Sub $40 Kershaws vs. The High end ones

BePrepared

BePrepared

Joined
Aug 26, 2010
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So i'm obviously not a die hard like some of you folks, but i have loved my Needs Work from day one.

I'm absolutely astonished by how much knife kershaw gives you for less than $40. Fit and finish are AMAZING in that price point

I've noticed that the price goes WAY up on some of their knives, so other than simple addiction satisfaction, what do you REALLY get when you jump from $40 to $90?

is quality substantially increased, or do you just get more premium materials on the furniture?

Humor a noob.... this is getting to be an expensive addiction, so i want to make sure i spend wisely.
 
For that extra money, you'll often times get a better blade steel, a more unique design, better quality handle materials, and a more "heavy duty" feel/design.
 
You can get a Needs Work for about $40, and a ZT 0350 for about a 80 bucks more. That extra 80 bucks gives you G10 scales, a thick S30V blade, and a knife engineered to take some serious abuse. It's about $75 just to have some custom G10 scales made.
 
Typically, youre getting better fit/finish, steel, and handle materials. For example, the Tilt. Titanium, CF, and Vanax 75. This is the extreme example, but its a good one. Specifically in the ZT line, you get a much more rugged knife than say, a skyline. The higher end models can take more abuse, typically can last longer, and get their jobs done without fear of failing. This doesn't mean anything in Kershaw's lower end line is bad, quite the contrary. But in my opinion, they put even more work into the higher end models, giving a greater product, due to the monetary increase.
 
gooeytek said:
You can get a Needs Work for about $40, and a ZT 0350 for about a 80 bucks more. That extra 80 bucks gives you G10 scales, a thick S30V blade, and a knife engineered to take some serious abuse. It's about $75 just to have some custom G10 scales made.
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i can certainly see the value of the S30V blade... that's a very impressive steel. The Speed Bump I just bought has G10 scales and the blade design is the same as the higher end Spec Bump

that's really what got me thinking about the value difference. At $36 the speed bump has some SERIOUS value for your buck.

I'm so impressed with the lower end ones that i'm going to have to invest in one of their premier offerings sooner or later
 
BePrepared said:
i can certainly see the value of the S30V blade... that's a very impressive steel. The Speed Bump I just bought has G10 scales and the blade design is the same as the higher end Spec Bump

that's really what got me thinking about the value difference. At $36 the speed bump has some SERIOUS value for your buck.

I'm so impressed with the lower end ones that i'm going to have to invest in one of their premier offerings sooner or later
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The $36 speed bump is an anomaly. That knife IS worth more than $36. Kershaw has said they were a short run of knives put together with left over parts, basically priced to sell out quickly. I wouldn't use that knife as a measuring stick against other knives in Kershaws line as far as value is concerned.
 
I like them all. Its whatever floats your boat. But you can certainly get a heck of a Kershaw for under $30, like the Tremor for example, or a few others. Decent steel, assisted opener, G10, nice ergos and big blade for under $30 shipped? Thats sweet.

I have more fun with a purchase like that than I do with a ZT0300 that costs $200 more than the Tremor. But for that extra $200 you are getting a hefty, serious piece of knife with S30V and titanium. Something with which you could dig and pry and defend if required.

But liking Kershaws as I do, I want them all.
 
I haven't actually tried the higher end Kershaws, come to think of it... unless you count the S30V Leek that I only kept for a couple weeks. In almost every case, I'm completely satisfied with the features on the mid-range (Maybe they're considered low end? 30-60$ Knives like the Cyclone, Leek, RAM, Blur - I'm not really interested in the 8cr13MoV line of knives they've brought out) Kershaws. I love Sandvik steel so I don't generally feel the need to upgrade to S30V or Elmax or whatever, and I love aluminium and steel handles, so G10 isn't necessarily a big improvement for me.

That said, I'd definitely like to try a higher-end Kershaw (especially a Zero Tolerance), but I don't happen to like any of the designs that are out right now. It's not like I have any doubts about their quality or whether they're worth the extra cost, it's just that I can't stand recurves and am not a big fan of tantos, so the whole line of ZT folders doesn't really appeal to me at the moment. I'm pretty friggin' eager to get my hands on a ZT550 when it comes out, though.
 
00ChevyScott said:
The $36 speed bump is an anomaly. That knife IS worth more than $36. Kershaw has said they were a short run of knives put together with left over parts, basically priced to sell out quickly. I wouldn't use that knife as a measuring stick against other knives in Kershaws line as far as value is concerned.
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Yeah, I'm starting to think that I might have lucked out buy getting one of these before they sold out.

I paid 40 including next day shipping. I think i'd probably get that in a few years if i decide to sell it once they're discontinued... of course, i talk about selling knives/swords all the time, but i never seem to let any go.
 
Consider the imported line such as the Crown. IMO, you get amazing fit and finish in a $15 dollar knife. I think it's an awesome bang for the buck.
 
I'm still very pleased with the Leek. Small, very pointy frame lock. I have one in my office, and at my desk at home. ;)
 
I have the G10 Speedbump ($40), G10 Spec Bump ($125), Titanium Bump ($150). At least those prices are what I paid I think.

For $40, which is a crazy low price for the Speedbump, you get G10, and a decent 14C28N blade. For $80 more, the G10 Spec Bump has 3-D textured G10 scales, and a coated S30V blade. For about $110 more, you get the Ti Bump with textured/anodized titanium scales and satin-finished S30V blade, but it's a linerlock this time. For the Bump line at least, you can see where the price scales up with the materials used.

...and then there's the Offset, which I think is still part of the Bump line, cept that it's been hit by gamma radiation and is always angry.
 
THAT is the knife i saw the other day.... the Offset looks like something you'd use to kill vampires!

So in your opinion, is the added cost of the upgraded models justified in the upgraded materials? You have all 3, is the G10 model the best value, or is it really a matter of getting a BETTER tool for your money with the more expensive models?
 
i like the cheaper kershaws i have (skyline, JYD2 CB, blur, etc) but i like my tilt way more. JMO.
 
BePrepared said:
THAT is the knife i saw the other day.... the Offset looks like something you'd use to kill vampires!

So in your opinion, is the added cost of the upgraded models justified in the upgraded materials? You have all 3, is the G10 model the best value, or is it really a matter of getting a BETTER tool for your money with the more expensive models?
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The G10 Speedbump is an excellent value, but I use my G10 Spec Bump a whole lot more than any other knife I own. Although the tight recurve is a bit of a challenge to sharpen, it's the forward half of the blade that is the main working edge, and it stays sharp for a very long time. I think you can tell from this picture which one I use the most :)

IMG_0603.jpg
 
Actually, there was a time when the Spec Bump was being cleared out for $60, amazing deal. I'd say that the differences between the cheaper and more expensive Kershaws are mainly the materials, like steels that are difficult to work with. Quality is a little better, but it doesn't change all THAT much. The more expensive ones are more robust by design, but the manufacturing is smooth and precise on all of the USA Kershaws I've had. That's what I like about Kershaw; even though they make cheap Walmart knives along with their knife enthusiast knives, the "Walmart knives" are still good quality and won't disappoint a knife lover. The more expensive knives are easily on par with those offered by other companies.
 
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