Online: www.REI.com
URL for this product:

From the U.S. and Canada — Call 1-800-426-4840
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT.
International — Call 1-253-891-2500
Mon. through Sun., 4 a.m. through 11 p.m. PT. English language only.

ORANGE

Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife

$49.95

(24)

Item # 760507

REI Members get back an estimated $ 5.00 on this item as part of their annual member refund.

The REI Member Dividend

The REI dividend is a unique benefit of membership in the REI co-op. It's comprised of your member refund—typically 10% back on eligible purchases—and/or your REI Visa® card rebates.

Each March, active REI members and REI Visa cardholders who earned a rebate receive a refund in the form of an annual dividend notice.

Only active members receive annual dividend notices. To maintain your active status as an REI member, you need to make net merchandise or shipping purchases of at least $10 per year, unless you joined that year. Member numbers are issued in one name and only that person receives the member refund. Your number can be used by others in your family, but it cannot be transferred to someone else.

Questions? Call us at 1-800-426-4840 for more about your dividend or its redemption.

Learn more

This item may be available in your local REI store.

FREE U.S. STANDARD SHIPPING Through February 20. No minimum purchase! Learn more

More videos

To view videos or use the zoom feature on REI's websites, please download the latest version of Adobe Flash Player.

NOW PLAYING

This rugged knife from Columbia River will come in handy at home and on the trail.

Ambidextrous thumb stud lets you open the blade with one hand; once blade is fully open, it locks securely in place
A powerful spring inside the handle forces the AutoLAWKS™ cam forward, and a metal bar prevents the locking liner from releasing accidentally
AutoLAWKS safety locking mechanism automatically actuates when knife is opened and locked, instantly creating a virtual fixed blade
Carson Flipper blade extension speeds opening and acts as an additional blade guard
Partially serrated, AUS 4 stainless-steel blade holds an edge well and is easy to sharpen
Zytel® fiberglass-filled nylon handle features a removable stainless-steel clip plated with Teflon® for toughness and resistance to solvents

Please Note: This product is not able to be shipped to addresses in New York.

Imported.

Item 760507

View all Columbia River products

REI Membership

REI Membership $20.00

Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife

4.4

(based on 24 reviews)

96%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Durable (21)
Sharp blade (21)
Comfortable grip (20)
Smooth locking mechanism (15)

Cons

Difficult to close (3)
Dulls quickly (3)

Best Uses

Camping (19)
Survival (17)
Home (13)
Backcountry camping (7)
Hunting (6)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (15), Casual/ recreational (3)

Reviewed by 24 customers

Sort by

Displaying reviews 1-10

Previous | Next »

Apr

2008

(8 of 8 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

The best knife...

By Noah B

from The Coast of NC

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Feel
Durable
Safe
Sharp Blade

Cons

Belt Clip Comes Loose

Best Uses

ANYTHING
Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
River Trips
Road Trips
Survival

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

I love this knife. I have had a lot of knives and this one is definitely in my top five and some of the others are customs.Pros: Durable, Feels comfortable to hold, Its a CRKT product, Tanto/Serrated blade is great- its strong and stays sharp, Easy to sharpen, Very safe with its double locking mechanismCons: Takes a quick minute to get used to the double lock, Keep the center oiled, The belt clip comes loose from time to time, so buy the tiny screwdriver attachment to tighten it for about a dollar and you will never have to worry about it again. This is a knife for the everyday person who does everything from backpacking to daily working to cutting an orange. It is dull, I repeat dull (As in color- black- not as in sharpness) and bland. One of the best things about this knife is that it is not a fancy knife. It is meant to be used and if taken care of, it will probably last forever. If you want a knife that is simple, safe, sharp, and durable, this is could be the best [$] you spend. If you want a knife that is expensive and shiny, get a collectors model or custom knife.In short, this knife is great, I carry and use it everyday, and for an everyday knife that I can trust to never fail, this is certainly the knife.

Jan

2008

(7 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great Survival/Rescue Knife Design

By A Bear in the Woods

from Sunnyvale, CA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Durable
Sharp Blade

Cons

No Lanyard Hole

Best Uses

Camping
General Utility Use
Rescue
Survival

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

This knife and indeed all the knives in this M16 series are durable, well-designed all-around cutting tools. I won't repeat the "12 Points" to look for in a good (reliable) survival knife, but suffice it to say that this knife satisfies at least 10 of them, IMO. The blade is AUS-4 stainless (57 on the Rockwell hardness scale), which means it will be easy to sharpen and keep clean. The blade is half-serrated, which is practical for quickly cutting through tough rope, cord, sinew, seatbelts, etc. and I personally like the "Tanto" design, which makes the point strong/efficient for punching holes, stabbing (like as a spearpoint), and gives it a thick durable cross-section. The one-hand opening system is a big plus for quick convenient deployment, and the M16 incorporates both the thumb/forefinger posts on the side of the blade and the "Carson flipper" with spring assist on the bottom of the blade. Basically, with a slight flip of the index finger the blade will swing out and lock by itself, like a switchblade (but legally bypassing that silly U.S."switchblade" law by not being automatic).The knife is equipped with a liner lock, but also has the proprietary "autolawks" system which is like a secondary lock system. I haven't experienced enough field usage of this system to say whether this is a big positive or a small annoyance yet, but for now, I'll just say it is an "added" feature that seems to do no harm, and makes it virtually impossible to accidentally unlock the knife (was that a big problem before??).I like the Zytel handle and the thickness of the grip (feels good in the hand). The blaze orange colour seems to designate this as a "rescue" knife and tends not to alarm people... LOL. I actually keep one in my "survival" kit where it fits right in with all the other emergency supplies. It's ideal for it's survival knife role, but if I had to state a "wish", I'd would have included a lanyard hole (as a tool that your life depends on in a survival situation should be dummy corded).[...]

Feb

2008

(4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Best I've Used

By Jason Klass

from Denver, Colorado

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Durable
FAST One-handed opening
Perfect Size Weight
Sharp Blade

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
Road Trips
Survival

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

I've actually bought this knife 3 times! The first 2 I had were the same as this one but with black handles. I lost both of them. After losing the second one, CRKT came out with an orange-handled version and given my apparent propensity to "donate" knives to people behind me on the trail, thought the blaze orange handle might improve my odds of holding on to the 3rd one for a while. I LOVE the Carson Flipper--you can open it as fast as a switchblade with one hand. Everything about this knife is well thought out; from the removable belt clip to the failsafe locking mechanism. I've used a lot of folding knives and this one is hands down my fav. The price is right too. Which means that should I be clumbsy (or colorblind) enough to lose even the blaze-orange version, I can replace it without breaking the bank.

Mar

2008

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great knife druuable

By batterymans

from Washington Mo

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Durable
Sharp Blade

Cons

Pocket clip loosens

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
River Trips
Road Trips
Survival

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

I really like this knife it cuts well and makes any cutting job i have a quick one. The Only problem that the pocket clip loosens easily. This isn't that big of a deal if you have a star wrench small enough to tighten it if not just use a screwdriver it gets it tight enough but everything else about the knife is great id recommend this to anyone at any time.

Nov

2007

(2 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

This knife truely shows it colors

By harryold

from Andrews, NC

About Me Professional Guide

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Durable
Easily identifiable color
Sharp Blade

Cons

Best Uses

ANYTHING
Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Survival

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

the auto lawks took some getting used to but i really like it now. This knife is good for anything and the tanto blade is sweet

Oct

2007

(2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Great Everyday Knife

By Murdlih

from Seattle, WA

About Me Avid Adventurer, Knife Afficionado

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Durable
Sharp Blade

Cons

Difficult to Close

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
Everyday carry
Road Trips

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

This knife quickly became my new favorite pocket knife. It's durable handle and solid construction mean that I have no reservations about treating it like what it is, a tool. I am generally not a fan of Tanto Blades (for almost purely aesthetic reasons) but this knife has made me look past it. It is in my pocket every day you might see me.

The only drawback is the dual locking mechanism. It really bothered me for the first 30 minutes I had the knife, but I quickly "figured out" how to work it. It it still difficult to close one handed without a surface to help you fold the knife against.

And while it claims that it "instantly creat(es) a virtual fixed blade," this knife will not take the place of the fixed blade I carry on backpacking trips. But it is a nice addition.

Jun

2010

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

2.0

OK for a lefty and light duty.

By TwoMileHigh

from Colorado

About Me Professional/Guide

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Smooth Locking Mechanism

Cons

Dulls Quickly

Best Uses

Home

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

Owned for 4 years. I purchased this knife for my camping and climbing equipment. The build quality of the knife is good. The locking and opening mechanisms work flawlessly.
The biggest drawbacks about this knife are:
1. The knife edge is a single angle forcing you to use the knife in the left hand if you are going to carve or shave anything, using the proper direction, is a big problem if you're right handed.
2. The blade does not hold an edge well and dulls after moderate usage.
3. The belt clip screws loosen right away so use some red thread-lock on them out of the box.

This knife would work great for around the house activities like box opening, cutting rope. Anything more than that I do not trust this knife to perform.

Bottom line:
Don't buy this knife if it's your only knife. There are far better knives for the price.

Jul

2008

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Great knife!

By JPR

from Los Angeles, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Durable
Sharp Blade
Smooth Locking Mechanism

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

I like this knife so much that when I lost one in the ocean, I went and got another. I can open and close it with one hand lightning fast. It stays sharp and is well made. The price is right too...

May

2008

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

5.0

Best Knife I've Owned

By jrCranstonRI

from Cranston, RI

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Comfortable Grip
Durable
Sharp Blade

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Survival

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

I own about a dozen knives. Love the Victorinox Swiss army ones. But this beats everything I've owned (including military-grade fixed blade) for all-around backcountry use. Opens very easily and can be used for anything. I like the tanto blade because it is so strong - I've used it to split small logs! I don't have a problem closing it one-handed, either. It is a 1-2-3 sequence, once you do the first release and then the second, you can let go of the first and shut it. I have the black handled version because I got it on sale from REI for[$] - but I'm getting this orange one so I don't lose it on long-distance treks.

May

2008

(1 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

3.0

The Odd man Out

By harryold

from Andrews, NC

About Me Professional Guide

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Best Uses

Comments about Columbia River M16-12Z E.R. Knife:

I have had this knife for a few months and it was quite dull when I bought it which disappointed me. Also after these few months of having this knife pieces of the blad have actually chipped off. I'm giving CRKT the benefit of the doubt that this was a fluke because I am a huge fan of their products. I think I will try another one and see how it goes.

Displaying reviews 1-10

Previous | Next »