Columbia River Knife & Tool Company M16 Knives
One of those niche products in our inventory that we always try and keep around are the CRKT or “Cricket” as some call them, M16 series knives. We have a diverse Emergency Management customer base, some folks want the first cheap knife they can get to carry around in their pocket at work, and others are very particular about the blades they are using. Hand size is also a factor because if you want to be effective with a knife it has to fit your hand otherwise you might not get the leverage you need while trying to cut a seat belt or rope and that isn’t a good thing if you are under stress or possible injured. Many people in this industry are using knives for rescue and utility, far more than they are carrying them for self defense. I’m partial to combo edged blades but not as concerned about and point like tanto ect.
I am presently carrying a M16-13Z Carson Design which fits my hand perfectly and considering how impressed I was with the blade edge it came from the factory, and going on more than a year with heavy useage, I’ve only sharpened the knife 2 times and pretty much just for fun and not because it was getting dull. The Columbia River Knife and Tool Company M16 series locking knives are big sellers and starting in the mid $30 range up to $100 will give you a lot of selections to consider. A knife like this is perfect for many in our line of work but the only negatives are that you have to do a lot of practicing to get the safety on the blade and locking liner open with one hand but there are real reasons it’s a good idea to have a safety on any hard use folding knife. The negative I found with the M16 product line are the belt clip holders screws which don’t want to stay screwed in so make sure you use lock tite on them if they happen to come loose on you.