Ram

I feel Kershaw does an excellent job bringing new knives from the minds of Ken, Tim, RJ, Lee and the Hawks to our hands. I don't feel it fair to compare a Shallot to a Dead Sexy any more than it's fair to compare the RAM to the Hawk's custom. If and when kersahw releases a Tyrade, don't expect it to be like the custom. Will the proto win awards? Possibly. Will the released knife be identical to the proto? Possibly not. When making a handful of knives at a time, the "12 piece clip" can be done, and the maker is well compensated for this. Kershaw has done a great job in getting these custom designers to work with them on collaborations that can be produced in a volume that makes then affordable to the knife loving masses and profitable for Kershaw.

As for the prototype versus the production model issue, simply take a look at the auto manufacturers, any of them, up to and including Bentley, Aston Martin and Ferrari. Their protos win all kinds of awards on a global basis, yet the final production model is changed, sometimes a lot, for reasons the manufacturers feels are necessary. Yet they are still 100% Bentleys, Aston Martins and Ferraris, and continue to win awards in production dress. No one's ever claimed that this is their MO, and I certainly don't feel it is Kershaws MO either, nor is it fair to imply it.

I'm very pleased with what Kershaw offers to me in retail form.
 
jonnymac44 said:
I've said it before mmmotorcycle, and I'll say it again:D The RAM's pivot is indeed one of the smoothest I've seen. Mine swings open and closed effortlessly. Absolutely love it:thumbup:

And BTW, for anyone concerned, the button on the production version of the Hawk Lock works just fine, if you trust MY opinion, that is:D

Cheers,
Jonny
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Alright *sigh* I guess I will have to cowboy up and get a RAM. I mean...you give me no other option! :D
 
OregonEdge said:
What a great little knife. I happen to have one of the customs, and this is quite simply smoother! Customs have a lot of aesthetics due to hand finishing work, but functionally this kicks some pretty major butt. You Kershaw guys amaze me. You just keep closing the the gap in the decision process between custom and production. Let's see????... $600, or $100???? hmmmm... I'll let you all make the call.
Great Job Kershaw!
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I did make the call...3 times at $60. It's still the same smooth ass flipper
it was from day 1. Smoother to be honest.

OregonEdge said:
Here's my review after a month or more of my Kershaw RAM. The first few days I really liked it. I often asked myself, "hey maybe i should just keep this and sell my custom version" But as time moved on and it broke in a bit, it lost it's charm. While it has the potential of very fast one handed opening and closing, the flat slide button (as opposed to the stepped original version) was a mistake (assuming it was a cost cut). The blade also fills too much of the handle and will often tick the heel of your hand if you try to get anywhere near as relaxed with it as say an axis system. It's overall a nice knife, and I'll admit early fascination, but it has been at the bottom of my drawer the last 2 -3 weeks.
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Talk about a complete 360.......:confused:
Did the flipper fall off? Did it loose it's smoothness? Has the button slide
transformed? Did the 13C26 turn into aluminum foil?
Kershaw with this "MO" you speak of has been fooling us all these years?:eek:
:rolleyes:
 
We understand that not everyone will like every knife or every feature of a knife we produce, but OE your personal assumptions about us as an organization went far from that review. Your "probably knew", "pretty sure", and "they just wanted" rants crossed over to a place where you are not in the know (yet you posted like you are). To say you were accurate about those opinions is a stretch to say the least. It actually boarders on gossip and rumor, both of which are not tolerated. Your feelings and review are one thing, but your "claims" on on our decision making as a factory and an organization are as far off base as one could post. Do the forum a favor and keep that type of "judgement" to yourself in the future.

OregonEdge said:
In fact, how bout this....

For all the other great knives:

Great Job Kershaw and Thomas!!!!

I know that works better here, and I've said it 98% of the time.
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sorry guys... wish I could tell you that's not how I feel, or that I'm having a bad day. I'm more than comfortable with your opinions as well. Try not to let my opinions ruin your day. out.
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OE, your patronizing tone in the above post is not going to create you a big fan base with this sub-forum, it's members, or with me. Your finishing post doesn't ruin anyones day OE, but does show your feelings about Kai USA and its BF culture. As J44 said, since this is the way you feel, why waste your time? Out.
 
I will just say that my RAM is one of my best folders and I dont think i can complain. I do agree, it wasnt that much of a review at all. other than that, i feel that i should stay out of the rest of this.
 
not to hijack this thread or anything. but OL, i forgot to say that i think its awesome i made it into your SIG. thanks, i was hoping that comment would end up in someone's signature.
 
svrider3 said:
Talk about a complete 360.......:confused:
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You mean a 180? :D

OE has always had a style of his own. I don't know how someone can be so pro-kershaw one day, and so hostile and flippant about their commitment to quality on another day. Just because the RAM isn't a custom knife doesn't make it a bad knife. For Pete's sake OregonEdge, it is a $50 knife! If it had super-steel and the roller clip and titanium handle, would you bitch about it being too expensive?

We are lucky to have a company that listens to us. Thomas has more patience than we realize.

Love ya Kershaw! Love ya Thomas! Now get me a Black Shallot so I can complain about the coating and the lockup and the edge profile and the blade being .00001" off center and the clicking noises! ;)
 
I'm going to jump out of time out for a second, just before I give you all a break from my huge mood swings as NYG put it.

I may not choose my words correctly, and this certainly wouldn't be the first time I've offended someone by having a momentary lapse in allowing what I'm really thinking to just pour out. Buy hey, I've learned from some of the best on here. That said, perhaps I should pout and take a break. (although I doubt the memorial threads begging for my return would immediately pop up ;)

I will also concede that I have been up and down in my love for Kershaw. My most current review of the RAM stems from the reality that while I had initially loved the knife, there were issues that tended get it thrown in the drawer more often as time went on. I carry both production and custom daily and try not to compare the two, but (I believe) Kershaw strives to approach being as true to the original design as possible. So, it's valid to point on concessions on that regardless of street value.

Rather than single out Kershaw in Blade competition, I'll step back to a higher level. In my opinion the Blade competition is flawed. It allows submissions that are nowhere near ready for launch. Then allows... is it up to a year?... for the company to actually produce it. This gives the manufacturer time to modify, sometimes to the point of losing some of the innovation that got the award to begin with. I think that's wrong. But that's just me.

Lastly, despite all our little collector/consumer quirks and opinions... despite whether we agree or disagree or argue how much a person really KNOWS about the inner workings of a manufacturer, the fact remains that IMPRESSION IS EVERYTHING. (often). That I do know, since I work for a large manufacturer in marketing and communications (opps, is that snobbish?). One of the things about a forum is that it allows some candid debate. Right or wrong, defensive or not... it would be wise to consider those impressions. Positive and negative.

That said, I apologize for my impression of Kershaw. But I can't retract the fact that it is still my impression. Sorry if it came out that I was implying that I knew inside decision making issues.

I think it's a little unfortunate that I can't both support Kershaw and vent as well. Doing giveaways and waving the flag is only half the fun.

Now I'm really done. sorry guys
 
OregonEdge said:
I think it's a little unfortunate that I can't both support Kershaw and vent as well. Doing giveaways and waving the flag is only half the fun.
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I think you can do both, and nobody would be on your case about it, so long as it's done tactfully.

"Brutal Honesty" is highly over-rated, and tends to lead to statements that are easily construed as something other than what was meant.
 
mchlwise said:
I think you can do both, and nobody would be on your case about it, so long as it's done tactfully.
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OE, I thought for a few minutes as to how to respond to your last post, but couldn't put the words together correctly. I think mchlwise put it nicely.

There's a difference between stepping on someone's toes and running them over with a lawnmower.
 
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