If you haven’t heard of Kubey Knives yet, it’s time to change that. They’re getting into the premium Chinese-made knife game, and they’re making waves.

This they share in common with other top-tier (and similarly modern brands) like Artisan Cutlery, WE, CIVIVI, and CJRB.

They use premium knife steels, high-end technology and precision processes, and make unique designs - often, as is the case in the knife we’re about to review, at very affordable price points.

So let’s take a look at the Kubey Creon button lock in digital camo G10.

What We Love About These Kubey Knives

We love a lot about these Kubey knives, but for the sake of simplicity let’s get some of the specifications out of the way. This version of the Creon is 3.84 oz, with a 2.87” blade and a 6.77” overall length.

This makes it perfectly sized for EDC, as it’s right in that sweet spot where most wouldn’t consider it a small knife, and pretty much none would call it large.

The heart and soul of this knife is the AUS-10 sheepsfoot blade, which is so blunted it might even be rightly called a pocket cleaver.

The blade has jimping on the spine and an attractive fuller that runs all the way to where the spine ends, and what is effectively a flat grind.

The profile of the blade alone, without even touching on the steel, is worth a note. They’re jumping on the pocket cleaver bandwagon with this one, but we think it’s a hit.

Pocket cleavers, and other sheepsfoot style blades, lack nothing in utility. In fact, they make excellent slicers and dicers, and even pretty good choppers when they are large enough.

But the best part is that they lack a fragile point. Clip and needle pointed knives may look cool, but they have fragile tips, pocket cleavers do not. Could you break the tip of this thing? Probably, but we aren’t taking that bet.

Also, despite the lack of a fine point, because of its reduced dimensions, it doesn’t really lack anything in terms of dexterity. With a sure hand, you can still do fine detail work and carving. The short blade and jimping will see to that.

Now, for the steel. This Kubey knife is made with an AUS-10 blade. This is a good steel that won’t break the bank and, if we’re being honest, will perform in a league well outside of its price point.

The two key components of AUS-10 steel are carbon, at between .95% to 1.1% and chromium, at concentrations between 13% and 14.5%.

This means that on paper, AUS-10 has the same amount of carbon as 1095, if not more. This gives it the ability to take quite an edge, as well as a heat treatment that will allow it to retain that edge.

But what it has that 1095 does not have is all that chromium. As a result, AUS-10 can resist corrosion in ways that 1095 wouldn’t even dream of.

On that note, AUS-10 also has a little bit of both vanadium and molybdenum, both very dense, very tough elements that increase hardness and toughness. This gives AUS-10 better than average wear resistance for pretty solid edge retention. It also makes it a very tough steel. You can damage it but you’d have to abuse it.

Now let’s turn our attention to the handle. Outwardly, it’s the same as all other versions of this Kubey knife, and is made with G10, which, as a synthetic, is superior to lots of natural materials because it is UV resistant, will not absorb moisture or oil, and needs basically no maintenance.

It also provides a sure grip under basically all conditions, and the digital camo pattern is eye-catching, too, so that’s a plus.

The shape of the handle won’t win any pageants but at the same time, it is also inoffensive, and offers no small measure of utility. It’s comfortable to grip, and thanks to the generous but not overstated choil, indexes well, too.

There’s a pocket clip that’s reversible but which only allows for deep tip-up carry - but it’s better than nothing.

With all of that covered, let’s talk about what is arguably best thing about these Kubey knives: the button lock.

Many knives of this caliber are made with liner locks or frame locks, but the pocket cleaver bandwagon isn’t the only one to which Kubey has purchased tickets. They’re also riding the wave of the button-lock brigade.

Button locks are an excellent alternative to liner locks and frame locks, with basically every advantage you can think of except a few minor ones that are subjective anyway.

One of the big problems with liner locks and framelocks is that, to close them, you need to put your fingers in the path of a blade. A single slip and you’re dealing with a nasty laceration.

That’s not the case with button locks, which can be operated with one hand (and more easily than can be said of frame and liner locks), but in the case of a button lock, the design keeps your fingers out of the path of the blade while closing.

They are also equally as easy to use and just as strong as most if not all liner and frame locks. One might even call them stronger. They also happen to be extremely fidget friendly.

The one conceivable disadvantage to button locks is that the design is inherently left or right-friendly (usually the latter) but guess what - that problem also exists with button and frame locks.

Last, but not least, we have to say a word on price. At well under $100 (closer to $50, actually), these knives are a steal, and price alone deserves its own callout.

Any Misses?

All in all, these Kubey knives are excellent. They’re all we could expect and more, but is there anything we didn’t like?

Nothing here is a hard stop for us, but there are two very, very small things we could point out. One is the pocket clip. It’s reversible for right or left carry, but not for tip-down carry. Again, that’s minor, but worth a mention.

There’s also no lanyard hole, and no way to easily mount one by going between the scales as there is in some other models. But again, that’s not a hard stop for us, and the Creon continues to be an exceptionally popular knife.

Explore This Kubey Knife and Others

Think this Kubey knife is for you? There are other versions of the Creon besides this one in our lineup, so if you love the model but not the color, take a look through our collection of Kubey knives to see if there’s something else in there you like.