Wal-Mart Vapor surprise

[No_b00st]

I am simply amazed at the quality and fit & finish of a Kershaw Vapor i got at wal-mart. For a $19 knife made in China, this is a fantastic knife. Kudos to Kershaw for making sure quality levels stay acceptable on their imported knives. This will make a great EDC knife, i'm sure - solid lockup, NO play, sharp as a razor, good grip, light... fantastic.

I mean it's not my Leek... or my JYDII... or my Needs Work... but it's still awesome! Thumbs up on this bang-for-the-buck knife. No Buck Knives pun intended.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[Gespenst]

I can't say that I am quite as pleased with mine as you seem to be with yours but it is not a bad knife for the price. Mine came with a terrible edge that wouldn't even slice paper cleanly. I had a close look at it before sharpening and found that the edge had been rolled (out of the box!?). A fair amount of time on the stones and strop cured that but annoying none the less. Every screw on this knife was loose and the handles would shift as a result. I disassembled it and not a single screw showed signs of loc-tite or similar. That was easy to fix and while I was there I lubricated the blade pivot. It has a solid lock-up and the blade is tight. The thumb studs are the only aspect of the design that I do not care for. I wish they had used a plain round stud instead of the serrated ramp as it is a thumb killer over time.

With a little work it is a nice knife. There may be some variations in the QC and the thumb stud could be better but not deal breakers for a $20.00 knife.

edit; The thumb stud can be rotated for improved function.

I am simply amazed at the quality and fit & finish of a Kershaw Vapor i got at wal-mart. For a $19 knife made in China, this is a fantastic knife. Kudos to Kershaw for making sure quality levels stay acceptable on their imported knives. This will make a great EDC knife, i'm sure - solid lockup, NO play, sharp as a razor, good grip, light... fantastic.

I mean it's not my Leek... or my JYDII... or my Needs Work... but it's still awesome! Thumbs up on this bang-for-the-buck knife. No Buck Knives pun intended.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[thomasvsgodzilla]

my vapor also had good f&f. for 20 bucks and made in china..its an awesome knife. mine came sharp out of the package. i do agree that the thumb studs are kinda annoying...i can appreciate the design behind it...but its not working to well. i also bought a storm II from walmart. amazing knife for 30 bucks! shaved hair of my arms...haha. and its just looks cool. the grip take on it is a nice touch...although it still has that weird "ramp" thumbstud. oh....and this one is made in the usa! overall good buys i think.
peace.
thomasvsgodzilla.

 

[miro44]

I can't say that I am quite as pleased with mine as you seem to be with yours but it is not a bad knife for the price. Mine came with a terrible edge that wouldn't even slice paper cleanly. I had a close look at it before sharpening and found that the edge had been rolled (out of the box!?). A fair amount of time on the stones and strop cured that but annoying none the less. Every screw on this knife was loose and the handles would shift as a result. I disassembled it and not a single screw showed signs of loc-tite or similar. That was easy to fix and while I was there I lubricated the blade pivot. It has a solid lock-up and the blade is tight. The thumb studs are the only aspect of the design that I do not care for. I wish they had used a plain round stud instead of the serrated ramp as it is a thumb killer over time.

With a little work it is a nice knife. There may be some variations in the QC and the thumb stud could be better but not deal breakers for a $20.00 knife.

edit; The thumb stud can be rotated for improved function.

I' ve actually encountered the exact same problems as you did with my Vapor, also fixed it with a little bit of Loc-tite and sharpening, it' s fine now, actually quite a good EDC knife...

But I guess you get what you paid for.

 

[Esav Benyamin]

I think the Chinese factory that manufactures these is owned and operated by Kai themselves, which is a different process than contracting out and praying for quality.

Anyway, I was always impressed by the design of the Vapor. A great low-end knife.

 

[Gespenst]

I agree, once these problems are fixed, it is a solid EDC for low bucks.
I managed to turn the thumb stud to where it no longer bugs me and ground down the clip side portion so it wouldn't snag on my pockets. Much better now! I must have done a good job with sharpening as I have a nice nick in one of my fingers and didn't feel a thing

I' ve actually encountered the exact same problems as you did with my Vapor, also fixed it with a little bit of Loc-tite and sharpening, it' s fine now, actually quite a good EDC knife...

But I guess you get what you paid for.

 

[JTC]

The vapor is a really nice design. It would be nice to see it offered in some other steels.

 

[hardheart]

the Vapor was the best Kershaw I owned. Best lock security, best oob sharpness. Flew open like an auto.

 

[montesa]

I couldn't find the Vapor on walmarts website. Do all of the stores carry them? I look at the knives almost everytime I am there and don't remember seeing it.

I am simply amazed at the quality and fit & finish of a Kershaw Vapor i got at wal-mart. For a $19 knife made in China, this is a fantastic knife. Kudos to Kershaw for making sure quality levels stay acceptable on their imported knives. This will make a great EDC knife, i'm sure - solid lockup, NO play, sharp as a razor, good grip, light... fantastic.

I mean it's not my Leek... or my JYDII... or my Needs Work... but it's still awesome! Thumbs up on this bang-for-the-buck knife. No Buck Knives pun intended.

:thumbup::thumbup::thumbup:

 

[svrider3]

I couldn't find the Vapor on walmarts website. Do all of the stores carry them? I look at the knives almost everytime I am there and don't remember seeing it.

What you see on the website and what is in the individual stores will
and do vary. It's hit or miss.

 

[thomasvsgodzilla]

I couldn't find the Vapor on walmarts website. Do all of the stores carry them? I look at the knives almost everytime I am there and don't remember seeing it.

yeah...like svrider (vincent) said...its hit or miss...my local walmart didnt have it for the longest time...but about a week ago i walk in and their stalking kershaw vapors, storm II, and aces. i came into pick up a buck 110 (the only decent knife i saw the last time coming in) and ended up leaving with both a vapor and a storm II. i am incredibly satisfied by both. (hence...my increased presence in the kershaw forum ) just check every once in a while...walmart will also ship it to your nearest store for free (if its online).
peace.
thomasvsgodzilla.