Most people have heard of Kit Carson, but not Kit Carson the knifemaker. Kit Carson (the knifemaker…) has been making custom tactical knives for years and is one of the most respected tactical knife designers. His designs are practical and well-thought-out, not just designed to look “tactical” and scary.

CRKT (Columbia River Knife and Tool) has created production versions of several of Kit Carson’s M-16 model. These CRKT M-16s range from inexpensive models with AUS-4 blades and Zytel (plastic) handles, to high-end models with titanium handles and AUS-8 blades.

Notice the finger guard. When the knife is closed, that nub acts as a flipper. When the index finger applies pressure to the flipper, the knife opens. And it opens quickly…

CRKT also integrated the LAWKS system (designed by Lake and Walker), which is an additional lock that prevents the liner lock from disengaging. The previous version had to be activated manually, but the current models have a spring fired LAWKS mechanism that establishes the safetly lock automatically. The downside is that it has to be unlocked at the same time as the liner lock, and this takes some practice. The manual version allowed you to unlock the LAWKS first and then the liner lock, since the LAWKS mechanism would not spring back into the locked position.

The CRKT M-16s offer a great tactial design at a low price, though the materials tend to be several steps down from the real Kit Carson customs.