Columbia
River Knife & Tool M-16 Series
There
is no shortage of pocketknives on the market. Every
Tom, Dick and Harry carries a folding knife in their
pocket. It's a competitive business and you would
be hard press to find a knife company that doesn't
make and sell these things. What you might have trouble
finding though, is a company that cares about it as
much as CRKT does. It's not your money they are after;
it's your respect.
The
M-16 series is CRKT's most popular design. There is
no question as to why. The people who carry these
knives are not your Tom, Dick and Harry. This knife
was designed for function and performance. This knife
was designed for those whose jobs may depend on it.
The M-16 was designed with Firefighters, Law enforcers,
and Military personnel in mind.
Well
they say this knife was designed for function, not
fad. Where I come from, function is the fad! Kit Carson
made one heck of a fashion statement with this knife.
It says, "Lightweight, contoured handles, razor
sharp, and it even matches my boots"! Ok, fun
aside. This is a serious knife, designed by a serious
knifemaker. He has been designing knives for 20 plus
years.
My
knife, the M16-12LE, comes with a Tanto style blade.
We all know that the Tanto has proven itself and is
one of the most popular blade types. If you're not
familiar with the Tanto, look it up. The important
thing to know about it is that it's very strong. The
M-16-12LE also comes with a combination razor and
serrated edge.
The
handles are made from hard Anodized Aluminum. The
blades are made from AUS 8 stainless steel. AUS 8
is a very strong steel alloy that can hold an edge,
polish nice, hold up against abuse, and be highly
resistant to rust and corrosion. AUS 8 is what's called
carbon modified. Basically, it's a blend of different
stuff and it has a very high amount of carbon. The
carbon is what gives it the hardened quality.
Something
that makes this knife unique is the "Carson Flipper."
It's an extra part of the blade that allows you to
quickly open the knife. The way that I work mine is
this: I place my index finger on the "Flipper"
and then sharply pull my finger down along the top
of the handle. I give just a slight flick of my wrist
(not much). The blade snaps out into place, ready
for action. It works similar to thumb assists, which
this blade also has. The difference is that you can
keep your thumb on the handle and far away from that
razor sharp edge. Most of you can probably use the
thumb assist safely and quickly, but when you are
prone to cutting yourself, as I am, this "Carson
Flipper" will be more to you than just a nifty
way to open the knife. I'm not sure this was the intention,
but the "flipper" helps me close the blade
safely too. When I use the one hand method, I position
my thumb in such a way as to allow the flipper to
catch on it before the blade can completely fall on
me, while I push the blade down with my finger. Once
the initial break has been completed, I move my thumb
up to the assist to finish closing the knife.
I've
carried many folding knives in my short 30 years.
The M16-12LE is the knife sitting in my pocket right
now. Something that I should mention is the CRKT's
Limited Lifetime Warranty. The M-16 series are well
balanced and very durable. I'll end this review with
a quote from the man responsible for providing us
with this extraordinary tool.
"I
strive to follow form and function in the knives I
design and build. My reputation has been built around
solid working knives, both fixed blade and folders.
All the time spent outdoors as a young man and the
time spent around the world with the Army has strongly
influenced the knives I create." - Kit Carson,
CRKT
Please
checkout the CRKT website at www.crkt.com
to find out about ordering information. Or you can
give them a call at 1-800-891-3100.
By:
Justin Boyette
