For most people, carrying a defensive firearm in California is illegal. This is due to a discretionary refusal to issue concealed carry permits, and the state's flat-out refusal to offer reciprocity for out-of-state license holders. Most other self-defense tools, including fighting canes, are considered illegal in California, even for those who may legally carry a handgun. While carrying a concealed fixed-blade knife is prohibited, having a folding knife is (still) legal there, as long as it is not open while carrying concealed.

This CRKT folder is a good choice for last-resort self-protection in the not-so-golden state. The almost four-inch blade opens quickly and easily using the flippers, and is automatically locked in place by a pin, in addition to the traditional locking liner. The auto-lock safety feature prevents the blade from folding during extremely heavy use. The pair of flippers produce a rigid hilt when the blade is opened and locked, providing excellent hand protection. With its auto-lock engaged, the knife feels almost as capable a defensive weapon as a partial-tang fixed-blade.

While I'd much prefer my trusty sidearm, this knife, along with two ounces of high-strength pepper spray, will have to serve as my best legal option for self-defense in California, whenever I must travel there. As always, YMMV. Just make sure you investigate the current state, county, and local laws, regulations, and ordinances for your location, and please read: "You Have the Right to Remain Innocent"

I really like the knife and the larger blade. I ordered the M21-14FSG. I don't plan to cut tree limbs or cardboard, so that's not a big issue for me. But there are some issues that need to be addressed.

Con: Opening the blade is not 'smooth'. From the videos of others, and thinking the larger, heavier blade would make flipping it open easier, I was wrong. The blade is stiff if opening one handed. No matter how many times I've tried looking at the product video, I can't do it. There's a 'catch' in the opening where it likes to hang. I can not use the opener tang one handed without really throwing my hand. ike a full 1 foot movement with an abrupt stop. My Kershaws don't have this problem and seeing how many people mention the ease of opening, did I get a lemon?

To do: I will try some CLP or maybe take it apart and try adding some grease on the pivot to see if that helps. But I want to give it a few days without and see how it goes. From the pistols with G-10 grips, CLP doesn't seem to be an issue, for does TW Mil Grease.

Pro: One handed closing. Yes, even with the lock one handed closing is actually easy. It took a total of about 5 minutes to get a good method and now, I can do it with my eyes closed and you will be able to as well. It's almost like snapping your fingers to close it from lock one handed - you'll see once you're doing it.

Pro: Locks Open - this is awesome and the 'full' tang affect makes it the most fixed-blade folding blade I've used. I personally think this feature is genius and I will never get a folding knife without the full tang style and locking. It feels secure and gives me confidence there will be no accidental closing.

Pro: I like the weight, I think it feels balanced and well portioned. Even several holding styles are comfortable and feel secure. The G-10 grip doesn't seem to be aggressive and Hogue Grips, but it's still very nice and much better than a pebbled plastic of slick aluminum.

Tip: move the clip so the sharp end points up and the dull back of the blade faces forward in your pocket, This is a much better draw position and also eliminates and opening in your pocket problems, while you're digging around for your keys.

The picture shows the place where the once handed opening 'stops'. There's something there, I think maybe the auto lock is stopping it or something.

EDIT 3/30/2018: 5 Stars. Took it apart and cleaned the pivot. Added some light grease to the pivot and WOW!. I can open with much less effort than expected. So little effort, it feels assisted now. Even off hand and upside down, opens all the way and locks with very little effort.

No maybe I should cut off 1 star for it not being that way out of the box? Fine, but I would still give it 6 stars if it came out of the box like this for this price. Absolutely love the knife and would recommend to anyone and seriously thinking about getting another, incase the discontinue the model. Only took a few days and now it's my EDC. Not interested in hacking logs, but feel I can truly rely on the knife if needed.

I have owned many different spring assisted and non-assisted pocket knives for daily carry over the last five years. This is the best one I have had yet! Had many $15-$30 knives with cool designs and were spring assisted, but this Knife is the real deal. Has a nice weight in your hand and will definitely fill your hand. It is a bigger knife than you might think. It almost reaches from the base of my palm to the ends of my fingers on my hand. It operates smoothly and just feels like a high quality knife all around when manipulating it.

Opening it is fast and solid. The safety lock is cool, because unlike cheaper tactical knifes, you know for sure that blade is locked and ready for action without any chance of the blade closing while in use. The safety button itself seemed well oiled and smooth to quickly disengage the lock with ease. When you shut the blade, there is an audible lock which is very nice. The overall weight and of this knife is fantastic. feels like a very balanced solid knife that you can depend on no matter what the situation is.

The blade is sharp out the box (maybe pros might want to sharpen a little more) and the serrated part of the blade feels like it could skin an animal! I mean you need to be really careful! (as you should be because this is a weapon/tool) That section of the blade in general seems extremely sharp and I'm excited to put it to the test the next time I need to cut something thicker! The rest of the blade is a nice thick size and seems like it could take on a lot.

Overall this knife is comfortable to hold, feels solid and rugged, and operates the way it should. If you are like me and don't want to spend over $45 on a knife, think again. This thing is definitely worth the small investment! As is any weapon or tool, you want quality and functionality. This knife has both and with a sleek design that is comfortable to hold and nice to look at!!!

I purchased an Extrema Ratio folding knife and found some defects on it... An expensive knife like that brand should be perfect. Returned it and went back to a CRKT knife. This is fairly priced. Like my CRKT Sting boot knife. But this i think is built strong like the more expensive ones. This is the only knife made in China that looks and feels like it is made in USA. Dont worry about using this knife hard and messing it up. The price is fair enough and it is easy to replace if you lose it. Unlike the 300 dollar knives that can do the same job as this one, the price wont put a dent to your wallet. I will never buy any folding knife that is ridiculously high priced from now on. After seeing that wobbly blade on an Extema Ratio folder when it is in the closed position, i definitely had learned my lesson. I think they sent me a used knife. Why is its blade wobbly? Now I believe any folding knife will break if abused... Even if it is claimed to be a tough folding knife, it will still mess up. And those guys who use folders for chopping up firewood are making a mistake. This knife can do it but it will eventually break soon. Use an axe. Not a small folding knife. Use a fixed blade instead. Wrong tool for the wrong job. So why buy any high priced brand when this fairly priced one is as good as those expensive ones? I treat folders like they are disposable knives. If it breaks, buy another. I wont waste money on something that is too expensive but disposable. So no more Extrema Ratio folders for me. They hold up to hard use and abuse just the same way as CRKT folders.

Several reasons for this 5 star review:

Durability: I am not particularly easy on knives in my outdoor adventures, yet this knife has withstood the countless drops and times I've used it more as a hammer than its knife over the 3 years Ive had it. And I've been able to sharpen it fairly easily.

Sawtooth serrations: I used to be against serrated knives, mainly since they are difficult to sharpen. CRKT's sawtooth serrations offer added cutting ability while allowing you to sharpen them with ease. I have always used a diamond encrusted Smith and Wesson sharpening rod for this.

Deployment: this knife allows you to remount the clip "upside down" and has a second pull tab that will catch your pants as you pull it out of your pocket if you do so. This allows for a quick one-handed deployment.

Price point: I probably would've given this a 4 star rating because it isnt by any means the best quality steel, but for the price and as long as I have had it and beat on it, I have no reservations of buying it again. If this one ever breaks completely, I will be doing just that!