Start with a legendary knife maker named Ken Onion. Toss in a heaping helping of Wild Bill Hickock. Sprinkle in a little steampunk. Flavor it with CRKT and give it a stir. Then, send it over to Hogue Knives for baking and assembly. The end result? The CRKT Redemption.
The CRKT Redemption
As the story goes, on August 2nd, 1876, James Butler Hickock was shot and killed whilst gambling in Deadwood, Arizona. When he was killed, he was allegedly holding two black aces and two black eights in his hand. This came to be called the Dead Man’s Hand.
This was the inspiration behind Onion’s Deadman’s Hand, a custom liner-lock folding knife. CRKT has collaborated with Onion on several projects over the years. So, they partnered with him on creating the production model of the Dead Man’s Hand, which became the Redemption.
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During my visit to CRKT headquarters in June 2025, they gifted me a customized Redemption. It’s identical to the standard model, save for the laser-engraved artwork on the bolster and pocket clip.
To be honest, I didn’t like the knife at first. I thought it was big and kind of heavy for a folding knife. But after a couple of days, things sort of clicked between me and the Redemption, and I’ve since become quite attached to it.
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Redemption Out of the Box
The Redemption is the first gravity knife I’ve owned. I haven’t seen it referred to as such in any official press releases or CRKT literature. However, that’s basically what it is. There is no thumb stud, flipper, or nail nick.
To open, you pull back on the Crossbar lock and let the blade fall open. A slight flick of the wrist helps. Once fully extended, you release the Crossbar, and the blade is locked in place. To close, pull back on the Crossbar to release the lock and then flick the blade back in place. The lock-up is absolutely rock solid.
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It took a bit of practice, but now I have the movements down. The blade opens and closes nearly as fast as it might with a flipper. Now that I have the hang of it, the knife is almost as addictive as a fidget spinner.
The Redemption is a bit large for a folder, with an overall length of 9.19 inches. The 4.06-inch dagger-style blade is MagnaCut steel with a stonewashed finish. Despite appearances, it’s only sharpened on one side.
I wear a L/XL glove, and the knife fills my fist fairly well. It tips the scales at 4.9 ounces, which feels a bit lighter than the size would suggest.
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The handle scales are lightly textured G10. There is a reversible pocket clip. Stainless steel bolsters round out the knife. The handle bears a slight coffin shape. It isn’t as pronounced as I’ve seen on other coffin-handle knives, but it’s definitely there.
The Redemption arrives packaged in a nice zippered pouch secured in a magnetic catch box. This is a step up from the older style green cardboard boxes CRKT has used in the past. The Redemption is certainly worthy of the additional expense for a presentation-quality package.
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Using the Redemption
I added the Redemption to my EDC carry rotation a couple of months ago. It’s been a faithful companion and done all I’ve asked it to do. But it hasn’t been an entirely smooth ride.
It’s done well with cordage and flattening cardboard boxes. However, with other tasks, it struggled a little, simply due to blade geometry.
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Digging into my box of garbage items that have been saved for review sacrifice, I pulled out a piece of rubber. I couldn’t even guess where I picked it up originally, but I have a few swatches of it in the box. The Redemption sliced it up like nobody’s business. Long, dragging cuts were easy, though I was pressing firmly to make sure it didn’t drag too much in the rubber.
Rooting around in the garage, I found a pile of cardboard spacers. They’re about 1.25-inch thick. The edge of the Redemption was plenty sharp enough, but the further the blade dug in, the harder it was to complete the cut. The dagger shape of the blade works against it with jobs like this.
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On the other hand, strips of a webbing belt were no trouble at all, even doubled up. The blade tore through that material cleanly over and over again.
In short, it’s great for slicing thin materials. However, the thicker the material is, the more troublesome it can be to get through easily.
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Should You Buy It?
Being a dagger, albeit one with only a single sharpened edge, it isn’t well-suited for everything. The blade thickens in the middle, which can cause problems on occasion. Stabbing things? Not an issue. Slicing cheese and sausage? Not the best blade choice. Cutting cordage, disposing of boxes, and similar tasks? Easy-peasy lemon squeezy.
It’s a great knife and a whole lot of fun to carry. I like it a lot. But it’s a bit more specialized than most EDC options. If you’re looking for something a little more universally useful, I’d recommend one of their M16 models, the LCK+, or the Bamboozled.
CRKT Redemption Specs
| Blade Steel | MagnaCut |
| Blade Edge | Plain |
| Blade Finish | Cerakote |
| Blade Length | 4.06 inches |
| Blade Thickness | 0.15 inches |
| Overall Length | 9.19 inches |
| Closed Length | 5.10 inches |
| Weight | 4.90 ounces |
| Handle Material | G10 w/Stainless Steel Bolster |
| Style | Folding Knife with Crossbar Lock |
| MSRP | $275.00 |
