CRKT Snap-on Wrinkle Knife Review

Let’s start off this review with a bit of math.

CRKT
(Great quality knife maker)
+
Ken Onion
(Very talented knife designer)
+
Snap-on
(Top name in mechanics tools)
=
CRKT Snap-on Wrinkle pocket knife

I previously reviewed the CRKT Shenanigan Z and CRKT Foresight pocket knives, and had very high expectations for the Wrinkle, which we briefly discussed a couple of weeks ago.

The Wrinkle is a flipper folding pocket knife with IKBS bearing system, liner lock, modified hollow ground drop point blade, and anodized aluminum handle scales.

First Impression

Within 10 minutes of opening the box, I was convinced that the Wrinkle is a good-looking knife that cuts especially well. I carried it around and used it for two weeks now, just to make sure.

The curvature of the blade is substantial, and seems to be a common trait of other recent CRKT-Onion-collaboration knives.

The Wrinkle’s rippled handle texture is hard to capture on camera, but really looks great in person. Yes, the handle feels as bumpy as it looks, but that’s not a bad thing.

The blade shape is styled as well, with the cutting edge being quite sharp right out of the box.

Aesthetics-wise, this knife was designed with high attention to details. The grooved bottom of the flipper becomes part of the choil and is a nice surface to press your forefinger against, but I generally don’t place my finger that close to the blade. Still, it’s a nice touch.

Related: More ToolGuyd Knife Reviews

Blade Deployment

CRKT flipper knives are quick and easy to open. The IKBS ball bearing mechanism is absolutely fluid and fantastic, and provides consistent and reliable blade deployment.

The liner lock slips into place securely and consistently.

Aus 8 Blade

The knife blade is made from Japanese high carbon AUS 8 steel. Rockwell hardness is states as 57-59 HRC. Generally, AUS 8 steel has high toughness, good edge retention, good corrosion resistance, and it is easy to sharpen. It’s mid-range blade alloy with acceptable performance.

There is more jimping on the spine that I would have expected, with as much as twice as many grooves as their needs to be, but it adds to the look of the knife.

The blade was perfectly centered. When open and deployed, there is no front-to-back or side-to-side play.

I find the Wrinkle’s modified drop point blade shape to be well suited for general purpose cutting and slicing tasks. It has a deep evenly-curved belly, which gives you a longer cutting edge. The tip appears to be quite strong and controllable, but is not well suited for heavy piercing operations.

As with other recent CRKT and Onion collaborations, the spine of the blade is ground down a bit to ease the effort required for deeper cuts.

The blade’s coating, which I believe to be black titanium nitride, should provide a nice level of protection against corrosion and wear, and is not easily scratched or scuffed.

Ergonomics

The handle might look uncomfortable because of the rippled texture, but it’s not. That’s not to say that you don’t feel it, but it doesn’t take away from anything.

Overall, I found the knife to have good ergonomics, and it fits my medium-sized hands quite well.

A little sweat doesn’t affect the grip, but too much and it will get somewhat slippery. Once that happens, you’ll realize that the ripples aren’t there just for looks, but to improve the grip of an otherwise sleek-surfaced handle.

The pocket clip is removable but not reversible. There is also a lanyard hole to aid with pocket retrieval.

Conclusion

I typically test knives by cutting small wires, cardboard, tape, small rope, cloth, rubber gasket material, clamshell plastic packaging, and then anything else I need to cut or slice during a natural use testing period. There were no ill results for me to speak of.

The Wrinkle is a well designed knife that looks great and performs well. I was especially drawn to the aesthetics of the knife, but not everyone will like it. The anodized finish has a sort of orange peel look to it, which adds to the rippled texture to make the handle shimmer. The handle seems to be durable and highly scratch resistant.

At $125, this is not an inexpensive knife, but I believe it to be fairly priced. Honestly, there are plenty of other hard-use knives available for less, with the CRKT Foresight being one of the first to come to mind, but I feel that the Wrinkle’s design, collectability, and Snap-on branding add substantially to its value.

If you’re an avid Snap-on fan, you will definitely want to consider adding this knife to your daily EDC rotation or collection. Since they are now only available via Snap-on tool dealers, try talking your dealer down on price or asking for a discount when you place your next large order.

If I were more of a Snap-on fan, I would wholeheartedly recommend this knife. I definitely do recommend it, but the price holds me back from giving the Wrinkle a full hesitation-free recommendation. With a $125 price tag, I would have liked to see this knife built with a more premium steel, such as S30V, which typically offers better edge retention.

• Design: interesting and unique
• Workmanship and build quality: superb
• Blade pivot and deployment: smooth and flawless
• Comfort and ergonomics: excellent
• Value: a little pricey for what you get

Color options: black (SEK74MAKK), orange (SEK74MAKO), green (SEK74MAKG), and red (SEK74MAKR).

Right now, these knives are not available via Snap-on.com, but they might be coming back. The best place to look for one of these is through your local Snap-on dealer.

Black, Orange, Green, Red (via Snap-on)

Specifications

CRKT Snap-on Wrinkle
Deployment	Flipper
Length	7-1/2″ Open 4-1/2″ Closed (Measured)
Blade Length	3″ Edge
Weight	4.4 oz.
Blade Material	AUS 8 High Carbon Steel
Blade Style	Modified Hollow Ground Drop Point
Lock Style	Liner
Handle Material	Anodized Aluminum
Pocket Clip?	Yes, Stainless Steel
Made in	Taiwan
Street Price	$125

Thank you to CRKT for providing the review sample unconditionally. Review samples are typically given away, donated, or retained for benchmark and comparison purposes.