Columbia River Knife and Tool M16-13SFG 3-1/2-Inch Special Forces Folding Knife with Veff Serrated Blade
- Columbia River G10 handled 3-1/2-Inch combo edge knife featuring veff serrated blade
- Titanium nitride coating for max corrosion resistance
- Stainless steel, dual grind Tanto blade provides strength
- Includes patent auto lawk system and easy one-handed opening
- Dual flippers result in a true hilt
Product Description
Columbia River Knife & Tool M16-13SFG M16-13 Special Forces, Black G10 Handle, Tanto, ComboColumbia River Knife & Tool M16-13SFG M16-13 Special Forces, Black G10 Handle, Tanto, Combo Features:; Blade Detail: ComboEdge; Packaging: N/A; Made In: China… More >>
I decided to pick this up to see how it fit, size-wise, in comparison to its larger sibling the M16-14SFG. I own several 16-10Z EDCs and picked up the 14SFG for something a bit more robust. While it is admirable in its price range (as are all CRKT knives that I’ve had the opportunity to own) it turned out to be a bit bigger than I’d want to carry on my shoulder harness as a multi-function knife. Opened it was bigger and heavier than the Blackhawk Nightedge (okay, its a tad bit shorter, but I swear its heavier).
As such, I opted to try the 16-13SFG, and it really fit the bill for what I was looking for. Somewhat larger than the 16-10EDC, yet still having a much thinner and lighter blade thans its larger sibling, the 14SFG. Yet is retains the dual’hilt’ and the veff serrations, which I growing fond of. If you are looking for a somewhat more agressive alternative in same price/size range as the Gerber Evo, the CRKT M16-13SFG (or the 13Z if you’d prefer to have a single, smaller, folding lever) is a great option.
In all of the CRKT knives that I own, they have decent quality steel, solid construction, decent edge retention, and I really prefer the CRKT LAWKS double locking system over comprable single-lockers like the Gerber Evo (of which I have a few, both full and Jr.). The LAWKS system is easy-to-use, and gives you a more solid feeling of safetly that the knife will STAY OPEN, even if you are putting some grippy torque on the handle and blade. Look, I “use” my knives when in the field, they’re not just for looks, so the CRKT knives combination of price, quality, durability, and the LAWKS system really works for me. And if one does break (which has not happened yet) it won’t break the bank like one of my Case or CS knives would.
CRKT M16-13SFG- a lightweight, durable, useful knife
PROS:
Flippers- The hilt formed by the flippers is extremely handy for protecting knuckles and fingers. I use one for opening, and the other side for closing the knife. I’ve heard complaints from some people that the flippers keep it from resting right while its in a pocket, but i’ve found that they are extremely useful for pulling the knife out of a pocket.
autoLAWKS- takes a while to get used to, but ultimately a good idea and adds an additional sense of security.
Veff Serrations- many people don’t like the look or the single-edge grind, but i like the more elegant, longer serrations on the sfg. in addition, they seem to be much more effective at cutting through layers of cardboard than more typical serrations, and there is less friction provided by these serrations, meaning a smoother, less bumpy cut.
CONS:
Blade finish-The finish on the blade can be marred- I’m going to be 100% fair and say that I havn’t attempted to clean it beyond rubbing the blade down with a rag, but dirt/scratches show up much more on the coated blade than they would on a non-coated blade.
Factory applied lubrication- The oil put on by the factory left a slight blackish grey stain on my khaki work pants where the clip shows on the outside of the pocket. I should have cleaned the knife before I started carrying it, my fault.
Definately in this case the pros outweigh the cons, and I would recommend this knife to anyone looking for a quality tool.
I’ve had this knife for a few months and am really pleased with it. The G10 material on the handle gives a good amount of friction. My last CRKT knife I lost because it slipped out of my pocket. The grip on the G10 handle will definitely prevent that. It’s also very lightweight because of that.
The flipper is a must for me. It makes opening the knife so effortless. It’s easy to open with gloves on as well. The double flipper is a little silly. That’s the only thing I don’t like about this knife. It gets in the way when I put it in my pocket and need to get to the other stuff in the same pocket. I can see where it would come in handy and protect my hand if I’m really cutting away on something and don’t want to slip down over the blade, but that rarely happens.
The Veff serrations are really great as well. I watched a youtube video of the designer talking about the serrations and giving a demonstration of him cutting various things with them and I was sold. They are much more aggressive than standard serrations. I can cut through things so easily with them. When I first got the knife they were extremely sharp. I haven’t sharpened the knife at all, and they’re still decent. It could use a sharpening but I’ve never been one to require an extremely sharp knife. I’m just cutting through simple stuff most of the time.
The only other downside I’ll mention is the knife is a little intimidating. I’ve heard some people refer to it as a “mall ninja” knife just because it looks scary. I do hesitate who I pull it out in front of because of the comments it gets. But for all the features it has, I don’t mind it so much.
All in all, this is a great knife and I’m really happy I got it. The only improvement I’d make is removing the double flipper. I looked for a CRKT knife with the Veff serrations and single flipper and couldn’t find it. This is a great knife for the money.
I am generally very impressed with the M-16 series from CRKT, and I own 4 different models. I was drawn to this one by the double flipper posts, which form a nice guard to protect your fingers when performing aggressive cutting/chopping duties, and the design of the serrated blade. The teeth are formed in such a way as to grab the rope or line that is being cut efficiently, and it seems to cut faster than other serrated blades I have used. That said, I DO NOT like the additional ‘auto lawk’ safety lever for the liner lock. I find it to be superfluous, and it makes it harder to close in a hurry, which can sometimes be as crucial as being able to deploy it quickly. The can be especially true if you need to close the blade and pocket the knife one handed. I may eventually defeat this feature. I would also like to see CRKT source these somewhere other than the People’s Republic of China. One of my older CRKT M16s is made in Taiwan, and I would rather see them made there. I would be more than willing to pay a few bucks more. All in all, a pretty well designed, well made knife at a fair price.
Bought this knife a month ago and it is great. The double locking to keep it a fixed out blade works like a charm. I feel like I could tie it to the end of stick and make it a awesome spear (if need be and if I was Les Stroud) All in all a great looking feeling and functional knife. I carry it everywhere the law allows.