My first Kershaw was a Scallion. I still have it and use it semi-regularly for small tasks around the house. I had been into knives for several years when I bought it, but I was working a retail job and my boss asked me to find something smaller than my Spyderco Delica for work EDC as he didn't want me frightening the customers (and when I say asked, I mean it was a request, not a demand, that I carry something smaller). Anyway, I went to a local sporting goods store to look through their selection. Being a Spyderco carrier at the time, I was looking at the Dragonfly. The Scallion was hanging right next to it. The curves of the Scallion caught my eye, and I had heard a little bit about the Speedsafe assisted opening from some online reading I'd done. So, I bought the Scallion and that's all she wrote. I still own some Spydercos and occasionally EDC them, but I've definitely been a Kershaw guy since getting that first one.
So, that leads me to my question. Is there a reason that the Chive and Scallion are still being made in 420HC when the rest of the line has been upgraded. Now, even back in the old days, they were 420HC while everything else was 440A, but that was a long time ago. So, is there a reason that the Chive and Scallion never got a blade steel upgrade? I know that cost might seem to be the most feasible reason, but the MSRP for the stainless framelock Scallion is only $2 less than the stainless framelock Leek and the MSRP for the pink aluminum Scallion is only $5 less than the pink aluminum Leek. So, it does not seem that the price difference is all that much between the 420HC and the 14C28N (unless there's something about the Scallion that I'm missing that makes its production more expensive). I'm generally no steel snob, but I often find myself choosing something other than the Scallion for EDC simply because of the steel. I'd EDC my Scallion nearly everyday if it had 14C28N.
So, that leads me to my question. Is there a reason that the Chive and Scallion are still being made in 420HC when the rest of the line has been upgraded. Now, even back in the old days, they were 420HC while everything else was 440A, but that was a long time ago. So, is there a reason that the Chive and Scallion never got a blade steel upgrade? I know that cost might seem to be the most feasible reason, but the MSRP for the stainless framelock Scallion is only $2 less than the stainless framelock Leek and the MSRP for the pink aluminum Scallion is only $5 less than the pink aluminum Leek. So, it does not seem that the price difference is all that much between the 420HC and the 14C28N (unless there's something about the Scallion that I'm missing that makes its production more expensive). I'm generally no steel snob, but I often find myself choosing something other than the Scallion for EDC simply because of the steel. I'd EDC my Scallion nearly everyday if it had 14C28N.
