Pros: Pocket Clip, Blade Sharpness
Cons: Weight, Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Handle Material
Good concept poor execution
I’m a big fan of CRKT. My first knife was a m16-01z, and I have a ton of memories with it. I still carry it in my edc rotation, even though I have much higher end pieces. I was so excited seeing a follow up on the m16 platform, but with updated materials and function. The deadbolt lock seemed super wicked to play with, and I was head over heels for the design (those aluminum bolsters look so beautiful). On to the actual fit, finish, function of the knife. Out of the box, the blade came razor sharp and with a very even grind (better than my bugout). The blade was dead centered and all the sand blasted parts matched color and finish. The actual function of this knife is abysmal.. upon first opening the knife, the detent was super week.. I thought “no big deal! It has an adjustable detent, I’ll crank that up, and I’ll be on my way”. Even with the detent fully tightened, the knife wouldn’t deploy every time. I dumped some nano oil on the bearings and tried to work it in, and after about an hour of fidgeting, no improvements were noticeable. I should state, that I’m a very competent bike mechanic. I also own north of 20 knives, and do a fair amount of modification and regular maintenance. I know my way around knives and am comfortable working with small parts. The fasteners on this knife are absolutely horrible. After one takedown, the pivot screw threads broke, effectively locking the knife together. I’m really pissed at CRKT for how they manufactured the knife. I don’t know who thought these cheap fasteners, overly thick bladestock, and weak ass detent were acceptable. The price tag is also outrageous! $100+ for a hardly functioning knife is not acceptable. I don’t think CRKT will see this, but if y’all do, the very least you can do is learn from your mistakes. Do more R&D, push back on your factories who supply inadequate products, and set a higher bar for your products. I see y’all trying to get into the higher end (and I fully support that), but please learn from this knife.