CRKT M18: Got One . . I Like It

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VorpelSword

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Twenty five years go I gave our son a CRKT M21 as a utility pocket folder before the Marines "surged" his unit into Iraq. A few months prior, it had made the cover of "Blade" magazine and looked amazing to me. I had also given him about a grand's worth of other premium knives and he took alng a Randall and a CRK belt knife. I figured that if I gave him a Sebenza, I figured that he would lose it, so the lower cost, less prestigious, lower specification CRKT M21 was the choice there. Sometime over those months of deployment, the young man did lose it. Well, who among us hasn't also lost a knife under far less incense circumstance?

I always liked the slightly recurved, spear point blade profile, but the really butch looking pierced aluminum handle just didn't suit me as a sub-urban to urban carry knife. This past week I saw a used ("pre-owned") CRKT M18 on e-Bay for well under the n NIB price and put in a low ball offer on it . . .and got it. This is a discontinued model with the same blade profile, flipper tab and so on, but with a more civilian looking handle. It seems to be in near-unused condition. Not sharp, but I don't think its ever been re-sharpened either. Pocket wear only I think.

Now this is a knife I can carry. Made in Taiwan, the blade is AUS-8 and the aluminum handle is a less than stout liner lock, but then I am walking around town in relaxed fit Dad pants, not an oil rig, stock ranch or construction site . . .so its going to be OK as a carry knife for me.

However: If a premium knife maker ever made this knife in a high performance steel, with that blade profile in a titanium frame lock, I'd jump on it at their premium price.
 
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I have the m16 and I like it a lot as well.
They did ruin it with the autolawks safety, which is an ugly annoying unnecessary addition.
Either way I have not carried it for about 15 years now.
 
I have a m21, it’s a cool knife. Nothing great about it, steel seems kinda soft. I don’t really carry mine.
 
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I seem to recall a slightly upscaled variant of the M16, where they added their Bolt Lock to it, and gave it a D2 blade. 🤔
 
M16 and M21: Smaller in my hand. The LAWKS back-up lock is annoying and seems awkward to me. The pierced aluminum handle is too tactical for my taste as well. The AUS-8 blade kills it for me.

The M18 cuts out most of those features that I don't like except for the blade steel. It is almost the knife I would really want in my pocket.. I'd like it even more is it were made from premium materials by a high end maker. Assisted opening would be the icing on the cake.
 
VorpelSword said:
However: If a premium knife maker ever made this knife in a high performance steel, with that blade profile in a titanium frame lock, I'd jump on it at their premium price.
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There are a number of makers that could/would take that on for you. But I'm curious if you'd REALLY pay their premium asking price?

Do you have an idea of what a full handmade one off like that would go for?

I ask because that offer gets floated a lot and it's all good......until the price gets quoted then the buyer backs out.
 
J. Doyle said:
There are a number of makers that could/would take that on for you. But I'm curious if you'd REALLY pay their premium asking price?

Do you have an idea of what a full handmade one off like that would go for?

I ask because that offer gets floated a lot and it's all good......until the price gets quoted then the buyer backs out.
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Yeah . . .What I had in mind was if some production knife maker did it sore something well under a Grand, more like $500 or so. A one-off custom would not be in my best interests domestically.
 
VorpelSword said:
Yeah . . .What I had in mind was if some production knife maker did it sore something well under a Grand, more like $500 or so. A one-off custom would not be in my best interests domestically.
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Ok. I understand now.

You'll probably have to learn to love the one you have. Another production company won't likely make another company's design, at least with better quality materials. And a one off maker probably couldn't reach your price point.....but hey, a guy can dream right? :thumbsup:
 
Blues said:
I was with Kit when the deal with CRKT became official back in the 90's.

What a great guy and talented maker he was. He is missed.
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He must have made his custom versions of that, no?
 
J. Doyle said:
He must have made his custom versions of that, no?
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I only have a Model 4, 16, and full Damascus 16 Tanto. (And a straight knife for neck or belt carry.)

I'm not as familiar with some of the other models.
 
I've owned a few in the M16, M18 & M21 family. Liked them when I owned them but sold them off long ago. 🤷‍♂️
 
J. Doyle said:
Ok. I understand now.

You'll probably have to learn to love the one you have. Another production company won't likely make another company's design, at least with better quality materials. And a one off maker probably couldn't reach your price point.....but hey, a guy can dream right? :thumbsup:
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That is the usual way of things in the industry. .and that is a good thing.

Yet, I can find hope in knife industry history. Back in the early 2K years, Camillus licensed the Darrel Ralph "Madd Maxx" folding dagger design and produced it at ab affordable price.

The Ralph shop's semi-custom knives were done with high end steels (including Damascus) and exotic inlays such as fossil Mammoth ivory. They started at a pre-2020 inflation price of thousand dollars. Many were higher.

Camillus, on the other hand, used D2 steel and plain titanium anodized a very un-tactical powder blue. Otherwise, it was the same knife. Camilus called their version the "Cuda Maxx". I first saw the Camillus model in the old Brigade Quartermaster catalog at the introductory price of $125! (Jumped on that}. Later production runs rose to just under $150 I think . . .still "affordable".

I nailed an early first run kn fe and, in 2003, gave it to a young Marine Lt. who was about to deploy to Iraq.

When Camillus folded a few years later, these lower ends licensed Cuda Maxx knives immediately rose to around $500 each. They still come up on e-Bay, new-in-the-box at around $500 . . . but I wonder if these are new production Pacific Rim knockoffs.
 
VorpelSword said:
Twenty five years go I gave our son a CRKT M21 as a utility pocket folder before the Marines "surged" his unit into Iraq. A few months prior, it had made the cover of "Blade" magazine and looked amazing to me. I had also given him about a grand's worth of other premium knives and he took alng a Randall and a CRK belt knife. I figured that if I gave him a Sebenza, I figured that he would lose it, so the lower cost, less prestigious, lower specification CRKT M21 was the choice there. Sometime over those months of deployment, the young man did lose it. Well, who among us hasn't also lost a knife under far less incense circumstance?

I always liked the slightly recurved, spear point blade profile, but the really butch looking pierced aluminum handle just didn't suit me as a sub-urban to urban carry knife. This past week I saw a used ("pre-owned") CRKT M18 on e-Bay for well under the n NIB price and put in a low ball offer on it . . .and got it. This is a discontinued model with the same blade profile, flipper tab and so on, but with a more civilian looking handle. It seems to be in near-unused condition. Not sharp, but I don't think its ever been re-sharpened either. Pocket wear only I think.

Now this is a knife I can carry. Made in Taiwan, the blade is AUS-8 and the aluminum handle is a less than stout liner lock, but then I am walking around town in relaxed fit Dad pants, not an oil rig, stock ranch or construction site . . .so its going to be OK as a carry knife for me.

However: If a premium knife maker ever made this knife in a high performance steel, with that blade profile in a titanium frame lock, I'd jump on it at their premium price.
Click to expand...
We need pictures 😄
 
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