I've had this knife for almost a year, and it didn't occur to me until now that I've never reviewed it. The Cyclone family; it's Kershaw's first (and so far, only) knife to have an On / Off switch for the SpeedSafe mechanism. I can't say enough good things about this knife. It's US-made and can be bought in stores for about $45. The entire thing weighs 5.3 ounces, so it's relatively lightweight. Model number is 1635. Here are the details...
Handle Details: The Mini Cyclone is 4-1/4" closed. It has dual 410 stainless steel liners, one of which serves as the linerlock. The handle scales are made of black anodized aluminum, and they have a nice matte finish. There are five holes drilled into each handle, probably for a little weight reduction and a little flair. The handles are absent of any markings, except for the On / Off switch. About that...
The Cyclone family gives the user the option of using the SpeedSafe mechanism or making this knife a manual (non-assisted) knife just by rolling the switch. When the switch is rolled to the "On" position, the Mini Cyclone acts like any other SpeedSafe model; use the thumb studs or index finger protrusion for fast deployment. When the switch is in the "Off" position, the torsion bar is disengaged and the Mini Cyclone will open like a non-assisted knife. The switch is located on the back of the handle, about mid-way. ON and OFF are clearly marked in silver, as is the switch. It rolls easily. To move the switch, the knife has to be open. I've been told that you can, however, roll the switch with the knife closed. Doing this will not affect the knife untl it's been opened, though. The Mini Cyclone works just as effectively in the manual mode (OFF) as it does in the SpeedSafe mode (ON). As a non-assited knife, the blade stays shut just as much as it does with the SpeedSafe turned on. It won't open accidentally in your pocket just because the mechanism is off. It's still a breeze to open using the flipper. As an assisted opener, well, Kershaw's reputation speaks for itself. A+
The handle is held together with three Torx (T-6) screws, and one Torx (T-8) screw for the blade pivot. The blade pivot pin has a six-sided (hex) bolt, so you don't need to use the "put-an-eraser-behind-the-pocket-clip-to-loosen-it" trick. A lanyard hole is provided in the butt, and there's a reversible pocket clip for right hand tip up or tip down carry. Being a lefty, I'm always experimenting with right-hand-only clips to see what I can do to make them more useful to me. I've found that with the Mini Cyclone, the pocket clip mounted in the tip-up position in my left pocket is VERY easy to deploy.
Blade Details: The Mini Cyclone's blade is made of Sandvik 13C26 stainless, and is 3-3/16" long. It has a modified spearpoint shape, if I can call it that. It came out of the box razor sharp. Dual thumb studs make it nice and discreet to open in the "manual" mode. The left side of the blade has the Kershaw / Ken Onion logo lasered on, while the right sid ehas 1635 above the KAI logo, above MADE IN USA. The right side tang also sports the date of manufacture (mine says JUN 07).
I can't recommend the Mini Cyclone enough, and I can't say much more about it than what I've said in the Kershaw sub-forum. It's a great knife and makes a fantastic EDC. Check one out at Kershaw's site here...
http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=34
Handle Details: The Mini Cyclone is 4-1/4" closed. It has dual 410 stainless steel liners, one of which serves as the linerlock. The handle scales are made of black anodized aluminum, and they have a nice matte finish. There are five holes drilled into each handle, probably for a little weight reduction and a little flair. The handles are absent of any markings, except for the On / Off switch. About that...
The Cyclone family gives the user the option of using the SpeedSafe mechanism or making this knife a manual (non-assisted) knife just by rolling the switch. When the switch is rolled to the "On" position, the Mini Cyclone acts like any other SpeedSafe model; use the thumb studs or index finger protrusion for fast deployment. When the switch is in the "Off" position, the torsion bar is disengaged and the Mini Cyclone will open like a non-assisted knife. The switch is located on the back of the handle, about mid-way. ON and OFF are clearly marked in silver, as is the switch. It rolls easily. To move the switch, the knife has to be open. I've been told that you can, however, roll the switch with the knife closed. Doing this will not affect the knife untl it's been opened, though. The Mini Cyclone works just as effectively in the manual mode (OFF) as it does in the SpeedSafe mode (ON). As a non-assited knife, the blade stays shut just as much as it does with the SpeedSafe turned on. It won't open accidentally in your pocket just because the mechanism is off. It's still a breeze to open using the flipper. As an assisted opener, well, Kershaw's reputation speaks for itself. A+
The handle is held together with three Torx (T-6) screws, and one Torx (T-8) screw for the blade pivot. The blade pivot pin has a six-sided (hex) bolt, so you don't need to use the "put-an-eraser-behind-the-pocket-clip-to-loosen-it" trick. A lanyard hole is provided in the butt, and there's a reversible pocket clip for right hand tip up or tip down carry. Being a lefty, I'm always experimenting with right-hand-only clips to see what I can do to make them more useful to me. I've found that with the Mini Cyclone, the pocket clip mounted in the tip-up position in my left pocket is VERY easy to deploy.
Blade Details: The Mini Cyclone's blade is made of Sandvik 13C26 stainless, and is 3-3/16" long. It has a modified spearpoint shape, if I can call it that. It came out of the box razor sharp. Dual thumb studs make it nice and discreet to open in the "manual" mode. The left side of the blade has the Kershaw / Ken Onion logo lasered on, while the right sid ehas 1635 above the KAI logo, above MADE IN USA. The right side tang also sports the date of manufacture (mine says JUN 07).
I can't recommend the Mini Cyclone enough, and I can't say much more about it than what I've said in the Kershaw sub-forum. It's a great knife and makes a fantastic EDC. Check one out at Kershaw's site here...
http://www.kershawknives.com/productdetails.php?id=34
