When most individuals think of a camping knife I believe they incorrectly jump into thinking they need either a tactical survival knife like the SOG Seal Pup or a Bush knife like the Mora. While both these styles have their place in the outdoors, I believe that for most common campers they are too large and unwieldy as a primary camping blade. Most of you will not be splitting wood, building structures, creating spears, digging holes, signaling for help, or slaying bears with your knife. Years of camping experience has taught me that the most common applications for a camping knife are cutting rope, preparing food, and creating tinder and kindling for a fire. Further, we only have so much room to pack or carry with us while camping and so I have found the size and weight of an item plays an important role in my decision whether to bring it or not. That being said, each camping situation is different and a person hiking 7 days in the back country will have more demanding requirements than someone who is doing a weekend trip at a public camp site. In other words your mileage may vary and I do believe a survival knife is a critical item to bring along in addition to a camping knife if you may be more isolated or at higher risk of finding yourself in a precarious position. 

If we assume the primary role of a camping knife is cutting rope, preparing food, and as an aid to start a fire; here are some of the characteristics I look for when choosing one: 1.) large enough to fit comfortably in the hand, yet small enough as to minimize weight and maximize portability. 2.) Spear point design - which allows for detail work using a strong sharp tip, and a modest belly for slicing and cutting. *Note: a drop point blade would be a close second. 3.) Affordable, I don't know how many times I have seen a knife lent to another person and never returned, or in the rush to pack up camp a knife is left behind. 4.) Straight edge design over a serrated blade. This allows maximum usage of the blades belly and is much easier to resharpen. 5.) Is durable to modest abuse and rust resistant. 6.) Is composed of a steel that is easily sharpened and retains an edge well. All of these things led me to the CRKT M16, but is it the perfect camping knife? 

The Good: The M16 design has some very strong attributes in its favor. First, ergonomically it fits wonderfully in my hand, being a folder makes it compact (open length is 7"closed is 4"), and at 2.3 ounces it is light weight. Secondly, the blade design is perfect for food preparation and other detailed tasks and strong enough so you don't worry about damaging the tip or folding over the edge when preforming more rigorous tasks. Third, it is very affordable and if I lost one or irreparable damaged it I wouldn't shed a tear. MSRP is $49.99 but can easily be found in the $24 dollar range at several retailers. Fourth, the guard design allows for rapid one hand deployment when folded and once open provides modest protection to prevent your hands from slipping onto the edge. Fifth, the steel, 8Cr15MoV very easily sharpened and resistant to wear and rust. 

The Bad: Lets first start with the steel, while 8Cr15MoV is very easily sharpened and resilient, I would classify its edge retention as moderate. This means that if you plan on doing a lot of heavy cutting, say on cardboard or wood, you will quickly wear down the edge and it will need to resparpen--but again it is a very easy knife to resharpen to a razor edge. Secondly, some may find the grip marginal and thus I am putting this in the bad category but I feel the ergonomics overcome this for me. Third, and the big one for me, I find the locking mechanism weak and prone to lockup. The M16 is a liner lock design with an AutoLAWKS safety mechanism. Therefore the knife is designed to have a greater resistance to unexpectedly collapsing while in use and thereby adds the safety to protect your hands. This is great and I would love that about the knife if only it was executed more precisely. Allow me to explain. Over the past four years I have owned three M16 knives, the first I lost and the second I sent back to the factory due to malfunction with which they sent me a new knife. That malfunction was due to me placing an increased pressure on the blade of the knife which caused the locking system to seize or permanently lock up. In other words, while it did protect my hands, the locking system caused the blade to stay in the open position. You were unable to close it. CRKT has since sent me what is now my third and I have had this problem with it again. Instead of sending it back I just take a pair of pliers and squeeze the liner lock so I can close the blade again. No time has it done this under normal use but when higher stress is applied the knife has locked up five or six times. 

Conclusion: For many years I thought the CRKT M16 was close to the prefect camping knife. The shape, ergonomics, price and size matched perfectly with my needs. But to answer the question, is it the perfect camping knife? No. But then again almost all gear is a combination of compromises and advantages. The M16 has a lot going for it but the steel and locking are subpar yet this is balanced with its affordable price. Compromise. I still take the M16 with my camping as I have a love for its feel, but it now comes as a secondary blade not a primary and in those extreme size and weight circumstances it does not come at all. I still like the knife, but it is not perfect. I would still recommend it as a light EDC or Camping knife but for those looking for something capable of more rigorous use there are better options out there. Verdict: 7/10.

The Good: Foremost, the knife is rustproof. In 8 months of using it in and around water, I have not had a single problem, nor from what I have seen from other's tests has anyone had problems with rust. Fresh or saltwater, this knife holds up. This is a knife that is a great tool if you spend a lot of time around the water like me. If you forget to wipe it off or it spends time sitting in water at the bottom of your boat, its just not a problem. The H1 Steel is really phenomenal stuff. Secondly, the handle really has a lot of grip to it, especially when wet and even in gloves, I was really impressed with this. Third, and this may seem an odd point, but I am really glad Spyderco went with a bold yellow color for the handle. Many times when fishing I would set down the blade for a moment, forget about it momentarily, but then see it out of the corner of my eye again very quickly. The yellow color saved me from losing it. Opening and closing is simple and easily preformed with one hand. The blade was easy to sharpen and held its edge moderately well, but does dull faster than other higher end steels. 

The Bad: I honestly had a hard time coming up with much in this category at all. Yet, with an MSRP of $124.99 the blade is a bit price prohibitive for some budgets (if you shop around, you should be able to find it for around $70). Also the blade shape, while great for most jobs around the water doesn't make the greatest filet knife, not that its designed to but for those looking for a "fishing" knife that can do it all, you can filet with this but its not going to be the prettiest job, as I can attest. A sheepfoot style blade is just not the tool for that job. Other than that, I cannot think of a job in or around the water that this knife wouldn't be appropriate for. 

Growing up in the Boy Scouts, if you carried a Gerber Knife you were viewed with a sense of awe. It was the top of the top anyone could carry for a pocketknife in my teens, or so it seemed. Fast forward a number of years and it is of no surprise that for my first knife and the one that introduced me to the idea of everyday carry (EDC) I picked up a Gerber Paraframe I. That purchase was five years ago. Since that time I have learned a lot more about knives, steel, and what I like in a edc role. And within the knife community no single company seems to receive such a hard time and receive bad press as Gerber. So which is it: is Gerber truly a quality knife company or are they not worth the effort and in the end a pile of junk? 

As I noted, this was the knife that introduced me to edc without even understanding that term. It wasn't a purposeful move. Rather the job I had at the time required me to open dozens of boxes each week, box cutters were always getting lost and so from a purely utilitarian stance I went to a local hardware store and purchased a pocketknife. From my background in the Boy Scouts, the choice in a Gerber seemed obvious. After carrying the knife for work I found the immense utility of carrying a knife daily and it just became part of my daily habit. Now I have many more knives to fulfill that edc role and without one I just feel naked. 

Onto the stats themselves: Gerber doesn't specify the steel but through research I have learned it is 7cr17, somewhat analogous to 440A. The benefit of this steel is it is very corrosion resistant due to its high carbon content and cheap to produce. The blade itself is a 3 inch clip point design, and total length when open is 7" Weight is 2.6 oz. The locking mechanism is a frame lock and the overall design is an open frame. MSRP $25.

The Good: I love the feel of this knife. I can open and close it easily with one hand and though others have berated the open frame design I really do like it and it feels natural in my hands. This may be due in part from it being the only knife I carried for many many years. Secondly the price, if you lose this knife you won't break the bank to replace it. MRSP may be $25 but looking around online and at stores over the past few months you can find it as low as $15. Finally the weight and size of this knife allow you to easily forget it is on your person. It doesn't bulge out and the blade length is perfect for light edc. 

The Bad: the steel--it is a pain to sharpen and will not hold an edge very long. Out of all the knives I own, this is the one I look the least forward to sharpening. If you are new to sharpening, all the best luck to you. Gerber went with a cheap steel that wouldn't corrode easily, I get that, but what you lose is a sharp edge. Secondly, the frame--this knife is really only good for light use. In preparing for writing this review I submitted my knife to some hard work. Nothing crazy but some serious work. Two things happened: 1.) the knife began to have a lot of play when "locked" both side to side and even vertically 2.) the framelock is not very secure and will collapse relatively easily if you place moderate pressure on the opposing end. In fact I broke my knife testing it. Finally, if you are left handed, when opening the knife your fingers may slip into where the blade lies. For us righties the pocket clip will keep your fingers from going in, but I can't say this knife is ambidextrous. 

Verdict: though I broke my knife of 5 years while testing I have replaced it. I have much much better knives to be sure but I just can't get away from how nice this knife feels in my hand. It is well balanced and smooth. Its not a great knife by any stretch and the steel is pretty crappy and this is what most of the criticism online centers around. That being said you are spending only $15… not $100 on a Benchmade. I will probably always carry this knife from time to time though I have others I like better. If someone is looking to try EDC and wants an entry level knife I wouldn't hesitate putting this in the running. If you lose it no biggie. It also wouldn't be a bad knife to throw in your tackle box or other place where you can forget about it when not using it. Great for light EDC, a knife to carry when fishing and need to cut line, or a first knife in general, and not a big deal if you lose it. Wouldn't be my choice for a camping knife or survival knife for sure--I just wouldn't trust the durability. If I were asked to assign it a grade I would give it a 6.5/10 (points for ergonomics  and cost, reduced by steel quality and construction). Hope you enjoyed my first knife review, I had to start with the knife that started it all for me, many more to come. 

As an outdoorsman knives are an integral part of my lifestyle. Without a knife many of my hobbies would be problematic. In addition I have adopted a personal practice of EDC (everyday carry) in my day to day life. Over the past 5 years I have steadily collected several knives whilst simultaneously learning about steel, locking mechanisms and the utility of various blade shapes. Therefore I have decided to include an new segment to this blog. My frequent readers would note, the dominant focus of this blog has been and will always been fishing as it is my primary outdoor passion,however, as an outdoorsman I also hike, hunt, target shoot, rock climb, camp so forth. Posts covering these also dot my blog's landscape, I intend a knife segment to be included in a similar manner. 

This new segment will be presented as such. For each review I will define what I view the primary usage the knife is best designed for; i.e. a hunting or fishing knife etc. I will present this as my philosophy of use for the knife, a term I have borrowed and must acknowledge credit to the TNP project also known as philosophy of use. 

What I will review: I will primarily cover knives best utilized in the following categories; bushcraft, camping, edc, fishing and hunting. What I will not write on and what will dramatically distinguish me from the TNP project is I will not write reviews of so called "tactical" or self-defense knifes. 

Allow me a brief argument/rant against the so-called tactical fad which has consumed the knife community. First and foremost, and I cannot stress this enough--a knife is a tool. Secondly I am all for citizens utilizing and carrying a gun as conceal carry or pepper spray. 

However, knife as a self-defense tool, however, is problematic for several reasons. Allow me to explain. First to utilize a knife you typically my physically move towards your attacker. A firm rule of self-defense is to engage the assaultant only to the point to escape the situation and preserve ones life. Secondly under what circumstances would a knife be best utilized as a self-defense weapon. A brawl? Is your life in danger? Were you an aggressor as well? You pull a knife and you just elevated the case from battery charges to assault with a deadly weapon. A gun? Not much use generally. What distinguishes both pepper spray and a gun is the ability to engage from distance and escape quickly, also most who carry a gun also carry with them the understanding that they are carrying a lethal weapon, not so with many who carry knives. You can walk into your local Walmart and be armed. At the end of the day, if I needed to and my life were in danger as a last resort of course I would defend myself with any means necessary but I worry there is a danger and dare I say fantasy imagined by those who submit to the tactical utility of knives. There is much more on the subject and I am sure there are those who will disagree with me but for a more detailed account similar to my position please read this website which articulates far more clearly my own sentiments.

Enough on that, but it needed to be stated in order to distinguish this blog from other knife reviewers. I hope you guys will enjoy this new segment. I hope you learn something and if nothing else it peaks your curiosity.