What do I get next?

[lambertiana]

Until now I have not purchased any Kershaw products. Not that I didn't think Kershaw made quality knives, it was just that I never found one that had a design and steel combination that I really wanted (yes, I admit to being a steel snob).

However, my son recently convinced me to get him a Skyline, and it got me to look at things differently. What impressed me is the blade grind - thin edge, thin blade, and a well executed hollow grind. I do not chop car doors or bricks with my knives, and I don't pry bank vaults open with them. I only require them to cut well, and that takes a thin blade with a thin edge. So, after looking at my son's Skyline, I just ordered one for myself. I don't have any experience with Kershaw's 14C28N, although I hear that it is a decent steel with good edge stability and will take a very sharp fine edge. I am more accustomed to S30V, S35VN, CTS-20CP, ZDP-189, CPM-M4, etc.

My question is if the Speedform II is worth looking at. Elmax is supposed to be good stuff if the HT is right - how does Kershaw do in that department? And more importantly, does the Speedform II have a very thin edge/blade geometry, at least as thin as the Skyline if not thinner? The answer to that question will probably determine if I buy one.

And suggestions for other models would be entertained, too. The ZT 550 with Vanax 35 is a knife that I actually like from a design standpoint, but I'm not sure I want to buy another pocket anchor.

 

[gooeytek]

the Speedform II has a thicker blade at the spine, but very fine-edged with a very elegant grind. The spine feels a tad sharp if you look for it, and is overall much thicker than the Skyline. They are two very different knives in feel and heft, mainly because the Skyline is just about at the other end of the spectrum for weight and thinness (is that a word?). I love my Speedforms though, and I actually carry my Speedform II more often than my Skyline.