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Male hands holding a partially folded knife.

CRKT Designers

Designed to Inspire

Quantity is often positioned as a contrast to quality, but for CRKT, that couldn’t be further from the truth. The brand works with many different knife designers from all around the country (and world), each bringing their own artistry and ideas to the table. The result? A vast, continuously updating product portfolio that also delivers on quality. These designers, while independent, are nevertheless core to CRKT’s brand. CRKT tasked us with telling their stories; in turn, this would tell the story of CRKT.

Services

  1. Video production

  2. Photography

  3. Writing

Strategy

CRKT’s products are highly visible in the knife world, but only the most plugged-in enthusiasts are aware of the stories behind each knife and the role of independent designers. We wanted to put the designers front and center, to portray them for what they are: heroes of the brand. We developed a rich content plan that included video production, photography, and blog articles to bring these stories to life on multiple fronts.

A photo of knife designer, TJ Schwarz.

T.J. Schwarz

A photo of knife designer, TJ Schwarz working at a machine.
An image of a water jet machine working.
An image of off-road vehicles driving on a dirt road through a canyon.
A laser etching machine etching a design on a knife.
Alan Folts sitting in his shop.

Alan Folts

Alan Folts and Kaila Cumings on a fan boat in a Florida bayou.
Alan Folts working in his shop.
Alan Folts collaborating with Kaila Cumings on knife design.
Alan Folts sketching a knife design on paper.
A photo fo Kaila Cummings with an electrical panel in the background.

Kaila Cumings

A photo of tattooed hands and arms resting on an anvil with a knife and hammer in the scene.
A photo of Kaila Cummings with her arms crossed holding a hammer.
A photo of Kaila Cummings shooting an arrow in the woods.
A close-up photo of a knife being sharpened on a belt sander with sparks flying.
Lucas Burnley sitting at his workbench and sketching a design for a knife.

Lucas Burnley

Lucas Burnley sketching a design for a knife on a lightbox.
A close-up of a knife in someone's pocket.
Lucas Burnley seated at a desk while inspecting a pocket knife.
Someone holding a CRKT knife.
A photo of Joe Caswell standing in his workshop.

Joe Caswell

A photo of Joe Caswell in a fencing gym.
A photo of hands choosing a machine part.
A shallow depth of field photo of a Provoke knife.
A photo of Joe Caswell inspecting a Provoke EDC knife.

Development

To do the stories justice, we knew we had to meet designers where they are, in their home environments, surrounded by the activities, people, and things they love. From Bend, OR to Houston, TX, Southern California to rural New Hampshire, we traveled light to make magic happen while respecting budgets. All projects were produced with the help of our longtime photo and video partner, Mighty Creature Productions, which allowed us to work efficiently and deliver a consistent, high-quality product.

Deployment

The centerpiece of each designer story is a rich media blog article, combining longform writing, photography, and the full video in an elegant custom layout. Photos, video clips, and text snippets are then repurposed for social media, print catalogs, and trade booth graphics, ensuring independent designers are promoted as part of CRKT’s DNA wherever the brand is seen.

Testimonial

  • “When you need to roll up your sleeves and get real work done, there’s only one agency that has just the right blend of working-class values + exceptional creative direction. Devise.”

    Joel BornzinMarketing Manager - CRKT

  • “I so appreciate Devise giving me the opportunity to get a behind-the-scenes look at the photo shoot. It was incredible to see the amount of thought and preparation that went into each shot, and how passionate each member of the team was about what they were doing.”

    Mark SchreiberPresident - CRKT

CRKT Stories

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