Kershaw Hawk...

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Psychopomp

Joined
Feb 21, 2005
Messages
2,662
I know there's a thread about this knife fairly recently, but the search will not work for me (stupid dial-up)... anyhoo.

I picked one of these up pretty cheap on ebay and got it today. I'm very impressed with the materials, and the fit and finish ain't bad either. But I noticed right out of the box that it's not sharp at all (well, it'll slice paper, but it's not an acceptable level of sharpness for my tastes), which was a disappointment because I'm used to Kershaws coming shaving sharp.

I've done a few tests on the strength of the lock and it seems to hold up well to some spine whacks on my desk, the tang engages the lock at around 50%, which is acceptable, but pushing the limits of where I like my liners to hit. If it was a thicker liner then 50% would be ok, but as it is, the liner is fairly thin. Thin liners aren't a concern on the stength front, but at 50% out the box the wear towards the other scale concerns me a bit. But I'm sure that concern will turn out to be nothing.

A few minutes on the Sharpmaker and this little knife seems like it'll be a winner for light duties. There's a few modifications I think I'll attempt and since it was such an inexpensive knife and I'm sure I can get another, I don't mind risking anything. I'm thinking about replacing the thumb stud with the stud from my old Vapor II, since I like that stud a lot. I'm also contemplating filing the liner with a few grooves to make closing easier and I don't think a few shallow grooves will weaken the structure at all. I'll probably disassemble the knife for the file work since I don't like the idea of a (now) razor sharp blade that close to my hand whilst filing.

And while I'm filing maybe I'll put some serrations in the thumb ramp on my new Endura.
 
I like mine, but unfortunately not enough for it to replace my Delica as an EDC. Mine came very sharp, but with a very rough, toothy edge. Also, the edge was ground quite a bit more on one side than the other. Lockup on mine is perfect, with no up or down play at all. Other than that, there are just a couple places where a grind is uneven, but they are merely cosmetic issues. I might end up giving it to a friend or trade it off for something else, but I'm sure it would serve someone well. For what was paid, I certainly can't complain too much.
 
Right, it'll never be an EDC, but a good knife for a hell of a great price. I do like it well enough to carry in situations where my Heat may scare people, or my Endura is too large. I like the handle to blade ratio, which is one reason I don't typically carry smaller knives (other than an SAK)... the handle is well shaped and doesn't feel too small, even if the blade is on the shorter side of what I consider optimal for a folder (I like 3.5 to 4 inch blades).

I like the tip up carry and the pocket clip in this knife is one of the best I've seen... very Spyderco-ish but a little easier to clip back to my pocket than my Endura (granted both knives are new so the Endura will losen up some).

The grind on mine was even, but dull as butter. It sharpened very well on the Sharpmaker and can shave hair effortlessly now.

I've decided against switching the thumbstuds, I actually really like the Hawk's stud. I am going to dremel a few serrations into the liner though.
 
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