Pazoda: A Stylish and Functional Pocket Knife at a Great Price–Woods Monkey takes a quick look at an inexpensive offering from CRKT that can serve as a gift, or as a kit knife to tuck away in your gear.
Columbia River Knife and Tool is known for making great knives using quality materials at a reasonable price. The Pazoda fulfills this purpose nicely using 8Cr14MoV, 58-59 HRC steel with a gray titanium nitride coating for the blade. The coloring of the blade in contrast to the scales makes for an attractive knife. Scales and pocket clip are made from stainless steel, which is both stylish and functional. The knife weighs 3.1 oz and is marketed as a knife that can be easily engraved. It is offered in two variations: “Razor Sharp Cutting Edge” and “Combined Razor Sharp Cutting Edge and Triple-Point Serrated Cutting Edge”. The Pazoda is 6.5 inches when open and 3.73 inches closed. Blade length is 2.625 inches. Cost for either variation is a remarkable $24.99.
I have carried numerous CRKT knives over the last decade and this one didn’t disappoint. The pocket clip secures well inside pants pockets. The lightweight construction allows for a slim design so the knife doesn’t get in the way of other objects in your pockets. Removing the knife is easy with its oval blade hole, which also assists with one-handed opening. The Pazoda fits comfortably in either hand and offers good blade control for cutting due to the shape of the oval blade hole and three groves along the spine of the blade. This is an extremely nice feature for fine cutting and blade manipulation. If you have larger hands you may feel that the handle is a little short. The frame-lock mechanism is durable and a little stiff but can easily be closed with one hand. When the knife is wet the stainless steel scales can be a bit slippery to use.
For the purposes of this review I carried the knife for two weeks. I rode a bicycle, rebuilt a porch, played deck hockey, and wore pants made of different materials and the Pazoda never fell out of my pocket. I even shook my standard cargo shorts upside down and the knife did not come unsecured. Other knives that I own easily fell out of my pockets under such conditions. The blade was pretty sharp. I was not able to shave with it but it proved capable dicing vegetables, cutting raw and cooked meats as well as making quick work of cardboard of varying thickness, plastic bottles and nylon rope. It is a quality blade with good properties for hardness, wear and abrasion resistance. I prefer CRKT knives with serrated cutting edges but enjoyed the “Razor Sharp” edge a great deal. After extensive use the only issue encountered was that the handle dug into the palm of my hand during some activities. This was due to my large hands but shouldn’t affect users with normal sized hands.
Overall, this is an exceptionally good knife at amazingly affordable price. I would have expected it to retail for double the listed price. A well functioning knife given current technology doesn’t have to be expensive. The fact that it is priced at $24.99 is remarkable. There is even a Pazoda 2, which is a bit smaller and priced at $19.99, which makes it a very affordable gift idea. The fact that it is promoted as such demonstrated CRKT desire to market its product for people who are on a budget or not into paying custom knife prices. It is a knife that I would carry regularly and would recommend to anyone who is looking for an affordable, stylish and functional knife.
Visit: www.crkt.com