Kershaw Link

G

GaryC

Gold Member
Joined
Dec 29, 2004
Messages
646
Hello, anyone carry & use a Link? Any issues too look for, may be picking one up for cheap price & 440c blade. Gary
 
I bought an aluminum Link when it first came out and gave it away. I missed it enough to buy another. That says a lot!

This is a total win for Kershaw that they can make a knife this nice at this price in this country.
 
Love mine, it actually cuts better then my zt770

It's has a thinner blade geometry.
I had to pull the edge back on the zt for similar performance.

The 420hc has a great heat treatment with cryo, takes a great edge
And holds an edge great for general EDC tasks.

Great knife for the common man or anyone.

Now every budget can own a high quality made in the USA pocket knife
 
Don't let the Link for the praise sell you on it without knowing the downsides. Don't get me wrong, I like the knife, but it is far from perfect. Kind of expensive for the steel used, very chunky, and quite heavy. The aluminum handles provide next to no traction.

Those all said, the knife holds well and comfortably, all edges are nice and smooth. The aluminum handles feel very nice and high quality (kind of like a super over built SOG Twitch). The assist has a nice hard kick, but not enough to fling it with a weak grip (you know it will open easily every time). The lock is quite sturdy, and pretty stout for a liner lock.

If you can get it for around what I did ($25), it is a killer deal. For the normal brick and mortal price of over $40? Pass. I would say $40 is the point of greatly diminished value.
 
Dkb45 good points, but What's a better steel for a $40 knife?
 
This is the most tempting "value knife" available right now. Off to Youtube to check out some justificati -er, vids...
:D
 
Thanks guys, will give a shot, had 44oc blade on my BM551 with no problems. Only thing is the torsion bar, how long it would go. Gary
 
dkb45 said:
14C28N, AUS-8, 8Cr, 9Cr, 440C, N680... Just a few options :)
Click to expand...
I feel 420hc gets a bad rep, its often confused for a 440 with a bad heat treatment or 420j which is also completly different.

I sharpen alot of knives at work and home for friends and family freehand.

Can't beat a Rat 1 for sure but there is no denying aus 8 can be quite chippy in the hands of some. But my goodness does it take a good edge.
I had quite a few samples to sharpen but this is the one I took pictures of.





8cr13mov is worse then 420hc in my opinion.

420hc just takes less time to put a keen "hair popping" edge on.
It deburrs better, chips less, holds a better hair shaving edge and is more rust resistant.
Now 440C is Similar to 8cr13 mov but without the rusting, chipping and edge holding issues but still a pain to deburr.

14c28n sharpens better than any stainless I've ever used hands down even better then my favorite steel, VG10.
But the edge holding and corrison resistance is not that great.
Heck I might even argue 420hc holds an edge longer.

I'm not aware of
N680 for under $40
 
DeadboxHero said:
I feel 420hc gets a bad rep, its often confused for a 440 with a bad heat treatment or 420j which is also completly different.

I sharpen alot of knives at work and home for friends and family freehand.

Can't beat a Rat 1 for sure but there is no denying aus 8 can be quite chippy in the hands of some. But my goodness does it take a good edge.
I had quite a few samples to sharpen but this is the one I took pictures of.





8cr13mov is worse then 420hc in my opinion.

420hc just takes less time to put a keen "hair popping" edge on.
It deburrs better, chips less, holds a better hair shaving edge and is more rust resistant.
Now 440C is Similar to 8cr13 mov but without the rusting, chipping and edge holding issues but still a pain to deburr.

14c28n sharpens better than any stainless I've ever used hands down even better then my favorite steel, VG10.
But the edge holding and corrison resistance is not that great.
Heck I might even argue 420hc holds an edge longer.

I'm not aware of
N680 for under $40
Click to expand...

Don't take it the wrong way, done right 420HC proves that the HT is far more important than the steel used. That said, 420HC done right doesn't have the same kind of performance I look for that the "higher grade" steels do. My primary thing is edge stability and retention. Never had any issues with stability or retention with any of the steels I mentioned (well can't say N680 because it is hard to find).

As for where to find N680, the only source I know of would be the now discontinued but still available Benchmade Lone Wolf folders and fixed blades, like http://www.knifeworks.com/benchmadelonewolfminilandslidesatinbladeplainedge.aspx
 
Deadbox, I think the Kershaw link is 440c, my BM551 was the same type. Never had a problem with it. GC
 
My BM551 worked for over 10 years & never had a problem, hopefully the Link will match it. Gary
 
The Link will definitely not provide the same edge retention as your 551, but it should last a long time unless you insanely hard on your knives and have a habit of constant sharpening so you grind knives down to nubs. Even then, Kershaw will replace the blade for a mere $10.

While you won't get the same performance from 420HC, the edge retention is nothing to sneeze at. It will definitely do the job, and the nice thin grind of the Link will make it out slice the 551 if that is important to you. Unless it just doesn't agree with your hand, or you don't find the assist livable, you should be perfectly happy with the Link.
 
dkb45, I believe the link is 440c, my Bm 551 was & is an excellent knife. I'm hoping the link will perform like the 551. Gary
 
GaryC said:
dkb45, I believe the link is 440c, my Bm 551 was & is an excellent knife. I'm hoping the link will perform like the 551. Gary
Click to expand...


"This Link, model 1776, is our drop-point blade model. The 420HC stainless blade steel has higher amounts of carbon and chromium to boost hardenability and corrosion resistance. It is an excellent everyday steel: tough, corrosion resistant, easy to sharpen and takes a good edge."
http://kershaw.kaiusaltd.com/knives/knife/link
 
The Link is a great budget knife. I carry mine from time to time (The ones with grey aluminium scales). Frankly, I've had no issues with the 420HC blade. Doesn't seem to chip or ding as easily as 8Cr13 or AUS8. I would have preferred Sandvik 14C28N, but that would have driven the price up a little. But, for $40, the Link is an excellent buy. Fit and finish on the Link is no different than other US made Kershaws, that is to say, better than the low end Chinese Kershaw models.
 
Sorry. my bad, keep thinking the Link is 440c, which it is 420HC. Thanks guys, for the price I'll give it a shot. Gary
 
dkb45 said:
Don't let the Link for the praise sell you on it without knowing the downsides. Don't get me wrong, I like the knife, but it is far from perfect. Kind of expensive for the steel used, very chunky, and quite heavy. The aluminum handles provide next to no traction.

Those all said, the knife holds well and comfortably, all edges are nice and smooth. The aluminum handles feel very nice and high quality (kind of like a super over built SOG Twitch). The assist has a nice hard kick, but not enough to fling it with a weak grip (you know it will open easily every time). The lock is quite sturdy, and pretty stout for a liner lock.

If you can get it for around what I did ($25), it is a killer deal. For the normal brick and mortal price of over $40? Pass. I would say $40 is the point of greatly diminished value.
Click to expand...
I disagree. For a knife made in the US, it is a very reasonable price which is subjective. Remember those stores that let you fondle their knives have employees that gotta eat. The weight is also subjective at best, not everyone is put off by something that may weigh just over 4oz. I'd imagine this knife is a huge step up from the Starter series, both in terms of quality and performance. For less than $40 at its current price most places, it is a good deal.

DeadboxHero said:
Dkb45 good points, but What's a better steel for a $40 knife?
Click to expand...

Okay, now define "better", without being vague. A "better" steel can be anything that is priced less, cost less to machine, machines better, hS better longevity for its intended application, etc.
 
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