CJRB Lanky J1965 Guide: Aluminum, Steel and Titanium Builds

The CJRB Lanky J1965 looks like a pen in a shirt pocket and cuts like a full-size folder in the hand. That contradiction is the whole point of the design, and it is also why the Lanky line runs across more materials and steels than almost anything else in the CJRB catalogue: one geometry, stretched from a $49.99 aluminum beater to a $459.99 titanium Damascus showpiece. This guide covers every build so you can pick the tier that matches how you actually carry.

The Design Brief: A Knife That Carries Like a Pen

The Lanky was designed by Jake Diaz, and the original brief is published with the model: the starting point was the enjoyment of carrying a knife in the top pocket of a shirt for an event, and the frustration that those knives always felt clunky rather than elegant and formal the way a pen does. The result is disguised to look and feel just like a pen in the pocket, with a surprisingly long and capable blade for the more refined tasks of an office or a function.

That is a very specific design intent, and it explains every number in the spec sheet: a long, slim, straight-edged blade on a narrow handle that disappears into a pocket instead of printing against it.

The Shared Foundation

Every Lanky build shares the same core geometry:

Specification	All Lanky J1965 builds
Blade length	3.58 in (91 mm)
Blade thickness	0.09 in (2.2 mm)
Blade style	Wharncliffe
Blade grind	Flat
Lock type	Liner lock
Pivot assembly	Ceramic ball bearing
Overall length	8.1 in (206 mm)
Closed length	4.53 in (115 mm)
Clip material	Steel

Two numbers stand out. The first is the 3.58 in (91 mm) blade on a knife with an 8.1 in (206 mm) overall length: the Lanky turns almost all of its length into edge. The second is the 0.09 in (2.2 mm) stock. A 2.2 mm blade is thin even by folding knife standards, which is exactly what makes a pen-slim package cut well.

The wharncliffe profile completes the picture. A wharncliffe has a straight cutting edge running nearly the full length of the blade, with the spine curving down to meet it in a pointed tip, which gives maximum edge length for the blade size and exceptional tip control. On a thin-stock blade like the Lanky it produces a knife that is very good at draw cuts, tape, cardboard, packaging and detail work, and much less suited to prying or heavy chopping.

All Nine Lanky Builds Compared

Build	Blade steel	Hardness	Handle	Weight	Opening	Price
Champagne (J1965-CP)	AR-RPM9	HRC 59-61	Aluminum	38.5 g / 1.36 oz	Front flipper	$49.99
Blue (J1965-BU)	AR-RPM9	HRC 59-61	Aluminum	38.5 g / 1.36 oz	Front flipper	$49.99
Black (J1965-BBK)	AR-RPM9	HRC 59-61	Aluminum	38.5 g / 1.36 oz	Front flipper	$49.99
Sliver (J1965-SLV)	Sandvik 14C28N	HRC 59-61	Aluminum	38.5 g / 1.36 oz	Thumb stud	$54.99
Light Blue (J1965-PBU)	Sandvik 14C28N	HRC 59-61	Aluminum	38.5 g / 1.36 oz	Thumb stud	$54.99
Black PVD steel (J1965G-BBK)	CPM S90V	HRC 60-62	Steel	68 g / 2.4 oz	Thumb stud + front flipper	$89.99
Stone wash steel (J1965G-ST)	CPM S90V	HRC 60-62	Steel	68 g / 2.4 oz	Thumb stud + front flipper	$89.99
Titanium (J1965G-GL)	CPM S90V	HRC 60-62	Titanium	48.2 g / 1.7 oz	Thumb stud + front flipper	$139.99
Titanium Damascus (J1965G-TDB)	CPM S90V, mirror polish	HRC 60-62	Titanium Damascus	48.2 g / 1.7 oz	Thumb stud + front flipper	$459.99

Prices are from the current listings; the aluminum and steel builds are frequently shown at a discount from their listed compare-at prices, so check the product page for the live figure.

AR-RPM9 vs 14C28N vs CPM S90V

The three steels in the Lanky line are a clean ladder from budget powder stainless to premium super steel.

• AR-RPM9 is a powder-metallurgy stainless that CJRB uses as its workhorse steel. Molten metal is atomized into fine powder and consolidated under heat and pressure, which produces a finer, more even carbide distribution than conventional casting. It is often described as a powder-metallurgy version of the 9Cr18MoV family with added vanadium for wear resistance, and Artisan heat treats it to HRC 59-61. Good edge retention, easy sharpening, and true stainless behaviour in a pocket.
• Sandvik 14C28N is a nitrogen-enhanced martensitic stainless with roughly 14 percent chromium, and it is the steel to choose if you value a very fine, stable edge that comes back quickly on a stone. It has less wear resistance than the carbide-heavy steels, but it is tougher and dramatically easier to sharpen, which matters on a thin 2.2 mm blade.
• CPM S90V is Crucible's high-vanadium particle metallurgy steel, first introduced in 1999 and known for extreme wear resistance. The Lanky's S90V builds are hardened to HRC 60-62. This is the steel for someone who wants the edge to last through months of packaging and does not mind spending more time (and a diamond stone) to get there.

If you want the background on how these alloys are made, Wikipedia's article on powder metallurgy covers the process, and Sandvik's 14C28N knife steel page covers the corrosion and toughness side of that grade.

Handle Material Decides the Weight

The most surprising thing about the Lanky line is that the titanium builds are not the heaviest. At 38.5 g (1.36 oz) the aluminum versions are the lightest; the titanium versions add less than 10 g at 48.2 g (1.7 oz); and the steel handle builds are the heavy ones at 68 g (2.4 oz). Aluminum and titanium both win on weight, and the steel builds trade grams for a denser, more substantial feel that some carriers prefer.

For a knife designed to vanish into a shirt pocket, the 38.5 g aluminum and 48.2 g titanium builds are the ones that keep the concept intact. The two S90V steel-handle versions weigh 77 percent more than the champagne aluminum build.

Which Lanky Should You Buy?

1. First Lanky, best value: the champagne or blue aluminum AR-RPM9 build at $49.99. Lightest package, powder stainless, front flipper action, and the clearest expression of the pen-knife idea.
2. Best sharpening experience: the 14C28N aluminum builds at $54.99. Nitrogen-enhanced Sandvik stainless on a thin blade is the easiest edge in the line to maintain.
3. Best steel for the money: the S90V steel handle builds at $89.99, if you want maximum edge retention and do not mind the extra 30 g.
4. Best all-rounder: the titanium S90V build at $139.99. S90V performance with titanium in a 48.2 g package, and the lightest S90V Lanky you can buy.
5. Collector's pick: the titanium Damascus J1965G-TDB at $459.99, with a mirror-polished S90V blade and a Damascus handle - the dress version of the same 2.2 mm slicer.

The Bottom Line

The CJRB Lanky is one geometry offered in nine builds, and that is its greatest strength: you can buy the design for fifty dollars and you can buy the same design in titanium Damascus for nine times that. All of them share the wharncliffe blade, the 2.2 mm stock, the liner lock and the ceramic bearing pivot, so you are never choosing between a good knife and a lesser knife - only between materials, weight and steel.

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Explore the whole CJRB knife collection, compare every CPM S90V model, or browse the full range of folding pocket knives and the complete Artisan Cutlery and CJRB catalogue.