Kershaw's Image in the Knife Community

[JuJu-]

In all honesty the thread title is very misleading. This is an opinion of yours that seems to have evolved with tastes. I think you should edit it to be more appropriate.

 

[TriviaMonster]

I think he is asking for more small and medium sized knives with Ti and higher end steels. Kershaw is lacking in that department right now. ZT is nice, but they are fairly big knives and priced higher than Kershaw knives.

I would love a KVT Blur with S35VN. Or a KVT Leek with ELMAX.

Bring us some $80-150 Kershaws with 3" blades and good steel.

The 0770 is a good start and sure would look good with a Kershaw logo!

 

[Moxy]

^This.

I never meant to imply that Kershaw's quality isn't on par with the rest of the industry, but their material choice has turned me off some of their upcoming models.
Nonetheless, my Echelon had so much Loctite on the pivot that the hex stem spun and rounded out the cavity on the G10. The detent ball on my SG2 JYD has since worn down to nothing after hardly any use. My ZT0350 has blade play after de-assisting since the bronze bushing on the speedsafe side is much too small. I've had minor issues with every make. But overall... Kershaw wouldn't be the first make I'd recommend to someone with really high standards. I only wish they would swing away from the value end of the spectrum, towards the high end side.

 

[JuJu-]

I never meant to imply that Kershaw's quality isn't on par with the rest of the industry, but their material choice has turned me off some of their upcoming models.

If that's what you are saying then as I stated before, your title needs amended.

 

[sticktodrum]

I never meant to imply that Kershaw's quality isn't on par with the rest of the industry, but their material choice has turned me off some of their upcoming models.

But you said:

The general consensus is that Kershaw isn't on par with Spyderco and Benchmade and the like.

Actually, you're right. You didn't mean to imply it, you blatantly said it.

Nonetheless, my Echelon had so much Loctite on the pivot that the hex stem spun and rounded out the cavity on the G10. The detent ball on my SG2 JYD has since worn down to nothing after hardly any use. My ZT0350 has blade play after de-assisting since the bronze bushing on the speedsafe side is much too small. I've had minor issues with every make. But overall... Kershaw wouldn't be the first make I'd recommend to someone with really high standards. I only wish they would swing away from the value end of the spectrum, towards the high end side.

I believe "make" is what you'd use to refer to the brand. Either way, those all sound like issues for their warranty department. If you didn't take the precaution of heating up the screw on the pivot before risking rounding out the G10, then they'll be able to remove the pivot and likely replace that part of the handle. They've done that on a Skyline for me before.

As for the blade play on the 0350, I don't see how the washer being small would actually cause blade play. It could be that your pivot tension is too loose to have it be solid, which may in turn make it less-than-smooth for use without the torsion bar. That's something that some have encountered when removing the assist, and it's something you'd just have to live with. The detent ball on your JYD could be replaced if you sent it in to them and asked them to, but if the detent still functions then some wear on it isn't a problem.

If you've had so many bad knives from Kershaw, buy a different brand of knife and be someone else's problem. I'll bet that despite all of the shortcomings, Kai's warranty department hasn't ever heard from you.

 

[J85909266]

I think he is asking for more small and medium sized knives with Ti and higher end steels. Kershaw is lacking in that department right now. ZT is nice, but they are fairly big knives and priced higher than Kershaw knives.

I would love a KVT Blur with S35VN. Or a KVT Leek with ELMAX.

Bring us some $80-150 Kershaws with 3" blades and good steel.

The 0770 is a good start and sure would look good with a Kershaw logo!

This guy gets it.

I really wish the OP had left out the QC complaints at the end of his post. It's killing the thread with unnecessary negativity.

A Ti Leek in S30V with KVT instead of Speedsafe? Yes. Oh God, yes. Who wouldn't buy that?

ZT is engulfing Kershaw. Kershaw is a few years away from being BM Red Class or Byrd to Spyderco.

ZT is awesome. Why can't Kershaw be awesome, too? Even if it's only a model or two a year?

 

[Moxy]

The title has no negative or positive insinuation.

Don't make assumptions about me Stick. Material quality is not on par. Thats not a criticism since the average Kershaw is half the price of Spyderco or Benchmade.

...Precaution of heating up the pivot screw? So I'm just suposed to assume they put too much Loctite on every pivot screw? Sorry I didn't realize it is now common practice to use a soldering iron to take apart any new product from KAI. I don't want to have to explain any mechanical engineering fundamentals to you, yes the tiny radius on the washer is less effective at centering the blade when closed and reducing blade play. I know how to strike a balance between minimal blade play and smoothness. This isn't my first time servicing a knife, nor the 50th. Even with polished washers then knife has average flipping smoothness and does not lack a little side to side play. But hey I guess that just something you have to live with when you buy a supposedly overbuilt folder from ZT. I'd have no problem sending my JYD in for a new detent ball. But I'd rather order a ceramic ball bearing and replace it myself. This way I'll avoid having to send it back again in the future.

 

[RevDevil]

This guy gets it.

I really wish the OP had left out the QC complaints at the end of his post. It's killing the thread with unnecessary negativity.

A Ti Leek in S30V with KVT instead of Speedsafe? Yes. Oh God, yes. Who wouldn't buy that?

ZT is engulfing Kershaw. Kershaw is a few years away from being BM Red Class or Byrd to Spyderco.

ZT is awesome. Why can't Kershaw be awesome, too? Even if it's only a model or two a year?

Ehh, here we go again. Kershaw does make awesome knives. They recently made the S30V Skyline for the folks here. What about the CPM154 Blur models? Have those already been forgotten and altogether dismissed?

What about the Tilt? The Volt? The Speedform and Speedform 2? A new Blur with BDZ-1 steel? Forgetting those and your suggesting that Kershaw is becoming equivalent to the Benchmade Red Class is doing the thread favors now? ZT is not engulfing Kershaw, based on what do you make that statement? This has just turned into a giant red herring and is downright silly.

 

[Moxy]

Ehh, here we go again. Kershaw does make awesome knives. They recently made the S30V Skyline for the folks here. What about the CPM154 Blur models? Have those already been forgotten and altogether dismissed?

What about the Tilt? The Volt? The Speedform and Speedform 2? A new Blur with BDZ-1 steel? Forgetting those and your suggesting that Kershaw is becoming equivalent to the Benchmade Red Class is doing the thread favors now? ZT is not engulfing Kershaw, based on what do you make that statement? This has just turned into a giant red herring and is downright silly.

Lol, you just proved my point. Most of those are sprint runs. Not full production. The average Joe Schmo can't buy a s30v Skyline or a CPM154 Blur at his local Outdoorsman shop. Kershaw does make excellent stuff. I'd like for them to try and appeal to the higher performance crowd. Like ZT does. I don't want to see Kershaw end up like Buck.

 

[J85909266]

Ehh, here we go again. Kershaw does make awesome knives. They recently made the S30V Skyline for the folks here. What about the CPM154 Blur models? Have those already been forgotten and altogether dismissed?

What about the Tilt? The Volt? The Speedform and Speedform 2? A new Blur with BDZ-1 steel? Forgetting those and your suggesting that Kershaw is becoming equivalent to the Benchmade Red Class is doing the thread favors now? ZT is not engulfing Kershaw, based on what do you make that statement? This has just turned into a giant red herring and is downright silly.

All of your counter arguments are knives I can't buy...

I can't be expected to follow sprint runs.

 

[Kai Corp.]

...and here as well...

 

[jimmer_5]

First of all, I appreciate all the support from the forum members, but let's all take a step back. If Moxy doesn't agree with the direction that the Kershaw brand is taking, that's his business. No harm done.

That being said, the OP doesn't work for us and he likely doesn't see the numbers the way we do. To re-state something I said recently: By nature, the enthusiasts are some of the loudest voices, but they are not the majority. The majority doesn't speak up very loud, but they do vote with their wallets. As a company we want to please both markets.

As of right now, if you're looking for a hot new US made knife, your best bet is to look at our Zero Tolerance line. We're not completely closing the door on the mid-range to high-end Kershaw products, but most of the "enthusiast" knives will likely end up being ZT's. We care about the Kershaw brand image, but our greatest concern is making the right mix of products to keep our customers happy AND stay profitable as a company.

 

[jimmer_5]

Lol, you just proved my point. Most of those are sprint runs. Not full production. The average Joe Schmo can't buy a s30v Skyline or a CPM154 Blur at his local Outdoorsman shop. Kershaw does make excellent stuff. I'd like for them to try and appeal to the higher performance crowd. Like ZT does. I don't want to see Kershaw end up like Buck.

Moxy, you are missing the point of sprint runs. Sure, manufacturers will sometimes make a sprint run as a way to test out a cool new material or process, but generally they make a limited run because they feel there is a limited market for the product. In some cases (think 0777, 0888, etc.) we make an item limited production because that item is not profitable to make in the first place.

This guy gets it.
A Ti Leek in S30V with KVT instead of Speedsafe? Yes. Oh God, yes. Who wouldn't buy that?

Believe it or not, a lot of people wouldn't buy that. Think manual transmission versus automatic transmission. However, this would be a perfect example of the kind of item that would become a limited run. You can sell about 500-1000 to enthusiasts, so you do it. But it's not a strong business case.

This guy gets it.
ZT is engulfing Kershaw. Kershaw is a few years away from being BM Red Class or Byrd to Spyderco.

ZT is awesome. Why can't Kershaw be awesome, too? Even if it's only a model or two a year?

Kershaw is still awesome, but it's a different kind of awesome. We are throwing a lot of cool new designs and concepts at the Kershaw brand, and we have some awesome new things on the slate for 2014. They're not the same kind of products we released 5-10 years ago, but they are still very cool. And I think there are several of items that enthusiasts will really like.

Lol, you just proved my point. Most of those are sprint runs. Not full production. The average Joe Schmo can't buy a s30v Skyline or a CPM154 Blur at his local Outdoorsman shop. Kershaw does make excellent stuff. I'd like for them to try and appeal to the higher performance crowd. Like ZT does. I don't want to see Kershaw end up like Buck.

The average Joe Schmo isn't spending $75-$120 on a knife. He's spending a lot less than that, and that number keeps getting lower. At Kershaw we sincerely believe in offering a quality product, and that can be hard when you're competing for a customer who isn't necessarily willing to pay extra for it.