Most CJRB folders are built to disappear in a pocket and get used. The Lanky was built for something narrower: to sit in the top pocket of a shirt at an event and look as intentional as a pen, without giving up a usable blade.
Designer Jake Diaz (haveanicedayknives) put a 3.58-inch Wharncliffe blade into a frame that swaps for a pen in a shirt pocket, and the result weighs just 38.5 g (1.36 oz). But the interesting part for buyers is what happens underneath that single silhouette. CJRB sells the Lanky in three genuinely different configurations — a $49.99 AR-RPM9 front flipper, a $54.99 Sandvik 14C28N thumb-stud version, and a set of CPM-S90V exclusives that start at $89.99 and climb to $459.99.
Same outline. Three very different knives. Here is how the whole family fits together.
What the Lanky Is Designed For
The Lanky is not a heavy-use work knife, and CJRB does not pretend otherwise. The brief behind it is a thin, formal folder that carries where a knife normally looks out of place — a shirt pocket, a jacket, an office or a function. That shapes every spec:
- Blade length: 3.58 in (91 mm), long enough to be capable but thin behind the edge
- Blade thickness: 0.09 in (2.2 mm) — noticeably slimmer than most folders this size
- Blade profile: Wharncliffe, flat grind, giving a straight, controllable edge
- Weight: 38.5 g / 1.36 oz
- Closed length: 4.53 in (115 mm), overall 8.1 in (206 mm)
- Handle: aluminum on the standard models
- Pivot: ceramic ball bearing
- Lock: liner lock
That combination — long, thin, light, and flat in the pocket — is the whole point. If you want a hard-use camp knife, this is the wrong family. If you want something that cuts cleanly on the desk and does not bulge a shirt pocket, it is exactly right. For a longer look at thin, sub-3-ounce carries, our guide to ultralight EDC knives covers the wider field.
Tier 1: The AR-RPM9 Front Flipper at $49.99
The entry Lanky is the model most people will meet first. It pairs an AR-RPM9 Wharncliffe blade with an aluminum handle and a front flipper — the tab sits on the spine of the blade rather than sticking out the back, which keeps the closed profile clean and pen-like.
CJRB lists the blade at HRC 59-61, coated either in black PVD or left in a sand polish depending on the trim. The pivot runs on ceramic ball bearings, and the liner lock is the simple, proven option. Three colorways sit at the same $49.99 price, each with an original price of $66.65:
- CJRB Lanky Blue Champagne aluminum, sand polish AR-RPM9
- CJRB Lanky Black aluminum, black PVD AR-RPM9
- CJRB Lanky Blue aluminum, sand polish AR-RPM9
Tier 2: Sandvik 14C28N With a Thumb Stud at $54.99
The second tier changes two things at once: the steel moves from AR-RPM9 to Sandvik 14C28N, and the opening method moves from a front flipper to a thumb stud.
That is a meaningful shift. 14C28N is a Swedish stainless built specifically for knife blades, with a reputation for toughness that holds up even when it is run thin — which matters a great deal on a 2.2 mm blade. It also has better corrosion resistance than the AEB-L it was developed from, an upgrade Sandvik made deliberately when it designed the steel for knife blades. For a knife that lives in a shirt pocket and gets handled constantly, that is a sensible upgrade for five dollars.
Four trims carry the 14C28N blade, all at $54.99:
- CJRB Lanky J1965-SLV in silver aluminum
- CJRB Lanky light blue aluminum, sand polish 14C28N
- CJRB Lanky red aluminum, black PVD 14C28N
- CJRB Lanky red aluminum, sand polish 14C28N
The thumb-stud models keep the same 3.58-inch Wharncliffe, the same 38.5 g weight, and the same liner lock. Nothing else about the knife changes — which makes the tier comparison unusually clean.
Tier 3: The CPM-S90V Exclusives, $89.99 to $459.99
Above the aluminum models, CJRB sells a G-series of Lankys that move up to CPM-S90V blade steel and leave aluminum behind entirely. S90V is a high-vanadium Crucible powder steel built for wear resistance; Larrin Thomas covers its history and heat treatment in his S90V and S125V breakdown. In practice that means edge retention well beyond AR-RPM9 or 14C28N, at the cost of harder sharpening.
Four configurations are listed:
- CJRB Lanky J1965G-BBK — steel handle, 3.58 in CPM-S90V in black PVD, $89.99
- CJRB Lanky J1965G-ST — steel handle, stonewashed CPM-S90V, thumb stud and front flipper, $89.99
- CJRB Lanky J1965G-GL — titanium handle with CPM-S90V, $139.99
- CJRB Lanky J1965G-TDB — titanium Damascus handle with CPM-S90V, $459.99
The jump from $139.99 to $459.99 buys you the handle material rather than the blade. That is a collector decision, not a cutting one — the G-TDB is a display-and-occasional-carry piece, while the G-GL is the sensible premium end of the family.
Lanky Family Comparison Table
| Version | Blade steel | Handle | Opening | Weight | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J1965-CP / BK / BU | AR-RPM9, HRC 59-61 | Aluminum | Front flipper | 38.5 g / 1.36 oz | $49.99 |
| J1965-SLV, J1965-PBU / BRE / RE | Sandvik 14C28N | Aluminum | Thumb stud | 38.5 g / 1.36 oz | $54.99 |
| J1965G-BBK | CPM-S90V, black PVD | Steel | Thumb stud / front flipper | — | $89.99 |
| J1965G-ST | CPM-S90V, stonewash | Steel | Thumb stud / front flipper | — | $89.99 |
| J1965G-GL | CPM-S90V | Titanium | Thumb stud / front flipper | — | $139.99 |
| J1965G-TDB | CPM-S90V | Titanium Damascus | Thumb stud / front flipper | — | $459.99 |
Front Flipper or Thumb Stud?
The two opening methods suit different hands, and the Lanky is a good place to feel the difference because the frame does not change between them.
A front flipper keeps the closed profile smooth. There is no stud or tab poking out the side, which is exactly what makes the Lanky read as a pen in a pocket. The trade-off is that a front flipper asks for a deliberate thumb roll along the spine — it is a technique, not a flick, at least until the action breaks in.
A thumb stud is faster to learn and works from either hand, since CJRB fits dual studs. It gives you a positive purchase point and a more conventional feel. On a thin, light knife like this, many people find the stud easier to use consistently.
If you are new to front flippers, our flipper tab vs thumb stud comparison walks through the mechanics. The practical version: pick the front flipper if the clean silhouette matters most, and the thumb stud if you want the knife open with the least thought.
AR-RPM9 vs 14C28N vs CPM-S90V
The three steels in the Lanky family sit in three distinct performance bands, and CJRB's pricing tracks them honestly.
AR-RPM9 is CJRB and Artisan Cutlery's in-house budget stainless. It was originally marketed as a powder metallurgy steel, a claim the company later retracted after independent metallurgical analysis found it is spray-formed rather than powder metallurgy — Larrin Thomas documented the whole episode. Set the marketing aside and it behaves like a competent budget stainless: easy to sharpen, decent corrosion resistance, reasonable edge holding for light and moderate work. The Lanky runs it at HRC 59-61. Our CJRB Gobi family guide covers the same three-tier AR-RPM9-to-S90V pattern in a different model if you want a second example.
Sandvik 14C28N is the sweet spot for this frame. Its toughness suits a 2.2 mm blade that would be fragile in a more brittle steel, and its corrosion resistance is better than that of the AEB-L it was derived from. You give up some wear resistance versus a vanadium-rich powder steel, and in exchange you get a blade that takes a keen edge easily and resists damage.
CPM-S90V is the opposite trade. Its high vanadium carbide content delivers some of the best edge retention available in a stainless steel, and it demands more from the sharpener. On a knife designed for light, precise cutting, that edge retention is genuinely useful — you are not reprofiling a hard-use edge.
Which Lanky Should You Buy?
- Best value: the $49.99 AR-RPM9 front flipper. You get the full Lanky silhouette, the ceramic bearing pivot, and the Wharncliffe blade for the lowest entry price.
- Best all-rounder: the $54.99 14C28N thumb stud. Five dollars buys a tougher, more corrosion-resistant steel and an easier opening method. For most people this is the right call.
- Best premium: the $89.99 J1965G-ST. Stonewashed CPM-S90V on a steel handle, with no coating to wear and no Damascus premium to pay.
- Collector pick: the $459.99 J1965G-TDB titanium Damascus. Buy it because you want the materials, not because it cuts better.
One note on the catalog: the Lanky is a liner-lock knife across the family, and the liner lock remains the most widely understood mechanism in folding knives — Wikipedia's liner lock entry covers the origin and how the lock bar engages the blade tang. If you want to compare it against alternatives, our guide to best top liner lock EDC knives is the natural next read, and CJRB's official site lists the current trims.
FAQ
What steel is the CJRB Lanky made of? It depends on the version. The standard $49.99 models use AR-RPM9 at HRC 59-61. The $54.99 thumb-stud models use Sandvik 14C28N. The G-series exclusives use CPM-S90V.
How long is the CJRB Lanky blade? 3.58 in (91 mm), with a 0.09 in (2.2 mm) blade thickness. It is a Wharncliffe profile with a flat grind.
What does the Lanky weigh? 38.5 g (1.36 oz) on the aluminum-handle models. That is unusually light for a knife with a 3.58-inch blade.
What is the difference between the Lanky J1965 and the J1965G? The J1965 models are the aluminum-handle production versions in AR-RPM9 or 14C28N. The J1965G models are the premium exclusives with CPM-S90V blades and steel, titanium, or titanium Damascus handles.
Does the Lanky come with a front flipper or a thumb stud? Both. The AR-RPM9 models use a front flipper; the 14C28N models use a thumb stud; the G-series exclusives list both thumb stud and front flipper deployment.