It's here! (2445ST)

I was going to wait to post my thoughts after about 4 or 5 days of use, but I decided to chime in so you all won't think I took the knife and went into hiding.

  • It's a great EDC size.
  • I like the blade shape.
  • The tip is very very pointy.
  • The grind is even and very sharp.
  • It opens and closes smooth.
  • The blade is dead center.
  • It locks up tight.
  • The frame locks is solid with room for wear.
  • It carries well.
  • The thumb stud is too small.
  • The inserts work well with a good amount of grip without being harsh.
Everything I've come to expect from Kershaw. Aside from the thumb stud.

I compared the 2445ST to some of my other knives and noted what others have as well. The 2445ST's handle is the same width as my CPM-110v shallot. Lining the choils up on the two knives the Shallot's handle is about 1/8" longer than the 2445ST's handle. That little bit of length coupled with the thumb ramp on the Shallot makes it more comfortable to me. On the other hand the over all handle length on the Shallot is about 5/16" longer which could make a difference of how well the 2445ST rides in the pocket over the Shallot. Let me qualify all this handle talk by saying, I'm 6'3", with long ole' monkey arms, and big ole' extra large glove wearing hands on the end of them. So I'm a little bias towards larger handles. In fact, the most comfortable handles on knives that I've felt is my Spec Bump, and my ENG 2. Both of which are large knives, but not as pocket friendly as the 2445ST.

On to the Blade.
The blade is the same length as the Blur's with a shape akin to the leek's. Out of the box it was scary sharp. The serrations are the exact same as the ones on my S30v Blur and those have worked well for me over the few years I've used it. I went out to my garage and cut the flap off a box for testing. After about 50-60 cuts through C flute corrugated cardboard (I used to work in a box manufacturing plant) the blade would still pop hair. After that I went outside and grabbed a wooden stake from an abandoned construction site to widdle on. The stake was very hard and frozen wood. After several slices into the wood the knife would no longer pop hairs, but still had a very serviceable edge. I proceeded to cut more cardboard with no lose of ease from previous attempts. After that I cut up a Mountain Dew bottle with little effort and finished up by sticking the knife through the bottle cap with ease. The tip showed no dulling and the edge still has a good usable edge.

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The only negative comment I have to say about this knife is that the thumb stud is just too small. It seems that Kershaw put a small thumbstud on the blade to match the thickness of the knife so that it can be drawn from the pocket without hanging on the seam. I've used other knives in the past that had thumbstuds wider than the thickness of the frame before and just learned to give the knife a little twist so that the stud can clear the seam when drawn from my pocket. To the point so that it's just what I do naturally now, even with a Shallot. Also, like others on the forum, I've got a habit of setting around and flicking my knives open and closed, but after a while I started to develop a sore spot on my thumb. I'm not new to thumb studs on knives I've used various knives with thumb studs for the past 17 years or so. Before the 2445ST, the Vapor was the hardest to open and most uncomfortable to use, but still manageable and was much better after it was broke in. I've lubed the pivot on the 2445ST, and have flipped it open several times since I've got it out of the envelope on Saturday. Though it has gotten much smoother and I've learned that using the outside of my thumb instead of the center of the tip makes it much more bearable, as it is, I don't see the 2445ST ever being a fun to open knife. I may take a file and flatten one side some to more resemble the Blur's thumbstud and see how that works. Don't get me wrong, I think the 2445ST is a great knife, especially at the $35 price point. Most people won't know what they have in the blade steel, they'll just learn that it stays sharp for a long time. In my opinion, the only thing that will keep it from being a big seller is the thumb stud. I can see a lot of people trying to flick it open, grimacing, and then handing it back. Sorry to end on such a sour note, but that's just my impression.

I may pass this one on to my father in law for a few days this week and see what he thinks about it before I get back with further thoughts.
 
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BTW, I just took some crock sticks to the 2445ST and it didn't take much to bring it back to hair popping sharp.
 
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Flashpoint, awesome review. Great workout for the knife.

I agree with you on the thumbstud, possibly many buyers will have too large of thumbs to correctly engage the stud. It would require some thumb practice from the past in order to open the knife quickly. Perhaps a zing thumbstud would work better.
 
Thanks knivesandguns. Yes I think the Zing's thumb stud would work better too.

I would also like to thank Thomas for the opportunity to review the 2445ST. I think it speaks very highly of a company that would do something like that.

I passed the knife on to my FIL with the condition of that if he likes it he can keep it, but he has to let me know what he thinks so I can write a review.
 
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I've carried my 2445ST for over a week and have a few thoughts. Unfortunately I've become biased towards Kershaw's AOs and flippers. Manual openers are a little bit of a step backwards for me. It took some adjusting to get used to a manual opener like the 2445ST, again. However, the 2445ST is a very good manual opener with a solid lock. I liked the serrations more than I thought I would. They worked great at starting cuts and their is plenty of plain edge for finer work. The knife carried well in my front pocket. The only quibble I have with the design has already been mentioned by several other reviewers and I share their opinion. The thumb stud should be moved towards the tip and be located about where the "w" is in the "Kershaw" logo. Other than this minor quibble, this is a great manual knife and quite a value for the price.

Thomas W., thanks for the opportunity to spend some time with this knife. It was a privilege! :thumbup:
 
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How is everyones blade center doing? Mine was perfect when I got it now it is almost touching the non lock side. I tried to adjust it with no luck, maybe it is a little worse than before.:o Any ideas on how to get it back to center? I know there was a trick to get the leeks back centered but I can't remember what order you retighten the screws.
 
presz said:
How is everyones blade center doing? Mine was perfect when I got it now it is almost touching the non lock side. I tried to adjust it with no luck, maybe it is a little worse than before.:o Any ideas on how to get it back to center? I know there was a trick to get the leeks back centered but I can't remember what order you retighten the screws.
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presz, mine is still perfectly centered. I haven't put it to very hard use though. I had a problem with a Blur some time ago and here is some info the SOLEIL shared with me.

SOLEIL said:
Welcome to the forums!

A method that usually works is to tighten the pivot screw (when knife is closed) on the side that the blade is touching the scale. This should push the blade more to the center. Don't tighten too much or the blade may not open properly. If this does not work there are more steps you can take if you feel confident about disassembling the knife. You could also get additional information here:http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/forumdisplay.php?f=809
There are many there willing to help. You will also find Kershaw warranty contact there. If all else fails send it in to Kershaw, they will definitely make it right. Their customer service is excellent.

Good luck!
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Flashpoint said:
I passed the knife on to my FIL with the condition of that if he likes it he can keep it, but he has to let me know what he thinks so I can write a review.
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I asked my FIL what he thought about the 2445ST today. He said "I don't really know much about knives. All I've used it for is to cut open boxes. It's sharp. I guess it's a fine blade." So there you have it, the opinion of "Joe Everyman".

Two Christmases ago I have him a Ka-bar Dozier. Before that, all he had was an old, cheap, slipjoint of some kind. A couple of months ago I gave him an extra Browning Ice Storm that I had, so his experience was somewhat limited. Anyway, I think he'll put the Barrage to good use, and the whole thumb stud thing is a non-issue to him. He always opens knives with two hands. :D
 
Flashpoint said:
I asked my FIL what he thought about the 2445ST today. He said "I don't really know much about knives. All I've used it for is to cut open boxes. It's sharp. I guess it's a fine blade." So there you have it, the opinion of "Joe Everyman".

Two Christmases ago I have him a Ka-bar Dozier. Before that, all he had was an old, cheap, slipjoint of some kind. A couple of months ago I gave him an extra Browning Ice Storm that I had, so his experience was somewhat limited. Anyway, I think he'll put the Barrage to good use, and the whole thumb stud thing is a non-issue to him. He always opens knives with two hands. :D
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As long as it's there when he needs it, that's cool huh! :thumbup:
 
Flashpoint said:
I asked my FIL what he thought about the 2445ST today. He said "I don't really know much about knives. All I've used it for is to cut open boxes. It's sharp. I guess it's a fine blade." So there you have it, the opinion of "Joe Everyman".

Two Christmases ago I have him a Ka-bar Dozier. Before that, all he had was an old, cheap, slipjoint of some kind. A couple of months ago I gave him an extra Browning Ice Storm that I had, so his experience was somewhat limited. Anyway, I think he'll put the Barrage to good use, and the whole thumb stud thing is a non-issue to him. He always opens knives with two hands. :D
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Show him how to do it one handed, once you do he'll never go back to slow opening and closing. Show him the wrist flick way of closing, it looks cool. :D
 
A_Blade_Afficionado said:
Show him how to do it one handed, once you do he'll never go back to slow opening and closing. Show him the wrist flick way of closing, it looks cool. :D
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I've demonstrated how to flip them open one handed 4 or 5 times, but he's old school. My dad is the same way. His fingers are dry, cracked, and sore most of the time. Thumb studs, Spydie holes, and flippers hurt is fingers, so just uses both hands.
 
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