The CRKT Minimalist Bowie neck knife stakes its claim as a practical EDC tool. An aggressive bowie shape, easy-sharpening blade, and non-abrasive plastics distinguish the knife. Adding it to my everyday kit was an easy call: I found it comfortable to carry and conceal and suitable for a wide range of purposes.
Here’s what my test revealed.
Minimalist Bowie Neck Knife Specification and Use
CRKT designs the Minimalist Bowie to be a wearable neck knife: hanging from a cord worn around the neck, concealed beneath clothing. That’s why the knife is compact, lightweight, and low-profile.
The discreet knife is 5.13 inches long and weighs 2.1 ounces. Its 2.13-inch full-tang blade is a shade under 3 mm thick. I barely noticed the knife while I was wearing it — most of the time, I forgot it was there until I needed it.
CRKT adds to the Minimalist Bowie’s easy-carry effect with a parachute cord lanyard (with spring-stop adjustment) and skin-friendly plastics on the sheath and handle. Even against bare skin, it felt comfortable to wear.
The blade is cut from 8Cr13MoV Chinese steel, which is considered a middle-of-the-road option. Out of the box, the narrow blade cuts free-hanging paper cleanly. Even though it has a fine edge, I found it resilient enough to handle heavy-duty tasks like batoning wood and opening bottles.
Test Results
I could go on and on about the CRKT Minimalist Bowie’s ease of carrying. I tend to get fed up with EDC knives: eventually, they all seem too heavy or like they get in my way too easily, and the hassle outweighs the benefit. Instead, the CRKT Minimalist Bowie was as easy to carry as the average necklace.
It also performed solidly as an EDC knife. The 2.13-inch blade was short enough to be resilient under prying and heavier tasks but long enough to be useful for occasional food prep. The fine edge made quick work of opening packages, popping tags and zip ties, etc. Cutting more abrasive materials like wood and rope dulled the steel eventually, but it sharpened easily with both a countertop-style sharpener and a stone.
The handle’s slight texture and deep grooves delivered non-slip confidence, and the knife drew quickly, which all seemed like assets in tactical or self-defense scenarios.
As a final note, I tested the flashy “Cthulhu” finish style. Its plastic reminded me of blue Airheads, and the loud sci-fi graphic on its blade made me laugh as soon as I unsheathed it. I eventually found its aesthetics endearing, but its practical application made sense from the get-go — the knife glows in the dark for easy lights-out location.
Conclusions
At $40 MSRP ($28 street price), it’s hard to come up with a better all-around neck knife than the CRKT Minimalist Bowie. The compact knife shines in light-to-medium-duty EDC applications and handles occasional heavier work. Its lightweight build and non-abrasive materials make it easy to carry; its small silhouette and low profile make it easy to conceal.
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