Is Kershaw cooling?

Danny Linguini said:
Philosophical question: is it still considered a coil spring if it’s just a round piece of spring that’s less than a complete coil? That might be the technicality that allows them to call it a torsion bar. Or, the fact that it neither expands or compresses in the sense that we normally associate with coil springs, but more winds and unwinds. Just throwing out guesses here - I’m by no means an expert in the springy sciences. Could be both are correct, depending on the shape of the spring.
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Most autos run on what is correctly called a torsion spring: a coiled spring that is designed to store energy by winding tighter, and release it by unwinding. As opposed to what you usually think of as a spring, a coiled spring that expands axially (a compression spring).

Come to think of it, Kershaw calling the speed safe spring a torsion bar is also a misnomer, as a torsion bar is designed to twist, not bend.
 
Reswob said:
Assisted knives still appeal to enthusiasts! I suspect most of the haters have never actually used one, they just don't like them because the internet said they weren't cool.😜
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I probably mentioned this earlier in the thread but I was all about assisted action like twenty years ago. It was the answer to good manual actions being rarer or more expensive. Then sometime in the 2010s, good manual flipper action started to be cheap and common. It wasn't just that assisted was no longer needed or that something better was available for the same price. Getting used to decent manual action on caged bearings exposed the limitations of assisted knives. Assisted action started to feel straight-up janky by comparison.
 
Kershaw are all over the place in quality and it's kind of intentional. They have some lower end models that are in competition with lower end models of makers like CKRT, with both companies making a lot of creative designs. The Kershaw knives that still interest me now are the made in US models, built with better materials. For a lot of jaded knife collectors they're going to have a been there done that reaction, from people who are now buying more expensive knives, including Zero Tolerance knives. The Blur is a very popular knife and given that they have models with nicer steel, there are going to be some that still get people's attention.
 
Got my Kershaw  Xcom today.

I will be  returning it tomorrow.

I can very easily cause the lock to fail.

less importantly, it twists and turns so much, so easily, it will not stay centered. And it is as dull as a butter knife.

I'm done with Kershaw's Chinese knives. Civivi is absolutely blowing them out of the water.
I am a sucker for folding daggers and wanted to give the Xcom a try. I am let down! I used to be a Kershaw fan boy, but have noticed their decline over the past couple years.

I am sure their USA stuff is still good.
 
Billy The Hungry said:
Got my Kershaw  Xcom today.

I will be  returning it tomorrow.

I can very easily cause the lock to fail.

less importantly, it twists and turns so much, so easily, it will not stay centered. And it is as dull as a butter knife.

I'm done with Kershaw's Chinese knives. Civivi is absolutely blowing them out of the water.
I am a sucker for folding daggers and wanted to give the Xcom a try. I am let down! I used to be a Kershaw fan boy, but have noticed their decline over the past couple years.

I am sure their USA stuff is still good.
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That’s too bad - that would make a really cool looking auto. I’ve got a couple of their Chinese-made models (Natrix and Atmos) that I really like, especially the Atmos. Both manual flippers with bearing pivots. I wouldn’t use either for anything heavy. To be honest, after using the Blur S30V a bit, I kinda like the other two more. On the other hand, I’m still pretty new to this knife thing, so I really can’t compare anything to their older products.
 
Billy The Hungry said:
Got my Kershaw  Xcom today.

I will be  returning it tomorrow.

I can very easily cause the lock to fail.

less importantly, it twists and turns so much, so easily, it will not stay centered. And it is as dull as a butter knife.

I'm done with Kershaw's Chinese knives. Civivi is absolutely blowing them out of the water.
I am a sucker for folding daggers and wanted to give the Xcom a try. I am let down! I used to be a Kershaw fan boy, but have noticed their decline over the past couple years.

I am sure their USA stuff is still good.
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Well that's not good.

I sometimes think that those entry level knives are designed without much thought given to performance, but rather on just looks.
 
I think…Kershaw sells a crapload of knives to folks who are not necessarily knife enthusiasts like those of us roaming this forum….I have a few decent Kershaw including a clash which my wife has taken ownership of because it does things she frequently wants done in terms of general cutting… I, like some heavier and more robust zt’s and benchmade knives and a protec as I am kind of a knife snob and unapologetic of that…..that being said, like I mentioned, Kershaw sells a lot of knives it seems as I work in the construction industry, I see guys always with a pocket clip knife which when I ask about, they usually pull it out and have to think about what it is while I immediately see it is a Kershaw or lower end Buck of sort…I can’t blame them for not being more informed as they just know that they need a cutting tool that is not too expensive but gets the job done…back to my wife’s model, the clash is exactly that and more….a cheap, Chinese made spring assisted sharp cutting tool that resharpens well on a diamond stone by me….I carry a zt 390, and the zt tiger striped one like Mark Harmon-the ncis guy’s( this one mostly lately-love it)
so this is my take on Kershaw right now…I think they must be busy and appeal to those I mentioned…cheers gang!
 
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Chronovore said:
I probably mentioned this earlier in the thread but I was all about assisted action like twenty years ago. It was the answer to good manual actions being rarer or more expensive. Then sometime in the 2010s, good manual flipper action started to be cheap and common. It wasn't just that assisted was no longer needed or that something better was available for the same price. Getting used to decent manual action on caged bearings exposed the limitations of assisted knives. Assisted action started to feel straight-up janky by comparison.
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Janky and a lot more dangerous to close over the course of thousands of operations, and we all know we're going to hit a thousand openings in a year easily with a knife we have on us a lot, such as a budget-range knife that we got specifically to do the dirty with.
 
MolokaiRider said:
I appreciate all the replies.

I see a reoccurring trend that they were a more exciting brand years ago.

I will say the customer service experiences have been stellar, with only one exception.
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Customer service may be stellar for those in the USA, but has been abysmal for some international customers recently. Kershaw/Kai USA no longer ships parts to international customers (other than those in Canada & Mexico), and we are supposed to deal with the local distributor in our respective countries. However, our local distributor (who actually carries very limited models and hardly any USA made ones) will only honor warranty for knives purchased directly from their shop.

This means that, for us, completely genuine Kershaws previously purchased from completely legitimate USA dealers like Knifecenter, BladeHq and the like are now effectively without warranty or access to replacement parts like pocket clips, torsion bars (they do break) etc. Emails to Kershaw Customer Service are either ignored, or given a standard reply “to deal with the local distributor”. Kershaw has certainly lost me as an international customer.
 
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sv4 said:
Customer service may be stellar for those in the USA, but has been abysmal for some international customers recently. Kershaw/Kai USA no longer ships parts to international customers (other than those in Canada & Mexico), and we are supposed to deal with the local distributor in our respective countries. However, our local distributor (who actually carries very limited models and hardly any USA made ones) will only honor warranty for knives purchased directly from their shop.

This means that, for us, completely genuine Kershaws previously purchased from completely legitimate USA dealers like Knifecenter, BladeHq and the like are now effectively without warranty or access to replacement parts like pocket clips, torsion bars (they do break) etc. Emails to Kershaw Customer Service are either ignored, or given a standard reply “to deal with the local distributor”. Kershaw has certainly lost me as an international customer.
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Yeah, that's a tough one. International shipping can be a challenge for a myriad of reasons, some that we might know and others we can only speculate on.
 
Worked on the knife today. Managed to fix the weird body flex, which in turn was causing the liner to slip.

Currently it is centered and has nearly no blade play. I sharpened it also. It will scrape hairs off, but doesn't seem to take a very keen edge.

All in all at this point this would probably be a decent user knife, but it still feels very cheaply made, and I don't trust the lock. I think I'm still going to return it.

It's just that for the Chinese made knives, the better part of $40 takes you a lot further with other makers.

Just rambling, guys. Last thoughts on all this!

 
I’m fairly certain that Kershaw has the following marketing plan:
1. Saturate the trade publications.
2. Post pics on IG and social media sites.
3. Email Tim (aka:Hackenslash) that a short run knife is still available.

It kinda sucks to be option #3 for all relationships.

Anyway, I’m happy I got a chance to grab that Leek!
 
Hello to all! Just found this thread as I’ve been looking at the M4 Blur. Kershaw was kind of a gateway for me too. The Blur especially. I’ve wanted a blue one for years and for some reason have never pulled the trigger. Finally decided it was time. Much to my surprise, when I logged onto my usual knife retailer, I noticed they had a few options in blue. 14C28N, Damascus and M4. The M4 model was $30 cheaper than the 14C28n for some reason. So I now have the M4 version on its way. Was a pretty easy decision, don’t know why it cost less but I’ll take it. Not usually into coated blades, but i understand why they did it. This will be the first Kershaw I’ve bought in a few years now. Hoping their QC is still ok lol. Although, I personally haven’t had any issues with the American line. I want to see them succeed, but a lot of their designs lately just aren’t singin’ to me. Same with ZT
 
Knifeoholic said:
Hello to all! Just found this thread as I’ve been looking at the M4 Blur. Kershaw was kind of a gateway for me too. The Blur especially. I’ve wanted a blue one for years and for some reason have never pulled the trigger. Finally decided it was time. Much to my surprise, when I logged onto my usual knife retailer, I noticed they had a few options in blue. 14C28N, Damascus and M4. The M4 model was $30 cheaper than the 14C28n for some reason. So I now have the M4 version on its way. Was a pretty easy decision, don’t know why it cost less but I’ll take it. Not usually into coated blades, but i understand why they did it. This will be the first Kershaw I’ve bought in a few years now. Hoping their QC is still ok lol. Although, I personally haven’t had any issues with the American line. I want to see them succeed, but a lot of their designs lately just aren’t singin’ to me. Same with ZT
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Hi. It's okay. This thread was almost as cold as Kershaw. 💙

I haven't heard that Kershaw's QC has changed much and AFAIK, they still have excellent customer service. I haven't needed it in a few years but then again, Kershaw has largely disappeared from my carry rotation. Thinking back, it's been a long time since I've been excited about anything from them.

The Fraxion is a really cool knife and fairly unique for what it is. Unfortunately, it was released too late in the game for me to want a sloppily ground piece of 8Cr13Mov in my pocket. The 20CV Dividend was the last Kershaw to make and stay in serious rotation. It hangs on because (1) the category of thin tip-down flippers doesn't see much competition and (2) Kershaw sent me the deep-carry loop-over clip that makes it work so well for free.
 
I remember getting my first leek a few years ago. Since then I've moved on and have started a fairly nice (IMHO) Benchmade collection. However, just the other day I found myself ordering two more Kershak Leeks from BladeHQ. Mostly because I still find myself drawn to the Leek and because they have Magnacut blades. 🤣 🤣 🤣
 
Honestly, I've done a 180° on Kershaw since this thread started. The Livewire and Launch 15 are both excellent, the Iridium is a VERY nice budget offering that, IMO, genuinely competes with companies like CIVIVI, the Launch 16 at $150 seems like a great value for an American made auto with M4 steel and the Magnacut Leek is a damn solid offering as well. It also looks like they're offering a limited run Iridium in 20CV and ti for about $170, which is pretty damn decent for those materials.

All in all, I think Kershaw has stepped it up a ton in quality, materials and design in the last year, which is very nice to see. I think most of their lineup will continue to be aimed at the non-enthusiast crowd, but there were entire years in which I wasn't remotely interested in any of their offerings and those days seem long past at the moment.
 
Honestly, I don't see myself carrying them. I ordered the magnacut leek in satin and black finish along with the gold plated leek and chive. They're most likely going to live in the display case with the damascus offerings of each until a) I decide to sell them or b) I kick the bucket and they go to someone else. But they're fun to admire! Give me a leek in s90v and it'll likely end up living in my pocket.
 
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