Better Knife Than CRKT CEO

Better Knife Than CRKT CEO

I have a thing for gentleman's style knives with clean and simple designs. As soon as I saw this GP035 Series  knife, I though it was beautiful. The description of this knife is also remarkably similar to the description for the CRKT CEO (which I also own) and since the size of the knives are very similar, my review will be a comparison of both of these knives.


Blade:
If the blade of the Samior knife really is M390 steel, it is a huge step up from the CRKT CEO's 8Cr13MoV blade. The Samior's blade is also slightly longer (3.5in vs 3.1in). Both blades lock up tight and are centered nicely. The machining of both blades also seems very well done. The full flat grind of the Samior does make it an excellent slicer. However, the Samior's blade is a bit thinner than the CRKT's and so it does have more flex to it. The flexing doesn't bother me since this knife is not for prying, it is for daily cutting tasks and I feel that the blade profile is excellent for that. I also like that there are no marking on the blade except for the material. I'm not a fan of all the writing on the CEO's blade.
Winner: Samior

Handle:
The Samior's handles are simple titanium scales. They are smooth (no texture) and very nicely machined with a slight curve to them that makes it comfortable to hold. Since this is not a tactical knife or a bushcraft knife, I don't think there needs to be any aggressive texturing to be able to grip the handle. Being just titanium, the handle is considerably lighter than the CRKT's handle. The overall handle length is also slightly shorter on the Samior (which is impressive that is also has a longer blade). The slightly thicker handle of the CRKT, along with its machining make it feel slightly more secure in the hand, but only slightly so. The pocket clip of the Samior is made of titanium as well and is actually super tight. The CRKT is a little easier to clip to my pocket with its larger steel clip. I like tip-up carry for my knives so I like the clip location of the Samior knife better than the CEO. Since both of these knives claim to look like pens clipped in your pocket, I appreciate that the Samior is thinner at the clip mounting location while the CRKT is at a widest where the clip mounts.
Winner: Samior

Others:
Other items of consideration are the way each knife opens. Both knives have ceramic bearings that make the opening go quickly and smoothly once you get them going. However, the CRKT uses a thumb stud that is partially shrouded by the handle when closed. It can be difficult to get it to flip open since you tend to push on the handle when trying to get your thumb on the stud. The Samior uses a tab coming out the back of the knife. This makes it easy to use your index finger to flip it open. I'm sure with a lot of practice I could get to the point of being able to open the CEO as fast as the Samior, but out of the box the Samior is way easier to open. Another item to note is that the Samior comes with a nice leather sheath with belt loop. Its a nice touch and another classy way to carry the knife.
Winner: Samior



Final Verdict:
With its longer blade, shorter overall length, lower weight, better quality steel, and ease of opening quickly, the Samior is my choice of knife for every day carry. Despite its higher cost vs the CRKT CEO, I think it is the better knife and worth the cost.


3 comments

  • Landen

    Is it made in the us because it looks to high quality for a china knife

  • Shawn

    Thanks for that great review! I am a CRKT fan, but because of this review I’m branching out and buying this knife from Samior! Plus, the color scheme matches my Daisho. (Swords)

  • Chris

    Love it

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