- Joined
- Apr 15, 2002
- Messages
- 3,376
About 3 weeks ago I picked up a JYDII at a Gander Mountain. I bought my girlfriend some stuff and as a reward I got to buy myself a knife
. I haven't used Kershaws much, I've owned a few older more traditional looking ones and been impressed with fit and finish but most of the newer designs just don't float my boat. Before this, the Boa was the only "tactical" looking kershaw I'd owned and I sold it because I found the handle way to slippery when my hands were wet. Otherwise I really liked the knife.
So I digress. I picked the JYDII the day before I made my next hitch on the towboat and it was the only knife I used for the 21 days.
This was a big knife and beefy. I thought I would have problems with carrying it in the pocket but I didn't. On the boat I usually carry the knife in my back right pocket clipped against the right seam. I ended up carrying the JYD in the pocket without the clip.
The fit and finish was superb. It opened smoothly and locked up tight and the handle was extremely ergonomic for the style of cutting I mostly did. I held the knife in a saber grip because this was the easiest way I've found of cutting through the large 1 1/2 and 2 inch diameter poly and nylon lines used on the river. I'd hold it with my thumb on the back of the blade and saw through the line. I didn't find that there were any hot spots or fatigue even after long periods of cutting with the knife edge dull. The handle fit my smaller hands perfectly.
I found the clip gaudy (for lack of a better word) but not at all obtrusive when I used the knife. It is actually hardly noticeable at all. The folder was tip up and the clip is designed in such a way that I barely felt it when using the knife. I never carried this knife clipped to my pocket though. I doubt that I will ever carry this knife off the boat clipped to my pocket as the clip is simply too "in your face" and is a blatant advertisement that I am carrying a large knife. This is personal preference.
I loved the blade shape. It appears to be a high shallow hollow grind or a partial flat grind and thinned out from the spine to the edge, making cutting line easier than a saber ground knife. It didn't bind up in the line when the edge started to dull.
The blade is Sandvik 13C26 stainless steel and the handle is G-10. I found that the handle was extremely grippy and secure, almost sticky, even when the knife and or my hands were wet. The edge came highly polished and shaving sharp out of the box. The steel rusted almost immediately however when wet. I was caught in a downpour and got soaked and the knife was wet in my pocket. When I took it out to dry it there was staining on the blade. There was no pitting but the brown spots did not wipe off easily. The blade stained easily when in the pocket and wet with sweat as well.
The knife held an edge for a decent amount of time, in fact I did not reprofile the edge, touched it up on a small diamond rod and the white stones of the sharpmaker, and once on the gray stones. This was the only edge maintenance I did. The steel is tough, and not at all brittle, as evidenced when cutting twine off coils of 1 inch steel wire. There was no chipping, only dulling, when the edge contacted the wire.
The liner lock was beefy and had a very positive lock up when opened with the flipper as well as when opened with two hands. In 21 days of hard use no blade play developed. I used the JYDII for cutting rope, putting points on shingles (used to plug cracks in leaking barges), stripping wire, cutting plastic bottles, and cutting cardboard, tape, and twine.
The knife can be opened with two hands due to the wide blade or with the flipper. I have never owned or used a flipper folder before and found it very easy to open quickly. The only time flipper opening failed was when the knife was wet and the action got sticky. A shot of WD-40 fixed this. I find that the flipper opening is so far the easiest method of opening the knife with one hand with heavy gloves on.
For $50 this is a workhorse of a folder. I actually liked the gray handle scales, although they darkened quickly when used on coke barges and with hands greasy from handling wires. I dropped the knife once from about six feet up onto the gunwhale of a barge and it landed pivot side down with no adverse effects on the knife. The G-10 didnt chip, and no blade play developed. In fact, aside from the staining on the blade and the darkening of the G-10, there is hardly a scratch on the blade or clip of the knife.
When I get a chance I will probably thin the edge out with a coarser stone and keep it toothier than the polished edge I used. I expect to see an increase in cutting performance on rope.
I'd recommend the Kershaw JYD II to anyone who is looking for a heavy duty hard use folder and doesn't want to spend a lot of dough. It is a sturdy knife, with a decent steel and a reliable liner lock and a secure handle.
Pete
. I haven't used Kershaws much, I've owned a few older more traditional looking ones and been impressed with fit and finish but most of the newer designs just don't float my boat. Before this, the Boa was the only "tactical" looking kershaw I'd owned and I sold it because I found the handle way to slippery when my hands were wet. Otherwise I really liked the knife.So I digress. I picked the JYDII the day before I made my next hitch on the towboat and it was the only knife I used for the 21 days.
This was a big knife and beefy. I thought I would have problems with carrying it in the pocket but I didn't. On the boat I usually carry the knife in my back right pocket clipped against the right seam. I ended up carrying the JYD in the pocket without the clip.
The fit and finish was superb. It opened smoothly and locked up tight and the handle was extremely ergonomic for the style of cutting I mostly did. I held the knife in a saber grip because this was the easiest way I've found of cutting through the large 1 1/2 and 2 inch diameter poly and nylon lines used on the river. I'd hold it with my thumb on the back of the blade and saw through the line. I didn't find that there were any hot spots or fatigue even after long periods of cutting with the knife edge dull. The handle fit my smaller hands perfectly.
I found the clip gaudy (for lack of a better word) but not at all obtrusive when I used the knife. It is actually hardly noticeable at all. The folder was tip up and the clip is designed in such a way that I barely felt it when using the knife. I never carried this knife clipped to my pocket though. I doubt that I will ever carry this knife off the boat clipped to my pocket as the clip is simply too "in your face" and is a blatant advertisement that I am carrying a large knife. This is personal preference.
I loved the blade shape. It appears to be a high shallow hollow grind or a partial flat grind and thinned out from the spine to the edge, making cutting line easier than a saber ground knife. It didn't bind up in the line when the edge started to dull.
The blade is Sandvik 13C26 stainless steel and the handle is G-10. I found that the handle was extremely grippy and secure, almost sticky, even when the knife and or my hands were wet. The edge came highly polished and shaving sharp out of the box. The steel rusted almost immediately however when wet. I was caught in a downpour and got soaked and the knife was wet in my pocket. When I took it out to dry it there was staining on the blade. There was no pitting but the brown spots did not wipe off easily. The blade stained easily when in the pocket and wet with sweat as well.
The knife held an edge for a decent amount of time, in fact I did not reprofile the edge, touched it up on a small diamond rod and the white stones of the sharpmaker, and once on the gray stones. This was the only edge maintenance I did. The steel is tough, and not at all brittle, as evidenced when cutting twine off coils of 1 inch steel wire. There was no chipping, only dulling, when the edge contacted the wire.
The liner lock was beefy and had a very positive lock up when opened with the flipper as well as when opened with two hands. In 21 days of hard use no blade play developed. I used the JYDII for cutting rope, putting points on shingles (used to plug cracks in leaking barges), stripping wire, cutting plastic bottles, and cutting cardboard, tape, and twine.
The knife can be opened with two hands due to the wide blade or with the flipper. I have never owned or used a flipper folder before and found it very easy to open quickly. The only time flipper opening failed was when the knife was wet and the action got sticky. A shot of WD-40 fixed this. I find that the flipper opening is so far the easiest method of opening the knife with one hand with heavy gloves on.
For $50 this is a workhorse of a folder. I actually liked the gray handle scales, although they darkened quickly when used on coke barges and with hands greasy from handling wires. I dropped the knife once from about six feet up onto the gunwhale of a barge and it landed pivot side down with no adverse effects on the knife. The G-10 didnt chip, and no blade play developed. In fact, aside from the staining on the blade and the darkening of the G-10, there is hardly a scratch on the blade or clip of the knife.
When I get a chance I will probably thin the edge out with a coarser stone and keep it toothier than the polished edge I used. I expect to see an increase in cutting performance on rope.
I'd recommend the Kershaw JYD II to anyone who is looking for a heavy duty hard use folder and doesn't want to spend a lot of dough. It is a sturdy knife, with a decent steel and a reliable liner lock and a secure handle.
Pete
It just finds it's way into my pocket
Gooood stuff!! :thumbup: