Ken Onion and Richard Rogers return with new designs, plus a new portable bit driver tool.
CRKT looks like they pushing at a mid-range price point with this announced in time for SHOT Show 2026. Most of these new folders trend around the $100 to 160 mark. But they aren’t letting their somewhat recent dedication to high-end knives go to the side. Almost every new product has its own Damascus version, generally with some titanium mixed in.
Everything here should be available right now from most of the your favorite vendors.
The updating of classic CRKT designs continues for Blade Show 2026.
The Sero
- 3.02″ S35VN drop point blade
- Crossbar lock
- IKBS ball bearing pivot
- GRN handle in grey, black, aqua, or red.
- Designed by Richard Rogers
By now fans of CRKT should recognize the name Richard Rogers as that of the designer who brought us the CEO (and a few cooler people for the Cinco). The Sero is another flipper with a little more handle to grip, but it the same tightened-up, compact ethos of the CEO.
The pocket clip is tip-up, and reversible, so this is as ambidextrous as most folders can get.
It looks like it’s meant to be a practical EDC that leans toward dressy just a little with some Art-Deco-inspired texturing in the scales (that dressiness pops a little more in the high-end Damascus version), but with a GRN handle and S35VN for the blade, and a price point teetering between mid-range and budget, it seems aimed at moderate everyday use.
The regular version is sitting around $150. There are wo high end versions with Damascus blades and inlays in titanium scales that come in either a black or bronze finish. Those run at $250 MSRP.
The Orochi
- 14C28N tanto blade, 3.5″
- G10 scales
- Thumbstud or flipper open
- Designed by Princeton Wong
Wong’s last design for CRKT was the Nucleus, a front-flipping frame lock that was inspired by his love for Gundam. His anime inspiration continues in a more subtle way with the Orochi, a term for an eight headed monster from Japanese mythology (we can’t say for sure it’s a direct One Punch Man reference, but we won’t rule it out).
It features a mid-sized blade that we’re inclined to call a modified tanto, even though the official CRKT listing is a clip point with a recurve. Whatever you call it, the overall look is pretty striking, and the design is clever.
It’s a dual thumbstud/flipper open knife. The flipper tab is just barely sticking out from the handle in a closed position, but it’s there.
They’re releasing two versions of this knife. The standard one coming in around $100 with Sandvik steel, G10 scales, a steel bolster, and a liner lock. The high end version has Damascus steel for the blade and bolster with a titanium handle and a frame lock. That’ll run about $200.
The Counterpart
- D2 or 12C27 steel
- 3.3″ Drop point or tanto blade
- GRN handle
- Designed by Ken Onion
Ken Onion is back for CRKT with a new series of knives. It’s two options of blade style with the same handle in what looks like a Bugout genre of lightweight and sturdy. It has a slim build with a tip-up ambidextrous clip and cut outs on either side of the handle which should give a seamless pocket experience for any side.
Here’s how the options break down:
- A drop point blade in 12C27 (Satin finish or black oxide coating, handle available in black, grey, or aqua)
- A tanto blade in D2 steel with a black oxide coating and a black handle.
The price is in the $70-90 range. Seems like they want this one to stay under $100 as much as possible.
The M-16 as a Balisong
CRKT’s M-16 knife design has been morphed into an American-made butterfly knife made by Live Sharp Industries in Colorado.
Here are the quick specs:
- 3.37″ Magnacut steel
- Blade style options are tanto (M-16-02) or drop point (M-16-03)
- Weight is 2.6 oz
Obviously a lot had to change about the design to get it into balisong shape, but the M-16 DNA is still there in the angle of the tanto tip and the curves and angles of the handle. It’s on the lighter side for butterfly knives, but it sounds like they prioritized hard use over fidgeting. The M-16 handle lines might not lend themselves as well to flipping, but they do make a decent grip.
The M-16 Balisong is the most expensive knife in the drop at $300 MSRP.
The Zephyr
- D2, 14C28N, or Damascus steel
- 3.22″ sheepsfoot blade
- G10 scales or titanium
- Designed by Matthew Lerch
Based on Matthew Lerch’s custom design, the Zephyr is a slim, utility-minded flipper with a sheepsfoot blade and a liner lock. It’s lightweight and low-profile, and runs on IKBS ball bearings, so all around should be a smooth and refined experience.
It’s available in 14C28N or D2 with G10 scales, plus a premium option with a Damascus steel blade and a titanium handle with Damascus inlays.
The price will range pretty widely on this from around $70 for D2, $90 for the 14C28N, and $160 for the Damascus version.
ToGo Driver
On the less pointy tool side of things, the ToGo bit driver is small driver designed to make your knife maintenance a little easier and more mobile.
It has an aluminum body with a spinning base to make working with screws less strenuous. The body screws open to house the bits.
Includes:
- T6, T8, T15, T20 Torx bits
- 3.5 mm slot head and phillips head bits,
- a 1/4″ to 4 mm adapter.
With an overall length of 3.5 inches it should be able to fit into most pouches and pockets without much trouble so you can take your maintenance kit on the go. This will run around $35.
