We’re convinced that if there’s anything that Lucas Burnley does better than almost any knife designer on the planet, it’s short, stout EDC folders that work harder than most big knives. He did it with the Squid. He did it with the Prequel, and he did it with the Sketch. For 2021, he’s done it again with the CRKT Heron, a knife named for a bird with a daggerlike bill that doesn’t mess around.
We know that Burnley loves to use them and story to design a knife. According to CRKT, his inspiration for the CRKT Heron was the bird itself, “In flight, the heron is sleek, efficient, and all business and that’s just what designer Lucas Burnley set out to mimic with the Heron.”
The Heron’s 2.93″ 8Cr14MoV stainless steel Wharncliffe blade is spot on (and .15″ thick). It literally looks like the bill on the Herron. It has CRKT’s excellent dark stonewash finish and a thumb hole for easy opening. We particularly like the jimping just above the thumb hole in the thumb ramp area. It provides just enough extra grip on this stout folder.
The handle is a little more intricate than most other Burnley offerings from CRKT. This framelock has a no-nonsense, black Stonewash 2Cr13 stainless steel back handle, but the front scale is anything but boring. Created to look like rays of sunlight coming from the sky, the front handle is One layer black carbon fiber with a tan G-10 base.
There’s a nice backspacer with an integrated lanyard hole in this Heron, and we’re sure that Burnley will continue to get “lefty” hate for the right-side only, removable tip-up pocket clip. But, we’re also sure he’s used to that by now.
The CRKT Heron is just 4″ closed and 6.9″ overall which makes it an inch longer than the Squid and just barely bigger than the Sketch and the Prequel.
CRKT Heron Details
- 2.93″ 8Cr14MoV Stainless Steel Wharncliffe blade
- Dark Stonewash Finish
- .15″ Thick
- Manual Thumb Hole Opener
- Framelock
2Cr13 Stainless Steel Back Handle- Black Carbon Fiber and Tan G-10 Front Handle
- Removable Tip-Up Pocket Clip
- Backspacer with Integrated Lanyard Hole
- 4″ Closed
- 6.9″ Overall
- Weighs 3.8oz.
CRKT says, “Precise aesthetic detail meets no-corners-cut usability in the perfectly balanced CKRT Heron everyday carry folding knife.” We agree, but we always love a Burnley design. If you’re interested in getting one of these, simply click any link in the article or the button below.
