After seven years in circulation, Chris Reeve Knives is discontinuing the Grant and Gavin Hawk-designed Ti-Lock.

The Ti-Lock’s innovative locking mechanism put the locking component on the outside of the knife which made it possible to house a 3.25-inch blade in a knife that when folded was about the same size as a Spyderco Delica. “The locking concept was unique but very difficult to produce,” says Gavin Hawk, who designed the Ti-Lock mechanism with his father Grant Hawk. “We’re sorry to see the Ti-Lock go, although we’re not surprised.”

CRK’s Tim Reeve tells us the Ti-Lock’s uniqueness may have worked against its commercial appeal. “It’s a concept knife. If you look at concept albums they don’t sell nearly as well as pop albums.” In an effort to generate interest, the Ti-Lock was the subject of three limited edition annual runs. Last year it was the Elemental, which had a chunk of iron ore in the handle, and CRK put out the In Motion for 2017 with a swirling pattern decorating the handle.

We asked YouTuber and Knife Gripes star Nick Shabazz for his reaction to the news. Shabazz is a big proponent of the Ti-Lock and says the knife still sees more than its fair share of his pocket time. “The thing that made the Ti-Lock special is that it’s unlike anything else out there on so many dimensions,” he tells us. What would Shabazz like to see Chris Reeve Knives replace the Ti-Lock with? “Something weird. Just as unusual as the Ti-Lock was. I want to see a zebra – not just another horse.”

Reeve tells us CRK will work with the Hawks again at some point and fans can expect more than just the Reeve Integral Lock in the future. “We’ve got a few new locking mechanisms coming down the line. For those people who enjoy those kind of things we still have something cool coming.”

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The standard Ti-Lock and the In Motion are still available through CRK’s official order form – though less than 75 pieces of each are in CRK’s inventory. The Ti-Lock’s unconventional spring titanium clip will remain in the CRK web store on an ongoing basis.

Knife featured in image: Chris Reeve Knives Ti-Lock