Spyderco vs. Kershaw Edge

M

Mark Cust

Joined
Jul 1, 2018
Messages
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I have a large number of both Spyderco and Kershaw folders from all price categories and sizes. However, with a recent slashing test that I decided to conduct I noticed that Spydercos cut significantly better that Kershaws. This caught me by surprise because I have Kershaw blades from pretty good metals that cost much more than the budget Spydercos, yet even these are outdone by budget Spydercos. At first I thought perhaps Spydercos came sharper out of the box so I sharpened as best I could a nice Kershaw and pit it to the test against a budget Spyderco. I didn't check how long the edge lasts but as far as in the short term the budget Spyderco significantly outclassed the much more expensive Kershaw, and this is with me sharpening the Kershaw but not the Spyderco. So I concluded that it can be either one of two things: 1) I don't know how to sharpen, or 2) something about the actual blade design of Spydercos cause it to be, by design, significantly sharper than Kershaw knives. Upon further close inspection I saw that all Spyderco blades are proportionately thick to the edge from the bottom and very gradually thicken as you move up towards the spine of the blade. Kershaw blades, on the other hand, appear to be uniformly thicker and just have a very small edge design at the very bottom which seems more like a chiseled out edge. Could this be it, or has anybody experienced a Kershaw that slashed/cut better than a Spyderco?
 
Geometry plays a huge role in performance, though it is common to see most tests done are edge retention related(slicing rope/card board/abrasive material), I think there are other aspect of the knife that maybe overlooked in real world/hard use application(such as toughness, tip strength, etc)
 
Spyderco consistently puts out some of the sharpest out-of-the-box edges in the business. Kershaw is pretty good too in that regard, but I'd have to give the edge (:rolleyes:) to Spyderco.
 
Kershaw tends to have obtuse edges out of the box (This includes Zero Tolerance). They also have humans sharpening the knives, which can be inconsistent. Spyderco uses robots to sharpen, at least in Colorado. However the edges on the chinese and taiwanese spydercos I have have been exceptional as well.

Take those Kershaws, reprofile them to 15 dps, and they will slice better. Some can be pretty thick behind the edge, which will hinder cutting ability, but a thinner edge will help tremendously.
 
Is this out of the box or after you tried to sharpen them, which everyone should do with a new knife to get the little imperfections from the factory corrected..
 
if you're using a kershaw leek vs spydy, it might win - since that model is extremely thin & sharp out of the box with a slender geometry

but I doubt that is true for the entire kershaw lineup

they've recently started using 3cr13 'junk' steel (yes, that is my opinion) in models like: lifter, starter, manifold, filter, decoy, dune, diode, rhetoric (imho you should stay away from those... they're competing directly with $5 mtech's without the lower price point)
 
GatorFlash1 said:
Is this out of the box or after you tried to sharpen them, which everyone should do with a new knife to get the little imperfections from the factory corrected..
Click to expand...
After sharpening them myself. But I didn't sharpen the Spydercos though.
 
dirc said:
if you're using a kershaw leek vs spydy, it might win - since that model is extremely thin & sharp out of the box with a slender geometry

but I doubt that is true for the entire kershaw lineup

they've recently started using 3cr13 'junk' steel (yes, that is my opinion) in models like: lifter, starter, manifold, filter, decoy, dune, diode, rhetoric (imho you should stay away from those... they're competing directly with $5 mtech's without the lower price point)
Click to expand...
I did try the leek and on a few of the slashes it actually didnt eben cut through the denim. This is what got me curious about why Spydercos sloced though the demin and meat like a knife through butter while the Kershaw leek, which I sharpened myself, sometimes didnt even cut through the demin and when it did the cut to the meat wasn't too deep. The Spydercos, on the other hand, even the tiny manbug, sliced sometimes all the way to the other side of the piece of meat.
 
Edge Geometry matters in a slashing contest. Most Spyderco knives are fully flat ground. I can see that separating mediums better than a hollow grind. Many Kershaw knives are hollow ground, I believe?

Just my personal thought. Feel free to correct me with facts. :)
 
GatorFlash1 said:
For everyday use which is better, flat ground or hollow ground. I'm thinking the latter although they may not be any great difference. Thoughts?

Knives 101 : Talking About Grinds! - YouTube

Knife Grind Basics! Hollow, Flat, Scandi, Convex, and Chisel Grinds - YouTube

Knife Grinds: Comparing Hollow, Convex, and Flat Grinds - YouTube
Click to expand...

That's a personal thing.

For a light duty EDC folder, I prefer a thin hollow grind.

However, my favorite knives have full flat grinds.

They'll all cut. I don't really look too hard at grind type anymore. I just don't like knives that are ridiculously thick behind the edge. I gave away my Cold Steel American Lawman because of the edge geometry. If I were a better sharpener, with better sharpening equipment, maybe I could have got that knife to cut like I prefer.
 
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