Speedsafe

M

MarkN86

Joined
Sep 3, 2012
Messages
619
Hello, I'm here to beat a dead horse and incite a riot.

I've always been taught that if something is not right, say something and get it changed. I love KAI, they make great products and their customer service has never done me wrong. However, I detest every knife that has those dreaded Speedsafe torsion bars in it.

I thought that the Link had a ball detent hole cut in the blade, which makes it to where I can tolerate the AO. The one I handled did not have the detent hole. That got me to thinking, why don't we all start requesting that Kershaw start making every knife at least have a detent hole in the event that there is a spring breakage? Even if the knife flips like crap it's something that would benefit us all in the event of a torsion bar failure.

Think this would ever work or would it just cause problems?
 
I quit buying Kershaw flippers because I was tired of them firing in my pocket.
 
While I agree that the Speedsafe is trash I had a Kershaw Cryo II Tanto with a detent and when the torsion bar snapped, within 3 months, I started using it unassisted and well the action was terrible. I called customer service and got a new one sent to me the install was a pain but it was so much nicer with that Speedsafe than without. I suspect it would have been made workable but would have been more work than replacing that torsion bar. I wish they made their AO with the detent mechanics not so much for the reason you mention but so that they can come out with variants that are not AO and so that it makes removing the AO a little less work than one without detent.
 
image.jpg I must be the luckiest Kershaw speedsafe knife owner, ever!!!
With over 20 Kershaw's with speedsafe , I've never had a torsion bar fail, never had a pocket misfire, and have never heard of KAI not sending parts to anyone that did have a problem.
Then again maybe I should hold my opinions until a sufficient time period has passed to substantiate them. After all this ones only 16 yrs old.
 
I'm not a Speedsafe fan. I hate when they rattle, they gain me nothing, and they make one-handed closing a bit more finicky of a task. That said, as assist mechanisms go they work fine and killing the rattle only requires taking the knife apart and adding a glob of grease or vaseline.

Some Speedsafe knives do have detent holes, though. The 0770cf, for example, has one. It works okay as a manual flipper, but the detent is on the weak side even after bending some extra pressure into the lockbar and then the knife is very sensitive to pivot tightness (there comes a fine point between flipping performance and the introduction of side to side play).
 
DocT said:
I quit buying Kershaw flippers because I was tired of them firing in my pocket.
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What do you do? I've owned and still do a LOT of Kershaws with the Speedsafe and carried them daily over the years. I've NEVER had one open in my pocket.

Cvrobinson said:
View attachment 853152 I must be the luckiest Kershaw speedsafe knife owner, ever!!!
With over 20 Kershaw's with speedsafe , I've never had a torsion bar fail, never had a pocket misfire, and have never heard of KAI not sending parts to anyone that did have a problem.
Then again maybe I should hold my opinions until a sufficient time period has passed to substantiate them. After all this ones only 16 yrs old.
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I guess I'm right there with you! See my reply above. I have also never had one break or fail and some models have been used pretty heavily.
 
I like Speedsafe.. Never had one open in the pocket and did have a torsion bar break on a Scallion though.. Sent it back to Kershaw and they sent me a new knife.. John
 
I must be the least lucky of all time. Every one I've ever had has had a breakage or two with the exception of a Blur that was hardly used that I gifted. I'm super glad that Kershaw is starting to make more manual and KVT folders now. I just hope they start making even more US made manuals.

I don't think I'm necessarily against Speedsafe, I just hate that little spring being the only thing holding it closed. Maybe I should stop posting about this and just buy non-speedsafe.
 
I really don't mind the speedsafe and never had any issues of it opening in my pocket or anytime I didn't want it to open.
 
evilgreg said:
I'm not a Speedsafe fan. I hate when they rattle, they gain me nothing, and they make one-handed closing a bit more finicky of a task. That said, as assist mechanisms go they work fine and killing the rattle only requires taking the knife apart and adding a glob of grease or vaseline.

Some Speedsafe knives do have detent holes, though. The 0770cf, for example, has one. It works okay as a manual flipper, but the detent is on the weak side even after bending some extra pressure into the lockbar and then the knife is very sensitive to pivot tightness (there comes a fine point between flipping performance and the introduction of side to side play).
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Oh that damned rattling noise. I despise hearing that noise coming from my knife. It makes a good quality knife seem like a legitimate POS. I really don't mind Speedsafe all that much, but that noise haunts my dreams to the point where I haven't bought a Kershaw in years.
 
I had 1 issue with my Speedsafe knife but was likely a defect in the initial product which will happen in most mass production items. I don't hold that issue against the Speedsafe mechanism I am just personally not fond of it. That half ways between an auto and a manual is just a bizarre and uncomfortable feeling to me.
 
The first decent knife i bought was a tanto Blur and i have had zero issues with it over the 2 or so years that i've owned it. I wouldnt mind some more manual Kershaws, but ive never had an issue with speedsafe. It works.
 
I had a Blur open in my pocket once, never carried it again after that. My problem with speedsafe is that it has been used to death and often times is a cover for sloppy designed knives by Kershaw. I am totally fine with them using it and marketing it to the Walmart/Cabelas under $30 crowd. However, they have had many great "higher end" models held back IMO by their speedsafe, I feel like the Link and Dividend would be wonderful without it. I am excited to see them offer some great designs without speedsafe in their 2018 lineup.
 
McFeeli said:
Oh that damned rattling noise. I despise hearing that noise coming from my knife. It makes a good quality knife seem like a legitimate POS. I really don't mind Speedsafe all that much, but that noise haunts my dreams to the point where I haven't bought a Kershaw in years.
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I guess you don’t take to glocks either! Unless it’s always ready to fire!
 
Seneca18 said:
I am totally fine with them using it and marketing it to the Walmart/Cabelas under $30 crowd. However, they have had many great "higher end" models held back IMO by their speedsafe, I feel like the Link and Dividend would be wonderful without it. I am excited to see them offer some great designs without speedsafe in their 2018 lineup.
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I'm sure they're making what sells best, but I do wish they had done the 0770 or an upgraded Natrix or something in a manual with KVT instead of the sprung versions.
 
I don’t care for speedsafe either. I thought like you and wondered why they use it soo much so i started looking into all the models. They do make a few models without speedsafe like the strobe. Problem with the strobe is that the build quality is sooo bad it’s not worth the $20 price tag. I love the blade shape and overall shape but I threw it away because everything else was soo badly put together. I didn’t even give it to my niece and she has gotten every other hand me down for years.

I have a leek and knockout still but they don’t get much pocket time other than at work.
 
evilgreg said:
I'm sure they're making what sells best, but I do wish they had done the 0770 or an upgraded Natrix or something in a manual with KVT instead of the sprung versions.
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Not certain if it's accurate or not but they have a couple new 2018 KVT Natrix models and the new Bareknuckle on their website. Maybe it'll really happen.
 
MarkN86 said:
Not certain if it's accurate or not but they have a couple new 2018 KVT Natrix models and the new Bareknuckle on their website. Maybe it'll really happen.
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Awesome, sign me up for one of those. :)
 
Seneca18 said:
I had a Blur open in my pocket once, never carried it again after that. My problem with speedsafe is that it has been used to death and often times is a cover for sloppy designed knives by Kershaw. I am totally fine with them using it and marketing it to the Walmart/Cabelas under $30 crowd. However, they have had many great "higher end" models held back IMO by their speedsafe, I feel like the Link and Dividend would be wonderful without it. I am excited to see them offer some great designs without speedsafe in their 2018 lineup.
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How about putting it on knives line the ZT300? I always thought that was way beyond rediculous.

To me speedsafe is usually a gimmick that people new to knives fall for. (“Wow! It’s like a legal automatic!”) I guess it could be cool on some knives. I don’t need “assistance” opening a knife though.

They should atleast include a detent in their speedsafe designs as a provision for deassisting them.
 
I think speedsafe is ok but I would prefer manual opening.

So if I see a Kershaw with SS and I like the design I get it.
It isn’t a deal breaker for me.
 
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