Early Kershaw Vapors were made in Japan - the current ones are made in China with Japanese steels (AUS-6A).
I consider both the Vapor and the Vapor II to be some of the very best values out there.
Please see this thread:
A $25 Sebenza? or is this just Vapor too?
So what's the difference between the Japanese and the Chinese made Vapors?
Practically nothing. (so you can stop reading now)
But if like me you're somewhat A rententive read on.........
but please remember this is a minutiae
Comparison:
Vapors are Frame-Locks like the legendary Sebenzas -
Chris Reeve used to spec his Sebenzas at 75% engagement of the locks - all the Vapors I had seen up to now were closer to 50%,
although the Chinese Vapor I just got is closer to 2/3.
2/3 would seem safer more secure to me - BUT there is a down-side the lock is much harder to disengage - I wore a groove/dent in my thumb-nail disengaging the frame-lock on my latest China Vapor - whereas before I had no such problem with the other 2 Vapors.
Back or Spines -
Spot any difference yet?
Hint 1 -
other than the obvious etch/stamp of Japan and China -
the clips on all three are different -
the Japan Vapor does not have an aperture for the blade tension adjustment Torx pivot - whereas the China Vapor and Japan(?) Vapor II do.
The orientation of the clip is distinctly tilted on the China Vapor compared to the other 2. It kind of looks strange - but it is actually more comfortable for gripping especially for opening the blade.
Hint 2 -
yes.... the Japan Vapor is partially serrated - but what other differences?
The blade tension adjustment Torx head is on this side for the early Japan Vapor vs. the other 2 where it's accessed via an aperature on the pocket clip as shown in the previous photo...
The grind is slightly different on the Japan Vapor vs. the other two - there is more of a tang/ricasso area - which is to me more aesthetically pleasing - look back at the first photo with the knives open - this took me quite a while to figure out why the early Japan Vapor just looked better to me - I thought for a while it was just the partial serrations........
What else?
The stop pin position is different on the China Vapor - it is further back -
I don't know if this makes any practical difference at all - but the difference is there - but why?
I always had a question about the Vapor II - it is distinctly and clearly marked Japan, but I acquired it well after Kershaw started sourcing both the Vapors from China.....
Here are the boxes the Vapors came in:
Close up -
Rententive enough for ya?
--
Vincent
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
I consider both the Vapor and the Vapor II to be some of the very best values out there.
Please see this thread:
A $25 Sebenza? or is this just Vapor too?
So what's the difference between the Japanese and the Chinese made Vapors?
Practically nothing. (so you can stop reading now)
But if like me you're somewhat A rententive read on.........
but please remember this is a minutiae
Comparison:
Vapors are Frame-Locks like the legendary Sebenzas -
Chris Reeve used to spec his Sebenzas at 75% engagement of the locks - all the Vapors I had seen up to now were closer to 50%,
although the Chinese Vapor I just got is closer to 2/3.
2/3 would seem safer more secure to me - BUT there is a down-side the lock is much harder to disengage - I wore a groove/dent in my thumb-nail disengaging the frame-lock on my latest China Vapor - whereas before I had no such problem with the other 2 Vapors.
Back or Spines -
Spot any difference yet?
Hint 1 -
other than the obvious etch/stamp of Japan and China -
the clips on all three are different -
the Japan Vapor does not have an aperture for the blade tension adjustment Torx pivot - whereas the China Vapor and Japan(?) Vapor II do.
The orientation of the clip is distinctly tilted on the China Vapor compared to the other 2. It kind of looks strange - but it is actually more comfortable for gripping especially for opening the blade.
Hint 2 -
yes.... the Japan Vapor is partially serrated - but what other differences?
The blade tension adjustment Torx head is on this side for the early Japan Vapor vs. the other 2 where it's accessed via an aperature on the pocket clip as shown in the previous photo...
The grind is slightly different on the Japan Vapor vs. the other two - there is more of a tang/ricasso area - which is to me more aesthetically pleasing - look back at the first photo with the knives open - this took me quite a while to figure out why the early Japan Vapor just looked better to me - I thought for a while it was just the partial serrations........
What else?
The stop pin position is different on the China Vapor - it is further back -
I don't know if this makes any practical difference at all - but the difference is there - but why?
I always had a question about the Vapor II - it is distinctly and clearly marked Japan, but I acquired it well after Kershaw started sourcing both the Vapors from China.....
Here are the boxes the Vapors came in:
Close up -
Rententive enough for ya?
--
Vincent
http://UnknownVincent.cjb.net/
http://UnknownVT.cjb.net/
