I was hesitant to try out the CRKT Pilar due to the terrible experience I had with the Squid. The metal handled version of the Pilar just seemed like a do-over of that knife with a different design. Then I saw the G10 versions released on Blade HQ and figured it was as good a time as any to check them out. I don't like it overall, but I will admit it's better than the Squid. That's not very high praise coming from me considering how awful the Squid is. There are so many better smaller knives out there. If you dig the design, check it out. Otherwise, skip it.
The design of the Pilar is way more appealing to me than the Squid's. All the curves and the blade shape look great. It's a Voxnaes design if you're a fan of his work. I dig the orange and acidwashed blade combo. They also did the blue G10 one that looks just as cool. Both are out of stock now, so I'm not sure if you'll ever be able to get them again. The standard stainless steel version is pretty much always in stock everywhere online. Quality wise, it's great. I had issues with grittiness and bad fit and finish on the Squid. This one has none of those problems. The blade centering is perfect.
With the Pilar, you're getting a 2.4" 8Cr13MoV blade. When Blade HQ announced these on IG, people were disappointed that the steel was still 8Cr13MoV. Sure it's kind of a let down for the price, $35, but I'm not that unhappy about it. I've never been into high end steels anyways. It's been fine enough for all my EDC tasks. It's nice to see the thumb hole, but it's a little too close to handle for me. There's not much clearance to get your thumb in there. I always have an awkward time trying to find the right angle to get it open the easiest. I'm bummed that you can't flick it open either. I've had the most luck just using my thumb to slowly open it. The size is perfect for EDC. It's not too big and not too small. The acidwashed finish looks great and has held up well. Besides the thumb hole, I'm mostly happy with the blade.
G-10 is a nice handle material. It feels good in the hand and has some texture to it. I wouldn't have wanted the stainless steel version, so I'm glad CRKT decided to do this version. I've never personally understood the obsession with any sort of metal handles, whether that's stainless steel, titanium, aluminum, etc. They're often slick, heavy, and boring looking. Some of course can be fine, but I've have had way more misses with metal handles than hits. Anyways, the framelock is solid too. There's surprisingly no blade play in any direction. There's some interesting cutouts on the framelock side near the clip. There's no jimping anywhere on this knife which I'm fine with. I've never felt like it's too slick or ever been dissatisfied with the grip overall.
Getting onto the ergos which are probably the most important part of a knife for me. I can fit a full four-finger grip, though for you guys with bigger hands, it's probably more of a three-finger knife. The choil is awesome and your thumb can nicely rest in slightly curved spine of the blade. The ergos are mostly good except for where the finger groove curves into the rest of the handle. The last inch of the handle is uncomfortable for me. My pointer and middle finger fit great, but after that, the ergos go downhill for me. My fourth finger rests right where finger groove ends. There's a tad point where that happens, and my fourth finger perfectly manages to rest there. I'm not sure if that makes any sense, so stay tuned for my video where I show it a bit easier. The clip also digs into the palm of my hand uncomfortably. I think the biggest problem with the handle is the deeper finger groove. It's too big for just my middle finger yet too cramped for the middle and fourth finger. It's a bummer my fourth finger perfectly hits where the finger groove ends. For me, that's why the ergos aren't all that comfortable. It's probably only an issue for people with smaller hands. Because of the iffy ergos, I haven't enjoyed this one in the hand as much as some of my other smaller blades.
This knife would carry fine if it weren't for the weighty stainless steel backspacer. It's the same one they use on the stainless steel version. It's not the same shade as the framelock and kinda stands out to me. I would've loved to see it get changed since it doesn't really go with the knife. A G-10 backspacer would have been so much lighter and better looking. I absolutely hate the backspacer, and it ultimately ruins the knife for me. It makes this knife extremely end heavy. If you're going to produce a smaller knife, make it actually carry like a smaller knife. The clip does carry fine and is right hand tip-up or tip-down.
This version went for about $35 which is a fair price for what you're getting. The steel could be better, but what would you expect for a budget knife? The stainless steel version goes for about $20 to $25. They're not anything too crazy material wise so that price seems like a good value to me. It's certainly in line with what other budget knives are offering for the price. If you only have about $30 to spend on an EDC knife though, just get the Ontario Rat 2 instead.
So yeah, I'm not a fan of this knife at all. CRKT is really trying with these smaller knives but none of them have been hits for me. I love to see more companies finally making compact, budget-friendly knives. The Pilar is not all it's cracked up to be in my opinion. It's too heavy for what it is and the ergos are iffy for me. I've tried so many better small EDC options, like the Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite, Boker Subcom, Spyderco Cricket, etc. I don't personally recommend it, though they are insanely popular in the EDC community. I often seem to be in the minority on these overhyped knives. As I mentioned at the beginning, if you like the design, it's not a complete waste of time to check out. There are much better budget and small knives out there. Thanks for looking!
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