We demand a lot from our pocketknives. We want them to be sharp. We want them to be easy to open. We want them to be affordable in case we misplace them. Usually we have to pick two out of three: either it's sharp and easy to open, but not cheap; sharp and cheap but not easy to open; or easy to open and cheap, but won't hold an edge.
CRKT's Hootenanny, designed by renowned knifemaker Ken Onion, is a decent mix of all three. Constructed of 8Cr13MoV steel with a hardness of 58-60, the Hootenanny is both wear- and abrasion-resistant and has good tensile strength and hardness. The IKBS ball bearing system opens the Hootenanny with minimum effort, despite being unassisted.
The glass-filled nylon scales are comfortable in the hand; however the single-position pocket clip is designed with an outward flare at the tip that digs into the palm if you're right handed. Southpaws and those that carry their EDC pocketknives on the weak hand side should be fine, though; it is quite comfortable in the left hand.
MSRP: $69.99.
