CRKT M4-13
Review by Phil Elmore
I didn't think much of anything about the Columbia River Knife and Tool Carson M4-13 until I snapped it open one day. Then the combination of the spear point and Veff serattions made me stop and take a second look. This is a class tactical folder that fits into the "gent's folder" category but offers a surprising amount of "cut" for your money. It's blade is elegant, a superb cutter, and even vicious, depending on how you want to look at it. Mine has become one of my more favored folders in the time I've owned it.
Kit Carson, known for his CRKT M16 knives (long favorites of mine) offers his "flagship custom" in a CRKT production version with the M4. My M4-13 is an assisted-opening (CRKT's "Outburst" mechanism) interframe liner lock with a 3.75-inch blade of AUS 8 steel in a bead-blast finish. The handle scales are very lightly textured Zytel (plastic) inserts. Dual checkered thumb studs are affixed to the blade.
The assisted-opening blade snaps open eagerly and locks securely, with no blade play in any direction. The liner engages the tang fully with plenty of room for wear. When it opens, the AutoLAWKS blade safety snaps into place automatically, securing the knife and preventing it from closing. I tried very hard to defeat the lock and was unsuccessful.
Something about this knife just makes you want to cut with it. The shape of the blade means it begs to be dragged throguh plastic, cardboard, cloth, and anything else you can find. I tested the knife at length and found the Veff serrations, combined with with the spear-point blade (the non-serrated portion of which is ground on both sides) made it a very effective, efficient cutter, though the serrations did tend to make a mess of some media.
The metal pocket clip is a little small for my tastes, but it works
fine. It is removable but not reversible. The knife is
configured for tip-down, right-hand carry only. The whole knife is held
together with Torx fasteners.
The handle is rounded and very comfortable, though perhaps a little
smooth for truly "tactical" use. The knife does feature a very
nice set of grooved thumb ramps (part of the stainless steel liners) at
the top of the frame behind the blade pivot, which is a real selling
point for me.
This knife straddles the tactical folder and gent's folder categories
very well, giving up little to either while being adequate to
both. It's elegant but also boasts a powerful cutting blade that
could tackle daily chores and emergences with equal capability. >>