CRKT M16-03BK Outdoor Folding Knife with Frame Lock, Bronze, M16-03BK

For the price, it's a really nice knife. I have have had the next size smaller version in all black and really have gotten lots of use out of it. So I decided to try the bigger version and am glad I did. Both are really handy and well designed. Locks work easy and the clips keep your knife deep in your pocket. Tips are down which is my personal preference. These both came sharp. My smaller one has been sharpened and holds an edge pretty well. Blade shapes and thicknesses are what I personally like for the cutting I do most. Box opening, picking metal and splinters out of myself, trimming plastic and wood... handle material on the black knives seems to wear down almost to a patina of sorts. I think it's cool but some may not. This tan color seems to not do that. It's pretty tough so far.

I initially purchased this as a spare I didn’t mind getting banged up. But it has since become my new favorite knife to carry. It’s sturdy, light weight, and hasn’t had issues being wet or dropped. Mine came razor sharp, and after several months of consistent use, it still has a pretty decent edge on it. CRKT has done it again, a great product at a reasonable price.

Very good spear point knife. Good value and excellent construction. A classy look too.

Nice quality, I really like it!

With over 350 knives in my collection and a dozen from Columbia River I am continually disappointed by them. For the price point of their knives I expect better. That being said I don't own any of their $200 models. If they're lesser expensive models impressed me I would consider purchasing their more expensive models, but they don't. I likely have a half dozen to a dozen of their knives but I can't remember how many because none of them have made the rotation. All that being said this one is the best I've seen yet. Action and ergonomics are okay. It came sharp and wasn't too expensive. Still .. so so materials and pocket feel. A bit heavy but if you like CRKT you'll like this one. I recommend to a cricket head, but not to the average Joe or modest collector.

For the price, you won't find a more solid built knife. This thing has ZERO JIGGLE, ZERO PLAY, NO LOOSE COMPONENTS. A common failure point is the clip which on most knives rattles after a few months of use. I've been using mine everyday and it has yet to develop play or warping. The coating on the handle and blade is top class, I have yet to scrape it at all. The dang blade is stupid sharp out the gate and easy to maintain sharp. When I bought this knife I was skeptical of having a manual flicker become I had used an assisted open knife for a year and loved it. The action on this knife is so good I don't miss the spring action of my knife at all. I wouldn't recommend using this knife for heavy tasks like wood chopping or holding your bodyweight (or whatever silly metric TikTok will try to convince you your pocket knife should be equal to an axe or ice pick...). No, this thing is an utra slim, precision built monster of a knife that is so comfortable to carry I place it in skinny jeans and forget about it immediately. It has about the same thickness as a modern smartphone so it doesn't interfere with sitting/squatting/jumping etc. Don't look for those cheap Chinesium knives that are built super flimsy and with weak actions and paper thin plastic handles. Get yourself this all metal, spec ops consulted, lovingly engineered beaut. For the price it's a no brainer, I can tell this will be my main knife for a several years to come.

Very sharp

This is knife perfect. Its blade is 1/2” longer than the model I lost (M16-01KS). The larger size makes the handle fit better in my hand. What I appreciate about CRKT’s M-16 line is that the mechanism is strong and simple. No bells, whistles, ball bearings or springs. It’s easy to rinse out sand or salt. Also, while the knife isn’t wide or fat, its blade is strong. It’s a sleek design and especially good-looking in bronze/black.

Was für ein schickes Stecherchen. Man mag CRKT ja vieles nachsagen und wenig zutrauen, aber wenn man genau hinsieht, erkennt man schnell, welche Messer etwas taugen und welche nicht. Das M16-03BK, im Kit Carson Design, enttäuscht hier ganz und gar nicht. Im Gegenteil. Schon die Wahl des Klingenstahls ist, dem Preis entsprechend, sehr gut und die Verarbeitung ist top. Klingenstand mittig, sauberes Finish, toller Clip und trotz der Washer, statt Kugellager, ein gutes Flipping. Klar geht das mit Bearings besser und verspricht kein Klingenspiel, aber Washer bieten mehr Gebrauchsstabilität und Beständigkeit. Das bedeutet aber auch, dass bessere Action, eine lockere Achsschraube und damit etwas Klingenspiel mit sich bringt. Mit etwas Messeröl und guter Einstellung flippt das Ding aber ausreichend gut und da wackelt nix. Suchtfaktor tauglich. Der Framelock ist perfekt und sicher genug. Da muss ich keinen zusätzlichen Lock haben, wie bei den Modellen mit FRN-Griffschalen und Linerlock. Nur etwas erhabener könnte er sein, was aber wieder etwas weniger sicher wäre. Der Griff ist Full-Metal-Jacket in Stainless und ein Nachteil hierbei ist die thermische Umgebungsabhängigkeit. Ein kalter Griff ist halt nicht so angenehm. Puristisch gesehen: wer braucht schon Handwärmer, Hauptsache guter Halt. Der Griff ist, trotz der Optik, haptisch ein Traum. Keine scharfen Kanten oder Grate, also auch für verwöhnte Händchen geeignet. Die Klinge bietet, trotz ihrer auf Penetration und Stabilität ausgelegten Geometrie, erstaunlich gute Schneidfähigkeit. Ein Schneidteufelchen darf man sich aber nicht erwarten, das gibt der Schliff mit fast 0,6 hinter der Phase, nicht her. Trotzdem kann man ihm EDC-Tauglichkeit abnehmen. Der Clip ist Tip-Up, Tip-Down, Links und Rechts montierbar und stört in der Haptik nicht. Fazit: Stabil, Schmal, EDC-Tauglich und ein sehr gutes Preis/Leistungsverhältnis machen den Stachel zu einem Interessenten Angebot, das eine Empfehlung verdient. Nicht umsonst eines der beliebtesten Messer von CRKT.