CRKT Eat’n Tool Review

While investigating the new knives at the CRKT booth at SHOT SHOW I was shown a handy little item by the representative.

Called the CRKT Eat’N Tool, this survival tool incorporates several of the necessary items for outdoor survival, into a nice compact frame that is easily carried in a pocket or attached to gear.

Let’s jump into the review.

Basics of the Eat’n Tool

The Eat’N Tool is a part of CRKT’s I.D. Works or Inspired Design. It was designed by Liong Mah in Palm Bay, Florida to be a versatile tool that is easy to carry.

The Eat’N Tool has the following survival tools combined in one:

• fork/spoon combination
• bottle opener
• (3) metric wrenches (6mm, 8mm, 10mm)
• standard screwdriver/pry edge, and an
• attachment carabiner (non-weight bearing).

A large hole is drilled in the center of the frame to help reduce weight. While it may not seem that the 4″ tool needs a lot of weight reduction, we all know that ounces turn into pounds. So, I appreciate any design that shaves weight while maintaining functionality.

Combined with the material used and the relative size of the Eat’n Tool, the hole helps to keep the weight to a very light 1.5 ounces.

What is it made of? The Eat’n Tool is made of 3CR13 steel. Never heard of 3CR13? That’s ok – I had to ask the company about it.

In a nutshell, it is an affordable stainless steel that is said to have properties similar to AUS-4, but with a 52-55 HRC. This puts the steel on the softer end of the spectrum for knives. However, as a simple tool, this HRC range is perfectly fine.

The Eat’N Tool I reviewed came with a food-grade, non-stick coating that was black in color. Other finishes are available including a flat dark earth (FDE) version.

For anyone who’s going to be in the field and doesn’t want the added bulk of carrying multiple tools, or heavier multi-tool combinations, the Eat’N Tool has a real benefit in size and weight.

Field Use

Now you know about the Eat’n Tool. Your question is likely – how does it perform?

Well, it wouldn’t be much of a review if I didn’t get it into the field for some first-hand experience.

I added the CRKT Eat’n Tool to my hunting kit at the start of last deer season. Anytime I was in the field, the tool was with me.

As you might expect, I did not feel any additional weight from it. I like to travel light, so this works very well for my needs.

At camp, I used the tool to pop the tops on some adult beverages after the day was done.

Likewise, I used it for eating. It’s not ideal – separate spoons and forks are easier to work with. However, it worked fine for almost anything you could use a spork for.

It didn’t do so well with a broth, but a thick soup or chili was fine.

The Eat’n Tool cleaned up easily thanks to its non-stick coating.

About CRKT

Many outdoors and knife enthusiasts are familiar with CRKT. If you are not, let me introduce you to the company.

Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT) is well known for both innovative designs and affordable price points. That doesn’t mean the knives are cheap – rather at all price points the knives offer a good value.

Founded in 1994 by Rod Bremmer, CRKT is located in Tualatin, Oregon which is a suburb southwest of Portland. Although Tualatin has a population of only about 26,000, it is the home to both CRKT and Kershaw, another well-known knife manufacturer.

The area boasts some of the most beautiful hunting, fishing, camping, and mountaineering areas in the country, which I’m sure is a constant inspiration for CRKT designs.

Final Thoughts

I like the CRKT Eat’n Tool. It is lightweight and can make a situation without normal utensils manageable.

It’s not a perfect eating tool. A longer handle and a deeper bowl would be nice. But this is a purpose-built tool; it is designed to be small and light so you can take it everywhere. For that purpose, I give it two thumbs up!

If you like the look of this, you can click here to buy a CRKT Eat’n Tool.

Disclosure

All reviews should disclose any biases that may affect the article. That’s what I’m doing here.

This is a personally owned Eat’n Tool. I paid for it out of my own pocket. It was not a demo unit from CRKT.

CRKT did not ask me to review the tool nor is this a “sponsored” article. I have no business interest in CRKT or any other knife or tool maker.

GunsHolstersAndGear.com is an independent, for-profit website. I do not charge readers a dime to access the information I provide.

Some of the links on this page and site are affiliate links to companies like Amazon and Palmetto State Armory. These links take you to the products mentioned in the article. Should you decide to purchase something from one of those companies, I make a small commission.

The links do not change your purchase price. I do not get to see what any individual purchases.

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