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Country of Origin – USA
Founded – 1974
Headquarters – Oregon, USA
Manufactured – USA / China
Website – kershaw.com
Kershaw is a well-known brand that produces high quality knives and other cutting tools. Thier blades and pocket knives are highly respected and sought after by outdoor enthusiasts, hunters, and professionals alike. Like many other knife manufacturers their primary production facilities are based in Oregon, USA. This is due to the states relatively relaxed knife laws throughout the state. Their knives are known for their exceptional quality, durability, and high-end craftsmanship. Since their birth in the knife industry, they have grown into one of the most well respected and popular knife brands among collectors and enthusiast with a passion for innovation. Bring out your sharpening stones and let’s slash our way through the details from this famous knife brand.
Kershaw Knives was founded in 1974 in Oregon, USA, by Pete Kershaw. The company’s primary goal was to produce high-quality blades that were accessible to everyone. The 1990s would later mark the end of a classic era for Kershaw. This time period introduced many modern features that are still seen today. In 1996, Koji Endo, CEO of Kai knifes believed there was more potential for the popular knife company to grow. In 1996, Endo invested in an American production facility at Kai USA’s Wilsonville base. He believed this plant would propel Kershaw to bigger growth, which it did. After Pete Kershaw retired from the knife industry, Jack Igarashi was appointed as the new COO of Kai USA. Igarashi brought a fresh mindset to Kai USA with the goal of always delivering quality, technology, and innovation to the new manufacturing plant for Kershaw. Since then, their knives have become a leading knife manufacturer in the United States, producing blades of exceptional quality and craftsmanship.
The quality of Kershaw Knives is evident in their design, materials, and construction. They use high-grade steel in their blades, such as 8Cr13MoV, D2, and VG-10. These steels are known for their strength, hardness, and edge retention, making Kershaw blades tough, durable, and long lasting. The blades are precision ground to ensure sharpness and accuracy, and many of the blades feature a unique and innovative design. They also use high-quality materials in their handles, such as g-10, carbon fiber, and aluminum. These materials provide excellent grip and durability, making their knives comfortable and easy to use for extended periods. The handles are designed to be ergonomic and to fit the hand comfortably, reducing hand fatigue and increasing control. These blades are all made from a wide range of steels, each with their own strengths in edge retention, corrosion, resistance, and sharpening ease. See below stats for the popular steels that Kershaw uses for their blades:
8Cr13MoV Steel
Kershaw heat-treats 8Cr13MoV steel to bring out its very best high-performance. This steels main performance characteristics is the ability to take and hold an edge, strength, and hardness.
HRC: 57–59
EDGE RETENTION: 3/10
CORROSION RESISTANCE: 3/10
SHARPENING EASE: 8/10
D2 Steel
This “semi-stainless” tool steel is known for excellent edge retention, wear resistance, and good toughness.
HRC: 59–60
TOUGHNESS: 6/10
EDGE RETENTION: 8/10
CORROSION RESISTANCE: 2/10
SHARPENING EASE: 3/10
VG-10 Steel
VG-10 is considered to be one of the highest-quality steel for knives today. With a knife like this, you can enjoy a sharp and durable edge.
HRC: 61
TOUGHNESS: 8/10
EDGE RENTENTION: 7/10
CORROSION RESISTANCE: 7/10
SHARPENING EASE: 6/10
Throughout history, knives have evolved through a wide variety of designs. Knife designs have been influenced from wars, military, civilians, law enforcement, historical conflicts etc. The list goes on for the birth of so many different type of blade designs. Through the mix of designs available today, it’s hard to know which type of knife and blade fits your needs. Below are a few examples of the most popular blade styles you can get today:
American Tanto Blade
The Tanto style angles upward to meet the spine. The angled edge can be straight or curved if needed. This blade type offers a strong, durable tip while the straight edge makes it ideal for push cuts.
Wharncliffe Blade
This blade has a straight cutting edge. The Spine of the blade gradually slopes down to meet the edge, forming a tip. The straight edge makes a great blade for slicing push cuts, for wood carving and utility work.
Spear point Blade
In this blade, the top and bottom of the blade are symmetrical, and the tip is in line with the center of the blade. It may have one or both edges sharpened. It offers tactical style as well as excellent piercing.
Cleaver Blade
The cleaver style blade is defined by a slightly curved belly and downturned tip. This is ideal for slicing and chopping tasks.
Drop Point Blade
The blades point drop down below the blade’s spine. It is one of today’s most widespread blade shapes because it’s an all-purpose blade.
Clip Point Blade
The tip of the clip point is lower that its spine. The top part of the blade has been “clipped” off so that the blade goes straight from spine to tip. The clip point can also have a concave curve to the tip.
Kershaw Knives are made in the United States, Japan, and China. While some may be hesitant about blades that are produced in China, this company has taken great steps in order to ensure that their products are of the same quality and craftsmanship, regardless of where they are manufactured. One example of the quality control measures put into practice by Kershaw are their placement of teams of engineers and specialists in China who oversee the manufacturing process and ensure that the blades meet Kershaw’s high standards. Through Kershaw’s wide selection of knives, there are a couple that have made an impact in their design lineup. The three most popular and prominent knifes that Kershaw pushes is the Leak, the Blur and the Scallion. These knives are not only built for quality, but the design of these also knifes play a major part in their functionality. Let’s dive into each of these knifes to see if one of these is a fir for you.
The Leek
The Kershaw Leek is a one of the most popular EDC knifes on the market. This knife was designed by the legendary Ken Onion. The leek is firmly planted in the EDC category. It comes in a great size and is a durable design which makes it perfect for daily carry. The leek comes a variety of materials and colors to choose from. The Leek has an overall length of 7″, a 3″ blade, weights 3 ounces, and is a USA made Knife. Like the vegetable it was named after, this is a sleek and slim design.
The Blur
The Kershaw Blur is a great choice for and every day carry (EDC) knife. It’s tough and rugged and holds an edge extremely well. With the abundant choices Kershaw offers on color and blade styles, the user has options to customize the Blur to their own preferences. This blade is made with high performance 14C28N stainless steel with a black cerakote coating for extra blade protection and hardness. This knife also has an assisted opening option for easy one-handed dealing.
The Scallion
The Kershaw Scallion is highly rated for its overall versatility. It is a dependable every-day-carry (EDC) knife that is also affordable. Unlike some of the other knives that are made in China, this Kershaw knife is manufactured here in the United States. You shouldn’t be concerned about its small size because it is still a razor sharp and should be more than sufficient for any of your normal cutting needs. This knife is made with a high carbon 420HC stainless-steel blade, which is in the low to mid- range class of steels, but the high carbon will be very corrosion resistant.
As a whole, Kershaw Knives is a brand that produces knives of exceptional quality and craftsmanship. Their blades are made with high-grade steel and high-quality materials which are designed to be durable, comfortable, and easy to use for anyone who finds themselves using one. If you are in the market for a quality knife that you can depend on, Kershaw knives are a great option. Ranging from Fixed Blade Knives to folding knives, Kershaw will deliver a knife for any situation or demand. Here at True Shot Gun Club, we rely on knives every day for our warehouse operations as well as outside of the warehouse, and Kershaw is a brand that we have built confidence in over the time that we have been using them.
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