kershaw od-1 opinions

N

n_hall

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Oct 19, 2008
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http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=KS1775OR
im wondering what everyone thinks about the orange od-1? im a spyderco "fanboy" and the only kershaw i've ever had was a leek. ive since given that knife away. so i dont know much about kershaw fit/finish, customer service, steels, ect. so if you have one id like it if you'd voice some opinions on it, or it's little brother.

thank you,
nick
 
It's one of my top three knives. Customer service is something that, should you ever need, you'll wish every CS department in the nation was half as good as Kershaw. Concerning steel, I've personally never had mine rust. I've read on the forums though that others have had theirs rust. The fit and finish is great on mine, never heard of a complaint on the forums (maybe something about the ball retention socket for the closed position being a little weak, that could have been another knife though).
 
I had an OD-1 for about a week or so, made the mistake of letting a family member, my little sister, play with it and now it's hers. I liked it, opened nice and quick as long as your not applying pressure to the frame lock and the flipper at the same time. I like the lines on the knife, especially when it's opened cause the flipper hides inside the handles. Also the OD-1 was probably the sharpest knife out of the box I have received, it may have just been luck of the draw on sharpness though.
 
I've read on the forums though that others have had theirs rust.
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Bead blast finish tends to rust if not cared for , seems some folks do not oil their knives. Personally I cant stand the bead blast finish so I always polish mine off , either way I own many Kershaws and have never had a rust problem.

(maybe something about the ball retention socket for the closed position being a little weak, that could have been another knife though).
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The ball detent is weak , for want of a better term but that is in the design of the knife. It is a pure flipper , no thumbstuds and thus no real need for a really strong detent.

Overall the OD-1 is one of the neatest knives I have bought this year , it is sleek and sexy. :D

I challenge anyone on here to find a more feature packed knife for the low price you pay.

Tostig
 
It is a great knife and is part of my regular EDC rotation. The Kershaw Skyline and Buck Vantage pro get more carry though. Mine has a weak detent and "bit" me as I went to get it out of my pocket. Stabbed me pretty deep too so now I carry it tip down. :o From what I read, the earlier OD-1's had weak detents (I have one of the early ones) but this was improved on the newer ones. I'm can not verify this with certainty though but I am still planning to buy a 2nd ones because I really do like the design. Hopefully the next one has a stronger blade detent.
 
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I don't own one but reading through bladeforums it seems whenever one some up it is always spoken very highly of.
 
Tostig said:
Bead blast finish tends to rust if not cared for , seems some folks do not oil their knives. Personally I cant stand the bead blast finish so I always polish mine off , either way I own many Kershaws and have never had a rust problem.


The ball detent is weak , for want of a better term but that is in the design of the knife. It is a pure flipper , no thumbstuds and thus no real need for a really strong detent.

Overall the OD-1 is one of the neatest knives I have bought this year , it is sleek and sexy. :D

I challenge anyone on here to find a more feature packed knife for the low price you pay.

Tostig
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To fix the "weak" detent, all you have to do is bend the lockbar slightly in. If you want it easier to open, then you bend it slightly out. You must remove the hinderer stabilizer in order to do this though.

I've adjusted mine so that it flips open as fast as a custom, yet the detent still holds the blade enough to where I like it.


N_Hall, go for it; you won't be disappointed.
 
It seems like a hit or miss type of knife. I see lots of praise, yet on the other hand I see complaints about the flipper (OD thing) feeling weak/flimsy and that it's harder to open (probably due to the way the operator holds it) than other flipper opening knives.

It's a sleek looking knife, I've thought about picking one up several times.
 
My April/09 OD-1 has a great adjustment of the detent pressure. There is no way that I can wrist flip that knife open. I think that the OD-1 is one of the most well thought out and implemented designs I have seen. It is a great little knife that everyone should experience and have fun with.
 
Have one, even though it has some good points, I get frustrated with the opening of it. Hard on the index finger, easy with the side of thumb. Just frustrating for me. And the pocket clip location is terrible! Sits real high out of pocket. Nice overall build, but not for me. Kershaw has better options in my opinion.
 
Bolt said:
Have one, even though it has some good points, I get frustrated with the opening of it. Hard on the index finger, easy with the side of thumb. Just frustrating for me. And the pocket clip location is terrible! Sits real high out of pocket. Nice overall build, but not for me. Kershaw has better options in my opinion.
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What he said...

...and I'd add that the flipper mechanism has a loose rattlely thing goin' on. I realize that's the design but I prefer a solid flipper like on the Leek.

The Leek is a very similiar tool once opened and is an overall better knife in my opinion, but that's why they make many models....different strokes for different folks.
 
I really like my OD-1. It's slim , sharp, and good looking. I have the stonewashed model that I dressed up in ironwood burl and re-profiled the edge on.

It seems that Kershaw has done a lot of work tweaking the detent. It's pretty close to perfect on the models I've handled lately.

I agree that the flipper has a bit of a rattly feel with the stock scale. I have remedied that with my scale, but it takes some careful fitting of the recess. I understand why they make it a bit loose on the production scale. It would cost far too much money to have every scale hand-lapped to fit.

The clip only rides funny when carried tip-up. I'm a lefty, so this isn't an issue until I can get a fully left-handed model. (I don't want the clip to obscure the scale.)

This is the sharpest folder I carry on a regular basis. I took the bevel down to 10-degrees per side and convexed it back to the primary grind. The entire edge bevel is polished up on the 8K water-stone. That makes for effortless cutting; perfect for the slim, lightweight ,design of the knife.

My OD-1:
3953645326_4ec1e5bb52_o.jpg
 
You do nice work, Phil.

Still wanna have you put some sweet scales on one of my folders eventually.
 
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