Chris Reeve Knives Impinda Voted Best New Slipjoint/Non-Locking Knife 2019

Presented by: Work Sharp Knife & Tool Sharpeners

The Chris Reeve Knives Impinda is the KnifeNews Readers’ Choice for Best New Slipjoint/Non-Locking Knife 2019! This fresh departure from CRK beat out a crowded category that included the Arno Bernard Rinkhals, GEC #93 Ram’s Foot, Lionsteel bestMAN, and Real Steel Knives Luna.

The knife world changes fast, but a new model from Chris Reeve Knives is still a big deal. The company’s focus centers on a handful of significant designs, and most of what it releases each year builds on the foundations laid by those canonical blades. But when the Impinda was announced it was clear this was a new direction for CRK. It may not be as experimental as the discontinued TiLock was, but it is the most unique release from the company since that knife came out.

First of all, it was a collaboration with Bill Harsey, a living legend in the knife world. Second, it was the first-ever slipjoint in CRK’s lineup, arriving amidst what can be called the slipjoint renaissance. “This knife was obviously a bit of a departure from our normal wheelhouse, but working with Bill Harsey is always a pleasure,” Tim Reeve tells us in discussing the success of the Impinda.

Harsey often works in the tactical knife realm, playing with fixed blades or large form factor folders. His signature look is here repurposed into a very EDC-friendly slipjoint footprint, and took the helm for the Impinda’s unique spring pressure mechanism. “Bill has slipjoint experience that predates even the frame lock so he was a perfect designer to partner with for this kind of mechanism, let alone make an innovative tweak to a very saturated design market,” notes Reeve. “The tension differential between opening pressure and closing pressure of the blade was all his concept , we just tried to make it a Reeve knife and not to screw it up.”

The Impinda was announced at Blade Show 2018, and available to order at that time. However, it didn’t start becoming widely available until the end of the year and thus didn’t make it onto the 2018 Readers’ Choice Awards. As 2019 was the first year the Impinda was widely available we wanted to give it a chance on the ballot.

Visit KnifeNews.com Monday, December 9th to find out the winner of the KnifeNews Readers’ Choice Award for Best New High-End Knife 2019.

AWARDS SCHEDULE

Monday, December 2nd: Best New Tactical Fixed Blade 2019 (WINNER: Spyderco Respect)

Tuesday, December 3rd: Best New Fixed Blade for EDC 2019 (WINNER: Ferrum Forge Lackey)

Wednesday, December 4th: Best New Outdoors Fixed Blade 2019 (WINNER: ESEE Knives AGK)

Thursday, December 5th: Best Knife Upgrade 2019 (WINNER: Kershaw D2 Emerson Models)

Friday, December 6th: Best New Slipjoint/Non-Locking Knife 2019 (WINNER: Chris Reeve Knives Impinda)

Monday, December 9th: Best New High-End Knife 2019 (MSRP of $300 or more)

Tuesday, December 10th: Best New Value Folder 2019 (MSRP of $100 or less)

Wednesday, December 11th: Best New Folder 2019

Thursday, December 12th: Most Innovative New Knife 2019

Friday, December 13th: Work Sharp Knife of the Year

Monday, December 16th: Best Overall New for 2019 Lineup