CRKT M21-04G Folding Knife with Liner Lock: 1.4116 Plain Edge Blade, G10 Handle w/Liner Lock, Reversible Pocket Clip, M21-04G

I own a large collection of knives, several hundred in fact. Having used them daily, some for years; and believing that they are as much a matter of being dressed as wearing pants . I can say Crkt makes great production knives. They are made on cnc machinery and the fit and finish are uniformly good from one knife to the next. I have several of the carson (lic) M16 M21 and M4's I love the design. The M16 in the shorter spear point is lighter at the point, and as such opens with less authority. the M21 has more weight out on the end of the blade so this isn't a problem. These knives are strong and can handle about any abuse you can dish out. I will not carry any other liner lock, I have had too many fail.Now as for the blade; You simply can not buy a knife that will hold an edge under heavy use for under $150 I suppose this is because so many people use their knives for prybars screwdrivers etc The steel in these knives is fairly soft , you can hone it very sharp but expect to resharpen it often. The same applies to buck gerber case cold steel sog and so on. All of these companies use the same steel, and temper it the same way then draw it so it is soft enough you won't snap the blade prying with it. This model comes without the annoying serrations, so sharpening is quick .The edge is also ground symmetrically unlike the serrated models that are ground on one side like you would sharpen a chisel. I am not sure what all the chatter is about this being such a large knife, its just a 3& 3/4" blade no larger than any other lockblade folder with a similar blade length, and narrower in cross section than most. The Lock on the liner lock is simple enough to operate and shouldn't take any reasonably intelligent over a few trys to master.The short version,. its a well made knife, much better than most in todays market Maybe a little large for a letter opener but not for a utility or skinner

Purchased this on 6/26/12 and have fell in love with it. I was previously using a MTECH XTREME USA MX-8027A TACTICAL FOLDING KNIFE 5" CLOSEDwhich is a great buy for $8.00 including shipping. This was a huge jump in cost from my starter knife, but the package was well worth it.Pro:+ Autolocks // #1 reason why I purchased this. My other knives were getting razor sharp from being maintained by pros at Gun Shows. The liner locks for the mtech tactical wasn't worth trusting my fingers over. This CRKT locking mechanism pretty much turns your knife into a fixed blade, althought I haven't ran around and went batoning with it.+ Material // The metals are purposely confusing. I'm sure this is some fancy make, but it seems very durable and theres plenty of it to keep that edge on for many years.+ Ergonomics // The size and weight allows for great control and feels right in your hands.+ Self defense // The tanto blade is great for self defense and the size of this blade is intimidating. Also makes for easier sharpening than a serrated blade.Con:- Excessive man mode // You might get a funny look if you use this bad boy at the office to open a plastic container.I don't see myself getting rid of this anytime soon. I did purchase a Columbia River Knife and Tool 2903 Hissatsu Folding Knife before the M16 but the Hissatsu had an impossible rentention rendering the assisted opening useless. Also, I was not really paying attention to the size of the knife when I purchased this but I am glad that I got the bigger version anyways. Initially, I would of opted for the smaller m16.

Classic c r k t knife. Build strong, good materials very sharp when arrived. I've carried an m fourteen for a while. The M21 it's built tough.Just as big and rugged as the M14 with a very nice leaf drop point. 100% combat folder all the way.

I've owed this knife for just under 2 years and carried it daily. As the other reviewers have said this version is large. So for those of you out there who would love to carry a sheath knife but don't want the bulk or strange looks this is the folder for you. First off the design and construction are great. I've owned coldsteel, buck, gerber, spyerco, and benchmade folders. They were all fantastic knives and you can't go wrong purchasing any one of them.The reasons I love this particular knife are the spearpoint blade design, auto-lock, the relatively mild stainless steel, and the price. The blade design is very tough and utilitarian. It's good for carving, slicing, and mild prying. It has a very strong tip for punching through tough material. I really like the additional safety of the auto-lock. Others have complained that it's hard to close with one hand but I haven't had any problems learning how to do this. The steel is mild compared to AUS-8. For me it's a good compromise. You can keep a very sharp edge on this knife without it being overly brittle. Ofcourse this means you have to sharpen it more often but it's also faster to sharpen. The steel is maintenance free and you don't have to worry about rust. Now we come to price. For the cost, you can buy 3 of these for one good benchmade or coldsteel. Having lost both a coldsteel and a benchmade, I can tell you that I actually got sick to my stomach. I don't have to worry as much with the M21. It's every bit as good as it's competitors at a third of the cost here on Amazon.As for production quality issues, I've not seen any. I own three variants of this knife and I just ordered another smaller version of this one to have as a spare.