I got a chance to get in to the Outdoor Retailers' Expo on Saturday 8/11/07. The Expo is open to retailers only, and gives manufacturers a chance to show their new stuff to potential retail outlets. Since it's not open to the public, getting a pass from a friend of mine and being able to attend the show was a bit of a treat.
An even bigger treat was finding the Kershaw booth.
This is a couple of the guys at the booth, and I think John talking to my wife about the Spec Bump (which she really loved, by the way :thumbup: ).
Not only did they have some of their great production stuff, but they also had some new stuff I was able to get my paws on like the Tyrade and the R.A.M.!
They had some of their experimental blades showing the different steps of the process for joining the metals of the Tyrade, and some early experiments like the dovetailed blade in the upper right. The blade in the upper left with the chunks out of it was a test blade showing that the steel will snap before the joint comes apart.
REALLY cool stuff to actually get to play with since I've just seen pictures of it online.
What I was particularly excited about was the R.A.M. I've been anxious for this knife to go into production for a while now. I think it looks great, it's a nice smaller size, and the mechanism sounded really nifty.
It lived up to all my expectations.
The mechanism and everything about it is amazing. It's not assisted opening, but the flip makes it seem like it is. A nice little flip with an index finger (with just a little authority) and the blade snaps nicely into the locked position. It locks up really well with no play, and just as easily releases with the button. If you've seen the video (I'll try to find a link) it REALLY is that simple. The guys in the booth didn't know about the mechanics of the lock-up, so they couldn't explain it to me, but let me tell you that this thing feels and works just great. However it works, the mechanics seem to be contained in one side of the handle, so it looks like it will stay clean. Overall a GREAT design.
Finally, I don't remember if this has been posted yet:
An even bigger treat was finding the Kershaw booth.
This is a couple of the guys at the booth, and I think John talking to my wife about the Spec Bump (which she really loved, by the way :thumbup: ).
Not only did they have some of their great production stuff, but they also had some new stuff I was able to get my paws on like the Tyrade and the R.A.M.!
They had some of their experimental blades showing the different steps of the process for joining the metals of the Tyrade, and some early experiments like the dovetailed blade in the upper right. The blade in the upper left with the chunks out of it was a test blade showing that the steel will snap before the joint comes apart.
REALLY cool stuff to actually get to play with since I've just seen pictures of it online.
What I was particularly excited about was the R.A.M. I've been anxious for this knife to go into production for a while now. I think it looks great, it's a nice smaller size, and the mechanism sounded really nifty.
It lived up to all my expectations.
The mechanism and everything about it is amazing. It's not assisted opening, but the flip makes it seem like it is. A nice little flip with an index finger (with just a little authority) and the blade snaps nicely into the locked position. It locks up really well with no play, and just as easily releases with the button. If you've seen the video (I'll try to find a link) it REALLY is that simple. The guys in the booth didn't know about the mechanics of the lock-up, so they couldn't explain it to me, but let me tell you that this thing feels and works just great. However it works, the mechanics seem to be contained in one side of the handle, so it looks like it will stay clean. Overall a GREAT design.
Finally, I don't remember if this has been posted yet:
