Hey, everyone.
David C. Andersen here coming at you from the KnifeCenter, and today we’re looking
at the best Kershaw folding knives that you can buy in 2019.
Let’s check ‘em out.
Although they have a number of imported models in their lineup that are built very well,
Kershaw also have a lot great American-made models, and they give us proud quality and
still competitive prices.
That’s a sweet spot that’s hard to pull off in today’s world, so we’re glad to
see companies like Kershaw still carrying the torch for affordable and worthwhile American
production.
Kicking off the list, we’ve got to start with the Kershaw Leek, not just for its historical
significance, but also because it’s still a great knife that has endured while other
products have come and gone many times over.
It was designed by super star Ken Onion, a name that you’re gonna be seeing all over
not just Kershaw’s lineup, but a number of other companies as well.
It’s made in the USA and features SpeedSafe assisted opening, invented by Ken Onion, which
kicked off the assisted opening craze.
Not only is this one of the best Kershaw knives, but one of the best EDC pocket knives of all
time.
It’s slim, pocketable, refined and capable; all applicable words, and with many variants
with different colors, locks, blade materials, etc. over the years, there’s an option for
any budget or taste.
This particular one I’m holding here also sports another signature Kershaw feature:
their patented composite blade technology.
You can see this line running through the blade like a jigsaw puzzle, and that’s actually
a weld between two different steels both at the spine and the edge, which will typically
be a more premium steel.
It looks really cool, and it also helps them keep the cost down, versus making that blade
completely out of that premium steel.
In this case, the spine of the blade features 14C28N stainless steel, while the edge is
constructed with CPM-D2, which maintains the edge holding of standard D2, but it’s easier
to sharpen and tougher to boot.
As an alternative to the Leek, a lot of you have been saying that the Dividend has overtaken
it, and although we’re still putting the Leek at the top of our list, honestly it’s
kind of hard to argue with that.
The Dividend is just a touch bigger than the Leek, but it has that same sleek styling,
as well as SpeedSafe opening, slightly different ergonomics, and it’s still made in the USA.
Like the Leek, we’ve got a bunch of different variants as well, including budget versions
with synthetic or aluminum handles and American 420HC steel, but this one right here is the
top of the ladder right now.
It features aluminum handles, a liner lock, and M390 steel, all for less than $100 at
this point in time, making it a fantastic bargain as well.
Next up is the Blur, which is a long-running workhorse model for both tactical and EDC
needs.
This is another United States-made Ken Onion design, again with SpeedSafe assisted opening,
and it has aluminum handles with nice grippy inserts.
Now, if this knife were designed today, it would probably be a flipper, but instead this
is a thumb stud-equipped knife.
What’s interesting, however, is that the thumb studs are angled in such a way that
you don’t really see anyone else doing.
That cut makes it easy to press out with your thumb in just the right direction, and the
spring assist takes over and completes the task with ease.
Being another long-running Kershaw model, there are a bunch of different variations
out there, including some different handle colors, and they’re also available with
either a tanto or a recurve drop point blade.
You can also see on this version here we get Kershaw’s distinctive tiger stripe finish,
and steel options include BDZ-1 or Sandvik’s excellent 14C28N swedish stainless.
This steel was actually codeveloped with Kershaw exclusively first before becoming more widely
available, and you can often find it on their more affordable American-made knives.
Because of that, this is hands-down my favorite entry-level steel that any of the big manufacturers
are offering today.
It takes a wickedly fine edge very easily, but it still holds that edge very well, and
also brings a good amount of toughness and edge stability to the table, too, which can
help avoid issues like chipping if you’re really torquing down on your knife.
For an even more affordable workhorse, we have the Rick Hinderer-designed Cryo 2, a
high quality import that that’s a great way to get signature Hinderer style and design
elements on a budget.
The Cryo II is a stainless steel frame locking knife with 8Cr13MoV steel.
This is a stainless steel that that’s very close to AUS-8, which was my favorite entry-level
steel before 14C28N came along.
This is a SpeedSafe-equipped flipper knife with a broad drop point blade, and you can
open it either with the included thumb studs, or with that flipper.
It does have a 4 position deep carry pocket clip, which means you can carry it in any
pocket easily, but it’s only gonna be truly deep carry in a tip down configuration.
This knife definitely has Rick Hinderer’s style written all over it, but we also get
one of his signature hardware elements, and that’s this disc on the back that acts as
an overtravel arrestor.
It keeps you from pushing the lock bar out too far if you get overzealous when closing
the knife.
Overall, this knife is solid and it’s gonna just work hard for you.
You can feel it as soon as you pick one up.
So, some of these knives so far have been great ways to get a knife by a custom designer
you may not otherwise be able to afford, but what about a whole brand that might be outside
your reach?
Such is the case with the Kershaw Emerson CQC line, a series of models that take Emerson’s
tactical chops and gives us budget-friendly versions.
This is the CQC-7K, and it’s just one of the many models that are available in this
series.
The tanto shape makes this a great knife for tactical uses, as do the dual opening mechanisms.
First, we get an ambidextrous thumb disc that’s mounted to the spine.
This knife does not feature SpeedSafe, it is a manual opener, but it’s still smooth
and quick opening.
We also get the patented Emerson wave-shaped opener, and this helps to open the blade as
you draw it from your pocket.
All you have to do is simply catch this tab on the hem of your pocket, and thanks to that
smooth frame lock, it draws very easily.
This whole series gets these dual opening methods, so if you don’t like this one,
be sure to check the others out too.
The next two models go together and each is a great combination of a style statement piece
and everyday capability.
The first is the Natrix series, which is a forward-thinking imported design with a ton
of style for not too much money.
The second is the American-made Bareknuckle series, which looks remarkably similar, and
that’s because both of these knives were based on a knife from Kershaw’s sister brand,
Zero Tolerance, the ZT 0770.
Both of these knives feature their patented Sub-Frame Lock.
This mechanism essentially takes the lock bar from a frame lock, isolates it, and then
anchors it to another material.
This offers the strong lockup of a full frame lock, but it lets them pair it with another
material on the back for more style or contrast.
In the case of the Bareknuckle, we get anodized aluminum, and we get G10 on the Natrix, and
this one even features a top layer of carbon fiber, which is extra cool.
The Bareknuckle also features a 14C28N blade, and on this variant right here we have Kershaw’s
well-regarded Blackwash finish.
This is essentially a forced patina, which is then tumbled to achieve the desired rugged
look, and it’s been very popular since they first released any knives with this finish.
Although early versions of the Natrix were assisted openers, both of these knives here
in front of me feature Kershaw’s KVT bearing system, which opens very smoothly, and it’s
spread across their lineup because of just how good it is.
Next is something from the Launch series of American-made automatic knives.
Now, my favorite Launch model is probably the Launch 1, but for this list I just had
to pick the Launch 8, a Matt Diskin design with styling that echoes the rebellious 1950s
switchblade stiletto, this is an ideal first automatic knife.
But even if you already own several automatics, there’s still a lot to love here, especially
when you consider this one is priced just under $100 right now.
As I said, it’s American made, and we get anodized aluminum handles, as well as carbon
fiber inlays on this version, as well as a CPM-154 steel blade, in this case with a tumbled
finish.
Even without the fantastic and strong pushbutton action of this knife, that would already be
a very good deal.
But when you add in that action, which is right up there with the best in the business,
it becomes even more astonishing, and no matter which Launch model you choose, you’ll still
be getting those same great materials and build quality.
Right now, prices range from about $75 to around $120 depending on the model, and the
amount of quality you get for the money is astounding.
You can easily spend over double that and still not get everything you get with these
knives.
Lastly, we’ve got one more surprise model, and we’re gonna completely shift gears from
the knives you’ve seen so far.
Kershaw makes a lot of great smaller knives that integrate some multitool elements; things
like the Shuffle series, the Antic, the Barge, and all of them are good options, but our
favorite right now is the keychain-sized Cinder, shown here with the optional copper handles.
This is another Hinderer design, and despite the small size, it’s actually quite usable,
both in a standard grip, and in a pinch grip when you need to use the point down.
And right on the back of the knife, making this a multitool, is an integrated bottle
opener, because, as we know, everything’s better with a bottle opener on it.
This is a handy tool, and especially in these copper scale variants, it’s really stylish
as well, and we can’t get enough of how great these are.
It’s not only gonna look great on your keychain, but it makes a fantastic gift out there for
a lot of people who might not even be knife people to begin with.
They’re still gonna appreciate the Cinder.
I’ve gotta say, this was a hard list to narrow down, and there were some great models
that didn’t quite make the cut, which is a shame, with great designs from the likes
of Jens Anso, Dmitry Sinkevich, Les George, Todd Rexford, RJ Martin… the list goes on.
Make sure to let us know what you think about this list, and let us know your favorite model
in the comments.
Be sure to let us know if we missed something, too.
In the meantime, to get your hands on any of these knives, click the link in the description
below to head over to KnifeCenter.com.
And be sure to sign up for our KnifeRewards program while you’re there, because if there’s
anything better than getting a new knife, it’s getting points you’ll be able to
spend on a future knife at the same time.
I’m David C. Andersen, signing off from the KnifeCenter.
See you next time.
My eyelid is sticking, too.
That’s not good.
Which was my favorite entry-level steer… steer…
Do not put that in the blooper reel
Here we get Kershaw’s well regardened bla-...
Garden?
Well-Regarden.
It’s like Olive Garden, but less breadsticks.