- Joined
- Jul 2, 2009
- Messages
- 183
I recently received a Grey Kershaw Groove as part of a trade here on the forums. Since I have spent a good deal of time touching up the knife over the course of the last few weeks, and since I have gotten a good feel for it, I thought I would post a review here for any prospective buyers.
The thing that convinced me to trade for thins knife was its shear uniqueness. There is no other knife on the market remotely like it. The lack of a thumbstud or hole for thumb opening was surprising. The Groove is the first modern folding knife I have owned not featuring this option, however I quickly adjusted to using the R.J. Martin flipper design, and I have found it to be a viable and consistent opening method. However, the feature that most people notice about this knife is not the lack of a thumbstud, it is plethora of machined grooves starting about ¼ of an inch from the spine and continuing all the way down to the cutting edge. I will talk about the pro’s and con’s later in the review, but from a purely aesthetic perspective, the grooves make a beautiful and elegant addition to this knife.
When I got the knife in my hands for the first time, the first thing I noticed was the weight. The knife weighs in at around 5.2 ounces, which many would say is too heavy for a blade with only a 3 ½ inch blade. After carrying and using the knife I would disagree, the knife is weighted beautifully. When I carry it clipped to my pocket it does not feel like it weighs any more than my similarly sized Tenacious, but it feels sturdier in the hand that any other knife I own. The weight is mainly due to the 410 stainless steel body of the knife, the steel panels are not liners, they are the actual handle of the knife, without holding the knife, it may appear to some that the G-10 panels are the main handles of the knife, like on the Tenacious, however after holding the knife, I assert that the G-10 is simply there for added grip, and that the knife is basically a stainless steel handled knife. The downside of stainless handles, as I have found owning this knife, is their tendency to rust. When I first got this knife, I could see that the previous owner had not done much to prevent this, as the steel around the G-10 Scales was speckled with brick-red spots of rust. However, this problem was easily remedied, it took all of five minutes to remove the G-10 with a T-6 screwdriver from my Benchmade Blue Box and rub down the handles with a little WD-40 leaving them spot free and beautiful.
The R.J. Martin flipper, embossed with the date of manufacture (in my case November of ’07) allows for smooth and easy accusation of the blade, and it is a pleasant break from the rest of my knives which all feature thumbholes. A simple press of the flipper followed by a downward movement of the pointer finger is usually enough to fully open the blade, however, a flick of the wrist may be added to ensure fast opening and tight lockup. When open, the flipper doubles as a full tang ensuring that the user will not cut himself on the blade.
Once opened, the knife feels extremely secure in the hand. Double cutouts in the handle for the first and second fingers ensure the knife will not slip while cutting, and the well-textured G-10 only adds to the “grippiness” of the knife. The jimping on the blade is not as sharp as I would like it to be, but it is sufficient for most tasks, and with the excellent ergonomics of the rest of the knife, it is not a big issue. The Groove has a lanyard hole near the end of the handle, and an adjustable pivot screw. Also, if desired, the G-10 may be removed, leaving a very thin and strong completely stainless knife with almost no loss in ergonomics.
The medium length blade is made of Kershaw’s signature Sandvik 13c26 steel used on many of their models in 2007 and early 2008. It is a lower carbon stainless steel, however, I have found its edge retention to be very good. On the downside, I have yet to see it achieve the same level of sharpness of other steels in the price range, like AUS-8 or 8cr13mov.
The grind on this blade seems to be a modified sabre grind, with the grind starting ¼ inch or so from the spine of the blade. However, it is hard to tell the exact nature of the grind because of the grooves. It is certainly not flat ground, and I am reasonably sure that it is not hollow ground. The spine is 1/8th of an inch thick. The tip of the blade appears to be very strong, which is a function of the sabre grind
The blade is a modified drop-point design with a slight recurve halfway down the blade. The recurve adds length to the blade as well as an excellent belly; it does though make the knife herder to sharpen if you are using stones. On the Spyderco Sharpmaker, it is fairly simple to resharpen. This knife is not the best slicer, which is a function of the recurve, but it is an adequate chopper, and it is excellent at cutting ropes by pulling them against the recurve from the base of the blade. While I do not suggest using a knife as a defensive weapon, this knife would also be an excellent slasher due to the recurved blade. Kershaw boasts that the Grooves reduce resistance and make the Groove a better slicer. This very well may be the case, but if so, the difference is so slight that I consider it to be a non-factor. If you are looking for a good slicer, I would not suggest this knife as a first choice. For the price, the Tenacious by Spyderco would be a better choice. In my view, the Grooves are purely an aesthetic addition.
As with all Kershaw models, the blade is engraved with an amount of good information including the model number (in this case 1730GRY), the “KAI” logo (Kershaw’s parent company) and USA, which is a welcome stamp on any knife. It is also stamped with the Kershaw logo, and the designer, R.J. Marin’s name. Unlike many of other Kershaw models, blade steel information is not stamped on the blade.
The clip on the Groove is adequate, but in my opinion, it falls short of what I would expect from a company of Kershaw’s caliber. The clip is the same stonewashed grey as the 410 stainless handle, which is fine. I would usually prefer a blackened clip for discreet carry, but in this case, the stonewashed finish goes with the knife’s overall appearance. My biggest problem with the clip lies in its length. While the Spyderco Endura and Tenacious both have clips that hold a full two inches of pocket, the Groove’s clip barely holds 1 ½ inches of pocket, and for a knife of this size, this is far too little. Apart from that however, it is an adequate clip, it is a 3 screw clip, and can be set for tip up or tip down carry, but not for left handed carry. It is stamped, or laser engraved with the Kershaw logo.
The Kershaw Groove features a very strong framelock, utilizing the stainless steel body to provide a superb lockup with no blade play in and direction whatsoever. Due to the G-10 scale, it is easy to know how far to push the framelock when releasing it, on other frame locking knives, I am afraid of pushing it too far and weakening the lockup, but this is not a problem on the Groove.
Overall, The Kershaw Groove is a very interesting knife to own, it is adequate for most everyday tasks and it is a very gorgeous and interesting knife to own. For bout 45$ on the secondary market, it is a reasonable price for G-10 handles, good blade steel, and U.S. production. I think that any knife enthusiast would be pleased to own it, and I suggest picking it up if you are in the market for this kind of a knife. Kershaw is a great company, and if you have never owned a knife from them before, I would suggest picking up at least one. Their customer service is rock solid, and they stand behind their product 100%.
I give this knife an 8.5-9 out of 10.
Knife Specs:
Weight: 5.2 oz.
Blade Length: 3 ½ inches
Cutting Edge: 3 ¼ inches
Handle Length: 4 ½ inches
Overall Length: 8 inches
Blade Steel: Sandvik 13c26
Handle Materials: 410 Stainless/Grey or Black G-10
Opening Mechanism: Flipper
Locking Mechanism: Frame Lock
Screw together construction
Adjustable Pivot screw
Bi-directional clip, non-reversible
Made in the USA
The thing that convinced me to trade for thins knife was its shear uniqueness. There is no other knife on the market remotely like it. The lack of a thumbstud or hole for thumb opening was surprising. The Groove is the first modern folding knife I have owned not featuring this option, however I quickly adjusted to using the R.J. Martin flipper design, and I have found it to be a viable and consistent opening method. However, the feature that most people notice about this knife is not the lack of a thumbstud, it is plethora of machined grooves starting about ¼ of an inch from the spine and continuing all the way down to the cutting edge. I will talk about the pro’s and con’s later in the review, but from a purely aesthetic perspective, the grooves make a beautiful and elegant addition to this knife.
When I got the knife in my hands for the first time, the first thing I noticed was the weight. The knife weighs in at around 5.2 ounces, which many would say is too heavy for a blade with only a 3 ½ inch blade. After carrying and using the knife I would disagree, the knife is weighted beautifully. When I carry it clipped to my pocket it does not feel like it weighs any more than my similarly sized Tenacious, but it feels sturdier in the hand that any other knife I own. The weight is mainly due to the 410 stainless steel body of the knife, the steel panels are not liners, they are the actual handle of the knife, without holding the knife, it may appear to some that the G-10 panels are the main handles of the knife, like on the Tenacious, however after holding the knife, I assert that the G-10 is simply there for added grip, and that the knife is basically a stainless steel handled knife. The downside of stainless handles, as I have found owning this knife, is their tendency to rust. When I first got this knife, I could see that the previous owner had not done much to prevent this, as the steel around the G-10 Scales was speckled with brick-red spots of rust. However, this problem was easily remedied, it took all of five minutes to remove the G-10 with a T-6 screwdriver from my Benchmade Blue Box and rub down the handles with a little WD-40 leaving them spot free and beautiful.
The R.J. Martin flipper, embossed with the date of manufacture (in my case November of ’07) allows for smooth and easy accusation of the blade, and it is a pleasant break from the rest of my knives which all feature thumbholes. A simple press of the flipper followed by a downward movement of the pointer finger is usually enough to fully open the blade, however, a flick of the wrist may be added to ensure fast opening and tight lockup. When open, the flipper doubles as a full tang ensuring that the user will not cut himself on the blade.
Once opened, the knife feels extremely secure in the hand. Double cutouts in the handle for the first and second fingers ensure the knife will not slip while cutting, and the well-textured G-10 only adds to the “grippiness” of the knife. The jimping on the blade is not as sharp as I would like it to be, but it is sufficient for most tasks, and with the excellent ergonomics of the rest of the knife, it is not a big issue. The Groove has a lanyard hole near the end of the handle, and an adjustable pivot screw. Also, if desired, the G-10 may be removed, leaving a very thin and strong completely stainless knife with almost no loss in ergonomics.
The medium length blade is made of Kershaw’s signature Sandvik 13c26 steel used on many of their models in 2007 and early 2008. It is a lower carbon stainless steel, however, I have found its edge retention to be very good. On the downside, I have yet to see it achieve the same level of sharpness of other steels in the price range, like AUS-8 or 8cr13mov.
The grind on this blade seems to be a modified sabre grind, with the grind starting ¼ inch or so from the spine of the blade. However, it is hard to tell the exact nature of the grind because of the grooves. It is certainly not flat ground, and I am reasonably sure that it is not hollow ground. The spine is 1/8th of an inch thick. The tip of the blade appears to be very strong, which is a function of the sabre grind
The blade is a modified drop-point design with a slight recurve halfway down the blade. The recurve adds length to the blade as well as an excellent belly; it does though make the knife herder to sharpen if you are using stones. On the Spyderco Sharpmaker, it is fairly simple to resharpen. This knife is not the best slicer, which is a function of the recurve, but it is an adequate chopper, and it is excellent at cutting ropes by pulling them against the recurve from the base of the blade. While I do not suggest using a knife as a defensive weapon, this knife would also be an excellent slasher due to the recurved blade. Kershaw boasts that the Grooves reduce resistance and make the Groove a better slicer. This very well may be the case, but if so, the difference is so slight that I consider it to be a non-factor. If you are looking for a good slicer, I would not suggest this knife as a first choice. For the price, the Tenacious by Spyderco would be a better choice. In my view, the Grooves are purely an aesthetic addition.
As with all Kershaw models, the blade is engraved with an amount of good information including the model number (in this case 1730GRY), the “KAI” logo (Kershaw’s parent company) and USA, which is a welcome stamp on any knife. It is also stamped with the Kershaw logo, and the designer, R.J. Marin’s name. Unlike many of other Kershaw models, blade steel information is not stamped on the blade.
The clip on the Groove is adequate, but in my opinion, it falls short of what I would expect from a company of Kershaw’s caliber. The clip is the same stonewashed grey as the 410 stainless handle, which is fine. I would usually prefer a blackened clip for discreet carry, but in this case, the stonewashed finish goes with the knife’s overall appearance. My biggest problem with the clip lies in its length. While the Spyderco Endura and Tenacious both have clips that hold a full two inches of pocket, the Groove’s clip barely holds 1 ½ inches of pocket, and for a knife of this size, this is far too little. Apart from that however, it is an adequate clip, it is a 3 screw clip, and can be set for tip up or tip down carry, but not for left handed carry. It is stamped, or laser engraved with the Kershaw logo.
The Kershaw Groove features a very strong framelock, utilizing the stainless steel body to provide a superb lockup with no blade play in and direction whatsoever. Due to the G-10 scale, it is easy to know how far to push the framelock when releasing it, on other frame locking knives, I am afraid of pushing it too far and weakening the lockup, but this is not a problem on the Groove.
Overall, The Kershaw Groove is a very interesting knife to own, it is adequate for most everyday tasks and it is a very gorgeous and interesting knife to own. For bout 45$ on the secondary market, it is a reasonable price for G-10 handles, good blade steel, and U.S. production. I think that any knife enthusiast would be pleased to own it, and I suggest picking it up if you are in the market for this kind of a knife. Kershaw is a great company, and if you have never owned a knife from them before, I would suggest picking up at least one. Their customer service is rock solid, and they stand behind their product 100%.
I give this knife an 8.5-9 out of 10.
Knife Specs:
Weight: 5.2 oz.
Blade Length: 3 ½ inches
Cutting Edge: 3 ¼ inches
Handle Length: 4 ½ inches
Overall Length: 8 inches
Blade Steel: Sandvik 13c26
Handle Materials: 410 Stainless/Grey or Black G-10
Opening Mechanism: Flipper
Locking Mechanism: Frame Lock
Screw together construction
Adjustable Pivot screw
Bi-directional clip, non-reversible
Made in the USA
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