The beginning and stalemate of my Kershaw Collection (8cr18Mov Budget Buddies)

A

akahrt

Joined
Oct 29, 2012
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43
EDIT: 8cr13mov..

My dad gifted me a Kershaw Scamp a while ago and I never really gave it much thought. I carried it a few times on the weekend but never really found the use for an every day carry knife. A "EDC Knife" thread on a different forum lit the flame in the knife owning portion of my obsessive brain and here is what I ended up with after much research and watching many reviews. Obviously my collection is budget minded and varies quite a bit but this is as far as I can take it at the moment, my gracious wife has accepted the fact that buying one knife turned into buying several.

Here is what I ended up with. (the blades on the stonewash are showing up darker than they really are due to the flash).
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Tremor, Burst, Brawler, Zing SS, Scamp, Non-kershaw

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I wanted something discreet but useful. I liked the clip on the burst and the brawler, I liked the clip on the Cryo more but didn't care for the overall size of the knife so it went back. I bought the Tremor out of pure knife ordering joy. Who can resist a speed safe that large?

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I actually prefer the Brawler over the Burst. It rides a little lower and I feel that the black blade is less flashy than the stonewashed blade. I call the Brawler "Ugly" and the Burst "Pretty" Although the handles are made of the same material the handle on the Burst feels more "plasticy" if that is descriptive enough. If it were a more rubber feeling handle I would like it a bit more.

The Tremor is huge, and awesome.

The Zing SS is very thin being just SS. It fits nicely in my hand. I know a popular knife blog said it was way better than the cryo but I think it's a different knife, not necessarily comparable. It's just a different knife. I like almost everything about it except for the clip. I just really really don't care for the flashy kershaw clip, which is the reason I ended up with the rest of the family of kershaws I did. No fancy clip. The Zing SS does take a little more effort to move the liner lock (I think it's still called that) but overall it's a nice knife from my initial impression.

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My review of the above knife is completely amateur based. I know that what I have here to display are all foreign made budget knives but I hoped to help anyone looking to jump into the Kershaw Knife world. At the moment I am done adding to this collection but I'm sure I'll be enjoying each of these in their own use. Thanks to everyone here for the information and reviews that have helped me end up with this set of knives.

:)
 
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I wouldn't claim these are the best Kershaw knives ever made or even the best for the price but based on my need at the moment the collection should suit me well.
 
I have many Kershaw budget line and i think they are the best bang for your buck...I since bought some made in USA Kershaws like the 4 leek,Skyline,2 Blurs ,Ram,Salvo,Blackout.I think i got 14 budget and 10 USA made kershaws now.The addiction only grows :thumbup:
 
Welcome akahrt!
Nothing to be ashamed about there bud! You got a great collection! Looks very well rounded, and you took good pictures for reference! A lot of good people and good info in here. I look forward to seeing you around!
 
Welcome and thanks for sharing. Hope to see more pics as the collection grows, if the wife doesnt like it tell her that she was an enabler and now you can stop. :D
 
Careful... The phrase "Just one more" may become very familiar. :p

Nice pieces man, welcome to this neck of the woods.
 
Thanks for all the welcome and support in this addiction. My wife has given me the go ahead on a sharpening device. I've read threads here but am not at a decision. Something less than $50 would be great. I also need something good for a newbie and if it could sharper broadheads even better! I know the Kershaw crew has good suggestions so I'll welcome any.
 
I really dig the SS Zing. To me, it's a lot like a(n even more) budget friendly Leek. About the same size and materials, but at an unbeatable price and slightly stronger tip. Not that the Leek is going to break the bank either.
 
akahrt said:
Thanks for all the welcome and support in this addiction. My wife has given me the go ahead on a sharpening device. I've read threads here but am not at a decision. Something less than $50 would be great. I also need something good for a newbie and if it could sharper broadheads even better! I know the Kershaw crew has good suggestions so I'll welcome any.
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If you want something easy and cheaper, I'd probably go with a guided system like the lansky. If you trust yourself and have the confidence a sharpmaker might be up your alley. If you really are confident I'd go with a bench stone of sorts. I have a Lansky for now myself, and will be upgrading to something like an edge pro apex or a wicked edge. I like guided systems myself but thats just me. Everyone has their own opinion.
 
hello akahrt,
welcome to the forum. you got a nice collection of, in my opinion, some great knives. i've been collecting for over 45 years and have found i enjoy the knives i can use, more than the "rare" collectables. i'll get a knife in the 200.00-300.00 range and end up putting it away. don't want to ruin it. after all these years, i think i like my "users" the best. at least i can carry and work them as they were meant to be. in other words, cost doesn't constitute a "great" collection. you're off to a super start with quality products. enjoy.
mike
 
It sort of depends on how you use your blades. I've got a Sharpmaker, a Lansky, an Edge Pro, and a strop. I don't hard use most of my blades, and the one that got the most use of an abusive nature was my 0550. That being said, for an EDC blade, I find that a strop loaded with compound (I tend to use rather abrasive compound) will keep it very very sharp for months before having to take it to a stone. The Sharpmaker is good when your edge apex is a bit dulled, or has some deformations (chips, rolls, etc). I really only use the Edge Pro Apex for reprofiling and sharpening larger blades like my Hoodlum or my friend's Junglas when the strop just isn't doing it anymore.

I reprofile most bevels to around 18 degrees per side unless their stock angles are below 20 degrees per side. Most Kershaws are, some aren't, so it's a bit of the luck of the draw. For example, every Skyline I've ever owned was below 19 degrees per side. The one I used rarely saw the Sharpmaker, since I stropped it every other day if it needed some attention (couldn't cleanly slice phonebook paper). I used the Sharpmaker (40 inclusive angles) a couple time when the edge was just dull, or the one time it had a roll I couldn't get out. Sharpened it out (carefully, as to not round the tip) and since then, it's only seen the strop. That's a point to note on the Sharpmaker, is if you trail the tip of a knife off the stones with pressure, you'll likely dull the tip. I usually just stop at the tip, then lighten on the pressure as I bring it off the stone, taking care not to round it off.

My Kershaw Knockout needed a narrower edge angle, so I brought it down to about 15 degrees per side, which is a bit thin, but it cut really well. Dulled a bit quickly, but responded well to the strop. After a time, about a month and a half, I used the Sharpmaker and put a 40 degree inclusive (both sides) secondary (micro) bevel, and it works perfectly. Slices paper, shaves hair, and handles whatever light cutting I do outside of work. The strop, again, keeps it going.

The Lansky is great for smaller knives, although in my experience, it's not ideal for a blade with a really pronounced belly curve. For example, look at the Leatherman Wave/Charge blades. That dramatic belly sweep doesn't mesh well with the Lansky since the blade is clamped. and the stone will have an odd time getting around it without severely affecting the angle. On the Edge Pro, I shift the blade itself to get around that kind of curve, and what I find to be one of the best things about the Edge Pro. My Knockout was reprofiled that way, by moving the blade along the table to cover the large belly curve.

Anyway, your Scamp, Burst, Zing, and Brawler would likely be fine on a Lansky, however you should really assess what kind of sharpening you need. If you're a light EDC or medium EDC user, then perhaps a compound-charged strop would be all you need for a while. If you hard use the knives, and you actually need material removal to get an edge back, than the Lansky will be fine. I figure your funds a bit limited, but whatever you choose, get a good Sharpie to determine where you're removing material whenever you sharpen. The angle markings on a Lansky clamp are pretty much useless, since there is too much variation given blade thickness, distance from the clamp's edge, and inconsistencies in the straightness of the guide rods. Personally, I use a digital angle measure to find the angle of an edge as well as to find exactly what I'm reprofiling to, however if would be great to have one with a Lansky so you could to the same. I don't even pay attention to the angle dots on the Edge Pro, since sometimes I don't have the blade sitting on it's flat. For a full flat ground blade, there is no flat area to rest on anyway, so that point of zero degrees on a blade's plane isn't really practically found. So, on a full flat ground knife, the Edge Pro Apex may say 18 degrees, but it's really more like 13.

Forgive the diatribe, but I ramble sometimes. If you go with a Lansky, just understand the limitations of the system, and cover your butt by using a Sharpie to see exactly where you're sharpening, if it's reaching the actual edge, etc. Also note that Kershaws are sharpened by hand on a belt sander, so the angle itself may vary, and as you're sharpening you'll find that the stone isn't covering the entire bevel and more steel will have to be removed from certain areas to sharpen the whole length of the blade.

If this all seems overwhelming, I thought it was too, but in the span of a few months, it all becomes so painstakingly clear that you'll get a knife, figure what the angles are and either let a sigh of relief or a "harumph" of the night you'll spend reprofiling it to your liking with your favorite drink next to you. :)

So, long story short, I recommend to first think of how you run your knives, and consider a strop for light maintenance, and then a Sharpmaker or Lansky. Personally, I recommend a Sharpmaker, since all you'll need is a blade angle less than the 40 degree inclusive it sharpens at. If you run into a blade that has too obtuse an edge angle, I'm sure there's someone here who would reprofile it for you at no charge... ;)
 
Kershaw by far makes the best budget knives on the market. Also, I think that you mean 8Cr13MoV ;)
 
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