kershaw spec bump

The Spec Bump is a wonderful knife. They did a really great job on this one.

You have to hold it in your hand to truelly appreciate it. It is soooo comfortable. It cuts like the devil and hols an edge.:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:
 
How do you properly sharpen that thing though? Does the angle of the blade fit the sharpmaker?
 
picked one up the other day. handle was really nice but i didn't like the way it unlocks.
 
How DO u unlock this beast??!

Theres cutouts for the thumbstud/lockbar, so do u put your thumb along the cutout and wedge ( painful) the thumb onto the lockbar to disengage?

Or has somebody found a better way to unlock 1 handed without pinching your finger?
 
I like mine very much. Very functional blade even it looks exotic. Most convinient blade lock on my opinion and very comfortable and safe handle.

New old CPM 154 steel.

Kershav-Bump-G10-01.jpg


Thanks, Vassili.
 
I got mine last night and am very happy about this one. The 3-D scales are awesome. They are not ground to fit like some companies do but they fit well. But what is up with this aweful cheap plastic backspacer? Thankfully, it looks so out of place that it doesn't really deter from the well made looks of the knife. Smooth operator, no doubt. I love the speed-safe but I think Kershaw is fooling themselves, thinking that this is not an auto. It feels and looks like an auto and I am sure, if questioned by the law authorities it would be considered an auto. Also, it opens way to easily, I think I would really like to see a safty on this one. It is a complicated mechanism: Employs a ball detent both to hold the blade closed (and the detend should be much stronger in my opinion) and it serves as a "kick" as this knife doesn't really have one.

The blade has decent profile and the edge grind is well below 20 deg per side, touch-ups on the sharpmaker are no problem at all. Came decently sharp out of the box, but could be a lot better if you ask me (but I am very picky that way). Personally, I think I would like the blade better if that little swedge on top was transferred to the edge, meaning I would have liked to see a straighter back, and the belly of the recurve a little further to the tip and the part in front of the belly a little curved instead of perfectly straight. People who love maxium bladelength per handle ratio: This is the knife for you!

I really dig the thumbstud lock though. Sure, you can not flick the knife closed like an axis or a compression lock, but you wouldn't be able to anyway, because of the speed safe. I can easily unlock the blade one-handed. I found the trick for easiest operation to push the stud not only forward but down and forward. Very smooth, haven't managed to pinch myself yet. But what I like best about it is that you get a direct visual feedback of the engagement of the lock, you see immediately if something isn't right and I doubt that you can have lint or dirt accumulate. The weak spot in my opinion is again the spring, we will see how that tiny little spring holds up.

Should be a great knife for SD aswell, obviously the wickedly curved blade with the powerful tip design should have devastating effects, the huge cutout for the index finger ensures very good retention and prevents slipping and the butt design makes as good a pressure tool as the Yojimbo does. Works very well in closed position as well.

All in all, great knife, clearly a winner :thumbup:, but exactly for that reason I am bugged by a few details, which I would like to see fixed in the next runs:

1.) Increase the strength of the detent
2.) The bladelength is almost a bit too much for the handle. If I press my finger on the butt while knife is closed, I can actually catch my finger on the tip of the knife

(*1.) and 2.) are safty issue, and I think they should really be addressed. And they should be trivially to fix).

3.) Get rid of this ridiculus backspacer. An open back makes the knife easier to clean and adds to the classic look!

I know, I might sound a bit critical, but that is because I REALLY, REALLY LIKE this knife.
 
How DO u unlock this beast??!

Theres cutouts for the thumbstud/lockbar, so do u put your thumb along the cutout and wedge ( painful) the thumb onto the lockbar to disengage?

Or has somebody found a better way to unlock 1 handed without pinching your finger?
Click to expand...

First, forget about the cut-outs. Place your thumb almost on top of the cut-out and act like your trying to roll the stud toward the blade's tip with your thumb. Unlocks relatively easy and practice soon produces a tougher thumb tip and muscle memory for the move required to close the Spec Bump. After carrying the Spec for three weeks now, I find myself trying to unlock my liner locks this way.:eek: :rolleyes: :D


Hope this helps!
 
Some comments to address issues you raised:

HoB said:
The 3-D scales are awesome. They are not ground to fit like some companies do but they fit well.
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Look carefully at the scales. The 3D milling wraps around the edge. If the scales were ground to fit the liners some of the 3D milling would be ground off. I agree with you the 3D milling is great. I think the scales feel better than any factory knife I've ever held.
HoB said:
I love the speed-safe but I think Kershaw is fooling themselves, thinking that this is not an auto. It feels and looks like an auto and I am sure, if questioned by the law authorities it would be considered an auto.
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Most states define an automatic as have a spring powered blade that is released by a button or lever on the handle. The Speed Safe is activated by moving the blade with your thumb or finger. Kershaw has and continues to spend thousands of dollars educating people across the country so assisted openers remain legal. As far as I know, Kershaw is the only knife company who spends their money educating attorneys and LEO's. Any knife company who has an assisted opener and doesn't educate people is riding on Kershaw's coat tails. People who buy assisted opening knives should keep this point in mind when deciding what assisted opener to buy.
HoB said:
Also, it opens way to easily, I think I would really like to see a safty on this one. It is a complicated mechanism: Employs a ball detent both to hold the blade closed (and the detend should be much stronger in my opinion) and it serves as a "kick" as this knife doesn't really have one.
Click to expand...
The Speed Safe mechanism is very simple. The blade is held closed by the Speed Safe torsion bar. There is no detent ball because the knife is not a liner lock. The Speed Safe torsion bar is recessed into one of the scales behind the liner. There is a safety located above the pocket clip. When the blade is closed you push the safety forward and the blade cannot open. However, I've carried Speed Safe knives for more than ten years. I've never had an accidental opening in my pocket. I don't understand what you mean by a "kick".
 
Thanks Chuck Bybee, definitely educational.
My comments about the auto, was more based on the reactions that I've gotten. It looks very much like an auto when it flips open. In areas with strict enforcement I am sure it could become an issue, but that is not to say that I didn't like it. I definitely like it, especially, since you can still grab the blade and open it two handed when non-knife people are around.

The kick is the part of the blade on with the blade rests when the knife is closed in order to avoid contact between the edge and the backspacer. There is definitely a type of ball detent of some kind in this mechanism. I haven't it disassembled yet, but when I look into the space between the blade and the liners, I can see the torsion bar but I can also clearly see a ball that sinks into something when the blade is closed. When the blade is closed, the ball is almost opposite of the torsion bar very close to the pivot.

I see what you mean by wrapping around the liner, its not that the liner is recessed but, the scales have a nicely rounded bulge that reaches a tiny bit over the liner, right? I agree that the feel of the scales is phenomenal! Also, how the clip blends into the 3 D shape of the scales is absolutely awesome. Definitely tons of attention to detail.
 
HoB said:
The kick is the part of the blade on with the blade rests when the knife is closed in order to avoid contact between the edge and the backspacer. There is definitely a type of ball detent of some kind in this mechanism. I haven't it disassembled yet, but when I look into the space between the blade and the liners, I can see the torsion bar but I can also clearly see a ball that sinks into something when the blade is closed. When the blade is closed, the ball is almost opposite of the torsion bar very close to the pivot.
Click to expand...
I had trouble seeing what you described about so I took my Spec Bump apart. When I had the knife apart I noticed a hidden stop pin. This is a feature found on a few custom knives. The stop pin rides in a slot in the blade. The Speed Safe torsion bar holds the blade closed (and open) against the stop pin. I saw the ball bearing pressed into the liner at the end of the back spacer. I think it has something to do with the safety rather than being a detent for the blade.

I'm even more impressed with this knife now.
 
The ball bearing you are seeing is not a detent, it is the saftey. Move the screw forward that is on the backside.

Have fun with it.!
 
How does the safety work, does the resistance to opening it increase if I move the screw forward?

Very cool, Chuck, I think I continue to play with mine for a while, I think I am going to take it apart too, I want to see how this works!
 
Tim Galyean said:
The ball bearing you are seeing is not a detent, it is the saftey. Move the screw forward that is on the backside.
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Like you know something about Kershaw knives?!?!?! ;)

For those of you who don't know, Tim is not only a fantastic knifemaker who made one of my favorite knives and a great guy, he also works for Kershaw. Thanks for the clarification Tim.
 
Say... the thumb roll the lockbar works very well and smooth!! Thanks misque!! Agreed that the cheep back spacer a turnoff.
 
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