Here's a nice one... the Kershaw Cyclone in all black, model 1630BLK. I'm not sure if this model (the all-black version) was discontinued or not since it's not on Kershaw's website and not in the 2008 catalog. I bought it for $55. It's very cool, and of course has the Ken Onion SpeedSafe design. With an On / Off switch! It's 6.3 ounces in weight, and an overall excellent design...
Handle Details: The Cyclone is 5" closed, and a fist full of knife. It has two stainless steel liners; one locking. The scales are black anodized aluminum. The scales are simple and have no designs except for two small lines near the blade and five cut-out holes near the butt. You get a lanyard hole. The handle is absent of any markings. The left (non-locking) side holds the Torx screws; three T-6 for holding the backspacer in, and one T-8 for the blade pivot pin. The right (locking) side has a hex-shaped bolt to go into the blade pivot pin; a much better design than the old round bolt that just spun when you turned it. The hex bolt is stainless, not black. The right side also has holes for the pocket clip, which can be tip up or down (but right side only). These two pocket clip screws are T-6 screws. Unfortunately, the pocket clip (and its screws) isn't all-black as well. Instead, it's stone-washed stainless steel. The linerlock is jimped and very easy to disengage, but not so much as to create a hazard. It locks up solidly with no blade play, and covers about 45% of the blade (the liner's entire width). There is also jimping on the top of the liners where a thumb ramp should be. The liners stick up a tiny bit higher than the scales, so this makes for a good grip when using the jimping.
On or Off? The Cyclone features a switch t turn the SpeedSafe on or off. It's a roll switch made of stainless steel, and it's jimped. On one side there's an "ON" and on the other an "OFF". Roll the switch to "ON" and it works like any other SpeedSafe knife. Roll it to "OFF" and the knife works like any other manual knife. You can open it with either the thumb studs (one on each side of the blade) or the flipper. To manipulate the On / Off switch, you have to have to blade open so it can engage or disengage the torsion bar.
Blade Details: The Cyclone soprts a 3-3/4" blade. Mine is made of 440A because it was made in June of 2006, but the newer ones (after July 2007 I believe) have Sandvik 13C26 blades. It's all black, just like the handle. The black color is created with a Tungsten DLC (Diamond Like Coating) and improves corrosion resistance. Plus it looks cool. Kershaw says this DLC coating increases the surface hardness to about 90 on the Rockwell scale. To the blade markings... the left side of the blade has the Kershaw / Ken Onion logo. The right side has the model number (1630BLK) above the KAI logo, above MADE IN USA. The right side tang also shows the month and year of manufacture (mine says JUN 06). Each side of the blade has a stainless steel thumb stud with Kershaw's stair-step pattern. The edge came extremely sharp right out of the box, and the drop point make sit ideal for utility work.
This is almost one of those "perfect" folders. It locks up tight and is yet easy to unlock. You can have it be a manual opener or an assisted opener. The anodized aluminum handles add a nice non-slip texture. The blade comes very sharp and keeps that edge for a while. Resharpening is a breeze. The blade has enough length to useful for all sorts of things, while not so big as to be cumbersome or awkward. The price is great.
The only things I'd change: if you're going to make an all-black knife, then make all of it black. The pocket clip and its screws, the blade pivot bolt, the blade stop pin, the liners, and the thumb studs are all stainless steel. I can understand leaving the roll switch and its markings a different color, but I'm curious as to the rest.
I've mentioned this before, but Kershaw please give us the option of having the pocket clip on the left side of the knife.
Overall, thumbs up. Like I said, this knife is almost perfect as a folder. Check one out if you can.
Handle Details: The Cyclone is 5" closed, and a fist full of knife. It has two stainless steel liners; one locking. The scales are black anodized aluminum. The scales are simple and have no designs except for two small lines near the blade and five cut-out holes near the butt. You get a lanyard hole. The handle is absent of any markings. The left (non-locking) side holds the Torx screws; three T-6 for holding the backspacer in, and one T-8 for the blade pivot pin. The right (locking) side has a hex-shaped bolt to go into the blade pivot pin; a much better design than the old round bolt that just spun when you turned it. The hex bolt is stainless, not black. The right side also has holes for the pocket clip, which can be tip up or down (but right side only). These two pocket clip screws are T-6 screws. Unfortunately, the pocket clip (and its screws) isn't all-black as well. Instead, it's stone-washed stainless steel. The linerlock is jimped and very easy to disengage, but not so much as to create a hazard. It locks up solidly with no blade play, and covers about 45% of the blade (the liner's entire width). There is also jimping on the top of the liners where a thumb ramp should be. The liners stick up a tiny bit higher than the scales, so this makes for a good grip when using the jimping.
On or Off? The Cyclone features a switch t turn the SpeedSafe on or off. It's a roll switch made of stainless steel, and it's jimped. On one side there's an "ON" and on the other an "OFF". Roll the switch to "ON" and it works like any other SpeedSafe knife. Roll it to "OFF" and the knife works like any other manual knife. You can open it with either the thumb studs (one on each side of the blade) or the flipper. To manipulate the On / Off switch, you have to have to blade open so it can engage or disengage the torsion bar.
Blade Details: The Cyclone soprts a 3-3/4" blade. Mine is made of 440A because it was made in June of 2006, but the newer ones (after July 2007 I believe) have Sandvik 13C26 blades. It's all black, just like the handle. The black color is created with a Tungsten DLC (Diamond Like Coating) and improves corrosion resistance. Plus it looks cool. Kershaw says this DLC coating increases the surface hardness to about 90 on the Rockwell scale. To the blade markings... the left side of the blade has the Kershaw / Ken Onion logo. The right side has the model number (1630BLK) above the KAI logo, above MADE IN USA. The right side tang also shows the month and year of manufacture (mine says JUN 06). Each side of the blade has a stainless steel thumb stud with Kershaw's stair-step pattern. The edge came extremely sharp right out of the box, and the drop point make sit ideal for utility work.
This is almost one of those "perfect" folders. It locks up tight and is yet easy to unlock. You can have it be a manual opener or an assisted opener. The anodized aluminum handles add a nice non-slip texture. The blade comes very sharp and keeps that edge for a while. Resharpening is a breeze. The blade has enough length to useful for all sorts of things, while not so big as to be cumbersome or awkward. The price is great.
The only things I'd change: if you're going to make an all-black knife, then make all of it black. The pocket clip and its screws, the blade pivot bolt, the blade stop pin, the liners, and the thumb studs are all stainless steel. I can understand leaving the roll switch and its markings a different color, but I'm curious as to the rest.
I've mentioned this before, but Kershaw please give us the option of having the pocket clip on the left side of the knife.
Overall, thumbs up. Like I said, this knife is almost perfect as a folder. Check one out if you can.
