CJRB Brings Unique Japanese ’90s Apparel Tech to Its Super-Affordable Fan-Favorite Flipper

Readers of a certain age will recall a time when changing color with just a touch was an unassailable feature.

Close-up of a folding knife with a silver blade and a translucent green handle showing two metal screws.

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In the early ’90s, a white-hot star shot across the accessible fashion galaxy: a line of T-shirts (and shorts) with a thermochromic pigment made by Matsui Shikiso Chemical of Japan.

That’s right, Generra Hypercolor garments changed color with the temperature, getting lighter when warm, to the degree you could leave a temporary handprint right on them.

Folding knife with a stonewashed blade and translucent green textured handle on a dark surface with gold star confetti. — The new Pyrite-Light taps into tech that should feel charmingly familiar to Gen Xers.

They were such a hit, Seattle-based Generra Sportswear Company sold $50 million worth of merch in the spring of 1991, before going bankrupt due to mismanagement and, ahem, fading demand just a year later.

More than three decades later, the tech itself remains pretty cool (or hot, you could say), as CJRB reminds us with its shade-shifting new take on a popular flipper, the Pyrite-Light (Thermochromic FRN).

Color me rad

The Pyrite-Light is such a fan favorite, you can find literally dozens of variants on CJRB’s site.

Black blade folding knife with textured red handle held in a gloved hand. — The two thermochromic variants of the knife are identical in every way except the color of their blades and handles.

However, only a pair of them boast a thermochromic edge: J1945-DLG, which goes from dark green to light green, and J1945-BRD, which goes from brown to red.

The admittedly more fun than functional twist adds a bit of extra magic to an EDC knife that already has plenty of appeal.

Folding knife with a stonewashed blade and green-to-yellow gradient textured handle standing open on a reflective surface. — The generously sized wharncliffe blade is beyond qualified to take on your average everyday tasks and more.

The business end is a 3.34-inch wharncliffe blade made of AR-RPM9, Artisan Cutlery/CJRB’s wallet-friendly house steel, which counts corrosion resistance, toughness and ease of sharpening among its strongest qualities.

Jimping on the spine of the blade boosts blade control, while a bit of texture on the fiberglass-reinforced nylon (FRN) handle also assists with grip.

Black folding knife with a partially serrated blade and red textured handle. — Jimping on the spine is a handy little detail you don’t see that often in knives at this price point.

Meanwhile, an ambidextrous thumb stud, button-lock and ceramic ball bearing make smooth, swift one-handed deployment and retraction of the blade a literal snap.

True to its name, the Pyrite-Light weighs less than 2.5 ounces, with a reversible deep-carry clip making it easy to tote in a pocket.

Green folding pocket knife with textured handle and metal clip standing upright on a dark surface. — The pocket clip can be flipped (or removed) in moments with the help of handy tool like CRKT’s To-Go Driver.

Throw in the fact that it costs much less than most vintage Hypercolor T-shirts floating around the secondary market these days, and you’ve got yourself a star sure to shine for a much longer time.

Availability and pricing

The CJRB Pyrite-Light (Thermochromic FRN) knives are available now for $40.

Partially visible folding knife with a green textured handle and a stainless steel blade.

CJRB Pyrite-Light (Thermochromic FRN)

$40 at CJRB Cutlery

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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