M16-14ZLEK Folding Knife with Liner Lock: AUS 8 Triple Point Serrations Blade, Glass-Reinforced Nylon Handle, Reversible Pocket Clip, M16-14ZLEK

Update: Got this knife a 6 months ago - First let me say I love this knife! It looks and feels so well constructed because it is. Being a larger knife it feels great in my hand and makes gripping it, and knife retention, excellent. I have used it to cut wire, rope, cardboard boxes, small branches, and other miscellaneous things (more on that later). The blade is still sharp and defect free. It was very sharp out of the box - I cut paper and cardboard and the blade glides right through them with no snags or drags.As a lefty one of the big reasons I chose CRKT is the four position options for the clip. I prefer to carry tip down so I can withdraw the knife from my pocket in the "ready" position (with my finger on the flipper). I have carried the knife regularly and the blade has not accidentally deployed in my pocket. My only suggestion to CRKT would be the addition of an Allen wrench that fits the tiny little screws that hold the clip - that would be very convenient.As far as opening the blade - while it is not assisted opening - a quick flip of the large Carson Flipper (which doubles as the seat belt cutter) and a bit of wrist action and it opens fast, smooth, and easy. The blade securely locks into place.There is a lot of discussion about closing the blade - the knife has a solidly constructed liner lock along with a safety pin which must also be pressed in order to fold the blade to the closed position. Yes, this does require a bit more dexterity to close the knife. It only took me a few minutes of handling to master one handed closing - admittedly it take three fingers and some artful manipulation, but it can be done. Otherwise, just use two hands which is how it is designed. Love it or not that's how this knife operates. It is definitely not a deal breaker if you are considering this (or other CRKT) knife.The size, length, weight, and balance of this knife make it a very useful tool as it fits nicely in the hand. The handle length provides a very nice and confident grip. I prefer the saber grip, although I use the closed fist method, as opposed to the thumb along the spine of the knife. Just my preference from years of self protection training as it allows the hand to still be used as a fist. Whatever grip you prefer there is plenty of handle to grasp for a confident feel of safety and retention. As I mentioned I also carry this knife as a SHTF defensive weapon, and have trained extensively in knife combatives. So, I have trained using this knife defensively as you must train with something if you have any thought of using it for said purpose. I wrap my 100 lb. punching bag with thick foam and cardboard and have stabbed and slashed it hundreds of times. The blade punctures and slashes with ease. Having said this I must add the caveat that I do not recommend or suggest anyone use the knife in this manner as there is potential for serious injury - just sharing my experience. Being around others who are also into knives (and who are very knowledgeable and opinionated) I have shown this knife to them and everyone is very impressed with it, and it has a sort of "wow" factor.I specifically chose the LE model as it has the seat belt cutter and the glass breaker. For my use I also chose the serrated blade which makes the blade a very useful tool, and also my personal preference.CRKT is a great product and value for the money, and I anticipate years of use from this knife - likely to become my EDC in most cases. This is the quality of pocketknife I have always wanted. 5 stars!

I have been looking for an all purpose EDC knife that included a window breaker, regular blade (not blunt) and seat belt cutter. When I was on the street, it didn't matter because I could carry a knife and rescue tool somewhere on my duty gear. I first saw this knife advertised and ordered it on another site months ago, not knowing it had yet to be released. After months of waiting I cancelled it and reordered it when Amazon vendors listed them in stock. I have been carrying a smaller M16-10z as an everyday carry. It was compact and is good for those days wearing a suit and tie. But, for the rest of the time I wanted something bigger with a little higher quality steel. I have lots of SOG knives, a Benchmade or two, some Spyderco knives among others. I didn't want anything too expensive as manure happens and EDC knives do get lost.I received the M16-14ZLEK and it is well made, tight and sharp. The CRKT web site lists the steel as AUS 8 which is a good compromise of quality, hardness, ease of sharpening, etc. The finish is black and the Tanto blade has a nice thickness to it when using it for other than intended purposes. The seat belt cutter is very sharp and will slice paper, something that many supposed seatbelt cutters built into knives will not do. The carbide window breaker has a sharp point and appears to have the correct geometry to perform its intended function. I tested a number of glass breakers and frankly, they all don't work as advertised. I will update this one once I get the chance to break a window or two with it, but after testing these things for a while, I can usually tell what will not work right away. The hilt/lever that was created by the seatbelt cutter allows for great one handed opening without the need of assited spring technology. I have lots of assited openers but I like simple designs. I have has several assited openers that had a bad habbit of opening in a pocket. One was tip up designed and several stitches later, I learned a lesson.Pros: Reasonable priceWell made, quality fit and finish, good steelSturdy blade, well designed window breaker a good all around carry knife/rescue toolCons: Just a tad heavy but not enough of a con to knock it down from the 5 star rating.

I have owned the rescue version of this knife for about 3 years now. I tend to get tired of a knife after a few years, and switch it out to something new. I haven’t been able to do that with this knife. It is an absolute work horse, that fills whatever need I have for a knife.I bought it with some reservations about the look of a few aspects about the blade, and finger guard. It was a cosmetic issue for me, but all of that has disappeared. After actually using the knife for some time, I understand the reasons behind why the knife is shaped the way it is. It was designed around functionality, rather than what looks nice.Again, I’ve used this as my daily carry, daily work knife for over 3 years. I have used it pretty hard, and had to sharpen the blade a few times. It holds an edge well. The ergonomics of the blade allow for a long draw, and even cut with the length of the blade. The finger guard has saved my hand a couple of times, when I got the knife wet. If you don’t like how high the finger guard sticks up, get over it! It is exactly the size it needs to be to save. your. fingers.The glass breaker works well. I tested it at a junk yard. Just remember to break glass near the corners of a window. The seatbelt cutter works well too. You can use it as a cord/twine cutter like I did, but I wouldn’t recommend it. All cutting edges need to be sharpened from time to time, if used regularly. You don’t want to find yourself trying to help someone out of a crashed vehicle, only to remember that you needed to sharpen the thing.Overall, my only complaint about this knife, is that it’s ruined other knives for me. It functions extremely well for what it was designed to do. It has a warranty policy with CRKT that is second to none. It comes it a variety of sizes to fit whatever restrictions you may have.The reason I bought the orange version is pretty silly but actually effective. I’m not LEO or military, and I have ran into a lot of people that say “that’s a weapon” whenever they see a pocket knife. I got tired of constantly having that conversation. Now when people say that, I respond with “what are talking about? It’s a rescue tool. It’s got a seatbelt cutter, a window breaker, and it’s saftey orange.” In 3 years, I’ve never had it be an issue with anyone when I explain it that way.

This knife is incredible. I'm a retired LEO and prior to that I was in the military so I've had, used and carry various makes and models of pocket knives all my life. And although I'm now retired it's been a habit that I will never break; it's nice to have a knife readily available (you never know when you will need one).For the last few years I've been carrying various models of Kershaw knives and never thought I would carry any other brand.That's until I came across the CRKT M16-14ZLEK. This knife is larger than any of the Kershaw's that I had been carrying, but no so big, bulky and heavy that it would be too bulky in my pocket. I love the Automated Liner Safety that locks the blade in place and I don't have to worry about accidentally closing the blade on my hand. Yet, it is very easy to disengage and close with one hand. The knife is very sharp. I had to cut a few large cardboard boxes to get them ready for the recycle bin and I waited until the knife arrived. As soon as it arrived I took the knife out of the box and easily cut all the boxes into smaller pieces with no drag. The knife cut through the cardboard like it as cutting through butter.I don't know how the sharpness will hold, but for now I'm very happy with the knife and recommend it to any LEO ot there. Only wish this knife had been available when I was active. I love this knife and will consider purchasing CRKT knives in the future.

Honestly this is one of the best quality knives I have ever purchased! Great price, extremely well made and extremely durable. This is a perfect everyday carry knife. The safety features on this knife really impressed me as well. The seat belt cutter and the window breaker feature work perfectly. I definitely recommend this product!!

The knife it’s self is great and I would love to give it 5 stars but, nothing tells you what size/type screws are on the clip to change it around. Had to do some extensive research to figure it out. The screws are extremely cheap, and started to strip badly just unscrewing them, moving the clip around, and screwing them back in. Couldn’t even fully seat them because they stripped out so quickly. Now the clip is loose and hopefully the screws don’t start to back out.

this is a large, heavy duty knife. It more than fills my beefy hands. The pommel is sharpened on 3 edges and is sharp enough to pierce jeans while in a pocket and open a nasty gash in your thumb. I will grind it down to blunt. You don't want to get in the way of this bad boy.I like the layout of the knife, but wonder why they insist on making the chisel edge for lefties. For right handers, it should be on the right side of the blade for maximum cutting efficiency. I like the serrations and tanto tip. The jury is still out on the Auto L.A.W.K.S system. It may be over-engineered for my purpose. I doubt this knife will ever close without purposefully unlocking it. You have to pull back the LAWKS lever first, then press the liner lock, then have something to push the blade against to fold it one-handed. A bit tricky to do. It auto-engages upon opening.I've already sprung out the clip in less than a week. On the plus side, it didn't snap when bending it back with pliers and a vice. It's going to require some careful consideration on where to carry it. The clip can be re positioned to any of the four corners of the handle with a very small hex key..It's recommended to keep the clip on the original end (toward the blade swivel).==============================UPDATE bumped up from 4 to 5 stars!Returned knife to CRKT because of damage to Auto-LAWKS lock. They fixed it at NO CHARGE, and shipped it back to me:They replaced a missing screw and the damaged clipAND the knife was razor sharp! We're talking Obsidian sharp.There was no hassle over warranties or proof of purchase, etc. Truly awesome customer service!They will send you parts for free, such as screws & clips, if any go missing or get damaged.I'll use some lok-tite on the clip screws this time.

I am in law enforcement and wanted a larger knife than the trusty (but small) Gerber folder I had. I purchased this for an affordable price here and have been very pleased. The knife is large but not too large to place in front or back pockets. I really like the flipper/seat belt cutter to open the blade, it is very smooth and quick. The seat belt cutter is indeed sharp but I have not been able to test the window breaker. I am hoping to test it on some junked cars and I will repost here the results when I am able to.Edit: I finally had a chance to test the glass breaker and I continue to be impressed. Side automobile windows quickly fell apart with a single pop from the glass breaker on the bottom of this knife. (I did also try a front windshield which is much thicker and was a different kind of glass. It did not break but made small puncture holes). I am very confident that if I need to bust any passenger car windows out they will quickly fall prey to this glass breaker.The knife feels like it is built very well and is solid. One observation I did have; be careful when you are replacing the knife in your pocket, the window breaker on the bottom of the knife is actually quite pointy and can possibly tear your pocket. I haven't torn any yet but I have felt it get caught a couple times.- Haley's husband