M21-10KSF

I own more than 70 knives -- most are folders -- and this is the one I carry every day. It clips unobtrusively inside my waistband, so I don't have a knife rolling around in my front pocket, bashing my keys or clanging around with coins. It lays comfortably at an angle and doesn't poke me when I'm seated at my desk or in the car. It's a small, reliable, indispensible tool. It cuts all kinds of materials well (from rope -- nylon and hemp -- to zip ties, cardboard, packing tape, and rubber hose). I like the partially-serrated edge for the tough jobs. I have another CRKT M16 with the drop-point blade, but I prefer the tanto point because it's more substantial when piercing tougher materials (like leather). Mine was sharp out of the box, but I gave the edge a quick freshening and stropping as a matter of habit. Like any knife it does require sharpening every once in a great while, but an occasional quick deburring of the edge keeps it cutting smoothly and cleanly, and extends the interval between sharpening. I've found that the CRKT M16s I've owned are a little stiff when new; the blade lock/release is particularly notchy. But if you work the blade open and closed a dozen times or so the locking/relase action becomes very smooth. I've played with the tension of the blade retention screw, but honestly I didn't see any benefit -- the several I own were adjusted well from the factory. This isn't really a self-defense knife -- it would need to be about 20% larger, and IMHO that would make it too large for a 'daily carry' knife, especially around the office. But the blade is stout for a knife of this size; the blade lock is postive and firm, and the handle provides very good grip even when your hands are slippery. So in a self-defense situation, I'd much rather have this knife at hand than most other folders. Overall, a great day-to-day carry knife. And at this price, it's a steal. UPDATE July 2013: Yes, I still carry this CRKT every day; still just as sharp and as reliable as the first day I bought it. Haven't had any issues with the blade locking system. Use this knife regularly and the muscle memory will take over in short order; it really is a one-handed operation to open or close this little gem. Only difference over the last two years is that I've bought a total of four more -- one for the glovebox of each car and one in the nightstand. Simple, well made, reliable, and a good value -- what more could you want?

This knife has the famous CRKT quality and unique doubly secure locking feature. It is very lightweight but surprisingly strong and the blade was very sharp right out of the package. Once locked open to close it you need to pull the red dot locking lever back and simultaneously move the liner lock aside. All of that happens with one hand. Opening it is fast and easy. Just pull the stud and the blade flips out and locks. Again with just one hand. The blade is substantial and nearly as long as a large folder weighing twice as much. Altogether these features make this one of the best knives to keep with you. My only caveat is I don't think 440c stainless has the edge retention of some of the better knife steel. The good news is that the blade is pretty stout and occasional sharpening is something most of us are willing to do. Still, I would happily pay a little more for a high end steel and the amount used to make a blade this size probably doesn't cost that much.

Good knife , my second one , holds an edge and will sharpen to an extremely sharp edge .

This is a great, lightweight knife for everyday carry. I usually carry a Kershaw Ken Onion Folder with Speed Safe opening assist but found 2 small issues with that knife: 1. That it could sometimes feel a little heavy due to its all metal construction (really, not an actual flaw, my pants just sag a wee bit and I tighten my belt a bit) 2. It scared the crap out of the people around me when I opened the knife because of the speed at which it opened and the length and width of the blade itself (the funny thing is that the blade is only slightly longer than this Columbia Knife's blade, its just wider) So with that in mind, I decided I would need to find a more lightweight knife that was also a bit slimmer and found this Columbia River Knife. This is a pretty good knife, it's made very well and the blade arrives razor sharp with no sharpening required. A small portion of the knife blade, at the bottom, is serrated if you need that function. The knife uses a special locking mechanism that they call the AutoLAWKS system which is basically a small switch/pin that keeps the knife open during use. To close, you pull the switch back, push the metal part that keeps the knife open (don't know what its called) and then close the knife. They advertise that the knife can be opened or closed one handed but its still kind a of a pain to do this one handed, but I may just need to break in the knife more. Also, the clip on the knife is can be removed or moved to the other side of the knife, depending on your preference but this requires a small Torx screwdriver to remove the screws/ I knocked off a star because of the following reasons: 1. I might have been spoiled by my Kershaw but the grip of the knife feels super cheap due to the fact that the grip is made from plastic. I sometimes feel like I am grasping a toy when I hold the knife and really can't say I like that feeling. 2. While the grip has some holes to improve your grasp, the texture of the knife is pretty smooth and gives me a feeling that the knife might slip out of my hand. I wish they included some checkering into the grip or had some sort of rubber insert installed. 3. The product dimensions are listed in the production description for the knife and you can already see an image of the knife but I just want to echo the sentiment of a previous reviewer: this knife is really really slim. With the knife open the grip isn't even .75 inches wide; I have small hands as it is and I feel like this knife is too small for my hands sometimes. If you have large hands you may want to look at something that is larger. Overall a good knife. If the grip was a little wider and had an improved texture I'd give this knife a full 5 stars.

For several years, my every day carry (EDC) knife was a beautiful stainless steel Spyderco. I'm not especially hard on my knives, nor am I prone to loosing them, so this scenario was satisfactory for some time. As the years passed however, damage began to accrue and my old blades retirement became inevitable. I decided that it was time to invest (as little as possible) into a new, more utilitarian, EDC knife. A coworker/friend recommended the Columbia River M16 to me. Producing my due diligence, I read some reviews and the usual rigmarole, but I couldn't fool myself. I knew I would buy this knife as soon as I saw the price. 2 days after placing my order, my new EDC was in my hand. Upon opening the box, I was satisfied with my purchase. Every aspect of the knife is murdered out (black) with the only exception being the grayish text stamped onto each side of the blade. It's light and solid feeling in hand. While the Carson flipper takes a little getting used to, I'm confident to conclude that it is an awesome feature. Another tight aspect of the M16 is the AutoLAWKS mechanism. Not only is it a great safety feature, it's also a wee bit silly to watch your friends try to close the blade after they borrow it. The blade was razor sharp straight out the box, and the tanto-style tip is exceptional. It even throws nice. For around $30, one simply cannot go wrong with this item. If you're looking for a well built, reliable, and stylish knife, take this plunge.

When I first got the knife, I was genuinely impressed at just how nice it looked. This knife is everything I was expecting it to be AND MORE. I thought it looked nice in the pictures on the product page, but oh man it looks even BETTER in person. The pictures don't do it enough justice, but it looks awesome and feels awesome too! The stainless steel handle is what gives it that nice, clean look and feel to it. As for the blade, I'd say it came sharpened pretty well right out of the box and it looks just as nice as the handle. Great construction all around the knife and great quality. For the money, you are most definitely getting what you paid for. Just keep in mind that this knife isn't very big so don't expect it to be. And if you have smaller to average sized hands it'll feel great in your hands. Maybe not so much if you have larger hands so just keep that in mind. It doesn't take up much space in my pocket at all which is great. It may not be the most expensive or sharpest or biggest knife in the world, but it is a damn good knife. This will be one of the best purchases you'll ever make if you're not THAT into knives like me and are just looking for a simple knife to carry around and use everyday. Looking forward to carrying this around with me all the time as part of my EDC.

Well built knife, easy to open, and close.

Very useful utility knife. Good quality & sharp. Especially the serrated edge, making cutting easier. Compact size and easy to carry