New Knives From Kershaw
Kershaw Knives Celebrates its 50th Anniversary
Leek
Kershaw Knives turns 50 years old in 2024; their success is due in large part to their ability to adapt to a changing knife industry. The company started up at a time when traditional pocket knives and fixed blades ruled the day, but that business model got turned on in its head in the early 1990s when the first Gulf War in Iraq reared its ugly head. Within just a few years, traditional knives became an afterthought, giving way to the modern tactical knife movement. As traditional knives fell to the wayside, Kershaw took the bull by the horns, collaborated with top cutting-edge custom knifemakers, and expanded the company into the modern, innovative knife giant it is today. Pushing the envelope has become a hallmark of Kershaw Knives. In 1998, the company introduced Speedsafe (assisted opening) technology on its Ken Onion Random Task model, and it won BLADE Magazine’s American Made Knife of the Year award. Hesitant at first, within a few years, virtually all the major folding knife manufacturers had climbed aboard the train and assisted openers remain popular to this day.
Iridium
Iridium (Detail)
Innovative Reputation
The Kershaw Leek is a prime example of the company’s groundbreaking approach to knife design. Designed by Ken Onion, the Leek hit the market in 2003 and never left. Onion incorporated his assisted opening mechanism along with his clean styling, and it was an instant success. Some believe the secret to the Leek’s rapid success was its compact size at a time when most tactical designs tended to be much larger. The Leek’s compact dimensions, 7.0″ overall and 4.0″ closed, made it perfect for everyday carry with its reversible pocket clip — the ideal “dress tactical” for the day. The Leek has been issued in over 40 iterations since it hit the market. The one pictured here has an orange-anodized aluminum handle with a flipper-fired 3.0″ Sandvik 14C28N (Swedish) stainless steel Modified Drop Point blade in a matte bead-blasted finish. The Leek is, in a nutshell, a legend.
Controlled sensory overload best describes our next folder — the Kershaw Iridium tactical EDC. Visually, the Iridium’s 3.4″ saber-ground Spear Point blade is an exercise in clean styling with an attitude. Time-proven D2 steel does the slicing and dicing honors. The folders’ 4.5″ deep gray anodized aluminum frame, once again cleanly styled, houses cutting edge technology. The blade rolls out via thumb studs on a smooth-as-glass KVT ball-bearing pivot and locks up tight as a drum with Kershaw’s ambidextrous crossbar DuraLock. The coup de grace is the Iridium’s copper anodized combo lanyard loop/backspacer adding a bit of unexpected spot color.
The Radar is a discreet EDC for those who prefer stealth in their carry. This all-steel sleekster wears Kershaw’s BlackWash (black oxide) finish on its 2.9″ blade and 3.8″ frame. The 8Cr13Mov stainless steel blade is a deep hollow-ground Drop Point, saber-ground at the spine with jimping at the base for enhanced purchase. The blade rolls out in a flash via a flipper tab attached to the company’s assisted opening torsion bar. The rear handle slab has a frame-lock mechanism for sturdy lock-up, and the user has the option of mounting the pocket clip tip-up or tip-down, front or back. If you like choices in your carry, the Radar is your knife.
Radar
Outside The Box
Not surprisingly, when state laws banning automatic knives were being repealed around a decade ago, Kershaw jumped in feet first. Their Launch series, now up to 20 OTS (Out The Side) models, has been a huge success. Now, they’ve taken it one step farther.
Enter the Livewire, Kershaw’s first OTF (Out The Front) auto. Made in collaboration with custom knifemaker Matt Diskin, the design team at Kershaw pulled out the stops. The 3.3″ Stonewashed Spear Point blade is Crucible Industries’ CPM MagnaCut stainless — the hottest steel on the planet right now. The Livewire is also offered in a BlackWash finish, and an optional Japanese Tanto version is available as well. The blade fires by a side-mounted, ambidextrous, double-action thumb slide. The Livewire’s stylish 4.8″ milled aluminum handle is available in blue, light gray, or black anodized finishes. A tip-down pocket clip is included, and the weight is 3.06 oz.
Fixed blades have always been a part of the Kershaw line, and their Deschutes Skinner and Caper duo share the company’s knack for innovative design. These knives feature D2 Steel — a favorite among many hunters due to its sheer toughness and ability to hold an edge. The handles are grippy, rubberized Olive Green Polypropylene with checkering molded in for enhanced purchase. The Caper, featured here, is 7.0″ overall with a low-angled 3.30″ Clip Point blade sporting a Stonewash finish. Both the Deschutes Skinner and Caper include sheaths comprising a black glass-filled nylon main housing with a nylon belt loop and handle strap.
The adage “No risk, no reward” was never more true than with Kershaw Knives. When the company first produced assisted-opening folders, any number of things could have gone haywire — not the least their being banned. Instead, they started a knife revolution. More recently, they’ve carved out a huge chunk of the Automatic market. The knife manufacturer has done an admirable job of keeping their knife designs — fixed blades and folders — fresh and innovative. As they enter a new decade, Kershaw Knives is perfectly staged for a future of many more.
For more info: Kershaw.kaiusa.com
