Gear Review: Chris Reeve Inkosi Knife
I tested a Chris Reeve Carbon Fiber Small Inkosi folding knife. This is a handmade exclusive available only at KnifeArt.com. I am going to say this up front. The MSRP for this knife is $415, which is what it is worth. I’ll follow up with a little more in just a bit.
The Inkosi is an EDC folding knife with a large titanium frame lock scale on one side and woven carbon fiber on the other. Although it has a pocket clip, the 2.3 ounce pint sized Inkosi is more of a gentleman’s knife ideal for pocket carry. There is a larger Inkosi, also at KnifeArt.com.
Although it is small and light, Chris Reeve Knives chose to use blade stock which has a full-size knife thickness, approximately 0.128”. This gives the CPM S35VN (RC 59-60)drop point blade a spine that would be the envy of many “survival knives”. This design also includes ambidextrous thumb studs and jimping that is slightly forward of the pivot point. This type of engineering compensates for the shorter blade and handle. Mine came with a black lanyard with the bead woven in the center, which is really necessary for a handle that doesn’t completely fill the palm.
The entire package puts more weight in the blade then what stabilizes it, making the Inkosi a rather long short knife.
CPM S35VN is similar to CPM S30V, except that the chemistry has been rebalanced to add niobium carbides to the formulation. Anyone who is used a S30V blade is familiar with the inherent toughness. The addition of niobium adds more transverse strength and resistance to chipping. This type of steel is ideal in much longer blades that would be subject to lateral stress just because of the longer blade. For the stout chunk of steel in this lightweight knife, the use of this steel is brilliant.
If you aren’t a connoisseur of knives, you wouldn't be aware of the quiet Revolution in knife construction. Years ago, steel with this type of toughness lacked corrosion resistance, or flexibility. If the blade had a great degree of flexibility, sometimes its ability to hold an edge was reduced. Knives that could handle heavy field use didn’t look as good in the display case as “pretty” ones.
The Inkosi has a satin like finish. When I abused the edge a little with a cutting test, it showed a high resistance to scratching.
Although the science of metallurgy has existed for centuries, some of the greatest advancements in knife steels like CPM S30V and S90V are fewer than 20 years old. CPM S35VN is even newer and its advantages are subtle, but very worthwhile for the user.
Chris Reeve Knives uses a “Large Hollow Grind” on the Inkosi, which is a hybrid of the two grind styles. I found that this keeps a lot of material near the actual sharp area, which will resist chipping when it is being abused. This grind seems very agreeable to users who strop their blades.
Years ago, I swore I would get a Chris Reeve knife. At that time, Chris Reeve was making hollow handle knives one at a time out of a single solid piece of bar stock in South Africa. His life experiences are shared in his knifemaking. Inkosi is the Zulu word for chief. As a “knife guy”, there were two knives I always coveted: the Chris Reeve Shadow made by Chris Reeve and a Randall Knives Model 1 made by Bo Randall. I own neither, but someday…
Why would anyone spend $415 on a knife anyway? Usually people who ask me this question don’t bat an eyelash at their $5 latte or their $650 not-so-smart phone, which, incidentally, must be upgraded regularly. The answer is not based on just utility. Most knife users do well with their bargain knives, which work most of the time for most assignments.
The person who buys the Inkosi prefers cars whose doors go “snick” when they close. They understand that the steel is the soul of the knife. They know that the relationship between the maker and end user will forever be interactive.
The Inkosi comes with tools for disassembly, some Loctite, grease and a cleaning cloth. You heard correctly, end users can disassemble the knife. Disassembled, users can see why this thing is so smooth. The blade rides on large bronze bearings and the locking mechanism rides on a ceramic ball.
If a knifemaker encourages the end user to disassemble the tool, it shows they are not afraid of showing you the workmanship “under the hood”. The Inkosi is flawless. The interior is beautifully finished. The detail in radiusing the scales around the blade stop bar is done with great precision.
I have to tell you, I don’t like frame lock knives. On most frame locks, if a right-handed user is opening the blade, the fingertips are compressing the lock, which is counterintuitive. The bearing on the locking mechanism makes this bearable. I’m glad the pocket clip rests on the handle, not the lock bar. It’s tip up carry, by the way.
Does it cut? Rather well, actually. One doesn’t usually chop with a gentlemen’s knife, but this has all the characteristics of a weight forward blade. It’s small in the hand-I definitely wouldn’t use it without the lanyard and titanium bead. However, the finger grooves and handle design gives the user a good purchase.
The Chris Reeve Carbon Fiber Small Inkosi is for users who will use the tool for their lifetime, then pass it on.
Officer Lindsey Bertomen (ret.), Contributing Editor
Lindsey Bertomen is a retired police officer and retired military small arms trainer. He teaches criminal justice at Hartnell College in Salinas, California, where serves as a POST administrator and firearms instructor. He also teaches civilian firearms classes, enjoys fly fishing, martial arts, and mountain biking. His articles have appeared in print and online for over two decades.
