CRKT M-16 14 CF - Would you pay $130?

S

Seth Thomas

Joined
Apr 5, 2001
Messages
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So I finally played with a M-16 14 at my favorite B&M knife shop. I really wanted to like this knife. It's has a large blade with tanto point and it's ultralight weight. Opening with the Carson flipper is positive and lock-up is tight with no blade play. The liner hits dead center of the tang. You have to dig your thumb a bit to find the liner to release. The carbon fiber is smoother than most G-10 but not slick. The clip rides high on the handle, so the knife rides low in the pocket or waistband. The edge was not hair-poppin sharp, but OK. The Shop had three samples and all were very consistant in function and fit.

However, the big hold-back is the price. MSRP is around $169, Blade Warehouse is selling for $129. For that much money there are other folders that offer steels like 154CM, D2 or even CPM440V. Since I don't know much about AUS118, I became reluctant.

I guess if your looking for a large ultralight weight folder, the M-16 14 might be the ticket.

For you, does a ultralow weight AUS118 Blade justify a $130 knife?

Seth

[This message has been edited by Seth Thomas (edited 05-30-2001).]
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Seth Thomas:
For you, does a ultralow weight AUS118 Blade justify a $130 knife?
Seth </font>
Click to expand...

No.
But the question is, does it justify it for you? If I decided I liked it, I'd buy it regardless of what anyone else thought.

Have you shopped around on the price? I had no idea CRKT even had knives with price tags like that.


[This message has been edited by OwenM (edited 05-30-2001).]
 
I am looking at buying it too but I hate the serrations and the price. AUS118 is not as good as ats34/154cm. I don't understand the high price of this knife when all their other knives are a great bargain. What the hell is going on at CRKT?
 
maybe they are trying to compete w/the big boys - thats a lot of $$ for a CRKT, but, if they came out w/a kasper folder w/micarta or aluminum handles, or ti, w/lightening holes, i might would go $130 on it - i have a std M16, i have not yet seen an M16CF, but i will look at it and decide - if its like all the other CRKT knives, worth much more than there price, it would be a HELLUVA knife-but i dont know - i'll wait and see....


sifu
 
Alright, I´m trying to understand how the price can be so high. I must have checked the price on another product. I found this price on the internet at World Wide Knives.

CRM16-14 Large tanto, pt.serr. $52.00

It´s the Kit Carson designed Alu folder. Is this the same knife you are discussing or am I way out...
smile.gif


/Colinz
 
You are not "way out" but you are talking about two different knives.

The knife you are looking at has alum handles and does not have AUS118.

The expensive model is the same knife dimensionally but has a blade of AUS118 and Carbon Fiber handles.
 
No thanks, thats LCC M/A money.

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ive played with one,but to buy it (which....ya never know,the m-16 line is pretty nice) i would have to have a lot of money on me,which i dont.for now i think ill stick with the aluminum model...then the real thing in about a week
biggrin.gif


its a nice knife,shop around the net and see what kind of prices you can get.
 
I don't know if I would pay 130 bucks. That's an awful lot. I bought one of the small tanto CF M16's. I liked the knife but hated the thumb studs and the clip. I also missed the flipper. CRKT knives are great user knives, but for 130 bucks, I would stick with something else.
MAtt
 
I kinda wondered about the lack of a flipper on the smaller ones myself. The thumbstuds are tough on my fingers; and I don't have tender fingers. The flipper would have been the ticket.
 
Seth have you tried ebay?

------------------
MY name is KC Slim,
and im a knifeaholic.
HI KC SLIM!!!
 
I am a big fan of CRKT but I can't justify pay that amount for the CRKT M-16 14 CF because you can buy a Al Mar Sere 2000, MT LCC, Spiderco Military, BM 710, Buck Strider...etc. for that price.

I bought my aluminum M-16 for less than half the price of the CRKT M-16 14 CF. This is a big CRKT rip off.
 
Well -- Judging by your comments, it looks like the M-16 14 CFs will be sitting on the shelfs for awhile. I, like most of you have other knives of interest in this price range.

In a year or so, we'll see blow-out pricing on this model. But who knows...

Perhaps CRKT may learn something from the marketing of this model.
 
Hmmm, it is very funny idea that CRKT should sell their knives at half or less of other top-notched manufacturer price. Yes, sometimes they manage to reduce their price pretty noticeably allowing the overage user to get well-known knifemaker's design for fair price. But this is the topic for another discussion how they manage to do it.

The same level of quality as other top-notched manufacturers, isn't it? In this case the same level of used materials, am I wrong? So why should they sell this knife for lover price than any other mentioned manufacturer?

BTW, I can't consider ACUTO 440 (new name AUS-118) as the steel any worse than ATS-34 or 154CM. Does it hold the edge somewhat worse? Maybe, but the edge hold is not all the knife needs. The loss of ductility and impact resistance usually is the cost of great edge hold. But again, this is the topic for quite different discussion.
 
Seems to me I remember a review -- in a magazine? -- by a fellow named Dexter something, who acknowledged that his initial prejudice against Taiwanese knives had been overcome, and that he thought the M16 (aluminum) was the equal of any knife at least double the price. (It would be so much more effective at times like this if my memory could bring up the whole thing).

I agree with Sergiusz. Just because CRKT has always sold most of their knives at truly bargain prices, considering what one received in design, fit & finish, when they decide to use the materials of more expensive knives, why should they have to sell them at a steeply discounted price?

------------------
Asi es la vida

Bugs
 
CRKT M-16 14 CF is NOT equal to the quality of Al Mar Sere 2000, MT LCC, Spiderco Military, BM 710, Buck Strider...etc. therefore it is not worth paying $130.00 for it.

Many folders from other manufacturers in the $130.00 price range offer superior steel or locking mechanisms.

I own the aluminum large tanto M-16 and it is good but not great.
 
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