Kershaw Tremor or Compound?

T

theAntihero

Joined
Nov 11, 2011
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Im thinking about picking up one of these knives, it looks like the Tremor is in short supply though. Anyone have success or horror stories about them?
 
theAntihero said:
Im thinking about picking up one of these knives, it looks like the Tremor is in short supply though. Anyone have success or horror stories about them?
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Short supply? Jeez, you can buy'em all day and night on ebay for 20 bucks. Flipper opens fairly quick for a blade that big. Locks up well with no wiggle. That's MY knife, of course. Big and heavy for every day carry, but overall I consider it $20 well spent.
 
ichor said:
Short supply? Jeez, you can buy'em all day and night on ebay for 20 bucks. Flipper opens fairly quick for a blade that big. Locks up well with no wiggle. That's MY knife, of course. Big and heavy for every day carry, but overall I consider it $20 well spent.
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I meant that it looks likethe Tremor has been discontinued, i can find it at the moment.

Do you really like the Tremor? Ive got an Enlan EL-01 thats pretty heavy that i EDC right now.
 
If you are looking for a big knife for cheap, you cant go wring with a tremor.....way better than the compound IMHO. I love the big bowie style recurve to it, the handle shape is very comfortable too. Just keep in mind, its still a $20 knife...
 
I can speak for the Compound (but not the Tremor). In my experience, the Compound is a well-built knife. It's got a nice amount of cutting area (not as much as the Tremor) and also has a fine tip for more detailed cutting (I would say moreso than the Tremor). The sweep isn't as pronounced so it's easier to sharpen freehand (not sure what your set up is for sharpening). The deployment is great. It might be a little stiff but that's because the spring is tight for the zippy deploy. The handle fit well in my hand but not fantastically. The sweep up left an empty feeling spot in my palm near my ring and middle fingers. It's not a big deal for EDC cutting though. I've liked it for food prep. I also think it looks really nice. You may prefer the more aggressive look of the Tremor, but for me, the Compound was a nice, elegant design.
 
I'm not familiar with the other knives being mentioned, but yes, I like my Tremor quite a lot. Like I said, it's heavy for EDC (my EDC is Spyderco Endura 4, which is light, strong and I love it)
 
I personally like the blade shape of the compound. Cant go wrong with either of them for $20
 
I work in concrete and can be hard on my knives, id rather have a stable of cheaper knives then one really good EDC so the $20 price tag doesnt bug me.
 
I have been very impressed with the Tremor. For $20 NIB shipped I don't think you can do any better.

The knife excels in all the area's important to me. Good ergo's, solid, quality build. The F&F on the two I have far exceeded my expectations and the blade fires hard with solid lock up. I really like the blade design and the size. The steel is about what you would expect, more then adequate. Takes a decent edge and holds it a decent amount of time. Depends on what your cutting or using it for but that's the case with all steels.

I think every once and a while every company produces a standout in a particular class and I think they hit the mark with the Tremor. Especially at it's price point.

Best $20 shipped I ever spent on a knife.
 
pbcg said:
I have been very impressed with the Tremor. For $20 NIB shipped I don't think you can do any better.

The knife excels in all the area's important to me. Good ergo's, solid, quality build. The F&F on the two I have far exceeded my expectations and the blade fires hard with solid lock up. I really like the blade design and the size. The steel is about what you would expect, more then adequate. Takes a decent edge and holds it a decent amount of time. Depends on what your cutting or using it for but that's the case with all steels.

I think every once and a while every company produces a standout in a particular class and I think they hit the mark with the Tremor. Especially at it's price point.

Best $20 shipped I ever spent on a knife.
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Thanks for the reply. How smooth does it open? My one complaint about my Enlan is that its a bit stiff so far.
 
theAntihero said:
Thanks for the reply. How smooth does it open? My one complaint about my Enlan is that its a bit stiff so far.[/QUOTE

Mine opens just fine. Think about this. . Big strong knife with decent steel from a reputable user of 8cr13Mov. Stone wash blade. G10 scales. 20 bucks shipped. If you can't make a decision now....I'm done talking. LOL
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ichor said:
theAntihero said:
Thanks for the reply. How smooth does it open? My one complaint about my Enlan is that its a bit stiff so far.[/QUOTE

Mine opens just fine. Think about this. . Big strong knife with decent steel from a reputable user of 8cr13Mov. Stone wash blade. G10 scales. 20 bucks shipped. If you can't make a decision now....I'm done talking. LOL
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Oh, im getting one of them just not sure which yet.
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My Dad has a Compound he's been EDCing for over a year. I carried a Tremor for 3 months and then traded it to a friend (a firefighter in training and crazy outdoorsman) who has carried it every day and even routinely shaved with it for the last year. Both function flawlessly. The Tremor has a tiny bit of play. Both open great. No rust, good edge qualities.

I myself strongly prefer the Tremor. Much better clip, better ergos, and much, much prettier. But hard to find anymore. The Compound's clip is a little small and goofy.

Anything in the ChinaShaw line or Spydero byrds are all inexpensive workers. Can't go wrong with any of them.

However, for $25 I think the Ontario RAT 1 is WAY better. Flat Ground AUS-8, super deployment, and best of all, made in a friendly and free nation vs Communist China. To each his own.
 
Noah2A However said:
Apples and oranges. Compare a 3 3/4" blade to a 3" blade and it's WAAAY more difference than the numbers would suggest. And I'd wager that you don't go through a single day without using/eating a dozen Chinese products. Get used to it. lol
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theAntihero said:
Thanks for the reply. How smooth does it open? My one complaint about my Enlan is that its a bit stiff so far.
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It's spring assisted and fires hard so it's smooth in that sense. I'd say opening is a breeze. Doesn't bind and the lock up on the two I have is about as good as it gets with a liner lock.
 
No I could care less about the using Chinese products- but as far as my own pride in ownership with the knife goes, I prefer non Chinese. But I carried a Chinese made Tenacious today, so.... :D And I actually replaced the Tremor with the RAT and compared the two knives very much. The Ontario's edge retention was better. Not way way better, but definitely better. I think it was the flat grind resisting material less more than anything. The RAT had better centering and less play, and you can just thumb flick it out beautifully for the price. The flipper is very well done on the Tremor, a lot bigger and nicer than the Compound's. A lot of fun with that big blade. The RAT is not a 3", it's more like 3.4", it's just as long as my Tenacious, or my brother's Flash II. The Tremor's is more like an Endura, but a clip point recurve. I found it hard to sharpen, but I was much worse at sharpening back when I had it.

Like I said, I carried the Tremor for 3 months and my friend has EDC'd that same Tremor for the last year.
I carried the RAT 1 for 2 months, and my friend has EDC'd that RAT for about the last year.
My Dad has been EDCing a Compound for over a year.

All 3 of them have held up to pretty negligent care and use for that whole time, I'm impressed with all of them. Very little play, steel works, no durability or wear problems. The pocket clip on the Compound wiggles, and the Tremor's pocket clip screws stripped out. But for $20, they blow the WallyWorld S&Ws and Gerbers out of the water by many, many miles.

For the OP's job as a concrete worker, I still say the RAT is very well suited. Simple and easy to clean, tough and reliable. But he seems to want an assisted flipper, and both the Tremor and Compound I have personally seen to be good knives.
 
Noah2A said:
The RAT is not a 3", it's more like 3.4", it's just as long as my Tenacious, or my brother's Flash II.
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I only checked one source for the dimensions . so I stand corrected on the blade length. My sense of pride has nothing to do with where a product is made, only it's quality and usefulness.
 
I own the Tremor and I must say it's a nice knife. Especially for the money but I don't EDC it as it's too bulky and heavy for my tastes. Though I do use that knife or my Kershaw Blackhorse II when I need some work to be done and need something heavier duty. The combination of the weight, blade, and comfy grip makes it a pleasure to use over a lot of other knives I own as I can put more weight through my cuts a lot easier in comparison to my other knives due to the ergonomics of the handle and the weight of the knife.
 
The Tremor is a great knife at twice the price... It's a bit of a bigish knife, I was surprised when i opened the box. I really like the blade shape, I use it for everything from cutting cardboard to opening letters. The weight and feel of it is pretty stout but yet (surprisingly) it doesn't feel bulky in the pocket... I gave it to a cousin of mine who deployed to the sandbox, I'ma have to get me another very soon.
 
I was surprised how much I liked the Tremor. They modify quite nicely too. I turned my 20$ knife into .....well,a 20$ knife with a lot of work put into it :D
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[/url] Untitled by pokeyoureyeout, on Flickr[/IMG]
 
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