Kershaw Quality

tim8557

tim8557

Joined
Nov 13, 2004
Messages
878
I have been a member of this forum for awhile now and have picked up on a lot and found a new obsession.....knife collecting. Most of the knives I have purchased so far are all Benchmades and I think they are great knives. I also have a Kershaw Leek, Scallion and a Nakamura. The Kershaws come unbelievably sharp in the box, certainly sharper than any of the half dozen Benchmades I own.

My question is, why is there so little on this forum about Kershaw knives? Most threads seem to revolve around Sebenzas (for the elite few who love to spend very top dollars) and Benchmades and Spydercos. I'll admit that none of my knives see tough duty so I don't know how well the Kershaws perform long term, but they seem like a high value for the dollar product to me.

Others' thoughts?

Tim Dowling
 
Kershaw makes excellent knives. Their ergonomics are some of the best out there and they come insanely sharp (I've only bought one Kershaw that wouldn't shave hair out of the box).

I think sometimes the price tends to make people shy away and go for the more expensive knives expecting them to be of better quality. But it's hard to beat a Kershaw in any price range.

Next to Buck, Kershaw is probably my favorite production company; and my Kershaws get more pocket time than my Sebenza, if that tells you anything.
 
I've always been impressed with the Kershaws I own and recommend them. I agree that it's probably because they don't cost much and they don't have that 'brag' factor.
 
I've never really seen the magic of the Sebenza myself either.

I do agree that Kershaw knives come more consistantly sharp than Benchmade, but I've never had a Kershaw come as sharp as Elizabeth's minigrip tanto out of the box.

I really do like Kershaw and Onion, but I do have a couple of complaints. Most of their knives, at best, use mid-grade steel and a lot of their lineup, while beautiful and ergonomic, seems really similar to the other knives Kershaw makes. They just don't have the folder variety that Spyderco gives me.

Of the (few) assisted openers I've used, I like Kershaw's the best. Never had a QC issue with Kershaw either. Definitely one of the better values.
 
ive never really been overly concerned about the factory edge on a blade, since its bound to be headed for a resharpening very soon after it arrives. i would honestly rather have an excellent knife arrive with a dullish edge than receive a poor quality knife with a razor sharp factory edge.

that said, i can tell you why personally ive never bought a kershaw: for just about everything that they offer, another company offers something better for the same price or less. for example, i was looking at the kershaw outcast and bought a becker brute instead because it is a superior knife/value and is far better for hard use.
not to mention i think many of their designs look tacky - im not into the rainbow anodized crap or cross-drilled aluminum blades/handles, etc. most of their wimpy looking peck-like blade shapes also turn me off. they offer virtually no variation in blade styles, and even their handles are mostly all very similar. even something relatively mundane like the kershaw storm doesnt appeal to me, i just dont like the 'design'.
perfect example:
KS_1480_LARGE.jpg

from a distance, this looks like a fine knife. but on closer inspection they have all this lame stuff on the bolsters.
for the same price i can get the spyderco cocobolo kopa, which i honestly cant find a flaw with:
sckopa1.jpg

i look at one and i think gimmick gimmick gimmick, right down to the clip. i look at the other and i see an aesthetically pleasing merging of old world styling with modern function and technology.

either i will buy a knife purely for function - in which case i dont want any anodized crap nor fancy design-related holes. look at a CRKT M16 or buck strider - pure function, not an ounce of embellishment or gimmick. or, ill buy a 'dress knife' for aesthetics and function, something like the cocobolo kopa above. but then it has to have style and taste, and again no gimmicky crap. its like showing up to a formal dinner in a suit and tie, but with a plastic naked woman with flashing LED nipples pinned to your tie.

so, again, i almost buy them. but every time i look around and find something that appeals to me even more due to better value or better aesthetics. if you look at spydercos, CRKT, benchmade, etc then they have a wide range of styles and blades so that basically anyone can find something they like. kershaw? they all look the same to me, and even if i could bring myself to buy one im usually cringing from all of the lame rainbow anodized or abstract shaped inlays or crossdrilled crap and just cant bring myself to do it. sorry :(

that said, i do own a kershaw military boot knife. but its so simple of design and is unlike any other kershaw ever made. i wish they had less embellished/gimmicky designs and a wider variety of blade shapes, and some of their knives could do with a price adjustment to bring them in line with other manufacturers parallel offerings.

please keep in mind that the above is my personal opinion only, im not bashing the company simply answering your post as to why they have a minimal presence in my collection.

cheers,
-gabriel
 
I only have two Kershaw knives, and they're both good quality. I agree somewhat with Gabriel's comments. I wouldn't mind another Kershaw, but every time I knife shop, I always find something else that catches my eye more.

-Bob
 
My Kershaw Boa is impeccable — fit and finish, centering, slicing ability, coolness factor. Hard to imagine a much better production number.
 
I have a few Benchmade's,
further knives from Spyderco, SOG, Boker, Herbertz, Coldsteel, CRKT, Camillus,
Klotzli,Extrema Ratio, Mcusta and ofcourse Kershaw.
The Benchmade's are top quallity but you are rigth about scharpness,
I have the bleu and green Bump knives and must say, they are way scharper.
But the scharpest knife I have is the Mcusta knife.
Schaving scharp, I don't mean arm hair but beard, that scharp.
Don't know how they all will do over time,
because I'm a collector and don't EDC.
 
I also think that part of kershaw's problem is lack of diversity in design. I own a scallion. It would be nice to have a bump, or a whisper, but if I had $350+ I'd be more likley to spend it on a Sebenza, or a MOD Caracara. I can't see myself buying another kershaw, because all the models are more or less the same so I wouldn't be paying for anything other than better steel (maybe), and an ever so slightly different blade shape.
 
I have a rainbow leek that is fun to play with. Mostly I prefer the pre-Ken Onion Kershaws, like the 1415 and 1416
The Onions just look too much alike and are well made but constructed of so-so materials.
 
I collect mainly customs, it has been a while since I bought a production knife outside of the occasional Sebenza or Microtech, but recently when I had a chance to play around with a Kershaw Bump, I found it to be an incredibly well made framelock, and assisted opening to boot. In my eyes, it is very near custom quality, or truth be told, it is better quality than some customs I have seen, but it can be had for well under $200.

In pictures, the blue/gold anodized handle can look a little out there, but in person, it's really actually very nicely done and I like it.

As was said, the edge is extremely sharp, not so easy on a blade with that profile, and the knife really works perfectly, with a very well executed lock, something I am very picky about. And these do have S30V blades by the way.

For well under $200, I feel it's a very solid choice, and a real bargain.
 
I feel the same as some others. I have a couple of Kershaws and they are well made, but I've also found something else that caught my eye more at the time, sometimes less expensive, other times more. One of the shops here in Calgary has a Bump for $399.00 CDN, and as much as I would like one, if I have that kind of money to spend at one time, I might as well spend the extra and get a Sebbie of some sort :) They have some pretty neat stuff, but for some reason, they just don't catch my eye at the time I'm ready to get something.

- gord
 
SlimWhitman said:
I also think that part of kershaw's problem is lack of diversity in design. I own a scallion. It would be nice to have a bump, or a whisper, but if I had $350+ I'd be more likley to spend it on a Sebenza, or a MOD Caracara. I can't see myself buying another kershaw, because all the models are more or less the same so I wouldn't be paying for anything other than better steel (maybe), and an ever so slightly different blade shape.
Click to expand...

yeah you pretty much nailed it in far less words than it took me :)
is ken onion designing most of their knives now? because if i had to pick my least favorite blade shape, the 'onion style' (or whatever you call it, theyre either a plain pointy sheepsfoot or a sheepsfoot with a pot belly) would be it. i dont understand how a knife company can offer only one blade shape on 99% of their knives. so ken onion is responsible for the lack of diversity?

cheers,
-gabriel
 
A lack of diversity is definitely found among Onion designs. Fortunately for us, the one or two designs used over and over again are very good.

Kershaw isn't perfect, but I stand by my main comment that it's hard to find better quality for the price. I've never (and probably will never) look into their high end models--Kershaw to me means sub 60 dollars. But use a Storm or Vapor and you'll almost undoubtedly be impressed by what you're getting per dollar. These reach out to the more casual knife buyer.

Also, Onion's actions are superb. I'll ruffle some feathers and say something that most, if not everyone, disagrees with me on anyway and say that the action on the worst Onion knife was better than the best Spyderco knife I've used. To be fair, I've never had the pleasure of using a high end Spyderco (or any compression lock). But I'm talking about 20 dollar versus 80 dollar knives here and I was far more pleased with the action on the Kershaw.

That said, I still prefer Spyderco. But I nonetheless have a healthy respect for Kershaw.

Furthermore, you see companies like Benchmade and Spyderco going to other countries to produce their low ends (Byrd and red box benchmade), which is fine, I suppose, but Kershaw is doing it here in America with fantastic quality (even if their steel grades might be lower than their competitors).
 
I have a Blackout... I like the assisted opening but it's almost impossible to open left-handed, and the steel doesn't hold an edge very well compared to 154CM or S30V which are the standards I like anymore.

Might try a Bump sometime though- how are they for left-hand opening?
 
I've watched this thread from the start, and have held my tounge.

I'm pretty much an "Onion-holic." Big ones, little ones, one that go pop, and ones that not.

The pure gadget factor alone makes many of the AO Onions worth the coin. I'm a soldier, so I'm pretty tough on my knives. Mr. Onion, himself a one-time marine, has taken great pains to develop knives that would be appealing to soldier. The new Spec Bump, while a bit pricey for the average troop, is a great example of this.

I personally rotate a variety of knives for everyday. In my rotation is a pair of onion leeks. The tungston DLC coating that kershaw uses is IMHO the best thing going. I've yet to make a scratch in it.

Aside from the Kershaw line, Mr Onion has some truely impressive custom knives. Many would pay good money just for a chance to purchase one.

Aside from all that, Mr Onion is just a great guy. The folks at Kershaw are great to. They really take care of the troops.

Thanks Kershaw, and thankyou, Mr Onion.
 
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