CRKT’s Most Anticipated Release of the Year Isn’t a Knife — And It’s Finally Available for Purchase

Several months after the dazzling debut of Joe Caswell’s latest innovative design, you can procure one for yourself.

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By Steve Mazzucchi

Published October 9, 2025

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Updated October 9, 2025

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Ninety-four. That’s how many iterations renowned knife designer Joe Caswell trial-and-errored his way through before perfecting his long-awaited follow-up to CRKT’s Provoke EDC.

That knife was of course the more practical followup to the original Provoke, a morphing karambit that blew SHOT Show 2019 away with itsn“kinematic” system, which deploys the blade by drawing it up and out while allowing the user to maintain their grip.

Black CRKT folding knife with a cleaver-style blade resting on dark charcoal and orange wood chips. — The Provoke X is one of the more impressive folding tools I’ve seen this side of a Silky Katanaboy.

As the title of this story indicates, the third in this unprecedented series isn’t a knife at all. Unveiled at SHOT Show 2025, the Provoke X brings the kinematic tech to an EDC axe you can stash in your pocket and swiftly deploy with the flick of a wrist.

Now, several months after that mind-blowing introduction, this one-of-a-kind item is finally available for purchase.

Instant axe-ess

So how does this thing actually deploy and retract? It’s honestly tougher to explain than to actually do.

To deploy, you first release the ambidextrous safety in the middle of the handle.

Black CRKT folding knife with a wide blade resting on dark rocks. — The Provoke X’s 1.84-inch wide tomahawk blade can handle a range of chopping tasks, while the spiky opposite end can handle pretty much any large-scale piercing, puncturing or pickaxe task.

Then you hold the base of the handle (where the ring is) and rapidly flick the tomahawk axe head away from the body.

The blade and spike are held in place by CRKT’s own super-strong Deadbolt lock.

Hand holding a black CRKT folding axe in closed and open positions against a blurred outdoor background. — Once the safety is off, a firm flick of the wrist is all you need to bring the Provoke X to life.

So to retract, you push a button on the off side of the Deadbolt to unlock it. Then, gripping the handle near the base, you press down on the top of the blade and spike to return them back into the handle.

You’ll know the Provoke X is fully closed when the ambidextrous safety locks in with a satisfying click, leaving the blade and spike safely recessed within the handle.

Having gotten a chance to play around with the Provoke X during a trip to CRKT’s Portland headquarters over the summer, I can attest that once you get the hang of it, the Provoke X is quite simple and satisfying to flick around.

Making the (use) case

Of course, the second inevitable question is, what do you, you know, do with something like this? While CRKT is positioning it as a tactical self-defense tool, I see other possibilities.

The specs legitimately make it seem plausible as a handy backcountry tool, almost like the axe version of the Gerber Doubledown butterfly machete that cracked the 2021 GP100.

Black folding pocket knife with a cleaver-style blade and circular handle hole standing upright on a surface. — Tip to tail, the Provoke X measures nearly 9 inches, making it a much bigger-than-average EDC item.

With a weight of 13.2 ounces and an overall length of 8.69 inches, it can fit in a bigger pocket, with a reversible clip keeping it in place.

Materials-wise, the handle is stainless steel with glass-reinforced overlays, while the 1.84-inch wide tomahawk blade is made of corrosion-resistant, titanium nitride-coated SUJ2 steel.

Black folding knife partially tucked into the front pocket of olive-green pants, shown closed and being pulled out. — Procuring and carrying the Provoke X does require relatively deep pockets, both figurative and literal.

With those qualities, it could be great for clearing brush or chopping firewood — and honestly perfect for impromptu axe-throwing sessions.

Just make sure the target is big or close enough that you’re connecting on the first try, not the 94th.

Availability and pricing

Update: The CRKT Provoke X Morphing Axe ($350) sold out quickly, but you can sign up to be notified when it is back in stock.

CRKT Provoke X

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About the Author:

Now managing editor, Steve has served in a variety of roles with GP since 2019. Having previously written and edited for such publications as Men’s Health, Men’s Journal, Esquire and ESPN, he enjoys covering a range of topics — but mostly those pertaining to cycling, snow sports, pocket knives and motos — and dreams of a utopian world in which everyone’s bike seat is at the proper height.

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