New from CRKT for 2014 is the Obake™ knife. It was designed by Lucas Burnley along the line of a Japanese Kwaiken. It is a full tang with the handle being wrapped katana-style with nylon cord. The blade has a gray titanium nitride finish and is acid etched to provide a uniquely different pattern on each knife.

It comes with a glass-filled nylon sheath that has a paracord lanyard. The knife can be attached to a belt loop, via the paracord, or fixed directly to a belt with the grommets on the sheath. The design is primarily for emergency use., such as self-defense; however, it is also handy for many everyday tasks.

With regards to the steel in this knife, the 8Cr14MoV is very similar to Japanese AUS8. Based on our previous experience with this steel, it will take a razor sharp edge, but with hard use, that edge disappears rapidly. As such, we would recommend this blade for casual and emergency use only. The other “problem” we had with this knife was that it was not sharp on arrival. However, with Work Sharp’s Ken Onion edition knife sharpener, we were able to easily give it a razor sharp edge.

The specifications of the Obake™ are:

• Overall Length: 7.63″
• Blade Length: 3.64″
• Blade Thickness: 0.13″
• Blade Material: 8Cr14MoV
• Hardness: 58-59 HRC
• Blade Style: Standard
• Blade Finish: Gray
• Edge Type: Plain
• Handle Length: 3.99″
• Handle Material: Paracord
• Handle Color: Black
• Weight: 2.40 oz.
• Sheath: Molded Plastic
• Sheath Weight: 0.80 oz.

With a MSRP of $59.99, and internet prices as low as $40.00, this knife is a good buy for the purpose that it was designed for.