Hey everyone, David C. Andersen her coming at you from the KnifeCenter. and today we're
pitting the cold steel code 4 against the kershaw bareknuckle.
Two aluminum handles EDC pocket knives with evolutionary locking mechanisms. and you get
to pick the winner.
let's go.
The bareknuckle and the code 4 each feature a locking mechanism that takes an industry
standard lock and puts a new spin on it.
Evolving the archetype into something new.
The Code 4 may have what looks like an ordinary lock back but this is actually cold steel's
proprietary tri-ad lock.
which was developed by andrew demco a frequent collaborator of theirs.
by adding a stop pin and changing the way that the bar interfaces with the tang of the
knife, they've created an incredibly strong and incredibly long lasting design.
the Bareknuckle on the other hand features a spinoff of the ever present framelock.
the patented sub frame lock.
this construction takes the full sized locking bar of a frame lock and anchors it to another
material.
Allowing them to use whatever they wish on the backside. in the case of the bareknuckle
they have gone with a grey aluminium that matches the front.
But what about the buisness end.
The flowing end bareknuckle is very of the moment right now with a sheepsfoot shape that
is sort of a hybrid.
There is a bit of drop point in the DNA but boiled down i classify it as a modified warncliffe.
the code 4 on the other hand comes with more traditional blade shapes.
I've got the Tanto right here in front of me but you can also get a clip point and a
spear point.
the steel they've used is s35vn for a premium cutting experience and we get nice contrasting
finishes on the blade.
vertical on the hollow ground bevels and horizontal on the flats which mimics a hand rubbed finish
that you can usually only see on customs and hand made knives.
the bareknuckle on the other hand features a stonewashed finish with a flat grind. and
it uses sanvidks excellent 14C28n steel a member of my favorite family of stainless
steels.
It can take a fine razors edge , pretty easily and the stonewashed finish will help hide
scratches that will occur as you use the blade.
It fires open with a flipper tab, riding on kershaws KVT ball baring pivots.
It has definitive action and a real nice snap.
The code 4 on the other hand opens with a thumb stud. it is set up for right handed
use out of the box but you can easily reverse the stud using a flat head screwdriver. for
the lefties out there.
but even without reversing it you can still use what's sticking out to open it with that
other hand.
both of these knives have aluminum handles and both are technically grey, but cold steel
has a distinctly warmer tone to it.
while the blade length is about the same you do get more length on the handle with the
cold steel.
both of these knives sit nicely in the hand. and they each feature a finger guard was well.
Which is going to help keep your fingers from slipping forward onto the edge.
They even both feature thumb ramps which allows for controlled applications of force.
As far as how they carry both are also very thin fit nicely in the pocket.
Although the clips on both knives are very secure the code 4 is a little bit thinner
and smoother textured and that's going to be slightly easier going in and out of your
pockets.
Speaking of the clips the bareknuckle features a folded deep carry pocket clip that is reversible
left or right side carry.
The code 4's clip is not deep carry, at it's also not reversible.
instead cold steel includes a separate clip for the left side and this allows the clip
to follow the lines of the knife no matter which side you want to use.
No matter which of these knives you choose you're getting a quality product at a very
reasonable price with construction that is rock solid.
the bareknuckle is made in america and the results they are able to achieve prove that
the manufacturing in this country can still be competitive with the rest of the world
even when price comes into play.
The code 4 like most of their lineup is imported but it does use American Steel and the result
that cold steel gets from their Taiwanese factories is top notch.
This is where you guys come into play.
you get to tell us which of these knives is the winner. will you choose the american made
bareknuckle with its kvt flipper and sub-framelock or do you go for the indomitable tri-ad lock
and s35vn steel with the code 4 be sure to let us know in the comments and in meantime
to get your hands on either of these great knives click the link in the description bellow
to head over to knifecenter.com