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Kershaw VoltII—Model 3650ST
Steel—8CR13MoV Bead blast finish
Polyamide handle
Liner lock
Blade length: 3-1/8 in.
Closed length: 3-7/8 in.
Weight—3.4 oz.
Pocket clip—Tip up/down
Speedsafe
First Impressions
Out of the box, I noticed how solid the knife felt—it doesn’t feel like a Chinese-made knife when you open it and start using it. The handle does NOT feel hollow, and the flipper works remarkably well. The construction screws seem to be metric hex, so torx people are going to have to go shopping.
Of course, I always check out of box sharpness, and Kershaw has always been a winner here. This knife is no exception, as it will cleanly slice newspaper and shave effortlessly. The grinds themselves were uniform and even. The fit and finish of the back-spacer and where the scale/liner meet is flawless and has a nice wavy design.
How the knife feels in hand
Rock solid. No bladeplay in any direction. Opens up with a simple push of the index finger. Liner engages at 1/3. Jimping on choil, thumb ramp, and butt of the knife provide good grip.
This is a smaller medium-sized knife; it’d fit under the “shorts-carry” category. While there is no blade-choil like many Spydercos have, I can make controlled cuts just fine by extending my thumb over the blade spine's “hump.”
Carry-ability
Tip up or tip down semi-deep carry pocket clips. Thin and discreet without feeling flimsy, the clip tension was set just fine for jean carry.
Final thoughts
I really like this knife—it's a solid, smooth knife with no frills. It just plain works and feels quite solid. Without “China” on the blade I would have a hard time seeing how this knife was made there, just from a quality standpoint. At its price-point (a mere $25 at most online stores,) it's a no brainer—you have to try out this knife for yourself. I think the offerings from Spyderco/Boker/Benchmade have a competitor.
Kershaw Clash—Model 1605ST
Steel—8CR13MoV beadblasted
Handle CNC-machined G-10
Liner Lock
Blade length: 3- in.
Closed length: 4-1/4 in.
Weight—4oz.
Pocket clip—Tip up/down
First Impressions
I pulled the Clash out of its packaging and noticed the grippy feel of the G-10. It has a detailed “dot” pattern that alternates up and down throughout the length of the scales. It is also slightly thinner than the Volt II.
Opening is accomplished using the flipper, and it opens smoothly. In my example, I found the flipper to be a little too pointy, so I dremeled it down to a flat point.
I don't know what to call the design on the G-10 handle, but it sure looks better than just a plain ole' handle. Grip is superior to the Volt II. Fit and finish is excellent—back-spacer mates perfectly in between the two handles, can’t feel any ridges whatsoever. Grind lines were even and the blade came newspaper slicing sharp as well.
How the knife feels in hand
This knife has more of a “locked-in” design, directing your fingers around the ridges of the handle. The handle works very well—no hotspots, and thumb has a nice shallow “ramp” on spine
The liner-lock is jimped as well on this knife.
Carry-ability
Tip up and down, hex screw construction again. I wasn't able to flip the clip, as I don't have the right size hex-heads. Tension on the clip was just fine.
Final thoughts
The flipper design is keeping me from liking this knife more—I’ll have to tinker with it once more before I make a solid conclusion about how it opens though. Then again, mine was one of the earlier models, so Kershaw could have changed the design. Also, this knife is available for around $25 online.
Extensive Testing in Honduras
In June, our church took a team of 14 people on a mission trip to Honduras. We helped construct walls for a new church in the nearby mountain village of Seses Mill near Copan Ruinas. We also helped dig a hole for a septic tank in the more rural part of Copan. Since we would work in the cool of the morning, we have an opportunity to do a VBS (Vacation Bible School) program with a local public school after school gets out in the afternoon.
These pictures show just a little taste of what we did there, but I tried to keep most of them knife-oriented.
I used these knives quite a bit in Honduras. As expected, sweat + high humidity takes a toll on the beadblasted 8Cr13 knives. It cleaned right up though. I also brought other knives to try out as well. I have surprising findings on the Sandvic steels as well (They’re quite rust resistant, especially the satin-finished/coated ones). To keep it interesting, I brought some ZT’s over just for fun, including the MUDD. Enjoy!
Anyone hungry?
Macaw decides to sample my Zing:
Market-fresh Avocado (So delicious!):
Working on the septic tank hole:
Showing us how to pour cement:
Random:
ZT rocks:
Steel—8CR13MoV Bead blast finish
Polyamide handle
Liner lock
Blade length: 3-1/8 in.
Closed length: 3-7/8 in.
Weight—3.4 oz.
Pocket clip—Tip up/down
Speedsafe
First Impressions
Out of the box, I noticed how solid the knife felt—it doesn’t feel like a Chinese-made knife when you open it and start using it. The handle does NOT feel hollow, and the flipper works remarkably well. The construction screws seem to be metric hex, so torx people are going to have to go shopping.
Of course, I always check out of box sharpness, and Kershaw has always been a winner here. This knife is no exception, as it will cleanly slice newspaper and shave effortlessly. The grinds themselves were uniform and even. The fit and finish of the back-spacer and where the scale/liner meet is flawless and has a nice wavy design.
How the knife feels in hand
Rock solid. No bladeplay in any direction. Opens up with a simple push of the index finger. Liner engages at 1/3. Jimping on choil, thumb ramp, and butt of the knife provide good grip.
This is a smaller medium-sized knife; it’d fit under the “shorts-carry” category. While there is no blade-choil like many Spydercos have, I can make controlled cuts just fine by extending my thumb over the blade spine's “hump.”
Carry-ability
Tip up or tip down semi-deep carry pocket clips. Thin and discreet without feeling flimsy, the clip tension was set just fine for jean carry.
Final thoughts
I really like this knife—it's a solid, smooth knife with no frills. It just plain works and feels quite solid. Without “China” on the blade I would have a hard time seeing how this knife was made there, just from a quality standpoint. At its price-point (a mere $25 at most online stores,) it's a no brainer—you have to try out this knife for yourself. I think the offerings from Spyderco/Boker/Benchmade have a competitor.
Kershaw Clash—Model 1605ST
Steel—8CR13MoV beadblasted
Handle CNC-machined G-10
Liner Lock
Blade length: 3- in.
Closed length: 4-1/4 in.
Weight—4oz.
Pocket clip—Tip up/down
First Impressions
I pulled the Clash out of its packaging and noticed the grippy feel of the G-10. It has a detailed “dot” pattern that alternates up and down throughout the length of the scales. It is also slightly thinner than the Volt II.
Opening is accomplished using the flipper, and it opens smoothly. In my example, I found the flipper to be a little too pointy, so I dremeled it down to a flat point.
I don't know what to call the design on the G-10 handle, but it sure looks better than just a plain ole' handle. Grip is superior to the Volt II. Fit and finish is excellent—back-spacer mates perfectly in between the two handles, can’t feel any ridges whatsoever. Grind lines were even and the blade came newspaper slicing sharp as well.
How the knife feels in hand
This knife has more of a “locked-in” design, directing your fingers around the ridges of the handle. The handle works very well—no hotspots, and thumb has a nice shallow “ramp” on spine
The liner-lock is jimped as well on this knife.
Carry-ability
Tip up and down, hex screw construction again. I wasn't able to flip the clip, as I don't have the right size hex-heads. Tension on the clip was just fine.
Final thoughts
The flipper design is keeping me from liking this knife more—I’ll have to tinker with it once more before I make a solid conclusion about how it opens though. Then again, mine was one of the earlier models, so Kershaw could have changed the design. Also, this knife is available for around $25 online.
Extensive Testing in Honduras
In June, our church took a team of 14 people on a mission trip to Honduras. We helped construct walls for a new church in the nearby mountain village of Seses Mill near Copan Ruinas. We also helped dig a hole for a septic tank in the more rural part of Copan. Since we would work in the cool of the morning, we have an opportunity to do a VBS (Vacation Bible School) program with a local public school after school gets out in the afternoon.
These pictures show just a little taste of what we did there, but I tried to keep most of them knife-oriented.
I used these knives quite a bit in Honduras. As expected, sweat + high humidity takes a toll on the beadblasted 8Cr13 knives. It cleaned right up though. I also brought other knives to try out as well. I have surprising findings on the Sandvic steels as well (They’re quite rust resistant, especially the satin-finished/coated ones). To keep it interesting, I brought some ZT’s over just for fun, including the MUDD. Enjoy!
Anyone hungry?
Macaw decides to sample my Zing:
Market-fresh Avocado (So delicious!):
Working on the septic tank hole:
Showing us how to pour cement:
Random:
ZT rocks:
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