Cricket Folding Pocket Knife, PlainEdge

I've been a fan of Spyderco for decades. I used (and still have) a couple of their serrated knives from when I lived on a boat. Serious knives, very well made, very reliable. So when I was looking for a small knife I could carry in the watch pocket of my jeans (Okay, for you youngsters, the little pocket on the right side of your jeans was made for a pocket watch for when people carried their watches in their pockets. End of history lesson.), anyway this little guy fit the bill. I have both the serrated and the plain and I like the plain better. Here's why. The serrated blade will last longer, but is WAY more difficult to sharpen. While the plain blade will dull sooner, it is easier to sharpen ... although just barely because of its curve. Still and all it's a great, last a lifetime, pocket knife. As an added benefit, it's unobtrusive, can be retrieved in a flash, flipped open, and can cause some serious bodily harm in case of an attack. I'm not paranoid, but I like this little knife ... a lot.

This is the best knife I've ever owned. It's just one of those items I like to touch and hold. I like it better than any other knife including Manix, Delica, ladybug, various Byrds, Victoronix swiss army knives, buck knives. However this is a light duty knife. It's fantastic for opening up packaging and cutting twine. The tip will wear away under heavier applications... so I would suggest going with a different design if you are going to use it for anything other than small delicate cuts through plastics and light cardboard. The VG10 is a very good steel. The curved design of the blade increases the length of the cutting surface and changes cutting angles as you draw the blade across the material. The tip is tilted forward and is the most aggressive cutting edge (almost like a push cut)... and it will take the most abuse and pressure. I can see why other reviewers say it wears out quickly. I wear this thing in the vineyard as my 3rd knife and forget that it is there... it's so small I've washed it twice because I missed it in my pocket. I was first person on the scene of a rollover car accident and had to free someone who was hung up on their seatbelt. One slice was all it took. I usually have a bigger knife but I had forgotten it. This knife is fantastic because it's always in my small change pocket and it never forgotten or misplaced. It looks like a gentleman's knife. Awesome gift.

As my folding knife collection approaches 60 in number, this stainless Cricket remains a favorite. This is one of those rare knives that has an almost magical charm that is hard to put into words. The little bugger is one of the handiest items I own. At first, I did not dig the funky recurved blade shape. But that was before I realized how useful that shape is on a small blade: The tip is perfect for ripping into blister packages and boxes, and the curved blade naturally tracks along in whatever you are cutting. The knife doubles as a cool money clip. It won't threaten anyone--you could even call it "cute". That would be somewhat ironic though, because in the right hands it could serve as a most deadly weapon. The build quality is fantastic, but be aware that the stainless steel finish scratches easily. I made the decision early on to not worry about scratches at all--and you should too--because the idea is to drop this thing in your pocket every day and forget about it until you need it. And you will. Once broken in, the action is smooth. Deploying the blade and then disengaging the frame lock is addictive. Get one. Every couple of days (more or less depending on how much you use it), run both sides of the blade down the corner of a hand strop a couple dozen times. Then touch it up on a Spyderco sharpmaker (use the corners of the stones) every couple of months or so. Life will be good.

I considered several criteria when purchasing this knife: size, weight, blade design, blade material, locking mechanism, appearance, and manufacturer. I work in a building that does not allow knives with a blade over 2.5 inches in length- so that was a major factor. I also wear a coat and tie to the office every day, and wanted something that would be subtle and unassuming with professional attire. It's light enough to carry comfortably in a pocket, and has a low profile. The large thumb hole and liner lock are particularly useful for single-handed operation. Appearance should not be a primary consideration in selecting a knife, but I must admit, it was a factor with this purchase. It's an elegant design. This is not the first Spyderco I've owned, but it's the first I've purchased in over a decade. After my last Spyderco purchase, I moved on to Benchmade and SOG- I simply felt they offered a better product. But I couldn't be happier with this knife. It's sturdy, arrived with a superb cutting edge out of the box, and is comfortable both to carry and use. I wouldn't recommend this knife for anyone anticipating hard, frequent use. The blade is made of VG-10 stainless steel, and could no doubt tolerate it. But the relatively thin edges around the handle would probably be hard on ones hands.

The knife is very nice! Compact and easy to carry. My boys really like them.

It's a great knife and I cannot find anything else at this level of quality and effectiveness that compares to it. It's good looking, light, thin, superb quality, and has wonderful stability form for such a small knife. Also, importantly, the action is very light and super easy; the (removable) pocket clip provides a holding anchor. I have the Dragonfly that is more solid and a bit more elegant without the bolts, but it's bigger and the (opening/closing) action is much more difficult. This replaced the Dragonfly for my keyring; the Dragonfly was always just a bit big and heavy for a keyring... 10/10 for accomplishing its intention.

This was an impulse buy and if I could do it over again, I wouldn't purchase it. The good: Looks nice Small Lightweight Brushed steel resists fingerprints The bad: Blade came duller than other spyderco's Loses edge VERY fast I have other VG-10 knives that have held up to a lot more than this blade. Blade design may not be ideal for your cutting needs. I was looking for a lightweight, 'gentleman's knife' to carry in slacks or jeans. I keep trying to fall in love with this knife, but I end up going back to my SOG Access Card 2.0

I finally bought this knife after eyeing it for a while, thinking it was more of a novelty than a useful knife. I was wrong. The S-curved blade shape is very versatile - it's an excellent slicer and the hawkbill-like tip, while fragile looking, provides for precise cutting or detail work, as well as quick opening of packaging and cord cutting. The tip also digs into whatever is being cut, which can reduce the chances of the knife slipping and causing injury or damage, which is sometimes a problem when using small pocket knives to cut materials like rigid plastic packaging (note, you shouldn't use a knife for this anyway - a scissors is safer). I also bought the stainless steel Dragonfly, but will be returning it, as the Cricket is far better for EDC - smaller, much lighter and with a more useful blade shape for typical light-EDC tasks. It's also much more usable than the Ladybug and Kershaw Chive, which I also own. While its unique design is perhaps its biggest selling point, in this case form enhances function rather than detracting from it. The VG10 steel is excellent, having good edge retention while being easy to sharpen. This knife is also very innocuous when carried or used in an office setting. It's probably one of the least threatening knives available (when it's closed at least). The Cricket is a little pricey for its size and I heard that the current price is substantially higher than it was a couple of years ago, due to strong demand. If it was priced at $45 to $50, it would get 5 stars. At $65, it gets a one-star deduction, since there are many other knives that offer better value, such as Spyderco's Ladybug and the larger Delica 4. Nevertheless, the Cricket is one of the few Spyderco designs that has survived since the company's early days and it's now one of my favorites, alongside the Delica 4, Paramilitary 2 and Sage 1.

This tiny one-hander is easily the most essential pocket knife I ever owned. The size is perfect, the blade profile is very versatile, edge retention is good, easy to sharpen.