1045A Steel

A

ASBOB

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Feb 8, 2008
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I just got a Kershaw Black Colt II, one of the ones made in the US, rather than offshore. The steel is 1045A, rather than 440A. Are these the same? If not, any idea on how they compare?

My thanks for any help.
 
ASBOB - yup, as knarfeng said, 1045A is the model #. #1045 was the original Black Colt, and #1060 was the Black Horse. The "A" was placed after the model number when Kershaw switched to 440A from AUS6, IIRC, and that may be when mfg. switched from Japan to China, too, but I'm not sure. According to the Kershaw Store, the steel is now 8CR13MoV.

I bought a Kershaw Black Horse I (the large one) from an ebay seller a couple of years ago, and he insisted that #1060 was the steel type. I had a long dialogue with him about how #1060 was the model # of the original large Black Horse, made in Japan, of AUS6 steel. A friend of his who sold Cutco knives, who was supposedly an 'expert', told him #1060 was a very high quality steel - 'almost as good as what Cutco uses'. :rolleyes:

~Chris
 
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Thanks so much for the first-rate info. Boy, do I feel dumb.

But here's my follow up questions, and the crux of my quandry:

Besides "Kershaw" and "Black Colt II", all it says on the blade is "1045A" and "Oregon USA".

First, is this actually made in Oregon, or a Chinese knockoff?

Far more important, assuming its legit, how would this compare with the subsequent, made in China versions? About the same? Better? Worse? I deliberately got this on the grounds that, especially for a cheap knife like this, it would be better to pick up one of the last US made, but now I'm not so sure, given comments on the changes in blade steel.

Your thoughts?
 
made in China? Not possible. Kershaw is a top line company.
If it is marked USA, it is made in USA.

I can't comment on any versions marked "China".
I take 440A and AUS6 to be fairly equivalent in performance.
 
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