kershaw RAM yes or no

T

technician1

Joined
Nov 25, 2009
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what do you all think. good knife? I know not-a-thing about 1. the blade steel. 2. the hawk lock. I like the other things about it like size, weight, blade shape, made in USA, g-10 overlay (as long as its not to thick). please all input is welcome.
thanks for your time
 
In my opinion the RAM is an outstanding knife. The RAM is not an assited opener, it is a “flipper” but it opens as fast or faster than any AO I am aware of it even opens as fast or faster than some autos.This is because of the way the HAWK lock, a very strong lock which causes little friction on opening but locks the blade very tight once its open. The blade steel is 14C28 Sandvik, while not a “super steel” takes a wicked edge easily and holds it a reasonable amount of time, I would compare it to VG-10. All in all a great knife with plenty of bang for the buck.
 
Yep, it's a very good knife. The Sandvik 14C28N steel isn't particularly wear-resistant, but it takes an extremely fine edge and is easy to touch up. The Hawk Lock is one of my favorite features about the knife. It's very easy to use, and as already mentioned actually helps the flipper to deploy very quickly without the need for any "true" assist mechanism (i.e., a spring or torsion bar). The lock design also makes the RAM one of the fastest-closing knives out there. All you do is pull back on the Hawk Lock and flip the blade back into the handle with a flick of the wrist.
 
I'm a big fan of the Ram. It's one of the great bargains in a mid sized EDC knife.
 
A well made knife that is very comfortable in hand and as Elkins mentioned, a great deal.
 
As far as the steel goes, I like it for being a pocket scalpel. it will be very, very sharp if sharpened correctly, and then will hold a working edge for a reasonable amount of time.

I love the lock. on the 0500 mudd that i have handled, it did not flip as well as an axis lock without practice, but this is also a lighter blade so i have no doubt about it's effectiveness.
 
technician1 said:
what do you all think. good knife? I know not-a-thing about 1. the blade steel. 2. the hawk lock. I like the other things about it like size, weight, blade shape, made in USA, g-10 overlay (as long as its not to thick). please all input is welcome.
thanks for your time
Click to expand...

They aren't terribly thick but they are square cut giving them a sharp edge. I rounded over the edges with sandpaper. Now feels much better in the hand.

Get one you will love it! The more you use it the smoother it gets.

Left hand friendly also and I am right handed.
 
If you get one just be careful about dropping it. It is a great knife but I dropped mine from about knee height on to a tile floor and it landed on end by the pivot. The aluminum frame bent just a little bit which unfortunately makes the blade so it can't open all the way. There is an internal groove that pins in the blade ride in. The pins are part of the lock mechanism and now hits the frame where it bent in. I'm sure Kershaw will fix it and I could probably do it myself with a dremel and a little sanding. It is a great knife just be aware that if you drop your knife occasionally it can take a crippling hit. Other than that it is the only sub $100 knife that I carry anymore and is a joy to use with the Hawk lock. The choil also makes it fit even large hands. And the steel will get razor sharp easily and is one of my sharpest knives when I touch it up and strop it on 1 micron diamond spray and it takes a mirror polish easily. I have given quite a few away as gifts and still really like it even though I 'broke' mine.
 
HELLS YES. I have one in my pocket right now. It's got a really cool locking mechanism and very good blade steel.
 
The Ram is my favorite Kershaw blade because I really love the locking mechanism. I don't know why they don't produce more knives with the Hawk Lock.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
If you get one just be careful about dropping it. It is a great knife but I dropped mine from about knee height on to a tile floor and it landed on end by the pivot. The aluminum frame bent just a little bit which unfortunately makes the blade so it can't open all the way.
Click to expand...

:eek: That sounds like a freak impact. I've dropped mine a few time cause I tend to play with it a lot because it's such a fun flippin' knife and it's barely left a mark.
 
It's a very nice blade. As already said this thing opens fast. Once you play with it for a while it gets to a point where it is very easy to open and close one handed. The steel is not the best but is very easy to sharpen. Great knife!
 
It's a great knife, nice lock up & blade size. The only the con that i have with it is basically the same as all aluminum coated handles, it gets exposed through dings & ended up sanding all the corners to make a '2 tone' effect :)
 

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