Excellent review!! I own the ESEE Izula, black blade mcarta scales and the CRKT Minimalst in tanto blade. I also own a bunch of Spyderco Colarado made knives. I love both my fixed blades but my # 1 EDC. knife will probably always be my Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight with FRN. scales. Again really usable Down to earth reviews with no fluff (or stupid unneeded BS). Tip of the cap!!
I carry a 50 yo Schrade Old Timer 154. And I have been carrying it around my neck well before I knew neck knives were like a thing. It always seemed easier to reach into my outer garment from the front than to go to my waist.
gonna get me one of those eldris style knives. Been looking to check our morakniv. I agree about the usefullness. Never thought about having a knife around my neck. I really don't like hanging stuff around my neck as it almost always proves to be a hassle at some point.
The extended grip on the CRKT Minimalist is just that. An extended grip meant for your pinky to wrap around. Not for you to hold the knife by the fob! Lol
Indeed, I am aware of its intended function. I personally found the fob to be rather vestigial. I’m sure many people like to have something for their pinky to hug, I did not. Personally, the knife was made better by removing the pinky fob. Do you own this knife? If so, do you like the fob? Curious what other owners feel about it. Thanks for watching!!
@@grimgranite Of course thanks for posting content! Love your vids! I do own the knife. The bowie one as well and I quite like the fob. Having that extra bit to hold on to makes it feel like I am holding something a little more substantial in my hands. I have tried simulating what it would feel like by not wrapping my pinky around it but I don't think its a true representation of what it actually feels like to have it off.
I agree I have the spew And I find the string at the end to be very comfortable And adds to the overall grip of a small knife feeling secure in my hand. It also keeps the knife from maneuvering in my hand because because It doesn't allow you to use All of your fingers. Hold it on to the knife with the fob and the back keeps it steady.
@Grim Granite I indeed own this one, and have for several years since it came out. The mini cleaver is next on my list, been eyeballing it for a year now. I've used the knife daily, and I love it fob and all. I preferred to leave it as was imo. Thanks for the video
I have the Eldris and the CRKT (in drop point). I find the Mora too thick to wear around my neck, but I do keep it in a fire kit. The CRKT I love for a neck knife. it's very thin and light and the deep finger grooves allow for a secure three finger grip. It's also easy to get razor sharp.
this is why I use a lanyard long enough to wear the knife under my left arm. Plus, if you use the beaded chain, that will break, if some one really grabs hold of it.
My two favorite neck knives are the crkt minimalist with the bowie-shaped blade. And my Condor kickback neck knife carbon steel with traction coating I do carry a instinct mini and the large instinct occasionally but it's the one with the skeletonized handle and I cord wrapped it with number 90 paracord
Laughed so hard I choked on my coffee and dropped my knitting then my German Shepard ran in to check on me. Seriously I do need a neck knife or two. Thanks for such a fun review of the much needed neck knife. Fun fact : my life vest knife saved me from a rope accident while sailing years ago. Knives save lives.
The Eldris is an excellent trail knife especially for minimalist. Another cool thing is that woman like them even if they are not into knives. Its a great introduction knife ...."Look its so cute ". A year later you have her addicted to knives and the transformation is complete. She is now a full member of my knife cult, never complaining when I buy a new knife ... Thats was my dream , it never came to fruition 😂
I feel like the mora is more functional for wilderness tasks due to its scandi grind and large comfortable handle. But I prefer the minimalist bowie due to its lightness, slimness, and ease of carry. I can forget it’s there when it’s on my neck, my sock, or my pocket.
aw man! I just bought an ultra minimal EDC pocket knife and NOW I gotta get a neck knife! I didn't know it was even a thing. Thanks for the awareness and the fun rating system.
This is probably the most glorious and simultaneously confusing rating system I’ve ever seen lol love it! Iv cycled through probably almost every mass production neck, knife, known to man I gave up I’m having a custom one made.
Liked the video, but I have almost exact opposite parameters for a neck knife lol.. Still informative and well thought out. My idea neck knife, easy to conceal, good edge holding, a no slip handle, and a reasonable blade length. The Effingrow is good steel, the Minimalist is pretty easy to conceal. Ball chains break before they can choke you. The main thing is, I prefer stainless because I sweat. That's why I'm carrying the minimalist, for now. Pretty small in my hand.. YMMV
My two edc knives are the Crkt minimalist Bowie which I keep on my keys. And the Crkt S.P.E.W which is on my belt. These knives go everywhere I can legally have a knife. I personally think Crkt makes great knives. While these are not my only knives they are my 2 of my favorite knives. And I have everything from Damascus hunting knives to knives for wood craving. The other nice thing about the Crkt knives is that they are so affordable that if I come across someone that needs a knife it not a big deal for me to give them one of these knives and just buy a new one.
@@grimgranite I would rather give someone a knife that needs it. Then not and find out something bad happened. I also frequently take my friend junkie knives away and give some thing better quality when I can do so.
You should never carry a neck knife with any kind of cordage. Especially in the outdoors. Use a beaded chain like the ones on dog tags. They will securely carry the knife, but will break away if they get snagged on brush or if someone tries to control you with it.
@@__cypher__ That probably works most of the time, but if a tree limb, assailant or even an elk should grab your shirt and/or your collar and your neck knife is being held on by knotted paracord it still may cause a little discomfort.
@@wadeevans8739 and all of those scenarios wouldn't happen if you had a breakaway or a toggle where the paracord would just slide through the toggle and disconnect that way too your overthinking this to such a degree that it makes me wonder if you should even leave your house. But hey keep ignoring solutions and coming up with more what ifs maybe you should prep for a hitman or a ninja attack best not leave your house that'd be safest.
I bought the minimalist bowie 2 years ago and it is my favorite and I carry it as a neck knife. Sometimes I even keep it in my sock. I cut off the fob at the end after watching this video and I like it even more now. The fob tends to get gross after awhile.
Looking at neck knife reviews and found your channel. I really enjoyed your reviews and found your scoring system "fun". Your content is good,new subscriber.
Great video. Just found you after you camped with Dan Becker the other day. Great channel and glad I found you. I own a few of these knives. I find an under 3” knife does my normal tasks quite well and have moved away from carrying larger knives. I don’t carry them around my neck but love the ultra light weight while in the pocket. I recently got an Eldris and could not agree more. One of my personal favorites. They also offer the CRKT in upgraded steels that I have appreciated a bit more than the lower priced models.
Awesome! Thanks for following along! I have yet to try one of the upgraded steel options, sounds great. I feel like the older I get the smaller my knives get! Haha!
Just got the CRKT minimalist S.P.E.W. I think it's my first Wharncliffe blade so we'll see how I like it. So far only used it for a couple minor applications and I think I'm gonna put a pocket clip on it today. Love your videos, man.
My SOG instinct and mini instinct do not have inserts in the grip their skeletonized and I did a cord wrap with number 90 paracord I give them a four out of five only because you have to sharpen them out of the box also the steel they use tends to rust under the cord wrap so I used some frog lube to keep it from rusting I heated it up with a hair dryer applied the frog lube and then waited for it to cool and then wiped off the excess and did my cord wrap you could also use krylon clear on the grips first and then do your cord wrap
11:25 No, it's called 12C27, but you meant the right thing. That steel has a very fine grain structure for a non-CPM steel. Also very easy to hone / strop. Honing and stropping saves you also a lot of steel actually.
I carry the Eldris every day in my pocket. Very versatile little knife! No neck carry for me! Either inaccessible when under clothing or a dangerous snag hazard, especially when operating power tools or other machinery
I carry the CRKT minimalist every day. You can find a D2 version as well as Kydex replacement sheaths. The crappy factory sheath is the main drawback of the knife.
8:38 Are you serious? These things are for the pinky, because it's not a full hand knife and "only" a 3 finger knife. Notice it has only 3 finger grooves. It's a bit too long for my taste though, but maybe it's so long because they think people might drop it and so they can close their hands and catch it on the lanyard lol.
i think the quality of steel for neck knives inst as important.. those are used mostly for self defense so edge retention isn't as important.. you should use it either never in your life or in the self defense situation which lets be honest can happen zero to few times in your life. def not survival lifes in nature.. much better options out there
Okay, we're knife guys so we look at steels, we look at designs, we respect designers, we will talk about things ad nauseam around the camp fire. So I'll try make this brief. I had a little hope for the ckrt, did i get that right? Too many letters bro! 😁 I baulked at the D2 steel because it's super brittle and yes i am the Mora guy so i knew from the get go it would dominate. It actually comes as a neck option as you said with the fire kit so it can hang upside down an to that end Morakniv have given us a retention clasp to back up their already great sheath retention. It's sharp as my wit both spine and blade out the box and to be honest it is no problem corrosion wise. I mean all my knives get spritzed with Ballistol but this knife would have to be mistreated to rust or even patina in my experience. I don't really go for neck knives but my very first Mora, a light my fire has a custom kydex sheath and has a neck loop with an easy breakaway tab because i lost a very young son to a strangulation accident so super weary. Great video as usual brother.
Thanks for sharing, man! Team Mora all the way. I also love the breakaway tab options we have now. Thanks for sharing about your experience and loss, I can’t even imagine my friend.
Thank you Quentin Tarantino. Very entertaining. Check out the SMKW exclusive Folts Minimalist bowie in D2 steel and tan micarta. It has become my very favorite budget neck knife
I am not a self defense expert, but I feel like the CRKT would be my first pick. It is the easiest to grip and get out of its sheath quickly. Also, because of its smaller size, most likely to be worn more often. Thanks for watching!
You didn't test the Cold Steel Kyoto 2. You missed out on a very good neck knife. A very good every day knife. As for the steel. As long as it holds an edge, I'm happy. I also have the Cold Steel Mini Tac Bowie. Which is more of a last ditch self defense knife. I'd give the Kyoto 2 a Dundee of 4, and a Kill Bill of 4.5, it sharpens up nicely. As for Mister T. Who cares what it looks like.
@@grimgranite oh ok thanks for the info i appreciate it i learn a lot from your videos and your videos with different personas comparing different types of tools are hilarious
You're not supposed to hold it by the string the string gives it extra Length so the back of your hand grabs it in a full grip. I think you misunderstood its purpose.
I will not wear a neck knife unless it has a cord break away or a bead necklace if it does not have a cord break away I add one I'm not going to be strangulated getting caught on a tree limb or someone using it against me
Glad to see a new standard for knife reviews.
The HollywoodBoi Standard 😅
Excellent review!!
I own the ESEE Izula, black blade mcarta scales and the CRKT Minimalst in tanto blade.
I also own a bunch of Spyderco Colarado made knives.
I love both my fixed blades but my # 1 EDC. knife will probably always be my Spyderco Para 3 Lightweight with FRN. scales.
Again really usable Down to earth reviews with no fluff (or stupid unneeded BS).
Tip of the cap!!
Thanks for watching!!
I carry a 50 yo Schrade Old Timer 154. And I have been carrying it around my neck well before I knew neck knives were like a thing. It always seemed easier to reach into my outer garment from the front than to go to my waist.
gonna get me one of those eldris style knives. Been looking to check our morakniv. I agree about the usefullness. Never thought about having a knife around my neck. I really don't like hanging stuff around my neck as it almost always proves to be a hassle at some point.
the small classic is better than the eldris.... thinner so actually better for a neck knife, light, carves well, and a bit longer
I'd say if you're scared of being choked by the rope just add a cheap breakaway clasp
The extended grip on the CRKT Minimalist is just that. An extended grip meant for your pinky to wrap around. Not for you to hold the knife by the fob! Lol
Indeed, I am aware of its intended function. I personally found the fob to be rather vestigial. I’m sure many people like to have something for their pinky to hug, I did not. Personally, the knife was made better by removing the pinky fob. Do you own this knife? If so, do you like the fob? Curious what other owners feel about it. Thanks for watching!!
@@grimgranite Of course thanks for posting content! Love your vids! I do own the knife. The bowie one as well and I quite like the fob. Having that extra bit to hold on to makes it feel like I am holding something a little more substantial in my hands. I have tried simulating what it would feel like by not wrapping my pinky around it but I don't think its a true representation of what it actually feels like to have it off.
I agree I have the spew And I find the string at the end to be very comfortable And adds to the overall grip of a small knife feeling secure in my hand. It also keeps the knife from maneuvering in my hand because because It doesn't allow you to use All of your fingers. Hold it on to the knife with the fob and the back keeps it steady.
@Grim Granite I indeed own this one, and have for several years since it came out. The mini cleaver is next on my list, been eyeballing it for a year now. I've used the knife daily, and I love it fob and all. I preferred to leave it as was imo. Thanks for the video
@@AlexMNet same!
I have the Eldris and the CRKT (in drop point). I find the Mora too thick to wear around my neck, but I do keep it in a fire kit. The CRKT I love for a neck knife. it's very thin and light and the deep finger grooves allow for a secure three finger grip. It's also easy to get razor sharp.
this is why I use a lanyard long enough to wear the knife under my left arm. Plus, if you use the beaded chain, that will break, if some one really grabs hold of it.
Knice!
Thanks for the idea.
Thats the point of a beaded chain. Choking to death on a lanyard is kinda dumb.
My two favorite neck knives are the crkt minimalist with the bowie-shaped blade. And my Condor kickback neck knife carbon steel with traction coating I do carry a instinct mini and the large instinct occasionally but it's the one with the skeletonized handle and I cord wrapped it with number 90 paracord
Laughed so hard I choked on my coffee and dropped my knitting then my German Shepard ran in to check on me. Seriously I do need a neck knife or two. Thanks for such a fun review of the much needed neck knife.
Fun fact : my life vest knife saved me from a rope accident while sailing years ago. Knives save lives.
So glad you enjoyed the video! Thanks for your support.
@@grimgranitei love your vids
Good stuff… but my fav is the Becker BK2. It works great as a neck knife, albeit a bit heavy.
That’s a large pocket knife to have on the neck. I bet you have the strong neck of a bull.
The Eldris is an excellent trail knife especially for minimalist.
Another cool thing is that woman like them even if they are not into knives. Its a great introduction knife ...."Look its so cute ".
A year later you have her addicted to knives and the transformation is complete.
She is now a full member of my knife cult, never complaining when I buy a new knife ...
Thats was my dream , it never came to fruition 😂
I feel like the mora is more functional for wilderness tasks due to its scandi grind and large comfortable handle. But I prefer the minimalist bowie due to its lightness, slimness, and ease of carry. I can forget it’s there when it’s on my neck, my sock, or my pocket.
aw man! I just bought an ultra minimal EDC pocket knife and NOW I gotta get a neck knife! I didn't know it was even a thing. Thanks for the awareness and the fun rating system.
Much appreciated!
The eldris can be turned round and popped into the sheath...giving you a longer handle!
This is probably the most glorious and simultaneously confusing rating system I’ve ever seen lol love it! Iv cycled through probably almost every mass production neck, knife, known to man I gave up I’m having a custom one made.
Liked the video, but I have almost exact opposite parameters for a neck knife lol..
Still informative and well thought out.
My idea neck knife, easy to conceal, good edge holding, a no slip handle, and a reasonable blade length.
The Effingrow is good steel, the Minimalist is pretty easy to conceal. Ball chains break before they can choke you.
The main thing is, I prefer stainless because I sweat. That's why I'm carrying the minimalist, for now. Pretty small in my hand.. YMMV
My two edc knives are the Crkt minimalist Bowie which I keep on my keys. And the Crkt S.P.E.W which is on my belt. These knives go everywhere I can legally have a knife. I personally think Crkt makes great knives. While these are not my only knives they are my 2 of my favorite knives. And I have everything from Damascus hunting knives to knives for wood craving. The other nice thing about the Crkt knives is that they are so affordable that if I come across someone that needs a knife it not a big deal for me to give them one of these knives and just buy a new one.
Excellent! It’s great that you are generous with your knives! Thanks for sharing
@@grimgranite I would rather give someone a knife that needs it. Then not and find out something bad happened. I also frequently take my friend junkie knives away and give some thing better quality when I can do so.
You should never carry a neck knife with any kind of cordage. Especially in the outdoors. Use a beaded chain like the ones on dog tags. They will securely carry the knife, but will break away if they get snagged on brush or if someone tries to control you with it.
Toggle or breakaway on paracord and solved the problem
@@Horde334that’s right 💯
Wadeevans8739 ... There's an easy solution I've been using for years.
Tuck it under your shirt.
🤔 🥴 🤯
@@__cypher__ That probably works most of the time, but if a tree limb, assailant or even an elk should grab your shirt and/or your collar and your neck knife is being held on by knotted paracord it still may cause a little discomfort.
@@wadeevans8739 and all of those scenarios wouldn't happen if you had a breakaway or a toggle where the paracord would just slide through the toggle and disconnect that way too your overthinking this to such a degree that it makes me wonder if you should even leave your house. But hey keep ignoring solutions and coming up with more what ifs maybe you should prep for a hitman or a ninja attack best not leave your house that'd be safest.
Learn to tie a break away knot. Simple but effective. You won't lose the knife and you won't get choked or have your neck injured.
I bought the minimalist bowie 2 years ago and it is my favorite and I carry it as a neck knife. Sometimes I even keep it in my sock. I cut off the fob at the end after watching this video and I like it even more now. The fob tends to get gross after awhile.
I chuckled when I seen you batooning with the Boker Mini Magnum lol that’s awesome 😂
Pretty funny stuff. I had a good laugh doing it as well. Thanks for watching!
@@grimgranite Wifey just got me the Esee Candiru for Christmas. It’s Amazing!!
Looking at neck knife reviews and found your channel. I really enjoyed your reviews and found your scoring system "fun". Your content is good,new subscriber.
Thank you for following along! I’m glad you liked the scoring “system”. 😅
Great video. Just found you after you camped with Dan Becker the other day. Great channel and glad I found you. I own a few of these knives. I find an under 3” knife does my normal tasks quite well and have moved away from carrying larger knives. I don’t carry them around my neck but love the ultra light weight while in the pocket. I recently got an Eldris and could not agree more. One of my personal favorites. They also offer the CRKT in upgraded steels that I have appreciated a bit more than the lower priced models.
Awesome! Thanks for following along!
I have yet to try one of the upgraded steel options, sounds great. I feel like the older I get the smaller my knives get! Haha!
Just got the CRKT minimalist S.P.E.W. I think it's my first Wharncliffe blade so we'll see how I like it. So far only used it for a couple minor applications and I think I'm gonna put a pocket clip on it today. Love your videos, man.
Awesome! Thanks for being here!
My SOG instinct and mini instinct do not have inserts in the grip their skeletonized and I did a cord wrap with number 90 paracord I give them a four out of five only because you have to sharpen them out of the box also the steel they use tends to rust under the cord wrap so I used some frog lube to keep it from rusting I heated it up with a hair dryer applied the frog lube and then waited for it to cool and then wiped off the excess and did my cord wrap you could also use krylon clear on the grips first and then do your cord wrap
I just got the Boker crazy small but great little knife should check out the CRKT S.P.E.W.
11:25 No, it's called 12C27, but you meant the right thing. That steel has a very fine grain structure for a non-CPM steel. Also very easy to hone / strop. Honing and stropping saves you also a lot of steel actually.
Love the rating system! You got a new subscriber for that.
Thanks! I am glad you enjoyed the quirky ratings!
I carry the Eldris every day in my pocket. Very versatile little knife! No neck carry for me! Either inaccessible when under clothing or a dangerous snag hazard, especially when operating power tools or other machinery
I carry the CRKT minimalist every day. You can find a D2 version as well as Kydex replacement sheaths. The crappy factory sheath is the main drawback of the knife.
8:38 Are you serious? These things are for the pinky, because it's not a full hand knife and "only" a 3 finger knife. Notice it has only 3 finger grooves.
It's a bit too long for my taste though, but maybe it's so long because they think people might drop it and so they can close their hands and catch it on the lanyard lol.
Judging knives in terms of "knife celebs" legend status. You just earned a sub
Thank you for watching! Glad you enjoyed it!
Very nice knifes ❤️❤️❤️😊
i think the quality of steel for neck knives inst as important.. those are used mostly for self defense so edge retention isn't as important.. you should use it either never in your life or in the self defense situation which lets be honest can happen zero to few times in your life. def not survival lifes in nature.. much better options out there
Okay, we're knife guys so we look at steels, we look at designs, we respect designers, we will talk about things ad nauseam around the camp fire. So I'll try make this brief. I had a little hope for the ckrt, did i get that right? Too many letters bro! 😁 I baulked at the D2 steel because it's super brittle and yes i am the Mora guy so i knew from the get go it would dominate. It actually comes as a neck option as you said with the fire kit so it can hang upside down an to that end Morakniv have given us a retention clasp to back up their already great sheath retention. It's sharp as my wit both spine and blade out the box and to be honest it is no problem corrosion wise. I mean all my knives get spritzed with Ballistol but this knife would have to be mistreated to rust or even patina in my experience. I don't really go for neck knives but my very first Mora, a light my fire has a custom kydex sheath and has a neck loop with an easy breakaway tab because i lost a very young son to a strangulation accident so super weary. Great video as usual brother.
Thanks for sharing, man! Team Mora all the way. I also love the breakaway tab options we have now. Thanks for sharing about your experience and loss, I can’t even imagine my friend.
I love my neckers. Very handy.
What has been your favorite?
Flytanium now makes better ecales for the CRKT Minimalist and it improves the knife by about 1000x
This rating system needs to become the standard.
Love your scaling
Thank you for watching!
Thank you Quentin Tarantino. Very entertaining. Check out the SMKW exclusive Folts Minimalist bowie in D2 steel and tan micarta. It has become my very favorite budget neck knife
Haha! Thanks, Matt! I will check out that bowie knife you mentioned. I am always on the lookout for great knives.
Can you do a Walmart survival kit
That’s a great idea, I just might have to do that. Thank you!
Which one would you recommend for self defense?
I am not a self defense expert, but I feel like the CRKT would be my first pick. It is the easiest to grip and get out of its sheath quickly. Also, because of its smaller size, most likely to be worn more often. Thanks for watching!
You didn't test the Cold Steel Kyoto 2. You missed out on a very good neck knife. A very good every day knife. As for the steel. As long as it holds an edge, I'm happy. I also have the Cold Steel Mini Tac Bowie. Which is more of a last ditch self defense knife. I'd give the Kyoto 2 a Dundee of 4, and a Kill Bill of 4.5, it sharpens up nicely. As for Mister T. Who cares what it looks like.
I will have to check that one out!
My crkt minimalist cleavers prolly my favorite knife now
Junk knives or not what most Users would not really have these for serious use As outdoor knives
Crkt cleaver is the best!
Great video🎉
Thanks for watching
I do believe I sent you a message on Instagram please check that out. Thank you
I love your videos so much
What is jumping on a knife I've never known what it was for or what it was called till this video
‘jimping’ is the term used for the bumps on the back of a knife, used to improve the grip on the blade.
@@grimgranite oh ok thanks for the info i appreciate it i learn a lot from your videos and your videos with different personas comparing different types of tools are hilarious
Just ordered the crkt
Fantastic, hope you like it!
You're not supposed to hold it by the string the string gives it extra Length so the back of your hand grabs it in a full grip. I think you misunderstood its purpose.
I know that it’s design intent is to be held by your pinkie as an extension, no misunderstanding at all. Thanks for the comment!
@@grimgranite copy, Thanks for the video!
Lol original rating system!
😂 Thanks for watching
SOG instinct is garbage. Sheath sucks steal also sucks. It doesn’t get an edge very well or hold it. It is trash don’t waste your money.
I will not wear a neck knife unless it has a cord break away or a bead necklace if it does not have a cord break away I add one I'm not going to be strangulated getting caught on a tree limb or someone using it against me
I like the idea of a breakaway for neck knives. Seems like a great idea to build in that protection. Thanks for watching and sharing your thoughts.
Good video! Do you have an affiliate link for the CRKT knife?
I do! I will post one here in a little while. Thanks so much for asking!
Here is my affiliate link for the CRKT knife, Thank you again! amzn.to/3CZumga
Good content! Keep it coming!
You dont neck with knives man. Thats just wierd.
My SOG Instinct Mini is a worthless POS knife - came NOT SHARP, won’t stay in sheath.
Overall, I have not been too impressed with mine either. ☹️
I love your classification system 😉👍should be adopted by more people 🫶🤟
Thank you! 😂😅
I hope you are using them for neck knife tasks though.