EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) – One of the things I love about this everyday carry (EDC) hobby is discovering new rabbit holes to explore.
In particular, I love learning about new knife brands, beyond my old favorites like Buck and Victorinox.
Regular readers of this space know I have become good friends with JB, the creative force at YouTube channel Big Red EDC.
I joke that he should really be called “North Star EDC,” because he is my guiding light in this hobby.
I have learned about so many different brands of knives and other gear through his videos but also from our friendship.
That being said, he recently sent me two knives to check out from CJRB Cutlery, which is the budget line for Artisan Cutlery.
Let’s take a look.
What I got in his very generous package were two of CJRB’s newer releases – the Lyrid and the Sasaya.
When the knives first arrived, I thought the Sasaya would be the one I would really like.
This one is CJRB’s version of the classic Shilin Cutter, an Asian knife with a large belly for a blade. Also, the one I got to check out came with wood handles, which always speak loudly to my sense of nostalgia.
But it was the Lyrid that really grabbed me.
Let’s start out by taking a look there.
The Lyrid is a great little EDC knife, and I do mean little.
Closed up, it extends just a little beyond my fist.
Its 3.15-inch blade is a classic sheepsfoot-style blade, which is great for cutting open boxes and making other draw cuts.
Here are some other numbers: Its overall length when open is 7.4 inches, it’s 4.25 inches when closed and it weighs a touch over 3 ounces.
The one I got has a blacked-out blade and black G10 handles. The handle has two different types of texturing to make sure that you get a good grip. G10 can be slick if it doesn’t have some kind of texturing to it.
It is deployed using ambidextrous thumb studs and it has a crossbar lock (my favorite type of modern lock).
The blade really rockets out using the thumb studs.
The handle also has a slight indentation where your index finger goes. Even though it is a small knife, all four of my fingers fit easily on the handle, especially when I choke up and put my thumb on the spine of the blade.
There is no gimping on the blade spine, but it really doesn’t need it. It just feels good in hand.
The knife also comes with a reversible pocket clip and a lanyard hole.
Overall, it is a great little EDC knife. It is definitely one of my favorite modern knives I have seen in the past few months.
The CJRB Lyrid reminds me of a smaller version of Vosteed’s Raccoon.
This was supposed to be a loaner package, but after mentioning how much I liked the Lyrid about a half-dozen times to JB, he told me to keep it.
Wow, that will make a great addition to my EDC and my knife collection.
Anyway, now let’s take a look at the Sasaya.
This knife is bigger than the Lyrid, but is still not a huge knife. It still falls squarely in the EDC category.
What really stands out on this one are the wood handles, which give it a retro vibe, as mentioned before.
The big belly drop-point blade is also distinct.
According to knife historians, this type of knife – the Shilin Cutter – dates back to the mid-19th century in China and Taiwan and was a popular knife carried by vendors, mechanics and even bureaucrats.
What I like is the large cutting surface of the blade, which makes it ideal for many daily cutting tasks.
While this knife has a deep history to it and the wood handles feel retro, there is also a distinctly modern feel to it, too.
The knife has a steel bolster, steel pivot and uses a button lock. All very modern.
It also uses a “thumb hole” or “deployment hole” instead of thumb studs as the way to open the knife. It is similar to the “spydie hole” on Spyderco knives for those familiar with that brand.
It basically uses the same principle as thumb studs. You put part of your thumb into that hole and flick it open.
Once you get used to it, the blade really flies out.
Here are some numbers for the Sasaya – a 3.5-inch blade, 8.23 inches overall, 4.72 inches closed and weighs 3.84 ounces.
This one also has a reversible pocket clip and lanyard hole.
In addition, its bowed handle makes for a comfortable grip while using it.
The Sasaya comes in G10 (black or gray), wood (the one featured here) and titanium.
On the CJRB website, the Sasaya costs $55.99 for the G10, $59.99 for the wood version and $179.99 for the titanium version.
Here is a link to the CJRB website and a link to the wood version of the Sasaya.
The Lyrid comes in three flavors – blacked-out blade and black G10 (featured here), stone-washed blade and gray G10 and stone-washed blade and green G10. They currently go for $49.99 on the CJRB website. Here is a link to the Lyrid.
Overall, after checking out these two knives, here’s my verdict: CJRB is a solid brand that offers quality “mid-range”-priced knives.
Here are some YouTube channels I watch to keep informed about knives and EDC gear.
Cutting Edge (formerly Last Chance Knives)
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