The m21-04g is a great tactical folder. - CRKT M21 G10 Handle Spear Point Folding Knife

I’ve owned and carried a CRKT M16-01S for quite a while now and I wasn’t looking for a new EDC when I came across this deal on the M21-04G (straight edge). I’ve known about the M21 series for a while now, but I never was in the market for a large folder until recently. So I did my research and believe me, there are some nice knives out there in the $80 price range that I was looking at. Most of the top rated knives in this price range have quality builds, but it finally came down to a few personal decisions which drew me to this great heavy duty, survival folder, made by CRKT and designed by Kit Carson. First and foremost, I really like the aggressive overall design, it’s a knife that doesn’t only look like it’s ready to take on just about anything you can throw at it, it was made too. In the reviews I read, I knew it was a popular Deployment Folder for military personnel around the globe but it was some of the other reviews I found which opened my eyes to the true potential of the M21-04G, as a serious survival folder. As soon as you flick the blade open for the first time, you’ll feel this solid and very smooth deployment which is quite impressive to say the least. Then you realize, wow this is one solid blade, it actually feels like a fixed blade!!! From the top looking down, you notice the thick .14” spine of the blade, then from the side you see the deep belly, drop point blade with a nice recurve feature added. When the blade is fully opened, the automated liner locker kicks in, securing the blade nicely adding protection that I really like, but oddly many complain about in their reviews, Really??? They say it’s to burdensome to pull back on the safety switch for that brief split second needed, in order to be able to move the liner locker over and then close the blade like ever other liner locker made. After a few minutes of learning the feel and mechanics of the M21, I really found myself appreciating the AutoLAWK system and scratching my head as to why anyone would feel that it’s a burden or bad system. Moving on, the G10 scales are very comfortable in all weather situations and added to the overall design of the handle itself, they offer great grip and control with its subtle textured surfaces. The pocket clip is also movable to any position you wish to use and it also sits nicely in the front pocket of my jeans or shorts (tip down, right carry). Now for some of the features/abilities not mentioned by most reviewers and why?, because they never actually carried or used this blade for any real time or purpose other than to review it I would guess. But there are reviews where individuals took the knife and used it and put it through the paces of survival, bushcraft and EDC situations and this is where I was sold. Yes the knife is very sharp out of the box, yes it holds a usable edge very well, yes it isn’t hard to resharpen if you know what you’re doing, yes it cuts open boxes, letters, straps, ropes and just about anything else in the EDC world, to me that’s just being a knife. What impresses me is it’s effectiveness in firecraft, like the ease and swift work it does on feathering wood with the recurved part of the blade or how well the spine of the blade works as a striker when building a fire, with the blade closed and handle in hand, the meaty sharp edge of the blade produces nice controlled sparks with most magnesium rods. But now let’s say you don’t have a magnesium rod or any other source to ignite a spark or fire, it’s time to Bow Drill. One reviewer showed his simple and brilliant technique of using his M21-04G (closed) as his handhold when bow drilling. By holding the knife closed in his left hand, he gives room for the top of the spindle to sit nice and securely in one of the M21’s 4 holes found on each side of the handle itself, giving him a perfect handhold which provides great control and stability, making it much easier to bow drill successfully. It was this very last tip that one reviewer gave which closed the deal for me and now that I have had my for a couple of weeks I can say, like my CRKT M16, I see it holding its place in my EDC pack for a very long time to come.