Kershaw Injection 3.0 Curiosity

John_0917 said:
Not surprised, I handled both of the Injection variants in a store once and was very unimpressed overall. By the way, this model is discontinued as of 2016, just like the Nura which was an equally high potential but low achieving offering.
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:eek:

Is there a list somewhere of Kershaw knives that were discontinued this year?
 
Has anybody spoke with Kershaw about these "anomalies" (plain thumbstuds and teflon washers) on the same models to clear things up? I bought one today and it is pretty much the same as ZuluKilo's except that I got it from a reputable brick and mortar store (HoK) in Canada. The other thing I'd like to add is the blade material stamp is missing where I thought it should be along the line of China on the other side of blade.

NB: Kershaw's website doesn't list the injections as discontinued.
 
For what it's worth, i have a Injection 3.0 and to me it feels worth more then what i paid for it. I like the smooth handles and smooth opening. The bead blasted blade however is prone to rust, but that's the only negative thing i can say about it.
 
I've seen CRKT do this sort of thing with the M16. It's disappointing, but I think we all know the solution.
 
kubelik said:
...I have an Injection 3.0 and it really is a nice knife...
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Same here. I love my injection 3.0. It's a shame Wal-Junk operates the way they do. You would think that Kershaw would alter the product ID for their wally world knives so knife enthusiasts would be able to tell the difference. Heck, why not make a line specifically for sale at Wal-Crap?
 
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I find it hard to believe a manufacturer of anything--knives, toilet paper or panty hose--would go to the added expense of producing a second line of lower quality products exclusively for Walmart. I'm pretty sure all lines of Kershaws, Charmin and L'eggs are the same from store to store. Not to say Walmart doesn't influence the overall quality of merchandise in general as it is sold everywhere. I'm sure that it does and I try to avoid Walmart stores when possible. But the variation in quality of these knives is about normal for $30 knives (I've actually seen the Injection 3.0 for sale for $20). Hell, even $300 knives have variations in quality from sample to sample.

One thing Walmart actually is good at is taking back defective merchandise for refund or exchange. Might consider that route if your knife is a dud.
 
Lee48 said:
I find it hard to believe a manufacturer of anything--knives, toilet paper or panty hose--would go to the added expense of producing a second line of lower quality products exclusively for Walmart. I'm pretty sure all lines of Kershaws, Charmin and L'eggs are the same from store to store. Not to say Walmart doesn't influence the overall quality of merchandise in general as it is sold everywhere. I'm sure that it does and I try to avoid Walmart stores when possible. But the variation in quality of these knives is about normal for $30 knives (I've actually seen the Injection 3.0 for sale for $20). Hell, even $300 knives have variations in quality from sample to sample.

One thing Walmart actually is good at is taking back defective merchandise for refund or exchange. Might consider that route if your knife is a dud.
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Lee48 you hit the nail right on the head. The only production knife with a significant change in the Walmart item is the Kershaw Shuffle. The main production model is 8cr while mine is 3cr. This decision pre-dated me, but I agree with it. Beyond that, some people don't seem to realize how expensive it can be to do one-off runs for special merchandise for Walmart. After re-tooling and production down time, you're looking at $25-50k incurred, which would likely offset any cost savings from cheapening the product.

In grocery or consumables, yeah, Walmart and all other retailers will change pack sizes or product quantities to compete on price/offer value, but in general merchandise we don't get much crazier than different colors.
 
emw479 said:
Lee48 you hit the nail right on the head. The only production knife with a significant change in the Walmart item is the Kershaw Shuffle. The main production model is 8cr while mine is 3cr. This decision pre-dated me, but I agree with it. Beyond that, some people don't seem to realize how expensive it can be to do one-off runs for special merchandise for Walmart. After re-tooling and production down time, you're looking at $25-50k incurred, which would likely offset any cost savings from cheapening the product.

In grocery or consumables, yeah, Walmart and all other retailers will change pack sizes or product quantities to compete on price/offer value, but in general merchandise we don't get much crazier than different colors.
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As already mentioned, at the very least, CRKT did this with the M16.

Wal-Mart is a lot of sales. $50k is the cost of a cheap Mercedes; it wouldn't take much to recoup the investment. And they did with a $20 folder that sold like hotcakes at the time.
 
Nap said:
As already mentioned, at the very least, CRKT did this with the M16.

Wal-Mart is a lot of sales. $50k is the cost of a cheap Mercedes; it wouldn't take much to recoup the investment. And they did with a $20 folder that sold like hotcakes at the time.
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What did CRKT do to the M16 for Walmart?
 
Lee48 said:
I find it hard to believe a manufacturer of anything--knives, toilet paper or panty hose--would go to the added expense of producing a second line of lower quality products exclusively for Walmart. I'm pretty sure all lines of Kershaws, Charmin and L'eggs are the same from store to store. Not to say Walmart doesn't influence the overall quality of merchandise in general as it is sold everywhere. I'm sure that it does and I try to avoid Walmart stores when possible. But the variation in quality of these knives is about normal for $30 knives (I've actually seen the Injection 3.0 for sale for $20). Hell, even $300 knives have variations in quality from sample to sample.

One thing Walmart actually is good at is taking back defective merchandise for refund or exchange. Might consider that route if your knife is a dud.
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You're wrong. There are secondary production runs of many of these knives. Don't confuse domestic manufacturing constraints with an overseas economy.
 
Yep, WallyWorld is notorious for forcing companies to toe their price line or lose out on a potential staggering number of sales.
How do companies do it? Sacrifice the product: Remove features, cheapen the packaging, reduce the quality of materials, reduce the quality of the manufacturing, reduce the quality of the fit and finish.
Play their way, or go away.

It's an older article, but a good read and still very relevant for info on the biggest company in the world: http://www.fastcompany.com/47593/wal-mart-you-dont-know

"It does more business than Target, Sears, Kmart, J.C. Penney, Safeway, and Kroger combined."
"It sells more in three months than Home Depot does in a year".

'Think a company with revenues of 250 billion a year can't push Kershaw (revenues no more than $25 million) around?
Think again.
 
ZuluKilo said:
Is there more than one version or were there running updates to this knife?

After reading/viewing numerous online reviews (ie. The Edge Observer...https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=61QeogqsXyM or Everyday Commentary...http://www.everydaycommentary.com/2013/08/kershaw-injection-30-review.html) singing this knife's praises, I picked one up while grocery shopping at Wal-Mart.....yeah, I know. :o So far, I'm very underwhelmed. My example doesn't have the fancy thumb studs or phosphor bronze washers. Centering is poor. The secondary bevel is also pretty sloppy and, though I can't find my scale at the moment, I'd wager its a fair bit more than the 3.3oz advertised weight. I'm certainly not expecting perfection (after all, I spent less than $31 with tax) but my G10 Drifter and Skyline, for example, are miles better than this Injection as far as fit and finish.

I've now bought two knives from Wal-Mart (this Injection and a blacked out Leek) that were...messed up. Am I missing something?

Thanks guys.
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Yes - Walmart is not a BF supporting dealer. Buy from Kershawguy.com and if you have a problem with a knife, email Dave.

best

mqqn
 
emw479 said:
What did CRKT do to the M16 for Walmart?
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Manufactured them in China (vs. Taiwan) with inferior materials (the blade wasn't even 8Cr13) and crappy QC. I don't remember all the details, but there was quite a kerfluffle at the time.
 
robgmn said:
Yep, WallyWorld is notorious for forcing companies to toe their price line or lose out on a potential staggering number of sales.
How do companies do it? Sacrifice the product: Remove features, cheapen the packaging, reduce the quality of materials, reduce the quality of the manufacturing, reduce the quality of the fit and finish.
Play their way, or go away.

It's an older article, but a good read and still very relevant for info on the biggest company in the world: http://www.fastcompany.com/47593/wal-mart-you-dont-know

"It does more business than Target, Sears, Kmart, J.C. Penney, Safeway, and Kroger combined."
"It sells more in three months than Home Depot does in a year".

'Think a company with revenues of 250 billion a year can't push Kershaw (revenues no more than $25 million) around?
Think again.
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Man whoever at Walmart is forcing companies to do this must be a real asshole.
 
Lee48 said:
Secondary production runs or private label packaging?
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They can do both. You can get carded versions of the knives that are made the same as the signature boxed Kershaw run, and you can get carded versions with lower quality steel (3Cr vs 8Cr usually). I think the lower quality runs for Wal-Mart might actually use seconds in terms of scales and liners. They definitely seem to use lower quality screws and hardware.

I think a rule of thumb that can be applied is packaging. If you get your knife in a standard Kershaw box, you're probably OK. If it comes carded or bubbled, buyer beware.

As someone already said, if you stick with Kershaw Guy or one of the BF retailers that carry Kershaw, you should be fine. You honestly never know what you're going to get at Wal-Mart. However, I've only noticed a drop off in quality with Wal-Mart knives. I've got several Kershaw secondary production runs made for other big box stores like Big 5, Dick's and Cabelas and I've never had an issue with them.
 
One more thing...avoid the Holiday gift packs that come out with a knife, lanyard, flashlight, etc. These are almost always a downgraded version of whatever knife they're offering.
 
Hackenslash said:
One more thing...avoid the Holiday gift packs that come out with a knife, lanyard, flashlight, etc. These are almost always a downgraded version of whatever knife they're offering.
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Sounds like you must have some pretty good inside info. Who is your source?
 
Most of it is first hand. I have about 75 different models of Kershaw and kind of began my knife collecting several years ago with Kershaws. Also, I'm an avid forum reader and these points have been raised by others from time to time at various places in the interwebs. I wish I had inside info and a Kershaw source, it might help me get some of those ZT LE's :D
 
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