Columbia River Knife and Tool M16-10KZ 3-Inch Black Folding Knife

by Columbia River Knife and Tool (CRKT)

Product Description

From the Manufacturer

Carson M16-10KZ made by Columbia River Knife and Tool is a scaled down version of the M16. This black Zytel handled everyday knife has the AutoLAWKS system which automatically converts them into virtual fixed blades when opened. The 3-inch AUS 4 black stainless steel tanto blade has a razor sharp edge that allows easy resharpening and holds a great edge. The easy one handed opening and closing is as velvet smooth as the larger models the result of Teflon bearings at the blade pivot.

Product Description

Strong, lightweight Columbia River M16 - 10KZ Knife. Columbia River built the M16-10KZ to be a multi-purpose marvel you'll reach for again and again. That means it not only has the strength to handle a variety of tasks, but also to take the sort of everyday knocks and abuse that would send most knives to the scrap heap, yet still delivers peak performance. AUS-4 high-carbon stainless steel black-coated tanto blade; Rigid but lightweight frame and handle; "Carson Flipper" opens blade fast and doubles as blade guard when open; Smooth and serrated combo cutting edge.; Blade measures 3"l., overall measures 7 1/8"l. Weighs 2 3/10 ozs.; Order today for doorstep delivery! WARNING: You must be 18 or older to purchase Cutlery. Cutlery cannot be shipped to Marin, Napa, Ventura and Yolo counties, CA; D.C.; MA or Puerto Rico. Please check your State, County and City laws for restrictions before ordering Cutlery. Columbia River M16-10KZ Knife

Product Details

• Item Weight: 1 pounds
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S. and to APO/FPO addresses. For APO/FPO shipments, please check with the manufacturer regarding warranty and support issues.
• ASIN: B0017UV9W0
• Item model number: M16-10KZ
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (62 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #3,097 in Home Improvement (See Top 100 in Home Improvement)
  • #6 in Home Improvement > Power & Hand Tools > Hand Tools > Knives > Folded Knives

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Knife For Every Day Carry, May 25, 2009

By 

Deveus (Cali, USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Columbia River Knife and Tool M16-10KZ 3-Inch Black Folding Knife (Tools & Home Improvement)

The M16-10KZ is a very well designed knife. I carry a cold steel ti-lite 6" a lot of the time, but when I want something smaller and more innocuous I carry this knife.

BLADE: The AUS 4 stainless blade features a combo edge, half straight, half serrated, and a tanto point. I'm a big fan of tantos, lots of penetrating power and stronger than a clip point. It holds an edge well, though not as well as its larger AUS 8 counterparts such as the M16-14SF(Columbia River Knife and Tool's M16-14SF Big Dog Aluminum Tanto Blade Combo Edge Knife). If you're looking for a larger blade for heavier jobs, I'd recommend the 14SF. The 10KZ, however, is a great tool to have in your back pocket for every day jobs. The thumb stud on this knife is poorly positioned in my opinion - it's difficult to get enough leverage to open the knife - however this is of little consequence because of the excellent carson flipper on the back. The flipper is easy to use, has a smooth action, and allows for lightning fast, switchblade-like opening. It also doubles as a finger guard when the knife is open, definitely one of the best design features on this folder.

LOCK: This knife features CRKT's AutoLAWKS locking mechinism, which has an extra lever that prevents the liner lock from being accidentally closed. A lot of people dislike this feature, saying it makes one-handed closing of the knife difficult, but after a little practice I've had no problem with it, closing it just as easily as any regular liner lock. The AutoLAWKS provides extra safety and I see it as a plus. It's tight and opens with a satisfying click. There is no play whatsoever. The center pivot screw is easily adjustable with a flathead screwdriver.

HANDLE: The handle shape is very well designed, fitting comfortably even in larger hands like mine despite the knife being rather small. The Zytel scales are nicely textured, preventing slippage when wet. It's also tough material - it doesn't dent or crack easily, and is more or less impervious to water, salt, etc.

CLIP: The only part I don't like about this knife is the clip. It's strong and it functions well, but it's positioned for tip-down carry, meaning you have to turn the knife over after removing it from your pocket before opening it - inconvenient.

Overall, this knife has a lot of great features that I love - the tanto point, the carson flipper, the AutoLAWKS, and the excellent handle. I highly recommend it to anyone looking for a tough, lightweight blade for every day use

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars CRKT M-16-10KZ: A Review of the Good and Bad, March 2, 2010

By 

D. Ely "Chinosabroso" (Charlotte, NC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Columbia River Knife and Tool M16-10KZ 3-Inch Black Folding Knife (Tools & Home Improvement)

Let me start of by saying that CRKT makes some of the best knives out there and the Kit Carson designed M-16 is a fine example of the quality you can expect from CRKT.

The blade is a 3" high-carbon Tanto-style blade with a triple-point serrated edge. The blade is surprisingly sharp right out of the box. Most knives in this price range usually require some good bit of sharpening when you first get them, but the M-16 was almost razor sharp when I got it. A few passes with a Diamond stone and it was good to go.

The Carson Flipper is really the gem feature of this knife. It allows you to flip open the knife with the speed of a switchblade. The flipper also rotates down into a blade guard position which helps to protect against finger slippage. The knife opens incredibly quickly and locks firmly into position.

The second feature I really like about this knife is the AutoLAWKS safety that is built into the knife. This is basically a red safety knob that you have to pull back in order to close the knife. This prevents the knife from accidently closing on itself. It is a great feature that adds a cool tactical feel to the knife.
The frame consists of a stainless steel liner frame with Zytel back spacers. It is all held together with Torx screws including the Teflon-plated stainless steel clip.

Zytel is basically a super dense nylon with varying amount of fiberglass added to the mix. It feels much harder than normal plastic and the folks at Dupont say Zytel is super durable and abrasion resistant, but I would a little careful if your hands are wet or covered with any type of material that could cause the knife to slip out.

My two dings for the knife are this:

They advertise the size of the knife as 4" closed and 7.125" open and this is true. What they don't mention is that the knife is only about an inch wide at the widest curve of the handle. If you are a guy like me with larger hands, it might feel a little small around the grip. On the flip side, the narrow profile of the knife allows you to carry it around in your pocket and not even notice it is there. This is a VERY comfortable knife to carry.

The other ding is one that is common to this type of folding knife. When opening quickly the internal leaf-spring that locks the blade into place can and sometimes lock into a stuck position on the upper section of the frame. This can make it extremely difficult to depress the spring to close the knife. This problem can sometimes disappear as you break the knife in so time will tell.

All in all the CRKT M-16 is an excellent knife for the money. A close competitor is the Smith & Wesson Extreme Ops Tanto, but the M-16 blows it away.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars ..., June 20, 2009

By 

ffemt300 (Texas) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Columbia River Knife and Tool M16-10KZ 3-Inch Black Folding Knife (Tools & Home Improvement)

This knife is well built in my opinion. I havent had any major issues with it thus far. I like that it is small and compact. I have had to tighten the screws on the pocket clip once in the month that I have had it. No big deal. The edge is good and the locking mechanism is very adequate. It does take some practice to close it with one hand however.