I have been carrying this knife in the plain edge everyday at work for the past two years. It is the smaller version with 3" blade.
I got it used in trade for a Gerber AR 3.0 BBS
( http://www.gerberblades.com/products/view.php?model=5849 ) that my brother liked. My Gerber was $39.99 and the Vapor was $19.99. Both of our knives were in like new shape when we traded. I liked the Vapor every time I saw him use it and decided to trade. This was the first time that I traded a knife that cost twice as much for a less expensive one and felt like I got the better deal and knife. I think the Kershaw Vapor is a design that is nearly perfect.
I have carried this knife on my job and it requires a knife that can cut a wide assortment of materials. I work on elevators so the scope of things I cut is pretty varied. I have cut the following materials with the Vapor II: drywall, wires, plastic tie wraps of every size, plastic sheeting, plastic shrink wrap, wood, soft metal sheeting, tape, cardboard, rubber, rags and just about anything you can name.
Because of the thin flat ground blade, it is a great slicer through material like cardboard or drywall. Since the tip is near the centerline of the blade, I can use it for getting under material and cutting. I use the tip for getting under large tie wraps and levering the blade to cut them. I also need the blade to cut plastic sheets that are stuck to metal. I use the tip to bare down on the plastic, I need enough upsweep to not gouge the metal below but not so much that I don't make contact with the point. The blade is extremely well designed and I have never wish for or needed a longer one. When sharp, it is a great cutter but the one main drawback to this knife is that the steel is soft and does not hold an edge for as long as some of the better steels. ATS-34 is light years ahead of the steel used in the Vapor II. VG-10 seems like it came from an alien planet in comparison.
The knife has seen some hard use and some use every single work day. I have weekend knife as well so this is just a work knife. For being two years old, it is in surprisingly good shape. The all SS construction has held up well. The blade has some scratches on it and the edge needs to be reprofiled because I have sharpened it so many times, I have removed enough steel to notice. I need to at least touch up the blade once or twice a week if not more.
The construction is impressive as well. I have never needed to tighten a screw or adjust anything on the knife except put more bend on the clip to keep it tighter on my pocket. This happened because I caught the clip on something and bent it out enough that it lost tension. The blade is perfectly centered when closed and had zero blade play when opened. Even after all this time, it still opens and closes with ease and locks up tight. I have never had the frame lock fail on my and think it is the best lock design for ease and speed. I also think it is superior to the liner lock because as you grip the handle tight, you are keeping the lock closed by squeezing the frame inward.
The handle is smooth but there are some places to get a grip if you have dry hands. If your hands are wet, the knife becomes slick and hard to hold since it is small. It is so smooth that I can stick my hands in my pockets with the knife attached and not be bothered by it. Some of the rougher G-10 knives feel like a rasp file when you do this. It is also open all around so it can be used as a sort of prybar. I have used the handle to pry things and turn large flat head screws. It is perfect for prying the lids off of paint cans.
The downsides to this knife are that the steel is soft and needs frequent touch ups. The handle gets slick and it hard to hold onto while doing some tasks. The handle is a little small as well. I think the simplicity of the knife are what make it so reliable and long wearing. You wouldnt believe that this knife has seen as much pocket time and hard use as it has. It works great and still looks great.
I am thinking about retiring it for something else but replacements are not as easy to find as I thought. I recently purchased a used Spyderco Renegade as my new work knife but it is not as well designed as the Vapor even though it is built of better materials. The blade has too much upsweep and the back lock is not as fast or easy to use as the frame lock. The hole instead of the thumb stud is not as easy to open with gloves on or when your hands are wet with hydraulic oil.
All in all, for $19.99, I have never seen a better knife. I would have paid twice that and been happy. The Kershaw Vapor is an unbelievable deal on a well built and designed knife. If you can live with the soft blade steel and dont mind frequent touching up, this could be the best $20 you ever spent on a knife. As soft as the steel is, it can take a decent edge but dont expect VG-10 results with it.
I got it used in trade for a Gerber AR 3.0 BBS
( http://www.gerberblades.com/products/view.php?model=5849 ) that my brother liked. My Gerber was $39.99 and the Vapor was $19.99. Both of our knives were in like new shape when we traded. I liked the Vapor every time I saw him use it and decided to trade. This was the first time that I traded a knife that cost twice as much for a less expensive one and felt like I got the better deal and knife. I think the Kershaw Vapor is a design that is nearly perfect.
I have carried this knife on my job and it requires a knife that can cut a wide assortment of materials. I work on elevators so the scope of things I cut is pretty varied. I have cut the following materials with the Vapor II: drywall, wires, plastic tie wraps of every size, plastic sheeting, plastic shrink wrap, wood, soft metal sheeting, tape, cardboard, rubber, rags and just about anything you can name.
Because of the thin flat ground blade, it is a great slicer through material like cardboard or drywall. Since the tip is near the centerline of the blade, I can use it for getting under material and cutting. I use the tip for getting under large tie wraps and levering the blade to cut them. I also need the blade to cut plastic sheets that are stuck to metal. I use the tip to bare down on the plastic, I need enough upsweep to not gouge the metal below but not so much that I don't make contact with the point. The blade is extremely well designed and I have never wish for or needed a longer one. When sharp, it is a great cutter but the one main drawback to this knife is that the steel is soft and does not hold an edge for as long as some of the better steels. ATS-34 is light years ahead of the steel used in the Vapor II. VG-10 seems like it came from an alien planet in comparison.
The knife has seen some hard use and some use every single work day. I have weekend knife as well so this is just a work knife. For being two years old, it is in surprisingly good shape. The all SS construction has held up well. The blade has some scratches on it and the edge needs to be reprofiled because I have sharpened it so many times, I have removed enough steel to notice. I need to at least touch up the blade once or twice a week if not more.
The construction is impressive as well. I have never needed to tighten a screw or adjust anything on the knife except put more bend on the clip to keep it tighter on my pocket. This happened because I caught the clip on something and bent it out enough that it lost tension. The blade is perfectly centered when closed and had zero blade play when opened. Even after all this time, it still opens and closes with ease and locks up tight. I have never had the frame lock fail on my and think it is the best lock design for ease and speed. I also think it is superior to the liner lock because as you grip the handle tight, you are keeping the lock closed by squeezing the frame inward.
The handle is smooth but there are some places to get a grip if you have dry hands. If your hands are wet, the knife becomes slick and hard to hold since it is small. It is so smooth that I can stick my hands in my pockets with the knife attached and not be bothered by it. Some of the rougher G-10 knives feel like a rasp file when you do this. It is also open all around so it can be used as a sort of prybar. I have used the handle to pry things and turn large flat head screws. It is perfect for prying the lids off of paint cans.
The downsides to this knife are that the steel is soft and needs frequent touch ups. The handle gets slick and it hard to hold onto while doing some tasks. The handle is a little small as well. I think the simplicity of the knife are what make it so reliable and long wearing. You wouldnt believe that this knife has seen as much pocket time and hard use as it has. It works great and still looks great.
I am thinking about retiring it for something else but replacements are not as easy to find as I thought. I recently purchased a used Spyderco Renegade as my new work knife but it is not as well designed as the Vapor even though it is built of better materials. The blade has too much upsweep and the back lock is not as fast or easy to use as the frame lock. The hole instead of the thumb stud is not as easy to open with gloves on or when your hands are wet with hydraulic oil.
All in all, for $19.99, I have never seen a better knife. I would have paid twice that and been happy. The Kershaw Vapor is an unbelievable deal on a well built and designed knife. If you can live with the soft blade steel and dont mind frequent touching up, this could be the best $20 you ever spent on a knife. As soft as the steel is, it can take a decent edge but dont expect VG-10 results with it.
. Somewhere on that mountain somebody had a real find that season.