New Knife - Cretace Ares

For a long time, I have been looking for a good OTF knife. What I was looking for was a Chinese-made piece in decent materials, as I don't want to pay what Microtech, for example, charges in Europe. I simply don't think they are anywhere near being worth it.*

But then this brand, unknown to me, appeared. They call themselves Cretace, and the model is called Ares.

Cretace Ares

The first thing that is special about this knife is that it is not a copy of anything, which was my first requirement. The shapes are not completely unique, but they never are on OTF knives as they have to be based on some kind of rectangular box shape to house the blade. This means that many of them look confusingly similar.

Here, the box/handle is made of 606 aluminium with all edges and corners nicely rounded. In the handle, you will then find a "window" made of Ultem. It shows the interior of the knife. So, for those who don't know how a knife like this works, the spring can be studied from the outside. The spring kicks with some force without being the hardest on the market.

The entire knife is 21 cm long, of which the handle accounts for 12 cm and the blade 9 cm. Not exactly small, in other words. The factory edge gets approved, and so does the steel, which is N690. A fully usable medium steel. In this version, the knife has a blade with a tanto tip, but it is also available as a regular drop point.

A well-built knife with a 6061 aluminium handle, N690 blade and titanium clip

An extra luxurious detail is that the clip is made of TC4 titanium, which has also been anodised to resemble the gold anodised screws that hold the knife together. They, in turn, match the Ultem inlay. It gives a well-thought-out expression.

Overall, the knife feels very solid, and for the price, it is a bargain. I can reveal that the play in the blade is almost non-existent. Something that usually characterises a good OTF. In fact, less than the last Microtech knife I handled. In addition, the sound is very satisfying, a dull "click" without the ringing that can sometimes accompany simpler knives in the category.

There will be more features with this knife, be sure!

/ J - listens to a "klack"

* This also applies to some other well-known brands such as Benchmade, Heretic, Kershaw, etc. The knife type is not cheap to begin with, and with the current surcharges, the final price in Europe is outrageous in my opinion.