CJRB Pyrite V2 Review: A Near-Knife-of-the-Year Contender With One Big Flaw

Introduction

CJRB, a sub-brand of Artisan Cutlery, has spent the last couple of years quietly producing some of the best budget folding knives available. The price points, materials, and fit and finish are among the strongest you can find at this level, and much of that comes down to the company’s in-house powder metallurgy steel, AR-RPM-9. Combine that with consistently smooth actions and careful quality control, and the brand has earned its reputation.

The Pyrite V2 continues that run. It has a great action, a sub-three-inch blade with solid stats, a blade thickness and coloration that work well, and a proper forward finger choil that makes it comfortable in both standard and reverse grips. Compared to the original Pyrite, the handle and blade shape here are genuinely better. So why does it fall just short of being the knife of the year? One design decision, and it matters more than you might think.

Who This Knife Is For

The Pyrite V2 suits EDC users who want a versatile, well-made budget folder with premium-level steel. The forward finger choil and neutral balance make it comfortable in a variety of grips, including reverse, and the tall grind gives it plenty of usable edge height for everyday cutting tasks.

If you value a sharp, well heat-treated blade, skeletonized liners, and fit and finish that punch well above the price bracket, this knife delivers. It came very sharp out of the box, and CJRB has clearly nailed its heat treatment of AR-RPM-9 at this point.

The One Problem: The Crossbar Lock

Here is the issue: it is a crossbar lock with a cutout, and that cutout sits below the frame, hidden inside the handle. Getting a thumb into it to flick the blade open is difficult at the best of times, and even a reverse flick is not easy. Most people will really struggle with this.

Crossbar locks and similar locks almost always ship with thumb studs for a good reason. The tension pulling the blade in takes a while to disengage, so you need to follow the blade as it deploys, which is easiest when you can push it forward with a stud. With a cutout like this one, there is a longer distance to travel before the blade reaches its tipping point, so you have to apply pressure nearly the entire way through the swing. Pushing the blade forward by the cutout takes real force, and your thumb can slip off easily.

Things to Consider Before Buying

Additive to the lock concern, the blade would have been outstanding with a thumb stud. A retrofittable stud that clips into the cutout could turn this into an excellent all-rounder, and such options do exist on the market. Without one, expect a learning curve that not everyone will get past. Despite that, the grind, sharpness, heat treatment, skeletonized liners, and overall fit and finish are very impressive.

Buying Advice

If you are confident with crossbar lock deployment or are willing to experiment with an aftermarket thumb stud, the Pyrite V2 is easy to recommend for its build quality and steel. If you prefer effortless one-handed opening without practice, you may want to weigh the pricing carefully before committing, because the lock mechanism is the one thing holding this knife back.

Conclusion

The CJRB Pyrite V2 is a genuinely fantastic knife with excellent action, sharpness, and fit and finish, undone by a single questionable design choice: a crossbar lock with a buried cutout and no thumb stud. Fix that, and this would be a serious contender for the next big hit. Even as it stands, it may still be worth considering depending on pricing.