Total cost to me, the price of writing a quick note. Now that's service! Kershaw makes a quality product and supports it well; I'm happy to recommend them to you
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I was asked by another blogger if I found the tips of these blades fragile. They're certainly not screwdrivers or prybars; the blade shape and profile are such that the very end of the tip is quite fine. The blade becomes much more substantial around 3/8" back. If you were planning on using a pair to scale a wall, you will need to drive them in deeply (this use probably voids the warranty, BTW). As knives, they're just right for me; the slender shape of the tip spares me having to carry a penknife for fine work. When I have been inadvertently rough on the blade end, I was able to bend it back with a vise and a bit of effort, which is impressive resilience for a blade that holds an edge as well as these do. (The little Japanese carpenter's knives I carry as a backup and for precision wire stripping take a slightly keener edge -- and snap like glass under bending stress.) YMMV; there are plenty of choices and you should fit your knife to how you'll use it.
As the old adage has it, "Two is one and one is none." The reason I keep using the plural is my daily carry knives are pairs: one in my pocket, one stored at home in case of loss or damage. I carry two knives (of different sizes) plus a Leatherman "Wave." The first rule of having a knife when you need one is to have a knife.
I habitually carry a Leatherman Wave in a belt case for "grunt work"- stripping large wires, cutting things hard enough to blunt a knife, etc. (I'm on my second - the first one had a catastrophic screwdriver failure, which surprised me - I was prying with it, but not [I thought] nearly hard enough to break it; but they DID immediately replace it under warranty), and a Kershaw SpeedSafe in my pocket, with which I'm MUCH more careful, edge- and tip-wise. It's awesome - opens and closes effortlessly with one hand, holds an edge well, and is super-sharp. I carried a variety of penknives and Swiss Army pocketknives over the years, and this combination beats all of them.
ReplyDeleteI love my Kershaw. Takes a great edge and holds up pretty well, especially at the price point, as you mentioned. I've had mine about 3 years now, but I probably should get a backup.
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking a lot about metallurgy lately, and contemplating making a folding knife that can both hold an edge, and has a tip explicitly designed to be used as a screwdriver, since I know I'm going to anyway. ;)
ReplyDeleteI'm thinking a tanto point, so I have that nice corner for intricate work, with effectively a standard screwdriver tip poking out where the blade should come to a point.
http://i48.tinypic.com/2ynijo5.png
CAD just to illustrate a comment? Me? Never! (Ok, maybe.)
HUGE fan of Kershaw, here. i have...er...maybe 5 knives from different price points? most of them are Leeks. just love the feel of'em. i even have a rainbow leek...we've dubbed it the "unicorn killer." makes people look at me funny when they ask to borrow a knife for something and i pull that one out. :D
ReplyDeleteI LOVE my Kershaw Ken Onion BLUR.
ReplyDeleteShe's with me all the time.
gfa
I carry my Needs Work daily and the Leek for dressier days.
ReplyDeleteperlhaqr: You might consider an electrician's knife. The blade with a blunt tip is meant to be used as a screwdriver, and it has a relatively dull edge for stripping wire without nicking it. The other blade is a regular jackknife blade.
ReplyDelete" I carry two knives (of different sizes) plus a Leatherman "Wave." "
ReplyDeleteSo do I; sometimes I need a large blade, sometimes a small one.
Dave: *nod* Sure, or I could just carry a leatherman of some sort.
ReplyDeleteBut that entirely removes all of the fun of making the thing myself. :)
Perlhaqr: Not to dissuade you -- I quite like your proposed blade prifile -- but the classic electrician's knife answers this need very handily. The knife is fairly "chunky," making for an effective screwdriver handle but taking more pocket space than the knives I carry. Still, I have one in my toolbag at work and one at home; they're handy.
ReplyDeleteH'mm, already answered. I shoulda read on before leaping in.
ReplyDeleteAnyone else amused by the irony of a knife with the model name of "Needs Work" needing, um... work?
ReplyDeleteA clear case of "it does what it says on the tin"...
While cleaning out a car I was selling, I found a Kershaw Leek I thought I'd lost years earlier. It was thoroughly gunked up and encrusted with a vile, unidentifiable gunge and the pocket clip was badly sprung. And, the spring was rusted away to chunks. Called Kershaw, they sent me a new spring, clip and screws.
Disassembled the scales and blade and soaked them in Hoppes for a couple days, then scrubbed with a brass brush. All back together, it looked and worked like brand new.
Almost tempted to buy one because (A) you say it's a good knife; (B) a company that offers such good customer service deserves more business, and; (C) because.
ReplyDelete