View Full Version : Columbia River Knife & Tool
Voodoochild
02-11-07, 15:24
Anyone have any experience with these knives? Looking to add one to my collection.
I have a M21-04 I carry everyday, no problems with it so far, opens with a flick of the finger,built pretty solid, locks securly when opened.
I've carried an M16-12M for a while now. It's been a very good knife, and has held up really well. My only caution is that the aggressive checkering on it has eaten holes in all my jeans.
Been using a CRKT M1 for a couple of years now; great knife.
http://www.knifesite.com/photos/CRM1-13K-2T.jpg
http://www.knifesite.com/CRKT-M1-Lightfoot-M1-13K-Zytel-Handle-ComboEdge-p/crm1-13k.htm
For the price, they are OK. I had a M16 shit the bed on me in the sandbox.
I would never carry one as my primary knife. I only buy 3 brands: Strider, Emerson, and Benchmade (automatic)s. You can get a cheap Benchmade for the same price as a "high-end" CRKT.
A knife is a cutting tool, get one that's strong and holds and edge.
A knife maker named Jim Burke told me that these are the best knife for under 100 dollars. Jim makes very large folders. His exact words were "it ain't a knife 'less you can cut your way out of an airplane with it."
I like mine. The clip fell off, but they will evidently replace it for free. Mine is an M1-13K.
Anyone have any experience with these knives? Looking to add one to my collection.
I have several and they are all good knives.
CRKT is a company like Benchmade that has a range of price points with materials and construction that match. They have low end knives that are good values, and they have stuff in the medium price range that well exceed what you'd expect for the money.
One of the multiple knives I carry every day is the M21. It's one of the several designs by Kit Carson (like the M16) that is just a superbly designed tool. It's plenty strong where it needs to be, has a redundant lock in case the liner lock fails (which can happen with any liner lock, regardless of who made it), and the design of the blade is excellent.
The blade is fairly thick at the spine for strength, but it's also relatively wide so that the edge can be thin for better slicing and push cutting. It combines both a drop point (very useful) with a modest recurve, the latter of which gives better slicing ability and give a tiny bit more useful edge for given length of blade.
Another key feature to CRKT is that their heat treatments are excellent and you can expect the knife you get to have the same heat treatment as the one your buddy gets. My favorite stain resistant steel for knives is AUS8A (which is used in the M21 and SOME of the M16s) and CRKT is one of the companies that does a really good job with it. It won't hold an edge as long as some of the pricier steels like CPM S30V, but you can get it just as sharp (not always true with other steels) and it's easier to sharpen once it gets dull. If you're not at home with your sharpening tools, that could be an issue.
You just have to make sure you select a model (including the materials from which it is made) that meets your needs. If you do that, you'll be happy with your purchase and probably get more knife than the pricetag shows.
Again, if you want to learn a lot more about knives, their use, and construction, register at www.bladeforums.com and poke around for a while. It's unlikely that you won't find at least one discussion (or even an entire forum) for the brand and model of your interest.
I had a M16 shit the bed on me in the sandbox.
In what way did it fail?
The screw that controls the tension fell out during a LONG movement to contact.
A coworker brought me his CRKT folder to look at because it closed on his fingers. It is one of the M16 "Special Forces" models. When I looked at it the liner lock was not properly engaging and under moderate pressure, popped out of the way letting the blade close. It does have a secondary lock that I told him to use (while he finds a better knife to replace it). No idea how long he's had the knife.
a screw falling out dosn't count as a fail. Tighten your screws once in a while . a $200 knife will rattle loose the same as a $10 one if you don't maintain it.
Gutshot John
11-24-09, 16:35
CRKT M16-14SFA
http://www.swordarmory.com/crkt/CRKT_M16.html
I've carried one every day for the past two years. I've used it thousands of times for various tasks.
Works great and does indeed open quick but it's more utilitarian.
I don't know if I'd rely on it for a fighting knife but the full hilt is nice.
I have an M4 that I like a lot. I did a little research and decided it was a good choice at that price point, at the time. I've been very happy with it, but can't say I've put it through the wringer.
CRKT M4 (http://www.crkt.com/M4)
http://txtacticalsource.com/images/CRM4-03.jpg
i use an M1 at work all the time, and its held up to some serious abuse. the edge touches up easily, so i cant complain.
I have used CRKT knives in all types of enviroments and they have kept up without falter. CRKT makes an awesome product.
tracker722
12-10-09, 13:56
I have carried an M16LE for the past 12 years while on-duty, love it. A CRKT Companion, (unfortunately discontinued) has ridden on my tactical gear for the last 9 years. Neither are what I would call fighters...more like utility/last ditch knives...but I trust them and rely on them alot.
I have been carrying and using an M16-14ZSF for a few years and love the thing. You need to remove the allen head screws and lock tight them, but after that your golden!
It has the spring loaded secondary AUTO-LAWKS feature, so there is no way for the Liner-Lock to move out of position until you manually remove the AutoLAWKS feature. I am very speedy at single handed open/close procedures and find the blade material to hold its blade well. It's not so hard that you cry when it's time to sharpen, but hard enough to hold the edge.
Columbia River Knife and Tool: CRKT Desert Special Forces Knife, CR-M1614ZSF
Features
Blade Length: 3.9375"
Overall Length: 9.25"
Blade Material: AUS-4 Stainless Steel
Weight: 6.2oz.
The CRKT Desert Tactical Folders were designed by Kit Carson. They are special Desert Operator's versions of some of his M16 designs-made to blend and almost disappear in the desert environment. The illustrated Desert Tactical Folder is the Desert Special Forces M16 knife. It features a 3.875" part serrated tanto blade made of AUS4 stainless steel, .14" thick, with a Rockwell hardness of 55-57. The blade has a non-reflective bead blast finish, dual checkered thumb studs, and dual Carson Flippers for ambidextrous one hand opening. The dual Carson Flippers form a true hilt when the blade is deployed, which is very rare in a folding knife. The handle, 5.375" closed, has InterFrame construction, with dual 420J2 stainless steel liners, liner lock, AutoLAWKS (Lake and Walker Knife Safety), and threaded stainless steel back spacers. The contoured handle is drilled to lessen weight, with Desert Camo pattern Zytel scales, and side to side-end to end reversible stainless steel gear clip. Please note that the M16 Special Forces series is not designed for tip up in pocket carry. The Desert Special Forces M16 knife weighs 6.2 ounces.
This is what mine looks like after years of daily carry, and I never leave home without it. (Pictures taken with my HTC Imagio phone.)
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp174/larry0071/Junk%20Repository/IMAG0218.jpg
This is the Auto-LAWKS, I am pushing the liner lock out against it with my thumb.
Again, picture taken with my Imagio phone.
http://i409.photobucket.com/albums/pp174/larry0071/Junk%20Repository/IMAG0222.jpg
tracker722
12-20-09, 16:24
By the way...just picked up two more CRKTs from SMKW yesterday. Both were on blow-out sale.The first was a Hammond Cruiser with half serrated blade ($20.00) and the other was the Mo'skeeter ($10.00) which I like to use in med kits.
They've been my go-to folders since 2003. I have to replace it every time I fly though - always forget it's there until I dump all my shit in the bins at the security gates.
They've been my go-to folders since 2003. I have to replace it every time I fly though - always forget it's there until I dump all my shit in the bins at the security gates.
Carry a SASE with you when you fly, with sufficient postage to mail home forgotten articles. Accessibility of mailboxes may vary by airport.
tr1kstanc3
02-09-10, 18:00
I have the CRKT Crawford N.E.C.K. Knife and Boker CLB Edit Fixed Blade knives for EDC. They are pretty small measuring less than 3" each. The sheath on the Boker is flimsy but the blade itself is nice. The CRKT has a much better removable belt-loop capable sheath and a larger grip. No problems with either really.
http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2745/4345706627_96bd39ce10_b.jpg
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