Kershaw "Needs Work" First Impressions

A

archimedes

Joined
Aug 12, 2006
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Well the kershaw collection just got a bit bigger, just added a "Needs Work" a few hours ago from Jay at Warrior n Wonders , here are my first impressions after playing with it a bit.

1) Handle is a bit bit on the small side for my medium hand, still comfortable, the plastic slabs are fairly "grippy"

2) Lock up is nice and tight , no play in any direction.

3) Of the Kershaw folders I have this is the "roughest" out of the box with its opening, ( got spoiled with the JYD 2 and ZT 200 I guess) , ended up with a drop of thin lube and about 50-60 opens/closes and things are smoothing nicely, my Kershaw Groove took a bit of work to smooth out as well. slight grind irregularity on edge near pivot, should come out in two or three sharpens.

4) Its sharp, again the big bald patch on the left arm. Zips thru tape and cardboard very well. Blade shape very handy, my first of this kind, should be a snap to sharpen with straight edge.

5) The liner lock bar is about half as thick as the JYD2/Grove, however it does not have the machined section like the bigger knives have to allow lock bar to flex, so ultimate liner thickness is about the same, maybe an expert can comment on this as to ultimate strength.

6) Flipper works well to trigger, I have finally gotten used to the flipper concept, am prefering to thumb studs now, less than wave. The Auto open fires out quite well, lets hope no accidental opening in the pocket resulting in a do it yourself vasectomy kit.

7) its kind of an "ugly" little knife ( growing on me), pocket clip small, rides reasonably low in pocket, right hand tip down only carry.

8) Its nice and light, scales make it a bit fat to pocket, comfy to hold tho, trade offs.....

9) things to change

a) make a second version the size of JYD 2 then do

b) Is the A/O really neccesary
c) after chucking the A/O add a thumb disk opener and wave it
d) enough solid back spacer , do like the Groove, way easier to clean
e) make left hand clip mount capable

10) Overall the Needs Work is a cool little utility EDC, A/O might freak a few sheeple out , another winner from Kershaw providing the A/O doesnt blow up.

Sorry guys, no pics


A*
 
sounds like it "needs work" :D I handled one and it just wasn't my thing. It was a nice knife for the asking price though.

Thanks for the review.
 
That is kind of funny, I actually like the aesthetics of that design more so than many of the popular "tactical" ones. Does the blade actually slant up on an angle as it appears in many pictures? Any details on edge geometry?

-Cliff
 
I was just going to write up an quick review. I got mine a couple days ago.

Fit and finish is excellent. AO on mine is smooth. Blade has no slop at all. Lockup is very solid. The flipper seems to need a little more effort to open than other AO Kershaws. I'm assuming this is intentional, since the knife has no safety like some other AO Kershaws.

The molded plastic scales feel good. They have a weird looking pattern, IMO, but handles much better than plain SS.

The flipper works well. There is no "alternative" opening device, such as a thumb stud.

Needs Work has a nice size. Not too small, not too large. It's girthy-er than a Walmart Spyderco Native. Has a rather short, stiff pocket clip, allows for carry in one position only.

I like the blade shape and orientation. Even though the edge is a fairly straight Wharncliffe, it points "up" in comparison with the handle. This seems a fairly novel arrangement for a folding pocket knife.

The blade is .120" thick along the spine, has a hollow primary grind about .7" wide, which tapers down in thickness to about .022" at the secondary grind, which is about .043" wide. If my calculations are right, that buts the edge angle at about 30 degrees, inclusive.

Out of the box, the edge was very sharp, slicing newsprint with little effort, and shaving hair. Did well on corrugated cardboard. Blade is a bit thick for cutting veggies, IMO. Opening a can of soup caused the edge to visibly roll a bit to one side. About ten swipes on 400 grit wet and dry took the burr away, and the subsequent edge seems a bit more durable yet still sharp. The blade shape is very easy to sharpen by a variety of methods. There is no mention of steel used anywhere on the knife.

I really like the way the Needs Work handles, and love the shape of the blade. I find the aesthetics eye catching. My only real gripe with it is the stiff, stubby pocket clip. I find it difficult to use and requires more effort than any other clipped knife I own. Also, it seems tip up carry and lefties are out in the cold, considering the one position the knife will accommodate by clip.
 
Cliff Stamp said:
That is kind of funny, I actually like the aesthetics of that design more so than many of the popular "tactical" ones. Does the blade actually slant up on an angle as it appears in many pictures? Any details on edge geometry?

-Cliff
Click to expand...
Cliff,
Not sure exactly how to answer the question about the angle slant. Yes, if you hold the handle horizonal, then the blade slants up, but if you hold the blade horizonal, then the handle slants up. The blade and handle are at about 12 degrees to each other which allows finger clearance if cutting on a surface.
I too like the aesthetics of the blade, and find it a very practical design. The concavity on the back of the blade allows the thumb to be placed comfortably for a more leveraged cut. Though, the handle is a tad short. I think another 1/2 inch would make it more comfortable in my hands.
At first, I thought the Circular dimples in the handle were ugly, but have found that they are practical for certain grips where the thumb nicely fits in the larger dimple while the middle finger is cradled by the clip on the opposite side. Well thought out ergonomics. Speaking of the clip. It is a strong little bugger, and sometimes difficult to slid onto the pocket. I am use to the softer spring on my LEEK. I guess, that the stronger spring means that it is less likely to be dislodged from the pocket on a job site.
All in All, I think that this is a greatl little knife, especially for the price.
 
Thank you for the review. I like how the knife looks and may consider buying one. Actually in the last year Kershaw has really been doing a good job on making me want to buy their knives. :)
 
Flashpoint said:
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Click to expand...

Quite true ! The diversity of knife design reflects our wide range of tastes. It is a marvelous field of selection that we have in the knife world. Truly a wealth of choice. Hats off to diversity and freedom of choice. :thumbup:
 
upnorth said:
Quite true ! The diversity of knife design reflects our wide range of tastes. It is a marvelous field of selection that we have in the knife world. Truly a wealth of choice. Hats off to diversity and freedom of choice. :thumbup:
Click to expand...

I agree.

But did you like it or not???????
 
Cliff Stamp said:
Does the blade actually slant up on an angle as it appears in many pictures? Any details on edge geometry?

-Cliff
Click to expand...

Here's a scan of mine with a Trance and Caly JR LW.

standard.jpg
 
Revolvergeek, thanks for the pic! I've been wondering what the clip looked like on the Kershaw Needs Work. Looks like I may have to pick one of those up. By the way, I like that Böker Trance too. Great little knife!
 
Thanks, any design thoughts on the angle or comments in general vs more zero angle knives.

-Cliff
 
I think that it is very well thought out. The angle ads more of a draw to the cut, i.e. if you just push or slash it is going across the edge not just pushing into it. The lockup on mine is very tight and the AO action jumps briskly. The blade geometry is pretty good and it sliced very well in my very informal testing (just playing with it chopping and slashing at boxes). I suspect that it would allow you to keep your wrist more relaxed and would very comfortable for breaking down boxes or that sort of work.

I am not wild about the thickness of the handle and the clip from a carry perspective, but it is quite comfortable in my hand. It is kind of round and fat, and somewhat reminds me of a Gerber Gator. If I had the $$$ laying around I would send one off to STR and see what he could do rescaling it in G10 and flipping it for tip up carry.
 
After having it a couple weeks, I'm kind of wishing the edge extended below the handle/quillion of the Needs Work, so as to allow the edge to rest on a flat surface, like you night see on a good kitchen chopping knife.

I have some mixed feeling about the angle of the edge. Not particularly strong feelings, but I wish I could try one with an edge more parallel to the handle just to sate my curiosity.

Overall, my only real complaint is with the stiffness and shortness of the clip. I like the knife overall quite a bit. Over time, I'll probably thin down the edge bevel a bit, see if it affects the durability too much. The steel does seem to grind easily, burrs are removed with no problem.
 
shecky said:
After having it a couple weeks, I'm kind of wishing the edge extended below the handle/quillion of the Needs Work, so as to allow the edge to rest on a flat surface, like you night see on a good kitchen chopping knife.
Click to expand...
So the full length of the blade will not rest on a cutting board?
So this cant be used a chopping knife for food?

Thanks,
Neeman
 
After a month or so with this knife, I must say that I am very pleased with its utility. I have not punished it, but it seems very durable and functional. I find that I can obtain a sharper edge with it,than I can with my Leek S30V. and I like the handle/blade angle; Though, I do more draw cuts than chop. It probably would be better it there were another mm or so at the heel of the blade to facilitate chopping on a board. It works well if you use the edge of a cutting board to allow clearance of the corner of the handle.
 
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