Greetings readers and welcome to a new addition to sin city press.com. Although we are dedicated to serving the Las Vegas entertainment industry, Nevada is very friendly to the Military, First Responder and Law Enforcement community. As a gesture to the true “American Heroes”, we have launched a new ongoing feature, the “Tactical Toolbox.” We will periodically review the tools that make the tough job of America’s Finest a little bit easier. At the end of each entry, we will provide a link for direct purchase and any discount codes/offers that service personnel can use to obtain these items. It is our sincere wish that our features in the Tactical Toolbox benefit both the merchant and those special people who guard and protect us on a daily basis.

Today, we are very happy to introduce the very first entry in our ongoing Tactical Toolbox review series. From our friends over at CRKT comes the M16-04DB. First imagined by legendary knife maker Kit Carson, the iconic M16 series has become synonymous with CRKT and is renowned for its durability, edge retention and cutting power. This model, the largest in the M16 series, is crafted from D2 steel built on an aluminum chassis and features a reversible pocket clip. A stonewashed finish adds a high degree of surface durability, resistance to scratches and damage associated with normal wear and tear. Weighing in at 6.8 ounces and 9.3 inches in overall length, this one feels great in both a gloved hand and a naked fist, without having an overwhelmingly bulky pocket profile.

Unboxing the Beast: What to expect from the newest M16 in the CRKT series

CRKT has scored in several categories with this entry, but durability and cutting performance are exceptional points of emphasis here. Arm-shaving sharp right out of the box, the M16-04DB was still cutting true after over 20 minutes of our tortuous stress test, which includes the cutting of ¾ inch nylon rope, a thick, corrugated cardboard box, driving through ½ inch plywood (with the assistance of a 3 lb. sledge hammer), and a point-first burying “tent-peg style” into the unforgiving soil of the Nevada desert. The finish on the blade protected it well against abrasions one would expect punishment of this type to inflict, and the cutting edge survived without a nick or chip. We found the tanto point on this model more sturdy than similar folders that feature the same blade configuration, and point-first penetrating power was superb with all materials we tested it against. Blade deployment was smooth and sure, featuring the Deadbolt®️, Assisted Opening mechanism that makes “flipping” the blade into open position easy and efficient.

The smooth handle, configured from milled aluminum and featuring CRKT’s patented circular grip grooves, was surprisingly grip-friendly and accommodated leather work gloves, tactical Mechanix- brand (our favorite), surgical rubber gloves and the naked hand equally well. The large handle design provided a sturdy, non-slip hand posture, even when coated with water, baby oil, motor oil and Vaseline. When submerged in these solutions, the knife opened and closed with ease, and the simple yet sturdy liner lock and IKBS™️ ball bearing pivot mechanism never failed once.

Rugged, dependable and sharp, the M16 04 DB is sure to cut through just about anything but your budget. Coming in at a modest $140 MSRP, this is one of the most versatile values on the production cutlery market today. Whether you’re looking for a viable self-defense option, a stylish every day carry or simply an addition to your toolbox or knife collection, we highly recommend picking one of these up. You can do so at https://www.crkt.com/m16-04db.html