Created with Sketch. Created with Sketch.
Toggle menu
888-225-9775
Free Ground Shipping on Orders over $99
  • 0
  • Coming Soon
  • Knife Styles
  • Online Products
  • New Arrivals
  • Knives
  • Gear
  • Kitchen Cutlery
  • Tools
  • Sale
  • View More
  • Shop by Brand
  • Case
  • Spyderco Knives
  • CIVIVI Knives
  • Kershaw Knives
  • Cold Steel
  • ESEE Knives
  • We Knife Co.
  • TOPS
  • Boker
  • CRKT
  • View all Brands
  • Coming Soon
  • Knife Styles
  • Online Products
  • New Arrivals
  • Knives
  • Gear
  • Kitchen Cutlery
  • Tools
  • Accessories
  • Sale

    • Shop by Brand

  • Case
  • Spyderco Knives
  • CIVIVI Knives
  • Kershaw Knives
  • Cold Steel
  • ESEE Knives
  • We Knife Co.
  • TOPS
  • Boker
  • CRKT
  • View all Brands

    • CRKT

    CRKT Knives: Patented Innovation, Field Strip Technology & World-Class Designer Collaborations

    Columbia River Knife & Tool — CRKT — has been engineering innovative production knives in Tualatin, Oregon since 1994. In three decades CRKT has built a reputation unlike any other knife brand in the industry: a relentless pursuit of mechanical innovation that has produced more patented opening mechanisms, locking systems, and deployment technologies than virtually any other production manufacturer. Field Strip disassembly, the Deadbolt Lock®, AutoLAWKS™ secondary safety, IKBS™ ball bearing pivots, OutBurst® assisted opening, and Kinematic™ deployment — these are not marketing terms. They are genuine patented engineering solutions that make CRKT folders function differently and better than standard production designs. Combined with a world-class designer collaboration program that includes Ken Onion, Jesper Voxnaes, Richard Rogers, and Kit Carson, CRKT delivers custom design DNA at production prices. Knifeworks is a proud authorized CRKT dealer — every knife we sell is 100% genuine and fully warranted.

    CRKT Folding Knives CRKT Fixed Blade Knives CRKT Automatic Knives
    CRKT Axes & Tomahawks CRKT Accessories CRKT Assisted Knives
    Compare Selected
    Authorized CRKT Dealer Every knife is 100% genuine — sourced direct from Columbia River Knife & Tool in Tualatin, Oregon.
    Patented Innovation Field Strip, Deadbolt Lock®, AutoLAWKS™ & more — CRKT holds more knife patents than virtually any other production brand.
    Fast Shipping Most orders ship same or next business day from Columbia, Louisiana.
    ⭐
    Full Warranty Support CRKT's limited lifetime warranty honored on every purchase — no runaround, no gray market risk.

    The Complete CRKT Buyer's Guide (2026)

    Everything you need to choose the right CRKT — from Field Strip technology and patented locking systems to designer collaborations, blade steels, and use-case recommendations. Click any topic to expand.

    Why CRKT? The Most Innovative Production Knife Brand in the Industry ﹢

    Columbia River Knife & Tool was founded in Tualatin, Oregon in 1994 with a simple and ambitious mission — to bring genuine mechanical innovation to production knives at accessible price points. In three decades CRKT has fulfilled that mission more consistently than any other brand in the mid-range knife market.

    The evidence is in the patents. CRKT holds more production knife patents than virtually any other manufacturer — each one representing a genuine engineering solution to a real problem that standard production designs had not addressed. Field Strip disassembly, Deadbolt Lock®, AutoLAWKS™ secondary safety, IKBS™ ball bearing pivots, OutBurst® assisted opening, and Kinematic™ deployment are not cosmetic differences — they are fundamental mechanical innovations that change how the knife performs.

    The second pillar of CRKT's identity is its designer collaboration program — one of the deepest in the industry. CRKT has partnered with Ken Onion, Jesper Voxnaes, Richard Rogers, Kit Carson, and dozens of other custom knifemakers to bring genuine custom design expertise to production pricing. The result is a catalog where almost every knife has a story, a designer, and a mechanical feature worth understanding.

    The CRKT Design Philosophy CRKT approaches every new knife design with a specific question: what problem does this solve that existing knives do not? Field Strip answers the cleaning problem. Deadbolt Lock® answers the strength problem. AutoLAWKS™ answers the safety problem. Kinematic™ answers the deployment speed problem. This problem-first engineering mindset is what separates CRKT from brands that compete on aesthetics or price alone.
    Field Strip Technology: Tool-Free Disassembly Explained ﹢

    Field Strip is CRKT's patented tool-free disassembly system — a mechanism that allows the user to completely disassemble their folding knife for cleaning and maintenance without any tools, screwdrivers, or technical skill. The knife separates into its component parts in seconds and reassembles just as quickly.

    Feature Standard Folding Knife CRKT Field Strip
    Disassembly Requires Torx screwdrivers — voids warranty if done incorrectly Tool-free — twist, pull, and the knife separates in seconds
    Cleaning Access Limited — can only clean what is accessible from outside Complete — every component is accessible for thorough cleaning
    Field Use Impractical to clean deeply in the field Full disassembly and reassembly in the field without any tools
    Skill Required Moderate — risk of losing small parts or damaging threads None — the mechanism guides disassembly intuitively
    Pivot Maintenance Difficult to access without disassembly tools Fully accessible — clean and re-oil pivot directly
    Why Field Strip Matters for Real-World Use A folding knife used for hunting, food preparation, or any task that introduces blood, fat, or grit into the pivot area needs periodic deep cleaning. Without Field Strip this requires screwdrivers, careful reassembly, and the risk of thread damage. With Field Strip it takes 30 seconds with no tools and no risk. For hunters, outdoor professionals, and anyone who uses their folder hard — Field Strip is not a gimmick. It is a genuine quality-of-life improvement that no other production brand has matched.
    CRKT Patented Locking Systems: Deadbolt, AutoLAWKS™ & More ﹢

    CRKT has invested more engineering effort into folder lock design than virtually any other production knife brand. Here is the complete breakdown of their patented locking systems and what each one delivers in practical use.

    Lock System How It Works Strength Best For Found On
    Deadbolt Lock® A steel bolt automatically engages a recess in the blade tang when fully open — requires pressing a prominent pivot button to release and close ★★★★★ Maximum security lockup — hard use, tactical, field applications M16 series, select tactical models
    AutoLAWKS™ An automatic secondary lock that engages the liner lock when the blade is fully open — effectively converts folder to virtual fixed blade. Releases automatically when the liner is pressed to close. ★★★★★ Hard use safety — field dressing, outdoor work, applications where accidental closure would be dangerous M16 series, OutBurst® models, select assisted openers
    Liner Lock Standard spring steel liner engages blade tang when open ★★★☆☆ General EDC — most common CRKT lock type Pilar, CEO, most standard EDC folders
    Frame Lock Handle itself acts as lock bar — stronger than liner lock ★★★★☆ Premium EDC — select titanium and stainless handle models Select premium CRKT models
    AutoLAWKS™ — The Safety Standard for Hard Use AutoLAWKS™ is CRKT's most important safety innovation. When the blade is fully open the AutoLAWKS™ secondary lock engages automatically without any user input — the knife is now as secure as a fixed blad

    CRKT Knives: Frequently Asked Questions

    Expert answers from the team at Knifeworks — your authorized CRKT dealer for the full lineup including Field Strip folders, the M16 series, Provoke, Pilar, CEO, and the complete designer collaboration catalog.

    What does CRKT stand for? ﹢

    CRKT stands for Columbia River Knife & Tool — founded in Tualatin, Oregon in 1994. The Columbia River name references the iconic Pacific Northwest river that runs through the Oregon and Washington region where the brand is headquartered. CRKT is headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon alongside fellow Oregon knife brands Kershaw and Leatherman — making the Portland metro area one of the most concentrated centers of knife manufacturing expertise in the United States.

    What is CRKT Field Strip technology? ﹢

    CRKT Field Strip is a patented tool-free disassembly system that allows the user to completely disassemble their folding knife for cleaning and maintenance without any tools, screwdrivers, or technical knowledge. The mechanism guides intuitive disassembly — shift a lever or turn a release point and the knife separates into its component parts in seconds. Reassembly is equally fast and requires no technical skill.

    Field Strip is particularly valuable for hunters, outdoor professionals, and anyone who uses their folder in conditions that introduce blood, fat, grit, or debris into the pivot area. A thorough cleaning that normally requires a Torx screwdriver and careful reassembly now takes 30 seconds in the field with bare hands. It is available on select CRKT models including the Homefront and Ken Onion-designed Field Strip series.

    What is the CRKT Deadbolt Lock®? ﹢

    The Deadbolt Lock® is CRKT's patented maximum-security locking mechanism — a hardened steel bolt that automatically engages a precision-machined recess in the blade tang when the blade is fully open. Unlike a liner lock where the lock bar can potentially be defeated by lateral pressure, the Deadbolt bolt engages deeply and positively in multiple directions simultaneously.

    To close a Deadbolt Lock® knife the user presses the prominent pivot button which retracts the bolt and allows the blade to fold. The Deadbolt is found on the M16 series and is widely considered one of the strongest production folder locks available at any price point. For hard use, field, and tactical applications where lock failure would be dangerous — the Deadbolt Lock® is the definitive CRKT choice.

    What is AutoLAWKS™ and why does it matter? ﹢

    AutoLAWKS™ — Automatic Locking And Working Knife Safety — is CRKT's automatic secondary lock system. When a knife with AutoLAWKS™ is fully opened, the secondary lock engages automatically without any user input — the blade is now locked as securely as a fixed blade under both downward and lateral stress.

    The brilliance of the AutoLAWKS™ design is its transparency — to close the knife the user simply presses the standard liner lock as they normally would. The AutoLAWKS™ releases automatically in response to the liner lock press — no secondary button or step required. For hunters field dressing game, emergency responders, and outdoor professionals who use folders under stress and distraction — AutoLAWKS™ converts their folder into a virtual fixed blade at the moment it matters most.

    What is the CRKT Provoke and how does Kinematic™ work? ﹢

    The CRKT Provoke is a folding knife designed by Joe Caswell featuring the patented Kinematic™ deployment system — the most mechanically unique folder mechanism in production in 2026. Unlike any other folding knife, the Provoke blade does not rotate around a standard pivot. Instead it deploys through a series of interconnected levers that create a push-forward-and-rotate motion — the blade travels forward and out rather than simply rotating open.

    The result is a deployment that is simultaneously visually dramatic and functionally fast — the blade goes from closed to fully locked open in a single pushing motion that can be executed with one hand. The Kinematic™ system is protected by multiple patents and is currently exclusive to CRKT's Provoke series. For collectors who want the most mechanically interesting folder in production and for buyers who want a legal fast-deploy option unlike anything else available — the Provoke is in a category of one.

    What is the best CRKT knife for everyday carry in 2026? ﹢

    For the majority of everyday carry buyers the CRKT Pilar designed by Jesper Voxnaes is the definitive recommendation — a sub-3" compact EDC with exceptional ergonomics, a simple liner lock, and enough blade length for virtually every daily cutting task in a package small enough to disappear in any pocket. Available in standard 1.4116 steel and D2 for buyers who want higher edge retention.

    For buyers who carry in professional or office environments the CRKT CEO designed by Richard Rogers is the answer — an ultra-slim liner lock folder that is as appropriate in a suit pocket as it is in daily use. For hard use and tactical EDC the CRKT M16 in D2 with Deadbolt Lock® and AutoLAWKS™ delivers maximum security lockup at an accessible price point.

    How long has the CRKT M16 been in production? ﹢

    The CRKT M16 has been in continuous production since 1999 — over 25 years — making it one of the longest-running production knife designs in the history of the American knife industry. Designed by Kit Carson, a Tennessee-based custom knifemaker with deep military and law enforcement connections, the M16 was built from day one for professional hard use.

    The M16's longevity is earned rather than inherited. The combination of OutBurst® assisted opening, Deadbolt Lock® security, AutoLAWKS™ secondary safety, and Kit Carson's proven ergonomic geometry has kept it relevant and in demand through over two decades of competing designs. A knife that stays in production for 25+ years without redesign is a knife that genuinely works — and the M16 is that knife for CRKT.

    What CRKT knives does Knifeworks carry? ﹢

    Knifeworks carries the full CRKT lineup as an authorized dealer — all sourced directly from Columbia River Knife & Tool and backed by CRKT's limited lifetime warranty:

    Pilar, Pilar Large, CEO, CEO Micarta, M16 series, Provoke, Homefront, Drifter, Squid, Crossbones, Bona Fide, and the complete CRKT designer collaboration and EDC catalog.

    Not sure which CRKT is right for your carry style, work environment, or budget? Contact our team — we carry CRKT knives every day and we are here to help.

    Shop CRKT with Confidence at Knifeworks Every CRKT knife in our catalog is sourced directly from authorized Columbia River Knife & Tool channels in Tualatin, Oregon — guaranteed genuine, fully warranted, and backed by a team that carries these knives daily. Field Strip folders, Deadbolt Lock® tacticals, Pilar, CEO, Provoke, and the complete CRKT innovation catalog is here. Fast shipping. Expert support. Real knife people who appreciate what genuine mechanical innovation looks like.