CRKT just revealed a new Lucas Burnley collaboration model today, called the Butte. The Butte is the first Burnley-designed CRKT knife fitted with their Deadbolt lock and it is releasing in both premium and a budget-focused versions.
You don’t have to be a knife scholar to see that Burnley’s inspirations when creating the Butte were classic outdoors and utility knives. Unlike some of his most famous, more boundary-pushing designs, like the Squid or the Kwaiken, there’s no visual element that would give a non-knife person pause. The blade is a classic drop point, the same sort of profile that has appeared on everything from big hunting knives to pocket-sized slipjoints over the years. The little thumb ramp does nod back to a similar feature on the Squid, as does the sturdy saber-style grind.
The Butte is releasing simultaneously in standard and premium variations. As you might expect, they have different steels, but both are metallurgical standbys that need no introduction at this point; the standard Butte is made from D2, the premium model S35VN. Both knives have the same assisted opening options – a thumb stud or flipper – and both benefit from the presence of the Deadbolt lock, a CRKT-exclusive mechanism designed by Flavio Ikoma, that operates like a button lock but is actually situated around the pivot itself.
The Butte’s handle profile doesn’t pull any tricks either, just intuitive curves that create a flexible, comfortable grip. Material differences are once again present between the two versions: tan G-10 for the standard Butte, and marbled carbon fiber for the premium model. The change in material makes a notable change in weight, too. The G-10 model weighs 5 oz., while the CF version is much lighter at 3.9 oz.
The Butte is available directly from CRKT now.
Knife in Featured Image: CRKT Butte in S35VN
