need opinion regarding crkt m-16 --03Z

A

ahgar

Joined
Jan 4, 2005
Messages
1,794
Every dang day I go to wally world I stare at the m-16 in the case and almost buy it. The only thing that stops me is my pathological fear that the steel {aus 4} will be dulled to the sharpness of a marble by simply slicing air with it. So here's where the opinion comes in. given that
a. I like crkt, at least the aus8 models, I know what your going to say get one of the aluminum handle models with the aus 8. but I don't need another expensive crkt.
B. This knife will be used for edc. not for killing lions/ knife fighting/ splitting firewood/ or stabbing car hoods.
So what say the body of the all knowing blade forum members.
Thanks for your time and opinions. ahgar
 
Unfortunately you are going to have plenty that will tell you its junk, dont bother with it. The fact is, there are those that will poo-poo the knife without having tried it, they just repeat what they see on here.

Fact is, the steel is very average. Do not expect the level of edge holding you get from your aus8 knives or s30v or ats34 or anything like that. The aus4 is however a decent steel for EDC when you just need something inexpensive, holds a good enough edge to get you through your work day (no, it wont dull from a single slice) and is easy to touch up in a minute or 2 when you get home.

Just take it for what it is, a nice design, basic steel that works. Good knife for the money, nothing more.
 
I should mention, if you want more bang for the buck, and dont already have one, most Wal-Marts also have the spydee native for like 10 bucks more.
 
appreciate the input, already got a native and really like it but when it comes to knives I'm like women are with shoes. never can have enough and always changing due to fickle tastes. plus I just like a knife that is assembled instead of molded. ahgar
 
I got one of these 3 weeks ago. It does just fine for what I use it for. I cut open a few boxes and slice up shrink wrap on pallets everyday. I have only touched it up on ceramic rods once in that time. Know its limitations and it will be fine. I carry a BM Rukus for aything heavy duty.

CBXer55
Oklahoma City
 
ahgar said:
Every dang day I go to wally world I stare at the m-16 in the case and almost buy it. The only thing that stops me is my pathological fear that the steel {aus 4} will be dulled to the sharpness of a marble by simply slicing air with it. So here's where the opinion comes in. given that
a. I like crkt, at least the aus8 models, I know what your going to say get one of the aluminum handle models with the aus 8. but I don't need another expensive crkt.
B. This knife will be used for edc. not for killing lions/ knife fighting/ splitting firewood/ or stabbing car hoods.
So what say the body of the all knowing blade forum members.
Thanks for your time and opinions. ahgar
Click to expand...
I contemplated the same for the past several weeks, but in the end could not justify settling for AUS4 steel and Zytel scales when I could get the AUS8 for about $10 more. I picked up the M16-13 with aluminum handles and AUS8 blade.
m16-1.jpg
 
Go ahead and get it. There's nothing wrong with it, it's a decent knife for the money. Even if it is AUS 4, you can get it sharp, it just won't stay sharp for long and that's something that doesn't bother me personally since I like to sharpen my knives.
 
If you sharpen your own knives- get it. If you do not sharpen your knives- Learn how to :D and still get it- you seem to want it enough, and there are far worse steels out there used on knives.
 
I have lusted after these knives for months but after reading other members having problems with lock failure and poor blade steel I refuse to buy one.

IMHO CRKT would grab my attention (and money) in a second if they could improve upon the lock and upgrade the steel. I'm not about to spend cash on a knife that has been reported to have these kind of problems.
 
digdeep said:
I have lusted after these knives for months but after reading other members having problems with lock failure and poor blade steel I refuse to buy one.

IMHO CRKT would grab my attention (and money) in a second if they could improve upon the lock and upgrade the steel. I'm not about to spend cash on a knife that has been reported to have these kind of problems.
Click to expand...
Older CRKTs may have had lock problems, but the new ones have the LAWKS system which makes lock failure virtually impossible. The previous ones requires you to engauge the LAWKS system manually, but the new ones do it automatically when the blade opens. Either way (auto or manual), the lock will not fail under normal use. So, they have improved. Take another look at them.

And this is coming from someone that considers CRKT the bottom of the barrel of name-brand knives.

ahgar- I have a Zytel M16, and it is fine. If you don't mind the edge dulling more often than it would with a better steel, then I think it would fit your needs. The fit and finish is good, and it looks pretty cool. Just be aware that you can get knives with better steel for the same price, or only a tad more money. But knives are about more than edge holding. If you dig the look and the feel, go for it. AUS-4 is fine for a basic EDC knife. If you plan on using the heck out of it day after day, then consider something better.
 
Considering my Zytel M16 has the manual LAWKS system, I wonder if it's AUS-6M instead of AUS-4?

I wonder if there is any way to tell?
 
I EDC'd a M16-03Z for probably about a year. I loved how quickly and smoothly it opened and how slim it was in the pocket. This was an AUS6 model, and I was impressed with the edge I could put on it. I ended up selling, trading, or giving it away, as I did with the rest of my CRKT's, because I got tired of having to resharpen the blades every time I looked at them. I'm not the heaviest knife user out there, and I'm not stuck on the latest and greatest newest steel every few months, but the performance I got out of AUS6 was just not acceptable to me. If AUS4 is even worse than AUS6, I'd stay away if you actually plan on using the knife for anything at all. YMMV.
 
It's no big deal...just more choices. Those of us who want AUS8 still have plenty of access. I don't think they're expensive either....it's a 40 dollar knife with an aluminum handle and AUS8....that's a pretty good deal. I mean, you can get better steel and FRN, or worse steel and a nicer handle, but it's a great median.

I have the 11K, if I recall offhand, which is the small one. I bought it as a lightweight/paperthin but decent sized folder and it is great. The liner wears too quickly, but it's worn all the way across and there's no problems at all, weirdly. The lock is tough as nails. I'm very pleased with it, for the price anyway. That said, higher dollar folders make it totally obsolete in my opinion...they should really come out with an S30V/G10/Titanium framelock version.
 
Yep, an ATS-34/S30V M16 or M21 with Auto-LAWKS would be fine (maybe with titanium handle)... ;)
 
the knife gods have made the decision for me, my trolling motor battery is deader than a wedge and I've got a tournament this weekend so at least for now it's on hold. when my wallet recovers i think i'll give one a try and see how it goes. thanks for the tip on the lower price on the web. I really appreciate all the posts and i find them very helpful. It's always good to get different perspectives from a cross section of people. Of course like I said before i'm kinda like a woman in one respect, when I make up my mind i won't be confused by the facts. It's like someone posted earlier basically if you like it get it. thanks again, ahgar
 
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