The Cryo, and how it stands up to its brothers.

E

Electric Hound

Joined
Feb 15, 2013
Messages
11
Hey everyone. New to the forums, long time lurker though. Best place around for info. Anyway, I've had Kershaw Blur for about 6 months now, and I love it. Its fast, it feels solid despite its thin liner lock, and man does it take an edge.

Recently I've gotten this itch to branch out and try Kershaw a bit more, going on to buy a Salvo. Nice knife, LOVE the frame lock, but sadly its a bit hard to open.

So now, I'm looking at the Cryo, as well as the future Cryo 2. I've heard MOSTLY good things about the Cryo, aside from the weight/size ratio junkies decrying its overwhelming pros for its seemingly glaring con... So, why haven't I pulled the trigger, you may ask.

Well, its made in China, for one. I'm not some huge GET IT MADE IN 'MURICA OR ELSE kinda guy, but what I like about my Blur and my Salvo is that they are in fact, made right here. I understand that Kershaw has great quality control, but I've owned a Tremor before, and despite its apparent "toughness" it still felt... well, sort of cheap.

The Cryo LOOKS like a tank, lockup included. I suppose what my question ultimately is, is the Cryo worth getting when I already have the Blur, an American made master-piece? I'd LOVE a speedsafe frame lock kershaw, but I like to make sure my money is well spent. Any thoughts?

Great to be here,
-E.H.
 
The Cryo is one of my favorite knives. You can pick one up for $27 shipped. It's a great deal. It feels great looks great and is great, I highly recommend it :)
 
MattyLav said:
The Cryo is one of my favorite knives. You can pick one up for $27 shipped. It's a great deal. It feels great looks great and is great, I highly recommend it :)
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Well dang, Mattlav. Thanks for the quick response! I'd really appreciate some elaboration to address my concerns though. Would you say its as tough or tougher than my Blur? I know the steel is slightly inferior, but I can live with that.
 
Electric Hound said:
Well dang, Mattlav. Thanks for the quick response! I'd really appreciate some elaboration to address my concerns though. Would you say its as tough or tougher than my Blur? I know the steel is slightly inferior, but I can live with that.
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No problem, I can't tell the difference between the blur and the Cryo. The Cryo has a better lock up in my opinion. The steel to me is beast. The coating is great but is kinda worn in some places. I can get it razor sharp fairly easily. It's small and compact so I feel like it will do almost anything. I love the finish and feeling of the handles. The lock is easy to access. It's most easy to use the flipper but its not impossible to use the thumb studs. Hope I could help. Here's a pic:
09A1A1DF-9361-444E-B225-477290AA3D29-1193-0000016F1E3B2B43.jpg
 
i have used a cryo and a blur the cryo for sure sits in the pocket better than the blur and wont rough up your jeans. as far as the blades go i really like the shape of the cryo blade but im just not a fan of sharpening recurved blades. the blade feels a little more solid in the had with the grip inserts. i carry an s30 blur at work some days i cant imagine the life span of anything less than s30 in my line of work (HVAC) s30 seems to hold up well i tried a sandvik leek for a while but seemed like i had to touch up the blade at least twice a week
 
I use the Cryo at work. It is a fine knife feels very sturdy. My only complaint is the steel. It takes a fine edge but does not hold it. IMO this is a good knife but could be great with a steel upgrade.
 
Totally serious question. I've handled the Cryo, and it seems nice. But usually the bargain Kershaws are not popular here. Why the Cryo love?
 
I think that for the price, you can't afford not to get it. 8cr13mov isnt the best steal but the overall knife is very sturdy and a comfortable design. Before switching to vg-10 for a work edc i used the cryo for a bit and just made sure to have a keychain dmt sharpener handy. IMO pick one up, you wont regret it.
 
I'd say wait for the ZT 566 if you want better blade options. Of course, you could get 10 Cryos for the same price but in a real sense you get what you pay for. And if you want a Ti frame in that size you're stuck with either a genuine XM or that southern spider kinda thing.
 
The Cryo feels like a small tank - solid steel all the way through. It is a very stout smaller knife. $30 well spent.

Here are some side-by-sides with a Blur for size comparison...
Blur_Cryo_open_800x333.jpg

Blur_Cryo_closed_800x370.jpg


Blur_Cryo_lockup_800x528.jpg
 
If you dont plan on many knife purchases in the near future you might want to wait for some reviews of the new offerings from kershaw. I have a Cryo along with a few other KAI knives and Im not impressed with it,sorry Im just not its small and heavy and awkward to handle for me.
 
I'll be the lone dissenter here and say that CQ does take a hit on this model, at least in my experience. Brand new, the Cryo I got came with blade play in all directions, centering so bad that it scrapes the scale and sounds like a pair of scissors when it opens, and (related) a bent non-locking side scale. I'm sure Kershaw would replace it for me if I sent it in but that's not something you should need to do with a NIB knife. Also, I find the handle a little small and uncomfortable for my large (XL Gloves) hands.
 
Yeah my blade centering was way off too I got it pretty good now but I really dont care it is what it is. Dont get me wrong its a good knife but I think Kershaw has way better knives to pick from.
 
Right before the Cryo came out, there was word that a bigger Cryo2 was also in the works. I realized then that the Cryo is too small and have been waiting for the 2 since. Speaking to the OP, at this level though my CF Blur gets the nod on every level. Sooo...Not even sure if I'll get the Cryo2 either. We'll see.
 
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