Overview & First Impressions
Greg Wegrzycki built his reputation as Karambitmaker on curved blades and martial practice, so a straight-backed utility folder from him reads as a side project. The REI is exactly that, and it is better for it. He went back to the early-90s tactical folders that started the whole category and asked what made them work: grip comfort, grip safety, cuts that end where you intended. No wave feature, no ring, no curve. Just a honest work profile that a lot of modern designs skipped on the way to content creation.
Materials & Construction
The blade is CPM-20CV with a black coating, and that combination is the quiet argument of the whole knife. 20CV holds an aggressive edge longer than nearly anything else in a production folder, and the coating hides the stonewash dulling that bare steel shows in week two. The handle is bead-blasted black titanium, which reads matte in person rather than glossy, and it keeps the weight sensible for a full-size frame. This is the steel Kansept knives reaches for when longevity is the brief.
Design & Details
The grip is the story. A deep front finger notch, a flared butt, and just enough contour that your hand settles the same way every time, which is the whole point of a safety-first design. Opening is left to you, stud or flipper, and the detent is stout. The black-on-black palette makes it look smaller than it is. For a folding knife that will live in work trousers, the finish hides scuffs from across a room.
Real-World Use
This is a push-cut specialist. Grip tape, pallet wrap, cord, leather, and anything on a cutting mat all behave, because the handle will not let your hand migrate toward the edge under load. The 20CV edge stays shave-adjacent for weeks of light work. It is not the knife for batoning or prying, and the coating will scar if you drag the spine over concrete, but as an all-week slicing tool it embarrasses folders twice the price.
Ownership Notes
CPM-20CV is abrasion stubborn, so sharpen it with diamond or cubic boron nitride rather than fighting a soft waterstone. Light pressure, full bevel contact, done in two minutes. The coated flats need nothing but a wipe; do not polish the coating off trying to make it pretty. Oil the pivot monthly. If you carry it hard, re-torque the body screws once a season and it will stay centered for years. Compared with other folding knives on the clearance shelf, the 20CV blade alone justifies the price before you mention the titanium frame at all.
Who Is This For?
Buy it if you want a maximum-edge-retention folder at a clearance price, because EdcMall currently lists the K1061A1 marked down and stock is finite. It suits tradespeople, kitchen-prep loyalists who carry a second knife for boxes, and collectors who slept on Wegrzycki's straight designs. Skip it if you want a fidget-friendly action toy or a knife with bright colours, and skip it if EDC knives over three and a half inches are a problem where you live.
Final Verdict
The REI is a reminder that the old tactical folder formula survived for a reason. Strong grip, better steel than the era ever had, and a finish that shrugs off abuse. With the clearance pricing at EdcMall, the K1061A1 is one of the cheapest ways into a black titanium frame with premium powder steel. Buy two if you lose knives at work; at this price the second one is basically a backup plan.
