JENNY WREN COMPACT

CRKT AND RMJ TACTICAL TEAM UP TO OFFER A RUGGED, AFFORDABLE CAMP TOOL YOU CAN TAKE ANYWHERE

- TIM STETZER

I’m always a fan of collaborations between custom makers and knife factories. I see it as a win-win for all parties involved. For the consumer, you often get a chance to try a custom maker’s work either at a price you can more easily afford or without a long backlog waiting for custom work.

​The makers get a chance to spread the word about their work and get it into the hands of people who might not otherwise have a chance to own one of their custom pieces. The production companies get a feather in their cap by signing on a noted maker, which brings favorable attention to them. And they generally get a good selling product with buzz already surrounding it due to the maker.

Are the factory pieces just as good as the custom models? Usually not. There’s usually some difference in materials to keep the costs down, and obviously you’re going from a handmade piece to a massproduced machine product. But can they still be very good? Absolutely. Keep in mind, the maker is putting his name on the piece, whether it’s his handmade version or a production version, and folks aren’t going to do that if it doesn’t meet their standards.

With all that said, one of those great collaborative relationships has been between Columbia River Knife and Tool and Ryan Johnson of RMJ Tactical. CRKT and RMJ have done several models together, including a number of traditional wooden-handled tomahawks, a couple of modern tactical styles, a couple of knives, and even a kukri design. The latest model, which we’re going to look at here, is the Jenny Wren Compact tomahawk.

MEET JENNY