Made in the USA

Emerson Super Commander Review

Last Updated: March 4, 2018
Fans of Emerson Knives are no stranger to the Commander. It’s one of Emerson’s original designs and is among their most popular models to this day. So it would seem like a no-brainer to take this classic knife and come out with a mini version, and the Super Commander shown here. Having owned this one for a while now I can say that this knife not only has all the things that made the original Commander so desirable, but a lot more.

Buy the Emerson Commander at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Super Commander has an overall length of 9.5″, a 4″ blade, and it weighs 7 ounces. Yeah, this is not one that I’d like to EDC (although plenty of people do), but it actually felt surprisingly good in my pocket and feels light for its size. This of course would make a great tactical knife, large utility knife, or just a welcome addition to the collection.

The blade on this beast is just a thing of beauty. I tell you, Emerson does not mess around when it comes to grinding their steel, and Super Commander’s blade is nothing short of epic. Of course you have that classic Commander blade shape, the nice drop point with the swooping recurve and nasty belly. They started with a thick piece of steel and everything has been ground with laser like precision (including the swedge – a recent refinement to the Commander series). I am super impressed with the blade on this knife.

Note that this Super Commander is “V” ground – although the actual edge is a chisel grind. I know this polarizes people but the grind works alright for me and the knife gets extremely sharp.

What I especially love about my Super is the gorgeous stone wash on the flats. Now, stonewashes have recently experienced a resurgence in popularity. I have to say this is the finest, most beautifully stonewashed knife I have ever seen – nicer even than the Chris Reeve knives I have handled. The stonewashing is so well done it basically has given the knife a jeweled appearance. My recommendation is if you are picking up an Emerson don’t get the coated version, don’t get the satin finish – get the stonewash (you can thank me later).

Emerson uses 154CM for all of the blades on all of their knives. They found something that works and are sticking with it – I can totally appreciate that. 154CM is a long time favorite steel of mine, it gets sharp, holds the edge and is fairly resistant to corrosion. A good all-round steel.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The handle on the Super Commander is relatively plain next to the beautiful blade. Again, Emerson has a formula, and they tend to stick with what works. In this case it’s black G10 over steel and titanium liners with a G10 backspacer. The handles are held together with phillips screws, an interesting touch that was designed for easy maintenance in the field. All in all, handle construction is solid. The liners haven’t been milled out, but the titanium liner lock helps lighten the load. The steel liner could be milled to reduce weight, but I find that unnecessary here. Everything is sturdy and lines up well.

You would expect the ergonomics on such a large knife to be decent, and the Super Commander doesn’t disappoint. The spacious handle gives you plenty of room for any grip, and the Commander feels very comfortable in hand. There is a large choil that forms a nice guard, and the thumb ramp is substantial and nicely jimped. The edges of the handle have all been rounded and the G10 has a nice medium rough texture to it. No complaints with the ergonomics.

The pocket clip on the Super Commander is a nice sturdy blackened clip. It’s not a low rider clip, but it rides low enough for my tastes and has good retention. The one issue is that it is not ambidextrous. I could send this knife in to the factory and they will drill and tap some holes for like $25, but really – this should have already been done. Ambidextrous clips are important – not only for lefties like me, but for right-handers who like carrying knives on their weak side.

Deployment and Lockup

My Super Commander came with a black thumb disk. It works alright, not really my first choice (especially with such a big blade). I think you might be able to get this one with a thumb hole – that may be preferable although personally I’m not a huge fan of the Emerson style thumbholes. What I am a fan of is the wave deployment. In my mind this is the only real way to deploy this sucker. There is nothing like having 4 inches of gleaming steel at your fingertips, and the wave is the absolute fastest way to make that happen with a folding knife.

Lockup is done through a nice titanium liner lock. Mine engages very early, and it’s an extremely solid lockup. It’s a well executed lock that has held up so far. On the subject of deployment and lockup, my blade didn’t come perfectly centered and I wasn’t able to get it tuned with the pivot screw – it’s not that bad though. An interesting thing to note about the pivot screw is that it is it uses a flat head driver rather than more conventional torx bits.

Emerson Super Commander Review – Final Thoughts

The Super Commander is one hell of a knife, I don’t know any other way to really say it. The blade is the showpiece here – it is beautifully ground, and the stonewash finish on the flats provides awesome visual interest. I’d buy this knife just for the blade.

That said, everything else is pretty solid on this one. The materials are all great. Fit and finish is good – not outstanding, but good. Lockup on mine is super early and deployment is very smooth. My blade isn’t perfectly centered, and I noticed just some small things that could have been finished a little better (like the thumb ramp, and the backspacer isn’t 100% flush with the handles). But these are very minor issues, and are par for the course with all the Emersons I’ve handled.

So if an Emerson Super Commander is on your radar I think it’s a great knife. These retail for around $250, which is on the spendy side – but this is a big knife made in America (and it’s an Emerson) so frankly price wasn’t a big factor for me… and I suspect that would be true for many Emerson enthusiasts. So for the final word on the Super Commander – I think it’s a great knife, and I recommend the stonewash finish.

Emerson Super Commander – $234.95
Retail Price: $312.00
You Save: $78.00
from: BladeHQ

Emerson Commander Plain Folding Knife,Standard Edge Blade, Black G10 Handle COM SF

Emerson Wave Feature
Plain Edge
Black G-10 Handles
Titanium Liner Lock
Made in the USA

I recommend buying the Emerson Super Commander at BladeHQ or Amazon. Thanks for checking out the review.

Rusty’s Rags Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

Last Updated: August 30, 2019
For many people, when it comes to cleaning your knife it often comes down to what is available at the time. Whether you are using Q-tips and WD-40, soap and a dish towel, or perhaps the shirt on your back and some spit, knife nuts are opportunistic creatures when it comes to blade maintenance. Who would have thought that an improved option could ever exist? Latham of Rusty’s Rags recently approached me with his solution, a kit specially formulated for the care and maintenance of the edged implements we all know and love. I took him up on his offer to try them out and offer some opinions.

Buy on Amazon

The ‘Ultimate Knife Care Kit’ by Rusty’s Rags

Firearms enthusiasts may be no stranger to Rusty’s Rags. In fact, the original application for these cleaning products was guns and their accessories. These days Rusty’s offers several different kits, including packages specifically designed for pistols and long guns. Everything in each kit is handmade in America. Of course, being BladeReviews.com I’m looking at their ‘Ultimate Knife Care Kit.’

At the heart of every kit is a piece of Australian Merino sheepskin. This sheepskin comes impregnated with their special blend of silicone oil. This oil is indeed a “secret blend of herbs and spices” passed down through the family. The mix of oil and wool is where the magic happens.

Included in every Knife Care Kit is the oil impregnated sheepskin, a soft flannel towel (in safety orange – nice), a pair of nitrile gloves, a small bottle of extra silicone oil, and some instructions. Everything comes nicely packaged in thick zip lock bags. The sheepskin comes rather “wet” so multiple bags is necessary to keep the oil from getting everywhere. The entire kit is about the size of my outstretched palm, and could easily be tucked away in a jacket pocket or gear bag.

Using the Kit

Using the kit is very simple. First you could don the gloves (totally optional, I didn’t). Then remove the sheepskin from the bag and rub your dirty knife down. You want to be careful to avoid getting the rag (more importantly, the silicone oil) in contact with your pivot. It could react with the lubricant used on your pivot and begin to gum it up. Of course, if this happens all you would need to do is take down the knife, clean off all the oil, and re-lubricate the pivot – it’s not like your knife is going to melt or anything. And for the record I never had an issue getting the silicon oil on the pivot.

After thoroughly wiping down your knife with the rag you will want to switch to the flannel and begin polishing and soaking up any excess oil. Finally, you will want to put everything away and go wash your hands (assuming you didn’t use any gloves like me).

My Results

My first choice for the full treatment was my beloved Spyderco Sage 1. While I don’t make a habit of digging this blade around in the dirt, it does get a ton of carry time and was loaded down with grime in the liners and gunk on the blade.

I was really pleased with how well this knife polished up. The leather-backed sheepskin offers enough rigidity to make it easy to slip this rag in between the liners and clean out those hard to reach places. I find that regular rags and paper towels have a hard time getting at all of the dust and dirt that accumulates inside modern skeletonized liners. Rusty’s Rags gets into these tight spaces without an issue. Needless to say stuff like G10 and jimping were no match for the sheepskin and oil; everything cleaned up very easily.

The finished knife is not sticky, and I didn’t see any lint or dust getting drawn to it (unlike WD-40 which is a dust magnet). The silicon oil is completely odorless. It leaves a nice shine and helps to prevent rust. My only issue with the kit was that the included flannel rag started fraying almost immediately. Oddly enough none of it got on the knife, but it did leave some nice orange specks my shirt.

Of course I couldn’t stop after one knife, and began thoroughly cleaning every blade within reach. Over the past few weeks I’ve used this kit on a dozen different knives and found the process to be fun and relaxing (almost therapeutic 😉 ). The pre-loaded rag was good for about a dozen or so cleanings, then I added a drop or two of oil per new knife. I would recommend opting for an extra bottle of the silicon oil. $5 buys enough oil to clean hundreds and hundreds of knives.

I’ve used this kit on everything from a $15 Ka-Bar to a $400 Umnumzaan. What do I think? I think it works, and it works well. Two big thumbs up for the Rusty’s Rags knife cleaning kit.

Rusty’s Rags Review – Final Thoughts

Rusty’s Rags offers a great solution to a common problem. This is a significant upgrade to my previous cleaning methods, which literally involved grabbing whatever was handy and using that to clean my knives.

The sheepskin and silicon oil combo has definite advantages – not only with cleaning, but with protecting as well. Paper towels and rags don’t get as deep as the sheepskin. More conventional cleaning oils attract dust, and cleaning with soap and water can invite rust. The combination of the sheepskin and silicon oil works much better than any of my old cleaning techniques.

So it should come as no surprised that I feel like this is a very worthy investment for anyone’s knife collection. In fact, I am so pleased with these kits that I will put my money where my mouth is, and order some more to use as gifts and future contest prizes.

Rusty's Rags New Rifle/Shotgun Gun Care and Gun Cleaning Kit

You can find out more and order these directly by visiting the Rusty’s Rags website or at Amazon. Thanks for checkin’ out the review.

Disclaimer: Rusty’s Rags provided me with with several of these kits, free of charge, for review and evaluation. All thoughts are my own.

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 Review

by Dan Jackson 23 Comments

Last Updated: June 2, 2019
I don’t think many people get into the hobby of collecting knives with the idea that one day they will buy a pocket knife that costs hundreds of dollars.

Well, at least I didn’t start out my little edged adventure with the thought of purchasing a $300+ knife. However, as I wandered down the rabbit hole, and became further consumed by my blade obsession, justification for more expensive knives became easier to find. Any reservations I once had about owning a $350 knife soon went out the window.

Buy the CRK Sebenza at BladeHQ

So that takes us here. You and me, about to discuss the Small Sebenza 21 made by Chris Reeve Knives (CRK) which retails for right around $350. In many ways this review is a challenge because for such an expensive knife, a lot of people have already given their opinion on it. It’s a very well known blade with an extremely loyal following.

But hey, it’s just a knife so I’m just going to treat it like I would any other, and try to provide you with a fair and honest review…

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The small Sebenza 21 is the little brother to the large Sebenza 21 (no surprises there, right?). This knife has an overall length of 6.9″ a 2.94″ blade and a weight of exactly 3 ounces. This is a great size for EDC and that is exactly what this knife was designed for – to be a high end edc knife.

The blade is a classic drop point shape. The knife has been given a high hollow grind (a very shallow one) and the spine has been rounded, a very elegant touch. Blade stock is 1/8″ thick, which is nice and stout for a smaller blade like this. The blade manages to maintain this thickness well, eventually tapering down to a sturdy point. Being a classic drop point there is plenty of belly for your EDC tasks, and the entire blade has been given a nice durable stonewashed finish.

Blade steel on my Sebenza is the tried and true S30V. If you are already reading a Sebenza review I think an in-depth discussion of S30V is probably unnecessary, but suffice it to say that this is a very fine steel with excellent all-around properties including good edge retention and corrosion resistance. However, my Sebenza was made in 2009. As of mid-2011 Chris Reeve has started making Sebenzas in S35VN, a slightly upgraded version of S30V. This is certainly a welcomed addition, and it’s great to see how CRK continues to refine and upgrade their knives.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

One of the great draws to this knife is that the handle slabs have been made entirely from titanium. Indeed there are two thick pieces of 6Al4V titanium here and they have been given a nice sandblasted finish. This finish will show wear, and I see some very light scratches on mine, but if you wanted to you could have the handles sandblasted again for a factory fresh finish. As far as construction goes, this is a minimalistic free-flowing design, and everything has been bolted together for easy take down.

That said, if you want to get fancy, CRK can give you fancy, and this knife is available with a lot of interesting hardwood and micarta inlays. CRK also offers these knives with a huge variety of different graphics engraved into the handle. This adds an additional layer of collectability to the knives.

There is nothing too complicated with the ergonomics of this knife either. But again, the handle just works. There is a nice thumb ramp with good functional jimping and a very shallow choil is also present. For a smaller handle it fits me pretty well; I’m able to get a 4 finger grip without any trouble and I can easily control the blade.

The pocket clip is pretty special. First of all, it is made of titanium and secures with a single bolt. It’s a very secure fit so I’m not complaining. More importantly this clip works – and it works very well. It has a kind of double retention system, which in a way acts like two pocket clips at once (a “double-dip” clip? Just came up with that one…). It’s difficult to describe so take a look at the pictures (and video) to get a better idea of what I am talking about, but in short it makes for a very secure fit into your pocket and a nice comfortable carry.

Lockup and Deployment

The Sebenza uses either single or dual thumb studs for deployment. My particular model has a single thumb stud (or thumb “lug” as they like to call them in the Sebenza circles) set up for right hand deployment. CRK does in fact make versions with double thumb studs and they even make an entirely left handed version of the knife. My thumb stud came with blue anodizing, and while the blue anodizing provides a striking contrast, it does wear off with use. Kind of a bummer, but what can you do.

Deployment is slow, smooth and extremely purposeful. This is not a knife that you can flick out easily, nor would you want to for fear of compromising the titanium framelock. The smoothness of the deployment is near legendary, and it’s not uncommon for people to compare the deployment of everything else to the Sebenza.

The Sebenza features a Chris Reeve Integral lock – or a “frame lock” if you prefer. This was the frame lock that started them all, as Chris Reeve designed the lock for this knife. An exercise in absolute minimalism, the lock is part of the handle and it engages with a very satisfying and forceful “click.” To me this kind of lock oozes strength and security and lockup is very strong.

Now, I need to say there have been a report or two that this lock has occasionally failed under spine whacks, but to be honest (and as respectful as I possibly can), I don’t really care. (I was never into “spine whacking” and certainly wouldn’t subject that to a little EDC knife. I think for cutting tasks this lock is going to be plenty strong for pretty much everything you would put it up to.

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21: Final Thoughts

The small Sebenza is an excellent all-around edc knife. Hand made in the USA, this is the ultimate combination of an intelligent design, premium materials, and American craftsmanship. The Sebenza oozes quality and is an incredibly simple design done right. It is no wonder that most consider the CRK Sebenza the pinnacle of production pocket knives.

Perhaps the 900 lb gorilla in the room is the question, “is it worth the money?” Well, I think so, but then again I run a website entirely dedicated to cutlery, so perhaps I’m the wrong guy to ask. But really though, I hate answering this question.

Sure, you could just as easily carry a knife for a fraction of the cost. Lets face it, you don’t need a Sebenza to cut up a card board box, just like people don’t need a Ferrari to go from point A to point B, or a Rolex to tell the time – they buy these items because they want the best. In my mind this is a much cheaper thrill than a Rolex or a Ferrari so if you are someone who only wants the best, or someone who appreciates fine craftsmanship, or someone who has simply reached that point in your knife obsession where you have no where else to turn, then I think you will enjoy a small Sebenza.

Chris Reeve Knives Small Sebenza 21 – $350
from: BladeHQ

I recommend buying the Sebenza at BladeHQ or KnifeArt. If you purchase anything through any of the links on this website, I earn a small commission (at absolutely no additional cost to you) that helps keep the site running. Any support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.

Benchmade Bone Collector Mini Review

by Dan Jackson 2 Comments

Last Updated: May 22, 2019
I never grew up hunting. It was something my family never got into, and so I was deprived of that early introduction to the classic hunting knives that so many Americans get to enjoy. However, my family was big into fishing, so I’ve got some pretty mean filet knives – small consolation.

That said, I liked the Bone Collector series ever since Benchmade introduced the line, and picked up one of their the Bone Collector mini-folders (model 15030) for testing. I don’t use it for hunting, but the small size, great steel and solid construction make it a perfect EDC blade, and the Mini Bone Collector has been spending some serious time in my pocket this summer.

Purpose

Naturally, with the Bone Collector moniker and celebrity hunter Michael Waddell’s name etched on the knife, one would assume this is a small hunting blade. I’ve never used it for this purpose but the nice belly and gentle tip lead me to believe this would make a decent skinner. I’ve been using this knife as an EDC blade, and feel like it does the job just fine. This could also be a great (small) folding camp/utility knife. I’ll be examining the knife mainly from an EDC standpoint.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The mini Bone Collector (or “mini BC”) has a 2.95″ blade, an overall length of 7.08″ and a weight of 3.46 ounces. For an under 3″ blade, it may seem on the heavy side, but it’s a very sturdy design with a thick blade, full stainless steel liners and a full backspacer. It makes for a nice solid EDC knife.

The blade is a modified drop point design – modified to the point where it almost resembles a sheepsfoot blade. No doubt this was done in part to function as a skinning knife, but I found the good belly and relatively blunt tip to be both functional and friendly in appearance. The knife has a partial flat grind, that begins about 2/3 of the way up the blade, making for a strong design that slices well.

Benchmade used a thick piece of D2 tool steel for the blade. D2 is a high carbon tool steel that is very resistant to wear. Benchmade finished this steel to a rockwell hardness of 60-62, which is on the higher end for most EDC knife steels. Edge retention has been excellent and I haven’t noticed any chipping on the blade. One of the trade offs is that D2 is supposed to be more prone to corrosion than other steels. I’ve treated this knife like any other EDC knife (I keep it clean and dry) and have noticed zero corrosion down here in humid south Florida. In my opinion, if you are comparing this knife to a mini Griptilian or other axis lock knife in 154CM, D2 is a great upgrade.

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The mini Bone Collector handle is made from G10 scales over stainless steel liners. The G10 on my handle scales came very cool black and green pattern, although you have the option of plain black as well. The scales have been sculpted in a “bone” pattern. It’s a little different and further distinguishes this knife in the Benchmade lineup. The liners have been given a black finish and are meticulously skeletonized. The knife has a black G10 backspacer that is finished in a pattern faintly reminiscent of a spinal column, completing the Bone Collector effect. Construction is all top notch and everything has been bolted together with black stainless steel hardware.

The ergonomics on the mini BC are good. There is nothing particularly outstanding about the ergos, but I managed to squeeze all 4 fingers onto the handle without any issues. The choil area has been carved out to better accept the fingers and there is some functional jimping on the back of the handle. It’s not super aggressive jimping, but it holds my thumb in dry conditions. The heavily textured scale provides both visual interest and some moderate amounts of grip. I am not sure how well this jimping will hold up if you are skinning a deer and have hands covered in blood.

The pocket clip is outstanding. The mini BC comes with a standard arrow style clip, the same clip found on the HK 14210. This clip has been given a durable black coating and can be swapped to either side of the knife – tip up only. The clip rides fairly deep (not ultra deep) and is very discrete. This is a proven pocket clip design and is among my favorites.

Deployment and Lockup

Benchmade decided to include a thumb hole for deployment on the mini Bone Collector. One gripe is that the thumb hole is small. I took a tape measure to it and it measured out at 11mm. By way of reference a standard thumb hole on a Spyderco Knife is 13mm. It may not sound like much, but those 2mm actually do make a difference here and I found the thumb hole to be relatively difficult to actuate. The fact that the hole is partially blocked by the handle only exacerbates the problem. That said, deployment was certainly not impossible – it just took some getting used to after carrying so many Spydies. I do think under stress or with gloves it could be a challenge. Deployment itself was smooth though, and the knife sailed on it’s phosphor bronze bushings.

The mini BC has an axis lock, which hardly needs an introduction here. I’ve written a lot on the axis lock, but suffice to say, it works very well with this knife. I detected absolutely zero blade play and I love the ambidextrous ease of the axis lock. In conclusion, lock up is awesome.

Benchmade Bone Collector Review – Final Thoughts

The Bone Collector is an interesting addition to the Benchmade lineup. I think the mini BC offers something a little different with the D2 steel, sculpted green and black scales and thumb hole. It’s a tough knife with its thick blade and full backspacer. If you are comparing this knife to other smaller Benchmade knives, I think part of the decision will be if you like the look of the knife. The aesthetics are unique and some will definitely be drawn to the distinct Bone Collector styling. And if you hunt, well, perhaps that will factor into the decision as well.

As for overall fit and finish, this is at the usual Benchmade standard of quality. My knife came razor sharp, everything fit together perfectly and blade centering was near perfect.

The mini Bone Collector has left me with a very favorable impression. If you want a rugged axis lock folder with a small footprint and premium steel definitely consider the Mini Bone Collector . It’s a very well built and practical knife that could work just as well out in the field as it could at your home or work.

Although the Bone Collector is has been discontinued, and you likely won’t be able to buy one in stores, I recommend purchasing knives at Amazon and BladeHQ. Thanks for reading.

Kershaw Needs Work Review

by Dan Jackson 12 Comments

Last Updated: August 21, 2019
In my opinion the wharncliffe is one of the most under-appreciated blade shapes out there. Many may write the shape off as a novelty, but in my experience a wharncliffe blade can be incredibly useful for a lot of every day tasks. That’s why I wanted to make sure I eventually got down to reviewing one of my favorite production knives with a wharncliffe blade, the Kershaw Needs Work.

Buy the Kershaw Needs Work at BladeHQ

Buy on Amazon

At first glance this knife appears to be more at home on the set of an “Aliens” sequel than in your pocket. This is another Ken Onion design, and one of his more radical blades. I’ll admit, the look of the Needs Work had to grow on me a little, but I quickly warmed up to it. Today I really like the looks of this knife and the performance as well. I think Ken and Kershaw did a great job representing the “wharnie” here.

Purpose

To provide a little context, I would mainly classify this as a utility knife. That is, a knife that is used to cut a lot of boxes, leather, carpet, etc etc – a dedicated work knife for your shop or tool box, or to be carried while working a physical job with a lot of cutting tasks. The wharncliffe shape essentially provides a 3 inch razor blade, and the fine tip allows for unmatched precision.

I am hesitant to classify (or recommend) this as a full blown EDC knife, mainly because it doesn’t carry particularly well. However, it all boils down to what you want to use the knife for.

General Dimensions and Blade Detail

The Needs Work has a 3″ blade, a 4 1/8″ handle and weighs 3.5 ounces. This is a stout little folder designed for light and medium duty use. As you are well aware by now, the NW has a wharncliffe shaped blade. The NW’s blade is .12″ (3mm) thick – this is a thick piece of metal for a small folding knife.

From a design standpoint, Ken Onion gave this blade some of his characteristic flair. The blade includes gentle sloping curves and a nice little swedge. It’s a simple design that I really like. A hollow grind begins about half way down the blade.

The tip on this knife is exquisite, and will let you make very precise cuts. If you go through a lot of boxes, or cut stuff like carpet I highly recommend this blade shape. The angled handle only accentuates this feature. On the flip side, the fine tip means it could break – if you do a lot of thrust cuts or want a “hard use” knife I’m not sure the tip will hold up.

My Needs Work came with that gray matte finish popular on a lot of Kershaw knives (like the Skyline). You may also be able to find this knife with a black titanium nitride coated blade as well.

Kershaw went with Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel for the blade here, a steel I am very familiar with. It holds a very nice edge and sharpens easily. My only advice would be to keep an eye out for rust, I’ve noticed a couple small spots form on my Skyline.

Handle Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The Needs Work has a beefy handle with glass-filled nylon scales over full stainless steel liners. The thick handle offers good grip, but makes the knife a little harder to carry. The scales have been given a really unique pattern. It’s got a kind of organic alien looking vibe to it. I am not crazy about the pattern, but it’s not really seen as a negative either. There is a full backspacer and the liners have not been milled out.

The ergonomics on the Needs Work are pretty good. I noticed a lot of people raving about the ergos, but I found the handle to be a little small for my relatively large hand. I can squeeze all 4 fingers on the grip, but realistically, this is a 3 finger knife for me. It’s still a comfortable knife but my pinky does feel a little lonely there. The thumb ramp and choil are well defined and there is adequate jimping on both. The thick handle does feel good and the textured pattern provides some response. For some reason I really like throwing the NW into a reverse grip; the handle is well suited for it.

Perhaps the biggest ergonomic feature is the angle of this handle. This allows you to take full advantage of the fine tip. The Needs Work could be a great knife to cut dry wall, carpet or similar flat materials. I found it to be very convenient when I had to trim some posterboard for the background on my little photography studio. More conventional blade shapes (and handle angles) would make you rotate your wrist further to use the tip of the blade for precision cuts. The Needs Work is a much better design for those kinds of tasks.

Sadly, the pocket clip is something of an abomination. Right off the bat, you are limited to right-side tip-down carry only. Furthermore, the large (ugly) clip rides high in the pocket, adding insult to injury. In practice, I actually found the tip down carry to be OK given the flipper and assisted open. I’d much rather see some mounting options and a little more conventional looking clip. The clip and thick handle are the two main reasons why I am hesitant to recommend this as an EDC blade.

Deployment and Lockup

Deployment on the Needs Work is awesome. This is a speedsafe assisted opening knife, and the spring on this the NW shoots the blade of this knife out like a gun. This is a wicked fast deployment that makes an awesome cracking sound as the blade locks open. This is one of my favorite assisted openers; the cool blade shape and rapid deployment are too much fun.

Opening is only accomplished through the flipper – not an issue here at all.

Lockup on the Needs Work is equally impressive. The NW uses a very interesting liner lock that requires no stop pins. The tang of the blade locks into the liner at two different places. It’s hard to describe but very solid in practice. There is zero blade play in this knife, which is awesome when you consider how much force this lock is put under by the assisted opening.

Kershaw Needs Work Review – Final Thoughts

I really like this one. The unique blade, the chunky design, the lightening fast deployment and super solid lockup – these are all major plusses. Also, I found the wharncliffe blade to be uber useful. That tip allows you to do detail cuts like no other knife. I also love how the Needs Work was made in America, and can be found for right around $30. Also, the fit and finish on mine is great. Blade centering is perfect, the grinds are smooth and even – everything was well put together. This is a knife I am proud to add to my collection.

That said, I do ding the knife a little for it’s pocket clip – that’s my only real issue here, and to be honest it still carries pretty well considering. If you want a rugged utility knife, or are searching for something a little different I recommend the Needs Work.

Kershaw Work Knife with Black Injection-Molded Polyimide Handle and Sandvik 14C28N Stainless-Steel Blade

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Every time you connect the flash drive in, use "Y drive" App camera to take photos/video ,which will be automatically stored into the flash drive.
Mfi Certified flash drive guarantees fast and stable data transfers,one HD movies ( approx. 1GB) only needs about 20s.
iPhone X 5 5s 6 6+ 6s 6s+ se 7 7+; iPad (iOS 8.0 or higher), Computer OS Support Mac OS X v10.6+, Windows 7/8/10

I recommend purchasing the Kershaw Needs Work at Amazon or BladeHQ. Thanks for checking out my review.

Kershaw Blur Review

by Dan Jackson 22 Comments

Last Updated: February 20, 2019

While I enjoy reviewing all kinds of knives, it’s the mid size edc “working man’s” knives that I especially enjoy reviewing because these mid size EDC’s are what spend the most time in my pockets and in my hands. The Kershaw Blur is such a quintessential mid size EDC knife that a full review is long overdo.

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Also, I can’t ignore the fact that this another Ken Onion design. Ken Onion is the man behind a lot of the knives I have reviewed (such as the CRKT Ripple), and his designs are very famous for their flowing shapes. In contrast some of his other work, the Blur looks fairly pedestrian, but it is a good size knife with a very functional design which is part of the reason why I think the Blur has become so popular.

General Dimensions and Blade Details

The Blur has an overall length of 7.875″, a 3.375″ blade, weighs 3.9 ounces, and is made in the USA. It’s a medium to large size folding knife. I would classify this as a larger EDC knife or a tactical knife.

The Blur comes in many flavors and there is a little something for everyone with different colors, blade steels, handle inserts, and blade shapes. The “standard” Blur comes with a nice hollow ground drop point blade, but you also have the option of a tanto blade and there is even a blunt tip version for EMT and rescue applications. You also have the option of plain edge or partially serrated. Kershaw also sells this knife with a black DLC (Diamond Like Coating) on the blade – it’s an attractive option and wears really well.

In addition to that high hollow grind, there is also a slight recurve on the edge (which is more pronounced with the rescue version). The recurve is slight, which keeps this knife reasonably easy to sharpen. There is a swedge running along the top which keeps the tip of the drop point version strong.

In practice the Blur is a formidable slicer. The slight recurve and hollow grind make the knife excellent for cardboard. The tip provides a good combination of strength and piercing ability. This is designed to be a work knife, and I don’t hesitate to use it in that capacity.

As for blade steel, the base model comes with a fairly unassuming Sandvik 14NC28 steel blade (shown here). This is a good mid range steel, ideal for EDC. It takes an edge easily and holds it well. I have had no issues with rust – especially with the DLC coating. I would put 14NC28 above AUS-8 but below 154CM.

Kershaw also offers the Blur in S30V, CPM154CM, and a even a composite blade with Sandvik 14NC28 with a ZDP189 edge. I have also seen this knife in 440A, 420HC, and few others. The S30V version is especially popular, and a number of limited editions have been released over the years. There is a steel here for every taste (and every budget).

Handle, Ergonomics and Pocket Clip

The first thing you will notice about the handle is the sandpaper looking inserts. Kershaw calls this “Trac-Tec” and it is actually a rubberized material that provides plenty of traction without tearing up your hands. The rest of the handle is made from anodized 6061 aluminum and features a flow though (pillar construction) design. All in all this is a very strong design. The handles are very nicely finished and relatively light weight – I have no complaints.

The ergonomics of the Blur are excellent. This simple handle gets out of your way and affords a comfortable grip for small and large hands alike. There is a short run of jimping on the gently sloping thumb ramp. It provides just enough traction to index your thumb and hold it in place. The rubber trac-tec inserts aren’t my favorite feature of the knife, but I must admit they provide plenty of grip. All the corners have been rounded and the knife feels natural in hand. Perfect for getting plenty of work done.

The pocket clip is fairly well executed. Depending on your particular model, it comes with a matte black finish and rides pretty low in the pocket (not “super” low, if that is something you are looking for). It does allow for tip up or tip down carry, but it is not ambidextrous. One thing I especially like is how Kershaw doesn’t include their Trac-Tec texturing where the clip touches the handle. This makes the knife much easier to remove from the pocket (although I do find it sometimes hangs up a little.

Deployment and Lockup

Kershaw opted for ambidextrous thumbstuds here. The thumb studs are cut at an angle and dig into your thumb. One review I read said that the thumb studs looked like a “stair case” which is actually a pretty good description. Some people love these thumb studs, others hate them. I find that they work alright for my purposes. I think that these thumb studs work best with an assisted opener, but I think they are a little fiddly and not my favorite.

Being an early Ken Onion / Kershaw collaboration, this knife comes with Ken’s Speedsafe assisted opening system pre-installed. I am not the biggest fan of assisted opening knives, but the Speedsafe on the Blur is robust and the action is good. Of course, you can always take the spring out and reduce the Blur to a 100% manually opening blade if that is what you prefer. There is a small detent so the blade won’t fall out of the handle if you take away the assisted opening spring.

The Blur features a liner lock. I think the lock works well here, especially in the EDC and backup tactical roles. The liner engages early and the lock-up is strong with zero movement. The whole deployment and lockup aspects of this knife is a real plus in my book because it is very smooth. Kershaw knows how to put assisted openings and liner locks together and the Blur is an outstanding example of that knowledge.

Blade centering on my knife is pretty much perfect.

Kershaw Blur Review – Final Thoughts

The Kershaw Blur is a modern classic. Offered in a myriad of different blade steels and handle colors, there is a little something for everyone. This is one of Ken Onion’s more restrained designs for Kershaw, and the clean lines of the Blur has garnered it broad appeal, and the knife continues to sell well even years after it’s release.

In fact, the knife has developed something of a cult following among enthusiasts of high end knives. This is a humble blade, but it makes for a great beater. I respect the Blur in the same way that I respect the Cold Steel American Lawman, Buck Marksman, and Hogue EX04 (these are among my favorite folders with ~3.5″ blades). This is a tough working knife and was designed to be used.

The Blur is made in the USA, is well constructed, features quality materials, and is priced reasonably – usually between $45 and $75 depending on the trim level. This everyman’s folder gets a lot of things right, and for that reason I have included it as one of the my recommended EDC knives.

Kershaw Blur Black (1670BLK) Everyday Carry Pocketknife, 3.4 inch Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade, Cerakote Blade Finish, SpeedSafe Opening, Reversible Pocketclip; 3.9 OZ

KERSHAW BLUR BLACK POCKETKNIFE: A classic Kershaw with a do-it-all blade and dark good looks, the Blur is the perfect EDC for multi-tasking thanks to its big, slightly recurved blade. Made in the USA.
DROP POINT RECURVE PLAIN EDGE BLADE: Made from high-performance Sandvik 14C28N stainless-steel that holds its edge and resharpens easily. A Cerakote blade coating adds protection and enhances performance.
6061-T6 ALUMINUM HANDLE: The black anodized aluminum handle is scratch and fade-resistant. Trac-Tec inserts promote a secure, comfortable grip during use. Includes reversible pocketclip for right, tip-up/down carry.
DESIGNED WITH SAFETY IN MIND: Equipped with Kershaw’s assisted opening for easy one-handed release with thumb-stud. Inset liner lock secures blade in place for ensured user safety.
SIZE SPECIFICATIONS: Blade Length: 3.4in. Closed Length: 4.5in. Overall Length: 7.9in. Weighing in at 3.9oz. Backed by Kershaw’s Limited Lifetime Warranty.

I recommend purchasing the Blur at Amazon or BladeHQ. Please consider that purchasing anything through any of the links on this website helps support BladeReviews.com, and keeps the site going. As always, any and all support is greatly appreciated. Thank you very much.