- Joined
- Jun 8, 2005
- Messages
- 4,761
A couple weeks ago, I bought my girlfriend and her sister each a Kershaw Scallion. The sister is a fan of straight edges while my girlfriend is a 50/50 girl, so due to this fortunate mix of opinion, I've been able to test both.
They are both assisted opening fans, and well, we're on a budget, so the options were few. They didn't require a hardcore tough knife, and the sister carries a multitool anyway. Besides, they weren't about to bother their fashion with a bulky folder...
So the scallion was an instant hit at 30-40 dollars. The straight edge was 30 dollars, while the combo edge was an astounding 10 dollars more.
Initially, the cheap looking zytel scales turned me off to the scallion. However, the knife feels shockingly solid in the hand. This is probably due to its short, stubby nature and steel liners. The Scallion uses a two inch blade, nice for the office, but small knives never fit my hands. However, since these were intended for smaller hands' use, this wasn't really a concern of mine. The report from the ladies is that the ergonomics are solid. Nonetheless, I must dock the scallion points for those cheap looking scales. I expect more in a 30+ dollar knife, especially since there are plently of nice looking Kershaws around that price. Nonetheless, I imagine that, being an assisted opener, the small nature and...nonthreatening look of the knife will be benefits in public use, as these are both EDCs.
As you might imagine, the beloved speedsafe makes the action about as good as it gets. I am more and more unwilling to accept life without a flipper, and Kershaw delivers. With slight force applied to the flipper (or thumbstud, if you're into self-pain) the blade flips open quickly. I honestly believe that the assisted opening addiction is based purely on the fact that opening them is so much fun. I'm sure these knives have each been opened a couple of thousand of times and the action remains like new.
I've tested the liner lock mildly with lots of pressure against the spine of the knife and it was fine. The lock up is quite solid, and the integrity of the knife is excellent, so I don't believe hilt torque will be an issue. Being that these aren't my knives, I was unable to do my normal lock testing.
The knives come Kershaw sharp, as always. You certainly wouldn't shave with them, but like every other Kershaw I've used, the factory edge is more than satisfactory. The blade is 420HC, yet another weird steel on a Kershaw knife, and I know nothing about it. Nonetheless, at least one of these knives has seen real abuse. It has no visible damage and still feels sharp, but long term edge retention remains to be seen. I am constantly hoping that Kershaw will re-release many of its current line in at least 440C.
The serrations on the half and half were quite strange. They lacked the two short grooves, one long groove pattern that adorns typical serrations. They were made of only "long" grooves, about six of them. They felt smooth to the touch, so I wasn't really that confident in their ability, though in use, they work satisfactorily if you apply enough pressure. The mild serration pattern bewilders me, but it's what she wanted.
Both knives are not noticeable on the pocket, and both have effective safeties that can be disarmed (though not easily) one handed. There is no play at all in any direction, despite constant opening and real use.
Overall, not a bad knife for 30 dollars, but I'd be hesitant to pay 40 dollars for the half and half. I am a bit biased, however. I really enjoy assisted openers, but I can't imagine myself buying one--I want that money put into the blade. However, the end users of these two knives lack the hand dexterity to open a knife with one hand, so assisted opening was a real benefit to them. If you like assisted openers and need something for the office, this is probably a good choice. I might pass it up for serious knife work, however.
They are both assisted opening fans, and well, we're on a budget, so the options were few. They didn't require a hardcore tough knife, and the sister carries a multitool anyway. Besides, they weren't about to bother their fashion with a bulky folder...
So the scallion was an instant hit at 30-40 dollars. The straight edge was 30 dollars, while the combo edge was an astounding 10 dollars more.
Initially, the cheap looking zytel scales turned me off to the scallion. However, the knife feels shockingly solid in the hand. This is probably due to its short, stubby nature and steel liners. The Scallion uses a two inch blade, nice for the office, but small knives never fit my hands. However, since these were intended for smaller hands' use, this wasn't really a concern of mine. The report from the ladies is that the ergonomics are solid. Nonetheless, I must dock the scallion points for those cheap looking scales. I expect more in a 30+ dollar knife, especially since there are plently of nice looking Kershaws around that price. Nonetheless, I imagine that, being an assisted opener, the small nature and...nonthreatening look of the knife will be benefits in public use, as these are both EDCs.
As you might imagine, the beloved speedsafe makes the action about as good as it gets. I am more and more unwilling to accept life without a flipper, and Kershaw delivers. With slight force applied to the flipper (or thumbstud, if you're into self-pain) the blade flips open quickly. I honestly believe that the assisted opening addiction is based purely on the fact that opening them is so much fun. I'm sure these knives have each been opened a couple of thousand of times and the action remains like new.
I've tested the liner lock mildly with lots of pressure against the spine of the knife and it was fine. The lock up is quite solid, and the integrity of the knife is excellent, so I don't believe hilt torque will be an issue. Being that these aren't my knives, I was unable to do my normal lock testing.
The knives come Kershaw sharp, as always. You certainly wouldn't shave with them, but like every other Kershaw I've used, the factory edge is more than satisfactory. The blade is 420HC, yet another weird steel on a Kershaw knife, and I know nothing about it. Nonetheless, at least one of these knives has seen real abuse. It has no visible damage and still feels sharp, but long term edge retention remains to be seen. I am constantly hoping that Kershaw will re-release many of its current line in at least 440C.
The serrations on the half and half were quite strange. They lacked the two short grooves, one long groove pattern that adorns typical serrations. They were made of only "long" grooves, about six of them. They felt smooth to the touch, so I wasn't really that confident in their ability, though in use, they work satisfactorily if you apply enough pressure. The mild serration pattern bewilders me, but it's what she wanted.
Both knives are not noticeable on the pocket, and both have effective safeties that can be disarmed (though not easily) one handed. There is no play at all in any direction, despite constant opening and real use.
Overall, not a bad knife for 30 dollars, but I'd be hesitant to pay 40 dollars for the half and half. I am a bit biased, however. I really enjoy assisted openers, but I can't imagine myself buying one--I want that money put into the blade. However, the end users of these two knives lack the hand dexterity to open a knife with one hand, so assisted opening was a real benefit to them. If you like assisted openers and need something for the office, this is probably a good choice. I might pass it up for serious knife work, however.