Kershaw Blur s30v or 14c28 vs Spyderco Military s30v....

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lonestar1979

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Mar 2, 2014
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I was looking to buy Spyderco Military s30v , wasnt in stock but handled couple Kershaw Blurs and was really impressed with fit ,finish ,grinds and design of those knives.It also costs less than Military.Which one performs better, what are pros and cons of each, and how is kershaws s30v and 14c28vs spyderco's s30v?
 
I, along with a lot of other people, have had both. I prefer the military, but the blur is also really good. I think that both knives are worth what they cost. If you had the free money to get the military, I'd go with that. If your funds are a little tight, I'd go with the blur and not feel bad about it.
 
lonestar1979 said:
I was looking to buy Spyderco Military s30v , wasnt in stock but handled couple Kershaw Blurs and was really impressed with fit ,finish ,grinds and design of those knives.It also costs less than Military.Which one performs better, what are pros and cons of each, and how is kershaws s30v and 14c28vs spyderco's s30v?
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They're both good knives. I haven't noticed a significant difference between Kershaw/ZT's S30V and Spyderco's. There's a massive difference between 14c28n and S30V, however. At least double the edge retention. I would pick the Military over the Blur myself, but that's just because I don't like assisted knives.
 
The Blur is one of my favorite knives ,super reliable, tough,I love the 14c28 offering easy to sharpen nice fine edge,that being said the recurve can be a little bit of a pain to sharpen the pocket clip kind of chews the pants pockets,and if you like assisted openers its among the best 8.5 in my book.
The Military is awesome I have xhp,cruwear,super knife way lighter than you would think considering it's length,nice easy slim profile,excellent slicer cons:really pointy long tip,despite being called the Military I am not sure that it is as tough a knife as a lot of ZT offerings,also the edc factor is up in the air because of it size,but for me a solid 8.0 rating.
Now about s30v it is really not one of my favorite steels,I have tried hard to love this steel,but ultimately I think a fine edge for me kind of wins me over versus a working edge.
 
I'd say the Blur is definitely better for the money; you can find them for $65 compared to about $135 for a Military, less than half the price. The Military is significantly bigger than the Blur; that may be good or bad depending on your preferences, but I personally find the Military to be overkill for my EDC tasks.

14C28N is a really incredible steel for the price; takes a very fine edge, and is apparently easier to machine (and thus cheaper), but can still get pretty hard due to the nitrogen. I really, really like it, and consider S30V to be a fairly minor upgrade (trading off a lot of sharpenability for edge retention), but the S30V Blur is much more attractive (IMO) with the flat grind and stonewash compared to the hollow grind/beadblast of the 14C28N versions. If I recall correctly, Kershaw runs their S30V a bit softer than Spyderco, which means you have a little less edge retention, but the added toughness is nice; sharpening chips out of S30V isn't really how I want to spend my time. Speaking of sharpening, the Blur has a recurve, which may make sharpening a bit obnoxious depending on what you use.

The Blur is also an incredibly smooth manual opener if you choose to deassist it.

Basically, if you really want a larger knife, or really don't want a recurve, go with the Military. If not, the Blur is a fantastic deal.
 
Blur is better manageable size for most guys EDC. I own many knives and carry more than one everyday so my EDC is small Spydie UKPK to which a Military is a good larger companion. Everything in personal carry choice is a compromise. Better edge holding=longer sharpening time. Assisted opening = more parts to break. Larger blade = possible loss of cutting control and precision.

Choosing a knife is such a personal thing. It really boils down to experimenting on what works for YOU.
 
I need to hold/handle a Blur. Aesthetically, I don't find them appealing in the least bit, however, they're very popular. The hype has piqued my curiosity.
 
Which one cuts better military or blur?ALso theres two version of Blur ,flat grind and hollow.WHich one performs better?
 
No grind, IMO, performs "better" than another. They do certain tasks better. Ex:a full flat grind slices very well. I prefer hollow grind for EDC, but that's just 1 mans opinion. If you ask 100 people their grind pref and why, you'd get 100 different answers.

Just go with the knife you like better. That, sir, will be the correct decision
 
I think these knives are like apples and oranges. I tend to actually use the knives with the softer steels, because the are easier to re-sharpen. I like the looks of the blackwashed Blur more than the S30v. I got bored with my S30v, and gave it to my brother. Anybody who collects large knives, or knives that can double as a self-defense blade should own a military. Get both! :)
 
Definitely Military

I have owned lots of high end knives and my rotation still has two Militarys in it, lately the blue s90v has been seeing the most use.
 
I love my blur. I think partly because the knife just feels so damn solid. It's just liner lock but it's still a super tight fit. I guess because of the metal handle as well. Definitely one of the better assisted actions I've had on a knife too.
 
Though I am a fan of Kershaw and the Blur is a nice knife, I'm not a fan of recurves or assisted openers. Those two features seemed cool to me when I first got into knives, but after playing around with different stuff and seeing what I actually liked for use, they lost their appeal. The only things the blur would have going for it compared to the Military for me is the cost and overall blade length if that mattered to me, which it doesn't. The Military feels better in the hand for me. The grind makes it an excellent slicer. The Spyderco hole on it makes for a much faster deployment than other methods (other than wave openers) once you learn to open them with your middle finger. Though quick deployment is another thing I thought I wanted when I first started, but no longer is a priority for me.
 
Ill eventually get both,i think military is more practical for most uses because of blade shape,but love the blur too especially blackwash version
 
I have said it before, and have no issues saying it again.. Look at the Elmax Blur - flat grind, sexy finish, better steel than s30v, and still cheaper than the mil..
 
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I concur. Elmax Blur FTW. Bonus points as the clip can be positioned for tip up carry, whereas the Military is tip down only. Also, IMHO, Elmax is vastly superior to S30V.
 
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I used to hate Blurs. Then I picked up an Elmax blur a few weeks ago. I usually know instantly whether or not I would trade a knife or not upon gripping it.

The blur was an instant winner for me, it's ergos immediately spoke to me and it looked into my hand much the way a Spyderco delica, endurance, Cara Cara 2, UKPK, domino, caly's have done. I was so used to buying Spyderco because of how perfect their ergos are to me that I was quite frankly in shock at how well the US fit in hand.

The blade geometry is not the most optimal as a slicer such as a Goddard which has been the sliciest Spyderco I have ever used to date but it's a very capable and stout blade. I usually spend or try to spend torture testing edge retention by cutting up cardboard boxes for 20 minutes just for fun and as a real world not too serious about it test. Elmax passed with flying colors. It was very easy to sharpen on both a turnbox or sharp maker.

The other aspect of it is that I like is the sheer amount of blade relative to handle. It falls in the realm of a traditional trapper. Meaning you get a ton of blade for not at of handle. Which is what I've learned that I love about knives.
 
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