A Kershaw slipped in under the radar - the Kershaw Median!

[RevDevil]

I hope we don't end up regretting it.

 

[mr_anderson]

Nylon washers are the single most common cause of blade play in cheap knives. Bar none.

8CR is a mega uber super steel in comparison to 3CR. And if they're not going to ever sharpen it, wouldn't they want a steel that won't go dull after opening up a few envelopes?

I don't gift my friends crap knives. Knowing my luck they'd use it to the point it was dull (where better steels wouldn't be) and flip their car or something and get pinned and unable to cut their seatbelt with their "trusted" name brand knife I gave them.

Aside from that, if they're cheaping out on the blade steel so severely, how could one ever trust the steel they're using for their locks? I mean we're talking Frost cutlery level materials here. Sure I will vote with my wallet, but I'll also tell people to avoid Kershaw now because they might accidentally buy an unsafe throw away assuming the name still carried the quality it used to. Before all this you could say "just buy a Kershaw" and they'd get a good knife no matter what they bought. Yes, I find it VERY disappointing that's not the case anymore. Again I'll point to Gerber as an example.

The "single most", really? I have a $500 midtech (no names) from a major knife maker that has zero blade play and it nylon washers. It also happens to be a flipper. Care to make more broad general statements?

 

[mr_anderson]

Quality low budget knives are what they are trying to make. This time as has been pointed out Cabelas picked material, washers, etc.... So saying "they" used, 3CR, it wasn't KAI. Remember, Kershaw uses or has used, ZDP-189, Elmax, S30V, SG2, CPM-D2, 154CM, M390, Vanax 75, along with the chinese steel for their budget knives. They are even implementing KVT on the lower end knives. Am I a fan boy? Yes. Do I get paid for my endorsement? NO. They have proven themselves to be better than other companies hands down.

 

[jac_solar]

The "single most", really? I have a $500 midtech (no names) from a major knife maker that has zero blade play and it nylon washers. It also happens to be a flipper. Care to make more broad general statements?

Yeah, there are some high end knives with nylon or plastic type washers, but is it the same type of plastic as in the cheaper knives?

 

[Moxy]

Yeah, there are some high end knives with nylon or plastic type washers, but is it the same type of plastic as in the cheaper knives?

I wouldn't think so. Emerson Nylatron washers are excellent, but they're thick and beefy. Speedsafe requiers a tiny little washer on one side. I had a Kershaw Dimension who's washers deformed if the pivot was over tightened. They were no longer perfectly round and that caused blade play and rubbing when closed.

 

[Fanglekai]

Odd how other budget knives manage to incorporate decent steel for $20 or even less. Hopefully using pot metal doesn't become a trend.

 

[Murphenstein44]

I wouldn't think so. Emerson Nylatron washers are excellent, but they're thick and beefy. Speedsafe requiers a tiny little washer on one side. I had a Kershaw Dimension who's washers deformed if the pivot was over tightened. They were no longer perfectly round and that caused blade play and rubbing when closed.

SOG Vulcans come with nylon washers, and not particular thick ones. They're decent sized around, and matching sizes, but still thin. However, I can crank down on that pivot and it'll still open easy and smooth, instead of locking up and getting hard to open like PB washers. It hasn't developed any blade play or off-centering either, so thin nylon washers aren't always bad. Your experience with the different sized washers in the Dimension doesn't seem too good though, with the Speedsafe design, so I won't discount that element.

 

[DShiflet]

Odd how other budget knives manage to incorporate decent steel for $20 or even less. Hopefully using pot metal doesn't become a trend.

Hell, up until this year, Kershaw themselves incorporated 8Cr13 in nearly all their budget knives(and they still do, in the Thistle). A lot of people keep making the argument that "it's a $20 knife, what do you expect?" when the answer is, we expect the same 8Cr13 Kershaw was previously using on all their budget knives, the huge variety that got mentioned over and over in every single "suggest me a knife for around $20", "favorite budget knife", etc thread, knives like the Clash, Oso Sweet, Compound, Asset, Kuro, Tremor, Crown, and so on. People seem to think everyone who is unhappy about the 3Cr is some kinda knife snob who only wants super steel and won't carry a $20 knife, which isn't true, I own a ton of budget Kershaws, and they are normally what I carry. Kershaw has made a ton of great BUDGET knives using 8Cr13, THAT is why their increasing usage of 3Cr13 on their budget line has bothered so many of us. Used to, when someone asked for suggestions for good folders on a budget, we could answer "take your pick of the Chinese Kershaws", now, that's a bit harder.

I love Kershaw, in terms of folders I own more Kershaw folders than any other brand, I love their budget knives, too, and that's the reason the change bothers me, it's just frustrating to pay $20 for 3Cr when as of last year, the same $20 could get me any number of 8Cr knives. I'm not asking for S30V or Elmax in a $20 knife, I'm just asking for the 8Cr(or AUS-8 would be fine too) we used to get in a $20 knife.

I own all these Kershaw knives(plus a Byrd Crossbill) that are made with 8Cr13, I didn't pay more than $25(counting shipping) for any of them:
Clash, Oso Sweet, Kuro(twice, after I gave one to a friend), Crown(twice, one black handled, one blue handled), Asset, Compound, Burst, Thistle, Tremor, Half Ton

 

[RedLynx]

I own a ton of budget Kershaws, and they are normally what I carry.
I love Kershaw, in terms of folders I own more Kershaw folders than any other brand, I love their budget knives, too,

Exact same here, although I'm recently trying Benchmade again after years not really carrying anything BM (for no particular reason other than I found a lot of budget stuff I liked.)

 

[Morrow]

I think Rev had the right idea from the start. Pot metal....