Kershaw Zing - very pleasantly surprised!

D

DMS1

Joined
Jan 16, 2007
Messages
149
I seem to have become stuck in a rut where I have been only focusing on knives with premium steel. I love kershaw knives, as jcurd said recently, they offer some very reasonably priced knives with very high end steel, eg s110v and zdp composite shallots. I feel some of the best all time knives were the solid zdp mini cyclone and ti leek. I have overlooked the blur based on steel options, but have ordered a zdp composite blem for an AWESOME price from kershaw guy now that they are available. I guess I have become a bit of a snob when it comes to $35 knives. Imagine my surprise this week, trying to burn up a $50 gift card at basspro, when I see that Zings were on sale (still not as cheap as walmart, but hey - the free gift card). After handling one, I was hooked, and after playing with it for a few days, I have to admit - THIS THING IS FANTASTIC! It is very rigid, lightweight, perfect size for EDC, and razor sharp. The action of the flipper is so fluid, I forget that it is not AO. Now I am going to have to check out a bunch of other knives that I have been overlooking, like the OD1, Skyline etc, and I would love to handle a damascus version that is now out also. Pictures do not do these knives justice, you have to handle them to know.

Just think how great this would be in S90v or S110v (even without the ridges), or a composite version.....
 
My daughter wanted a knife for Christmas....I got her an orange Zing. I started playing with it when it got in and ended up ordering one for myself. Great knife for under 40 bucks that's for sure. :thumbup:
 
Just think how great this would be in S90v or S110v (even without the ridges), or a composite version....

I would like it better without the ridges. Composite would be great.:thumbup: I would love one in CPM-D2 not composite. A blade that small the composite can't be saving much money.
 
presz said:
Just think how great this would be in S90v or S110v (even without the ridges), or a composite version....

I would like it better without the ridges. Composite would be great.:thumbup: I would love one in CPM-D2 not composite. A blade that small the composite can't be saving much money.
Click to expand...

I'm not sure:
A) if the ridges would be tougher (more costly) to machine in a tougher steel

B) How the weld would look after machining the grooves

For the composite not being cheaper based on blade size, I use several composite leeks with CPM D2 and love them. Are they composite to keep the cost down, or to avoid a having material in the pivot area that could rust?
 
14c28n is nothing to sneeze at , good working , servicable steel.

If it were fancier steel it would be a more expensive knife. Would be cool if Kershaw put out some limited runs though. Either way I love my Groove and my Zing !

:)

Tostig
 
Anything that R.J. has come out with is top notch. Kershaw does a great job with his designs.
 
I would like to see a run of Zings in S30V or D2 (with or without grooves) and G10. Perhaps even a full on special run that mimics RJ's original. Textured G10, Ti Frame and a Premium Steel..... in the slightly over $100 street price range.
 
I really like the zings as well. I really want the tanto version they have now. Either that or the damascus. If they make a tanto damascus then im definitely sold on another one.
 
I just noticed knife at the store today. Are the ridges functional in any way? Do they reduce food sticking or something? Or is it just visual appeal?
 
Another Fan of the Zing and Kershaw. :thumbup:

The knife is a great value and works great. What else could one want? More Kershaws of course. :) :D
 
The ridges are not really function, they end at the edge of the blade and disappear as you sharpen the blade so they always look the same in comparison to the edge.

I will say this though, the hollow grind is reduced in three stages, there are faint lines where the transition can be seen in the right light.The grooves follow the transitions so they look great, but the edge is quite thin, as opposed to some of my leeks or flat ground blades. This should make for a sharper knife, better slicing and easier to re-sharpen.
 
Having both the Zing, and a pair of "Grooves," I have to say I've found the grooves to be functional--sort of like a granton-bladed kitchen knife.

Several times in the past, when I've tried to cut fiber-reenforced nylon tubing with a regular blade, the sides of the blade bind in the cut. With the grooved RJ-designed Kershaws, that just does not happen.

I'm really wanting a Tanto Zing.
 
The ridges are also nice for cutting up cheese. Most of the time there isn't much of a difference, though.
 
axtalan0 said:
I just noticed knife at the store today. Are the ridges functional in any way? Do they reduce food sticking or something? Or is it just visual appeal?
Click to expand...

Here's what R.J. had to say about the grooves:

RJ Martin said:
Hi guys: Sorry not to have responded to this thread earlier-I have been at the New York Custom Knife Show since Thursday.

I get a lot of questions from people who are concerned about what will happen to the grooves of the knife as it is resharpened. The answer is "ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!".
You can sharpen the blade until there is pretty much nothing left of it, and the only thing that you will see is that the edge bevel will become a bit wider. This is because the edge will become thicker as more and more of the blade is removed from repeated sharpenings. This is the same thing that would happen to any flat ground blade. It will still get sharp, and it will still cut like crazy.

The grooves will always disappear as they meet the edge, just the way they do when the knife is new. So, no need to worry! Sharpen away and enjoy the unique look of the blade!

As to cutting performance, the same general principles apply to the striated or grooved blade as to any regular knife-the cutting performance is directly related to edge sharpness and edge thickness. The standard groove, being flat "ground" will have a slightly thicker (and more robust!) edge than a hollow ground knife.

In cutting soft materials that don't bind when cut, you won't see any difference between a grooved blade and a blade without grooves.

In cutting harder materials like rubber hose, plastic tubing, etc., the grooves actually improve cutting performance because they cut the friction by about 80%. This is because the material being cut is only rubbing on the tops of the ridges!When I received my first batch of Grooves from Kershaw, I immediately passed them out to my friends with the instructions "Beat the he** out of them". One went to an Electrician, one to a telephone company lineman, one to a powerplant maintenance supervisor, and one to an FBI agent. All of them have been impressed with the edge holding of the steel and the durability of the edge.
One report involved opening cardboard boxes for 2 weeks, at which time the knife was handed to an employee who had a farm. He opened 59 burlap seed bags, shaved wood, and performed other farm related chores. This guy also built houses for hurricane victims. He cut sheetrock for an entire weekend, which was a good verification that the grooves don't impede cutting performance. After all this, my friend restored the knife to shaving sharpness in less than 3 minutes (measured time!) using a ceramic rod sharpener. I'd say that ranks as exceptional performance from a factory knife!

Please keep those questions coming-I'll be here to answer them for you!

BTW, the new, striated Tanto Groove from Kershaw will feature a hollow "ground" blade. This knife promises to really push cutting performance to new levels!

Stay Sharp,

RJ Martin
Groove Designer
Click to expand...
 
I like my Groove (the Zing's bigger brother.) It is the only non S30v, VG-10, D2, or ZDP-189 blade I've kept.
 
svrider3 said:
Here's what R.J. had to say about the grooves: In cutting harder materials like rubber hose, plastic tubing, etc., the grooves actually improve cutting performance because they cut the friction by about 80%. This is because the material being cut is only rubbing on the tops of the ridges!
Click to expand...

Ah, that makes a lot of sense. Sounds like you need to exert less effort for the cut. What a great idea! Well, I guess that's another knife added to my wish list. :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top