Review - Kershaw Knockout

KnottyEagle

KnottyEagle

Joined
Aug 10, 2012
Messages
6,586
Kershaw Knockout​

Specifications:

• Overall Length – 7.875”
• Blade Length – 3.25”
• Blade Thickness – 0.12”
• Weight – 3/8 oz.
• Handle Thickness – 0.40”
• Handle Length – 4.625”
• Framelock
• Drop Point blade shape
• Hollow ground
• Four-Way positionable pocket clip

Materials:
  • Black G-10
  • Stainless steel clip
  • Stonewashed 14C28N blade
  • Aluminum frame
Blade Centering:

The blade centering on this example was perfect. Right down the middle.



Lock-Up:

The lock-up on this example was just like the blade centering, perfect. I couldn’t detect any movement in any direction.



Construction:

I didn't take it apart, but the pivot uses a T8 torx bit. The body and pocketclip screws use a T6 torx bit. The Knockout also has a flow through design with the use of stand-offs.



Blade Shape:

The belly of the Knockout made food preparation a breeze. It also faired well in cardboard and whittling of wood.





Pocket Clip:

The Knockout has a black coated deep-carry clip. I was able to see very small wear marks on it, but those don't bother me.



Ergonomics:

The aluminum frame of the Knockout made deployment tricky. The combination of a hard firing flipper and slippery handles made it hard to hold onto. Kershaw did release a G-10 model of the Knockout, but it was discontinued.

Blade Steel:

The Knockout has a nice and subtle stonewash of 14C28N steel. This steel is one of my all-time favorites because It's easy to sharpen and takes a very nice sharp edge. It performed well and would still cut through phonebook paper after moderate use with wood and cardboard.

Deployment:

The Knockout is easy to deploy with the SpeedSafe it has and incorporation of the flipper. The thumbstuds also work well, but I found the flipper more comfortable and faster to use.

[video=youtube_share;ij30fCNZ5cc]http://youtu.be/ij30fCNZ5cc[/video]

Other Notes:

None! :D





Any questions or feedback is greatly welcomed! Thanks for reading!

Check out my other reviews here:

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1130120-Review-Kershaw-Rake
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1130139-Review-Kershaw-Piston
 
nice write-up thanks! how well do you think the Knockout is suited to harder use? I have plenty of light EDC folders so there's no point (ah! heresy!) in getting yet another apple peeler :)
 
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Good review, Knotty! Quick question: is your knife a newer model? I noticed that the lock side is plain, whereas the aluminum on my lock side has the same machining as the presentation side.
 
Great review KnottyEagle. I agree with your comments on the different aspects of the knife and I like how in your review you break it all down. I find that the knife carries well too in dress pants in my right back pocket. I've used it for food prep and to cut up my lunch. The blade shape is great. I did try to de-assist it, but ended up putting the spring back due to the lack of blade retention. It is a fantastic knife for the money.
 
sveqs said:
nice write-up thanks! how well do you think the Knockout is suited to harder use? I have plenty of light EDC folders so there's no point (ah! heresy!) in getting yet another apple peeler :)
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Thank-You! As everyone's definition of hard use is different, I can't specifically say. I think it would hold up well cutting things like wood and cardboard for long period so time.
grownstar said:
Good review, Knotty! Quick question: is your knife a newer model? I noticed that the lock side is plain, whereas the aluminum on my lock side has the same machining as the presentation side.
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Thanks! This isn't my knife. It's the passaround one. I didn't even know until now that there were Knockouts with machined and non-machined lock sides.
Taonari said:
Great review KnottyEagle. I agree with your comments on the different aspects of the knife and I like how in your review you break it all down. I find that the knife carries well too in dress pants in my right back pocket. I've used it for food prep and to cut up my lunch. The blade shape is great. I did try to de-assist it, but ended up putting the spring back due to the lack of blade retention. It is a fantastic knife for the money.
Click to expand...
Thanks for the kind words! I really like the wide belly of the Knockout as well. I think it goes well with the slimmer handle.
 
Haha all good! I didn't know there were Knockouts with plain lock sides. Anyways, I enjoyed your write up and look forward to reading the next :thumbup:

Here's a pic of mine. I love this knife for edc:

 
I agree with your comments about ergos -- the combination of the hard-firing flipper and slippery aluminum scales can make the Knockout hard to hold on to.

I have the same issue with the Cryos.

I do not understand why Kershaw doesn't make its imported folders so that they can be deassisted.

ZT has done this successfully with its new 566 and 0770 models. Why can't Kershaw give customers this option?

Thanks again for the fine review and photos!
 
grownstar said:
Haha all good! I didn't know there were Knockouts with plain lock sides. Anyways, I enjoyed your write up and look forward to reading the next :thumbup:

Here's a pic of mine. I love this knife for edc:

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Interesting.
flash900 said:
I agree with your comments about ergos -- the combination of the hard-firing flipper and slippery aluminum scales can make the Knockout hard to hold on to.

I have the same issue with the Cryos.

I do not understand why Kershaw doesn't make its imported folders so that they can be deassisted.

ZT has done this successfully with its new 566 and 0770 models. Why can't Kershaw give customers this option?

Thanks again for the fine review and photos!
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The imported folders are meant for a wider variety of people, not just "knife nuts". Assisted opening attracts to the general public more than a manual, which is what most imported knives are intended for.
 
KnottyEagle said:
Interesting. The imported folders are meant for a wider variety of people, not just "knife nuts". Assisted opening attracts to the general public more than a manual, which is what most imported knives are intended for.
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I get that, and don't disagree.But it wouldn't kill them to make the imports easy to deassist -- and that might attract even more buyers.I almost put a Swerve in my basket this weekend. It's the right size, shape and price.But I've already got a drawerful of knives that I would use except that they are assisted. I don't need any more.
 
The instructions are not for the faint of heart:

Get an MSC Industrial carbide spade drill or a 2 flute type carbide. Stay away from the twist drill. You can buy the two flute at Jantz Supply also I think and its a good quality drill. You don't want a 1/6" though. Just find a number 53 carbide from the same place and it is the same size as the hole for the detent in the lock. Take the detent out by sticking a number 53 in upside down or if you prefer go down a size and use that but push the ball out using your drill press. Just pop it into a shallow recess you scoop out of a board and press it out. Put the knife back together but without the lock side scale and close the blade. Just quickly pop the carbide through the hole in the lock and mark the blade with the carbide. Just mark it don't really drill it just give youself a bump scratch dimple to see. Then take the blade back out and just dimple it. Don't go in deep just a very shallow 'starter' dish out and it is shallow, don't go too deep doing it this way. Just a small dimple and hopefully it will remain just right when you hold the blade to mark it that way. Ideally I like to bump the notch or dimple so the ball catches on the rim of the hole if that makes sense. This method your ball will fall straight into the hole. If you go too deep it will sometimes fit too much and it can be hard to free to get the blade started to open and it can also close and catch but the blade may tip may be able to lift a bit up and down so that is why you want just a shallow bump doing it this way.

After you dimple the blade now take the lock back out and use the lock side washer as a gauge to set the depth of the ball. Simply press the ball back down using either your drill press with a drill in upside down or an arbor press or you can tap it with a small ball peen and flat end punch with washer around the ball. The ball will seat and stand up to the height of the washer this way and you should be good to go unless you f*%* it up!

STR
 
I have been carrying my knockout the last few days in accordance with my complex daily knife choosing algorithm. ( in a nut shell I look at some of my knives and think yah that will work). Anyway the knockout really is a fine EDC. It is heavy duty but rides like a smaller blade.feels good in the hand & fun to use.
 
Kershaw is coming out with a 2014 version of the Knockout -- different color or colors, I believe -- but still no indication that it could be easily deassisted.

KAI is often pretty adept at reacting to consumer demand. Consider its move to stonewashed blades instead of corrosion-prone bead-blasted, and deep-pocket clips.

Strange that it still fails to offer buyers of most of its value models the choice to deassist.
 
flash900 said:
I get that, and don't disagree.But it wouldn't kill them to make the imports easy to deassist -- and that might attract even more buyers.I almost put a Swerve in my basket this weekend. It's the right size, shape and price.But I've already got a drawerful of knives that I would use except that they are assisted. I don't need any more.
Click to expand...

I picked up one of the Wally-World specials, its a 3850BLK Swerve and it does not have Speed Safe - it is a plain flipper. I like the knife and ergonomics, but I wish it had G10 and the regular Swerve steel instead of 3Cr13. It also came with an alternate version of the 3840BLK Freefall.

Not bad for the price, I can play with it and stick it in my Go-Bag or gift it if I don't like it...
 
I have a non-assisted Swerve, purchased on the Exchange from someone who didn't mention that the steel is 3Cr13.

I wouldn't disagree with anyone who finds it not bad for the price. But I was underwhelmed and wish Kershaw would simply offer the standard Swerve in a deassisted model.
 
They may come out with more later on, but their catalog shows a new version with an OD handle with a black blade. It looks pretty awesome!
 
The Knockout benefits greatly from a little bit of grip tape, which aids extraction.

 
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