When the mid-year product lineup showed up in my inbox, I immediately gravitated toward the CRKT Cobia folder. As one of the newest spring assisted folding knives in their lineup, the Cobia is very attractive. CRKT collaborated with Matthew Lerch on the Cobia’s design. According to CRKT, the Cobia “will make you look good, even when you’re not cutting anything.” I’d have to agree.
For those of you that aren’t familiar with it, the Cobia is a saltwater fish species that I come across from time to time on inshore fishing trips around the Tampa Bay area. While it is not a particularly attractive fish, and its diet isn’t all that appealing, it is one of the sweetest and best tasting fish around. I highly recommend trying it if you get the opportunity. You’ll notice the free diving and spearfishing gear as the backdrop in the photos. The high food quality of this fish makes it an attractive target for both rod and reel as well as spearfishing anglers alike.
One side of the CRKT Cobia features a smooth stainless steel texture, while the other side is reminiscent of fish scales. The texture helps its visual appeal as well as giving the knife a bit of grip and of course, inspiring the name. The handle itself is made from 420J2 stainless steel.
The CRKT Cobia is a smaller EDC that users with bigger hands may find better suited as a gentleman’s pocket knife. Given the clean, sharp look, it fits well in that category. I found that it took a little bit of practice to get the knife in a comfortable position to engage the spring assist in due to the smaller size. Once you get a handle on the size, the balance and feel are excellent. The Outburst spring assist takes just a little bit of pressure on the thumb stud to deploy the blade with ease.
The frame of the CRKT Cobia is stainless steel and while the textured side does help the grip, I’d prefer to have some G10 overlay if I’m going to use it as an EDC. I don’t see this as a downside to the knife, just better suited as a gentleman’s pocket knife for those of us that have sweaty hands. If the frame were done in G10, the visual appeal of the texture would be diminished, so I really would hate to see it changed.
The Cobia features a hollow grind drop point blade that is made from 1.4116 stainless steel. On the hardness scale, this blend of steel rated 55-57 HRC, and is optimized to have a solid balance of sharpness, edge retention, and durability. The clip only has one position and has to be carried tip down. The frame design really prevents having multiple clip positions. Again, the design is so visually appealing that I’d hate to see it done differently just for the sake of multiple clip points.
The blade’s sharp tip is excellent for cuts that require a puncture to start. The plain edge promises to take care of most everyday tasks as well as cutting monofilament, fluorocarbon, and braided fishing lines if you decide take it out on the water.
CRKT has another winner with the Cobia. With a higher price point than most EDC knives from CRKT, you may want to reserve this for special occasions or as a gift for your favorite angler. The retail price on the Cobia is $130, but I saw prices on Amazon in the low $70 range, so you may want to take advantage of that before prices start going up with demand.
CRKT Cobia Summary
- Closed Length: 3.66 Inches
- Open Length: 6.56 Inches
- Weight: 2.5 Ounces
- Blade Material: 1.4116 Stainless Steel
- Blade Hardness Rating: 55-57 HRC
- Blade Finish: Satin
- Blade Grind: Hollow
- Blade Style: Drop Point
- Blade Edge: Plain
- Locking Mechanism: Frame Lock
- Carry Positions: 1, Tip Down
