By Tim Stetzer

There’s no shortage of good EDC knives on the market these days. I’ve often said we live in a golden age of cutlery when it comes to choices. The materials we have available today, and the manufacturing methods we have now make it possible for myriad players in the knife market to put out some great products. Still, there are always standouts and the CJRB Maximal is one of those.

Who is CJRB

CJRB is the “budget” line from Artisan Cutlery, but I hesitate to use the term “budget” lest folks think that the quality is lacking. CJRB’s knives are made in the same facility as Artisan’s knives, and assembled by the same team that builds their high-end blades. Not everyone can afford a $600 knife…or even a $200 one for that matter. CJRB realizes that and offers more affordable options that are still built to the same quality standards as their Artisan line.

The main way they do that is material selection. You won’t see as many high end specialty steels in the CJRB line, or as much titanium or other higher end materials as you do in the Artisan line. There is some overlap though, and there are higher end CJRB’s and more affordable Artisans. What CJRB does offer though is a consistently quality build, of good materials, at an affordable price.

The Maximal

The CJRB Maximal exemplifies that goal of quality and affordability. I’m going to lead off with the price, which is just $49.95 as of this writing. I don’t usually jump right to price, but I find the $50 level to be a big price barrier for a lot of folks.

Either due to budget the fact that they don’t appreciate the material differences you get in higher priced knives, there are an awful lot of folks who simply won't spend more than $50 on a knife. I’ve been a cop for almost 30 years now and a lot of the guys I work with fall into that category.

A knife is a tool and unless they’re an enthusiast, these folks aren’t going to pay more than $50. A bunch of them won’t even spend that much, but that’s a whole other topic for another article.

So what do you get for your $50 in the Maximal? Quite a lot actually. When I first handled a Maximal at SHOT Show this year I would have guessed the price would be something more in the $80 to $100 range based upon what I saw. I was pleasantly surprised to hear the $50 price tag. I have a lot of knives, but I still appreciate a bargain. I also like having options to suggest to people who are looking for a solid EDC knife at a lower price point.

The Maximal was designed by David C. Andersen, who many of you may know from his video work at Knifecenter.com. David covers new products for them at SHOT and Blade Show. He also has designed his own brand of fixed blade knives with his Nordsmith line. Suffice it to say that he has a lot of knives pass through his hands. The Maximal is David’s vision of an all-around EDC knife based upon the culmination of years of knife use and exposure to probably more knives than most of us will ever touch.

The Maximal uses a 2.95 inch drop point blade made from AR-RPM9 stainless steel. It has a stonewashed finish and dual thumb studs for opening. AR-RPM9 is a proprietary steel from CJRB that combines high corrosion resistance with good edge retention, at a Rockwell rating of 60 to 62 HRC. It gives good performance while still being more affordable than the premium steels that CJRB and Artisan use in their higher priced knives.

Lockup on the Maximal is by means of an ambidextrous Crossbar lock, of which I’m a fan. It’s a strong lock and easy to operate with either hand. I like that you can close it without having to put your fingers in the way of the blade, too. The blade pivots on ceramic ball bearings and is fast and smooth to open.

The handle on the base Maximal is Micarta and it’s available in a variety of colors including black, red and green, depending where you get your knife. There’s also an option for G10 or copper handles as well, for $10 more than a base model. The Maximal uses stainless steel liners and has a lanyard hole at the butt end. A reversible stainless steel deep carry pocket clip is affixed for tip up carry. The Maximal is 6.89 inches open, and 3.94 inches closed. It weighs a very reasonable 2.82 ounces.

EDC Use

I picked up a Maximal at SHOT and have been carrying it for the past 4 months. I have a shelf of EDC knives that I typically rotate through, but the Maximal has been in my pocket steadily since I got it. Mine has a black Micarta handle with a pop of blue on the pivot. Coupled with the stonewashed blade it’s an attractive but subtle look. It’s classy, but not flashy.

I found the overall size of the Maximal perfect for EDC use. A drop point blade is a great all around pattern that will work for anything you need to use a knife on. At just under three inches, it’s plenty of blade for most EDC chores and short enough to be legal in all but the most onerous of municipalities (I’m looking at you, Chicago).

The handle is short enough that the knife carries easily in the pocket, but it has enough girth and height to give you a comfortable grip. Even my buddy, who has rather large hands and generally prefers a bigger folder, found it comfortable to use. The Micarta scales have a matte finish with rounded edges. There are no sharp corners to cause hot spots or discomfort during use. There’s just enough texture to the finish to give you some grip when the knife is wet too.

I’m picky about pocket clips and I have a lot of knives sitting in the drawer because I don’t like the clips. The Maximal checks all of my “must have” boxes though. It's a deep carry clip and keeps the knife fully in the pocket with nothing but the clip showing.

It has a slightly upswept end that catches the edge of the pocket and makes it easy to put away. The tension is the perfect blend of secure retention but not so tight that you can’t easily draw the knife. The clip has rounded edges as well so it doesn’t tear up the edge of your pocket.

Being that this is the knife I’ve had in my pocket the most over the past few months, I’ve used it for everything. It’s seen lots of mundane box and package opening, including the annoying plastic clamshells that so many things come in any more. It’s also been used on its share of tape and cordage cutting as well.

At the range I used it to pry .22 shells out on a pistol that I’ve been using that I found is rather ammo picky and doesn’t always eject ammo that it doesn’t care for. I don’t like using the tip of a knife to pry, even with a brass case, but it’s the tool I had on hand on multiple occasions when I had to do this. The drop point is stout enough that there were no problems doing this repeatedly.

I used the Maximal during some of my spring cleanup around the yard too. After some storms my bird feeders had developed a thick layer of cement like bird food congealed on the bottom tray of the feeder. Again, I wouldn’t typically use a knife to scrape and dig at stuff, but it was what was in my pocket at the time so it got put to work. Honestly, with its $50 price point I was more willing to put it to rough use than I would have been with a knife that cost $100 or more. That’s a good thing in my opinion, since it is a tool and I didn’t feel bad using it as one.

Despite four months of heavy and even rough use, the edge on the AR-RM9 blade is still sharp. Probably not as sharp as when I got it but I haven't noticed any performance degradation yet. I haven’t seen the need to touch it up yet, but probably will tune it on a strop soon before it gets to the point where I do need a full blown sharpening. The blade still locks up solidly with no noticeable blade play as well.

Maximal Utility

At the risk of inflating David’s ego (I’ve known him for years from covering the same shows) I have to say that the Maximal is one of the best EDC knives I’ve used, regardless or price point. CJRB does a great job on the build. Performance has been excellent, and everything has held up perfectly to daily use.

The knife carries well and is comfortable to use. You can see from some of my pics that I have some stains and wear on the blade, but that’s just good, honest use.

If you’re looking for a new EDC knife and don’t need something tactical, I’d suggest giving the Maximal a good hard look. It’s a very solid performer and its priced within reach of just about anyone.