Kershaw Talon II

[lava_lamp]

Kershaw Talon II Review

I recently received a Kershaw Talon II as part of a pass around here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/826994-Passaround-Zero-Tolerance-ZT-0551. Thomas W. and the fine folks at Kershaw made the knife available and Morrowj_98 organized the pass around.

The USA made Talon II is an updated version of a Kershaw classic with G-10 scales and Sandvik 14C28N blade steel in a bead-blasted finish. Some Kershaw owners, including me, have had rusting issues with Kershaw’s bead-blasted knives, but I didn’t see any evidence of it yet on the Talon II.

As its name implies, the Talon II has an unusual blade shape with a subtly curving edge. It makes pull cuts a breeze. SpeedSafe assisted opening fires it open quickly using a flipper which rotates into position as a finger guard. The two thumb studs on the blade act as a blade stops, rather than deployment mechanisms.

The Talon II's handle is unusual, too. It curves in the opposite direction of most knives, following the pattern of the closed hawkbill blade. The handle is easy to grip, but I found myself looking for jimping on the thumb ramp for more control. The pocket clip is a stylized, curving Kershaw branded clip, and offers three placement options.

The pocket clip on the pass around knife came with some side-to-side wiggle. As is typical with Kershaw, however, the overall fit and finish on Talon II is quite good.

As I carried the Talon II today, I found it quirky and fun. At 4” closed with a blade just under 3”, it is a pretty standard sized linerlock knife, but the hawkbill blade and SpeedSafe opener bring something a little different to the table. The knife is especially adept at cutting open boxes, which accounts for a good bit of my pocket knife usage. MSRP for the Talon II is $99.95 and our favorite online retailers sell it for about $70.

Thanks again to Kershaw and J. Morrow for putting the pass-around together and for www.BladeForums.com for giving us a place to make it happen.

 

[GRIM 62]

Looks like a futuristic Case Swayback Jack on steroids.I'll bet that it is a good cutter,interesting design.

 

[eccvets]

is it truly considered a hawkbill? ususally i look towards more of a curve like the spyderco hawk/matriarch/civilian's have but perhaps thats just the other end of the spectrum.

 

[eccvets]

oh and did you have any pics of the inside of the liner/scales area? is it just G10 and a single sided metal liner like the skyline is?

how's the weight?

 

[lava_lamp]

Is it truly considered a hawkbill?

Probably not. The handle actually curves more than the blade, which has a subtle curve. It is nothing like the Spyderco Tasman Salt, for example. Kershaw calls it a "talon" -- perhaps to differentiate itself from a hawkbill.

Did you have any pics of the inside of the liner/scales area? Is it just G10 and a single sided metal liner like the skyline is? How's the weight?

No on the pics -- this was more of a mini review for me. There are liners on both sides of the G10. The weight is 3.1 oz.

 

[baksilum]

I'm waiting for the ZT version to come out. However it looks like a nice self-defense tool.

 

[crom]

nice review, are you saying in your experience that side to side play is typical or their fit and finish is? All of my Kershaws are solid up and down and side to side.

 

[lava_lamp]

Are you saying in your experience that side to side play is typical or their fit and finish is? All of my Kershaws are solid up and down and side to side.

Not at all. If you re-read what I wrote, I am referring to the pocket clip: "The clip on the pass around knife came with some side-to-side wiggle. As is typical with Kershaw, however, the overall fit and finish on Talon II is quite good." I'll add the word pocket in front of the clip to clarify. The blade was perfect.

I have found the fit and finish to be very good on the many Kershaw knives I've owned. On the infrequent occasions where the F&I hasn't been perfect, Kershaw took care of it.