When it comes to folding knives versus fixed-bladed knives, fixed blades generally are stronger and more durable and provide better leverage. And with the right sheath, you can wear a fixed-blade knife on your belt and deploy it as needed. While a folding knife carries easily in a pocket, it is not necessarily more difficult to carry a fixed-blade knife. There is more to debate here, but allow me to show you a fast-deploying, versatile fixed-blade knife you should consider for carry duty: the CRKT Clever Girl. The knife is fairly light at 6.3 ounces. And it’s only 10.125 inches long. The powder-coated, upswept blade is made from SK5, 54-56 HRC steel, measures 4.6 inches long and is 0.158 inches thick. It is very strong and cuts very efficiently. And it looks fantastic, doesn’t it?
The sheath easily latches to your gear or affixes to your belt, and the G10 handle provides exceptional purchase and leverage. Clever Girl can handle lighter cutting tasks with precision or tougher cutting tasks requiring more muscle. If you draw it out to show your friends, they will eyeball it with a smirk of admiration.
Clever Girl probably will not replace your folding knife, but it can complement it well. If you are carrying both, you will opt for the folding knife for normal, daily-life tasks and the Clever Girl for more desperate situations. As a skinny lightweight, Clever Girl will ride around on your belt all day, ready for deployment, causing no strain or discomfort. But when it is time to get to work, the long grip provides plenty of area to grasp. Consider this: Your folding knife requires a tug and a flick to deploy from your pocket. The Clever Girl requires only a tug to draw it from its sheath, but you do have to get to the knife and clear the sheath.
My favorite use for this knife is in the backcountry, and my preferred carry location for it is affixed to my left backpack strap, point up. In that location, it is in plain sight and able to be easily grasped with either of my hands. More often than not, I grasp it with my right hand to deploy it.
Clever Girl is a part of CRKT’s Forged By War program, and proceeds from its sale go to the Green Beret Foundation, the charity selected by the knife’s designer Austin McGlaun.
