[[{“value”:”Story and Photos by Paul Pawela
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As a national self-defense instructor, my advice to people carrying firearms and knives as self-defense tools is to purchase weapon systems that are not only proven to be reliable, but also inexpensive. The rationale for this is that if any weapon system is used in a deadly force self-defense altercation, it will surely be confiscated by law enforcement investigators and submitted as evidence and you may not get it back, even after your adjudication of not guilty. That is why I am dismissive of expensive guns and knives for personal carry. Many readers of American Shooting Journal know full well that when it comes to handguns, I generally carry Glocks (models 17 and 26). Knives, too, must be reliable yet inexpensive.
I WAS RECENTLY sent three CRKT knives to test and evaluate. Before delving into details about these knives, I must inform you that my relationship with CRKT spans a considerable amount of time, and I hold a very emotional and personal connection with them. CRKT, which stands for Columbia River Knife & Tool, is an American knife company established in 1994 and currently based in Tualatin, Oregon, outside Portland. Founded by Rod Bremer and Paul Gillespie, CRKT did not take off until SHOT Show in 1997, when the KISS (short for “Keep. It. Super. Simple.”) was introduced.
The knife was designed by renowned Master Bladesmith Ed Halligan, who is my dear mentor and friend. I faithfully carried the fixed-blade version, known as the Stiff KISS, produced by CRKT and designed by Halligan, while on active duty for most of my military career. In the 15 years that I carried the Stiff KISS, I probably owned between 20 and 30 of those knives, which I either gave away or had stolen. But it did not matter to me because they were inexpensive. Side note: Upon arriving at the 10th Special Forces Group, I was introduced to another soldier who was also a knife expert and connoisseur. His name was Master Sergeant Dan Pecaro, and he served with Master Bladesmith Kit Carson during his military career. Carson gave Pecaro one of CRKT’s original designs for the M12 knife, which I have always envied, so I bought one to add to my knife collection.
CRKT has a pretty interesting and cool quote: “There are those who fight with knives. There are others who design them. And then” there are those who know “that a knife has to work as both a weapon and a tool.” I tend to select knifemakers with a background in using knives in realistic conditions, as they truly understand the necessity for this essential tool. So it should be no surprise when I tell you that all three of the knife designs CRKT sent me had proven combat experience.
I WILL START with one of the knives I’m most familiar with, CRKT’s Clever Girl Fixed Blade. For the record, I have been carrying this knife on and off for the past four years. But the difference between the one I owned previously and the newer model is that the former lacks serrations in its blade, whereas the latter has them. In the company’s promotion of the Clever Girl, CRKT states that with it you can move “with the instincts of a velociraptor” and that the knife “can help you claw your way out of hairy situations.” It features an upswept blade with the aforementioned serrations, as well as a marbled G10 handle.
I love the brutality of this knife. When carried on the hip, it’s easy to grab instinctively in a close-quarters life-and death situation. When faced with an opponent, the knife easily comes out to cut east and west across the opponent’s stomach with devastating results. The curved blade, with its impressive tip, can also puncture different arteries on the body easily and at will. The Clever Girl’s overall length is 10.13 inches, and the blade length alone is 4.60 inches. It weighs a comfortable 6.30 ounces. This knife is perfect for carrying while camping and hiking in the woods or traversing badlands – but always check the knife laws of the states you are carrying in, as they change from state to state. The designer of the Clever Girl is Austin McGlaun, a seasoned combat veteran who deployed with the 101st Airborne Division and is now a police officer in Georgia.
THE NEXT KNIFE sent to me by CRKT was the M16-14XD Crossbar Lock in tan (one of my favorite colors). This knife is the latest in a line of Kit Carson-designed desert tactical folders developed for coalition forces in the Middle East. It features the iconic ambidextrous crossbar lock paired with the IKBS ball bearing pivot for seamless deployment and easy one-handed closing and, more importantly, opening. It’s important to note that opening a knife under duress – like in a deadly force situation – can be difficult if you don’t practice. It’s just like obtaining a concealed carry permit and carrying
a gun – without the proper tactical training, the tool is worthless to the user. Most people are taught to use both their index finger and thumb to engage the knife. I recommend using all four fingers on the outside of the pant pocket to scoop the knife toward the thumb for easier access. The M16-14XD is constructed from D2 steel. Its blade finish features titanium nitride. The blade measures 3.97 inches in length and has a thickness of 0.14 inch. Its overall length of 9.34 inches provides a remarkably sturdy option for pocket carry. As previously stated, the crossbar lock allows for quick and easy opening. This tough, durable knife serves well as an excellent thrower or stabbing instrument.
THE LAST KNIFE sent to me by CRKT is the Siwi Fixed Blade. This knife was a pleasant surprise, as I found it to be one of the best fixed-blade knives I have ever seen. With a blade length of 3.34 inches and a blade thickness of 0.20 inch, the overall length of this knife is 7.44 inches. It weighs a comfortable 5.6 ounces, and the handle material is G10. Ideally, it makes for a comfortable fixed-blade carry knife in its sheath mode. The Siwi knife caught me totally off guard, as I was unaware of its existence. Upon removing the blade from the box, I knew immediately whoever designed this knife knew exactly what they were doing. Of course my instincts were right because it was designed by retired Sergeant Major Darrin Sirois, a 25-year special operations member serving many years with the US Army’s premier counterterrorist unit, Delta Force. I tried with all my efforts to beat the hell out of this knife; I must have thrown this knife nearly 50 times at my practice throwing board. But the knife never lost an edge. I said to myself, who am I kidding? I will never test this knife better than Sergeant Major Sirois did. Both the Clever Girl and Siwi come with Kydex knife sheaths that are custom-fitted to the individual blades and equipped with the Blade-Tech clip attachment.
I am so impressed with the CRKT knives that I now carry Carson’s M16 14XD folder everywhere I go, along with my alternate, the Clever Girl. The Siwi, meanwhile, serves as my backup weapon wherever I go in Florida. It goes without saying, but I’ll state it for the record: CRKT knives make the cut! ★
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