Lost my Kershaw 1555BLKST, what now?

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xmakeafistx

Joined
Nov 9, 2013
Messages
5
Hello everyone. I'm fairly new to the knife forums, and honestly I don't see this ever becoming a hobby for me. Through being on forums for my actual hobby (home stereo), I've learned that its normally beneficial to reach out to forums to make an educated purchase.

I bought my Kershaw 1555BLKST (Cyro) from a random swap meet. I chose it because I felt the size was perfect (a half inch more wouldn't hurt, but I really liked the size), I thought it was aesthetically appealing, and it was cheap.

My budget right now for a folding knife is about 60-70. I'm mainly looking at a SD knife, but it would be extremely nice if it was a hybrid for an EDC. Looks are very important to me, I like to have a nice looking knife. I really liked the Cyro aesthetically. Mainly because the handle didn't have that plastic/not-metal material that most knives do have. I understand wanting a smoother knife is a contradiction to my SD needs, but to me its worth having it look better.

So basically, need something more geared towards SD than the Cyro, but looks similar to the Cyro (and similar size). I'd also like one that I'd be able to open with one hand. I really like the thumb thing on the Cyro that flipped out super easy when I pushed down on it.

Once again, I'm VERY new so I apologize in advance for any misuse of terminology or ignorance. I'm only hear to learn, and make an educated decision. I'm from Kenosha, Wisconsin. If you know of any reputable knife dealers in the area that would be great. I really like Kershaw, but I'm open to any brand. I'm hearing mixed responses about the Kershaw brand, I figure it might be another one of those "big names" that doesn't really live up to it.

Thanks in advance! Thanks for your patience everyone.
 
Is the Cyro 2 more geared for SD? The only reason why I'm deciding to not get Cyro 1 again is because it seems more geared for EDC
 
I haven't had any issues with Kershaw, not sure what you might have heard but their customer service is tops in the business. They have so many nice knives coming out right now. As mentioned the Cryo2 is really nice, the Thermite is sweet. both are less than $40. Have a look at the Blur one of my favorites, another new offering from them is the Knockout. Or take a look at their website and see what you like
 
coli said:
I haven't had any issues with Kershaw, not sure what you might have heard but their customer service is tops in the business. They have so many nice knives coming out right now. As mentioned the Cryo2 is really nice, the Thermite is sweet. both are less than $40. Have a look at the Blur one of my favorites, another new offering from them is the Knockout. Or take a look at their website and see what you like
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I love the look of the thermites. I wish they made a drop point knife with a metal handle, rather than that ugly textured material..
 
xmakeafistx said:
I love the look of the thermites. I wish they made a drop point knife with a metal handle, rather than that ugly textured material..
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Actually, that ugly textured material is called G-10, and is very highly regarded in the knife community for it's grippiness and the fact that it's impervious to the elements. It provides superior grip, especially in a self-defense role. I have a Cryo 1 and love it, and had one of the handle scales replaced by a G-10 one.

I know you care about how your knife looks, but trust me, if you're looking for something to carry for SD you're gonna need traction a whole lot more than a pretty handle. Take a look at the Kershaw Piston. Speedsafe, awesome thumbstuds AND flipper (which doubles as finger guard), big 3 and 1/2" blade, and G-10 handles.

Just remember, no folding knife will ever give you the strength and reliability of a fixed blade.
 
grownstar said:
Actually, that ugly textured material is called G-10, and is very highly regarded in the knife community for it's grippiness and the fact that it's impervious to the elements. It provides superior grip, especially in a self-defense role. I have a Cryo 1 and love it, and had one of the handle scales replaced by a G-10 one.

I know you care about how your knife looks, but trust me, if you're looking for something to carry for SD you're gonna need traction a whole lot more than a pretty handle. Take a look at the Kershaw Piston. Speedsafe, awesome thumbstuds AND flipper (which doubles as finger guard), big 3 and 1/2" blade, and G-10 handles.

Just remember, no folding knife will ever give you the strength and reliability of a fixed blade.
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I seriously appreciate your help. I figured that textured material is good for grip. I'll take your word on the importance of it and open up my view on it. Yeah, I loved my Cryo. I sadly lost it at a punk show yesterday. I'm going to shop at a few local shops. I looked at gander mountain and dicks with no luck. I really liked the look of the Leek 3 inch, but the handle just seemed way too smooth.. Unlike my Cyro that felt really solid in my grip. I think I may just go with the Cryo 2.

Do you have any suggestions for blades with a drop point?
 
Punk show? Haha that's awesome, man. I actually just saw the Cro-Mags last night in Texas. Great set.

The Cryo 2 should be a great step up in size, and the frame lock design is extremely strong. As for drop points, there are a lot out there. The Blur is one of my favorites and I've been carrying it the past week. I love all my Kershaws but just wanted to throw out another suggestion: Cold Steel knives. Especially the Voyager series. Sure, you'll find that a lot of people bash on their marketing techniques (hell, even I'll admit that they go a little overboard haha), but it's a fact that their Tri-Ad lock is touted as one of the strongest locks in the knife world right now. Like I said, take a look at the Voyagers and if you're willing to throw in a few extra bucks check out the Recon 1 series. They come in different sizes and blade shapes.
 
The two that come to my mind immediately are the Cryo 2 and Blur. Both will give you about a half inch over the original Cryo (Cryo 2 exactly and the Blur slightly more). Both have reputations for excellent ergonomics. Both are slightly bigger while still being a good size for EDC. I've never tried to defend my life with a knife nor am I trained to so I can't comment on their SD usefulness.

Differences include:
Steel: 14C28N Blur vs. 8Cr13MoV on Cryo 2 and Cryo. Generally speaking, 14C28N has a better reputation: better edge holding, generally better rust resistance. Both are reputed as being easily sharpened.

Length: mentioned above, but an 1/8" isn't a lot of difference.

Handle Material: Anodized aluminum with Trac-Tec inserts on Blur vs. coated steel handles on Cryo. The Trac-Tec will help with grip and the multiple color options of the Blur may make up for looks (for you to decide, certainly).

Opening mechanism: Angled thumb studs on Blur vs. regular thumb studs and flipper on Cryo. In your original post, you made it sound like you used the thumb studs as your primary opening mechanism, and in that case, I prefer the Blur's angled thumb studs. But, having options is nice too.

Country of origin: USA Blur vs. China Cryo. I don't know if that matters to you so much. In your price range, both are attainable, though the Cryo 2 will be almost half as much as the Blur in terms of brand new pricing. Both are backed by the same product guarantees which is one of the most generous in the knife world, so either way, you'll be covered.

I hope this helps. In some ways, it's hard to go wrong. Best of luck!
 
grownstar said:
Punk show? Haha that's awesome, man. I actually just saw the Cro-Mags last night in Texas. Great set.

The Cryo 2 should be a great step up in size, and the frame lock design is extremely strong. As for drop points, there are a lot out there. The Blur is one of my favorites and I've been carrying it the past week. I love all my Kershaws but just wanted to throw out another suggestion: Cold Steel knives. Especially the Voyager series. Sure, you'll find that a lot of people bash on their marketing techniques (hell, even I'll admit that they go a little overboard haha), but it's a fact that their Tri-Ad lock is touted as one of the strongest locks in the knife world right now. Like I said, take a look at the Voyagers and if you're willing to throw in a few extra bucks check out the Recon 1 series. They come in different sizes and blade shapes.
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grownstar said:
Punk show? Haha that's awesome, man. I actually just saw the Cro-Mags last night in Texas. Great set.

The Cryo 2 should be a great step up in size, and the frame lock design is extremely strong. As for drop points, there are a lot out there. The Blur is one of my favorites and I've been carrying it the past week. I love all my Kershaws but just wanted to throw out another suggestion: Cold Steel knives. Especially the Voyager series. Sure, you'll find that a lot of people bash on their marketing techniques (hell, even I'll admit that they go a little overboard haha), but it's a fact that their Tri-Ad lock is touted as one of the strongest locks in the knife world right now. Like I said, take a look at the Voyagers and if you're willing to throw in a few extra bucks check out the Recon 1 series. They come in different sizes and blade shapes.
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Man am I jealous! I missed them the time they came around my area. Yeah, went to the Weekend Nachos record release show yesterday (moreso powerviolence show). Got pretty wild. I've also heard suggestions for cold steel. I may give them a shot. I'm stopping at a few different shops today. I bought another Cryo (slightly different than my last one, different color and doesn't have the ST in the model name), but I plan to buy something else with the leftover money. Going to try to find something with a nice drop point.. Thanks for all the help everyone! I hope this doesn't become a hobby for me. Home stereo is already expensive..
 
I would recommend the Kershaw Blur. It makes a great edc knife and can double for self defense. It offers more traction, is speed assisted, and is bigger than the Cryo 1 and might be slightly bigger than the Cryo 2 or just about the same.
 
Hi xmakeafistx, welcome to the forums. As all the other guys have posted, Kershaw's customer service is really good. With that said, your budget is fairly good for a couple of Kershaws. You should check out Kershawguy.com. He has new Kershgaws as well as blem ones at a price that would put them within your budget. I hope that helps you out.
 
If you liked the cryo I'd look into the black dlc shallot. Good size yet thinner and almost disappears in the pocket, and you get more grip out of the coated version than the non coated. Easily within your budget.
 
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