull it up and away from the blade. NOTE: The blade is now exposed and there is spring tension against it from the liner lock (leaf spring). Reassembly is simply the reverse.
Ken designed the Homefront to be reminiscent of World War II knives with their full belly blades and bayonet lugs. The “blood groove” is obvious and gives the blade look that “combat field knife” flavor. The construction specifics are:
- 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)
The only thing about this design that I didn’t care for (at first) was the placement of the clip which provides for a deep pocket carry. I’ve never really been a deep-pocket-carry guy and there are some knives I simply don’t care to have in my pocket BECAUSE they settle in so deep and I consider them difficult to get out. After all, if I need that knife RIGHT NOW and it takes too long to get hold of and out, it’s not serving the purpose I carry it for in the first place. In the case of the Homefront, I’ve adjusted and gotten used to how it sits in my pocket.
Once drawn, it’s positioned in my hand just right to allow for me to push the bayonet lug-style flipper and, with a little added movement of my wrist, open the blade up with a resounding CLICK as it locks open. While the grip slaps are cut mirror image for the outer edge, the liner lock stands up just enough that it’s easy to disengage with the thumb of whichever hand you have the knife in.
But How Does It Cut?
Having established that the knife was well designed and carried comfortably, there came the question of how well it would cut. In all honestly, any decent quality, contemporary design knife will cut well. A knife designed by Ken Onion – if properly manufactured – SHOULD cut damned well unless there’s an issue with blade maintenance. Thankfully I still have an assortment of stuff in my shed that I can test blades on.
So, out to my shed I went, Homefront in my pocket, gloves on because… well… it’s still winter. I pulled out several different lengths of material running between simple string and16mm braided nylon rope. With the knife in my right hand and looping each piece of material over the blade with my left, a simple push/pull motion separated the pieces into smaller pieces with relative ease. I did the same thing with some 1” nylon straps and some pieces of that ugly yellow plastic boater’s rope. The plastic rope took a bit of pull and sometimes two strokes, but the knife managed to cut through it cleanly.
Given that I then had the opportunity to build a fire in my outdoor firepit and roast some hotdogs, I grabbed a suitable stick and used the Homefront to whittle down the tip so I could use it as a cooking tool. The edge was still nicely honed and left me with a smooth cooking “spear.”
Back inside I disassembled and cleaned the blade and then reassembled it without issue. The next day I used that same knife to cut up chunks of cheese for an event I was hosting, followed by slicing up raw chicken. The knife pulled through the chicken breasts without any problem and left clean edges where it cut through.
Afterward
Never knowing what I’d be using the knife to cut next, I once again disassembled, cleaned and reassembled it. I didn’t see the need to lubricate the pivot stud and the blade opens smoothly as is. I remain happy with this knife and impressed with the overall design.
For more information about the Homefront and the Field Strip technology, check it out online at: https://www.crkt.com/homefront.html
