A day doesn’t go by that I don’t give at least one of the knives I’m carrying a couple of swipes on a small diamond sharpener. Prior to each hunting season, I’ll grab each of my fixed-blade knives and hone them even if they don’t seem to need a touch-up. I prefer diamond sharpeners from Eze-Lap and keep one in my backpack, another in a desk drawer at the office, and another in a basket above my home computer.
The advent of pocket clips on single-blade folding knives found virtually everyone in my sphere with the top of a folder visibly clipped in their pocket, sometimes one on each side. I’m not sure all of them understood the value of having a good working knife — one might presume several of them had the knife because they’d seen others carrying knives and figured they need to have “the look” whatever that might be, for any little chore that came along.
Since there was no Shooting, Hunting and Outdoor Trade (SHOT) Show this year, we’ve all missed a chance to see what’s new in personal cutlery. But a few days ago, my Inbox received a message from the good folks at Kershaw so I spent a leisurely hour or so perusing through the new stuff.
When You Need a Knife, You Really Need a Knife!
Back when I was in junior high school, my habit of carrying a pocket knife was so widely known and accepted the shop teacher once reached into his pocket, came up empty and immediately asked to borrow mine for some cutting necessity.
Today, I’d get booted off campus for that, perhaps even prosecuted.
During my formative years, one could never tell when you might need to gut a trout, cut some twine or rope, skin a rabbit or raccoon, sharpen a pencil, open a box or create a pile of wood shavings for a morning fire because such opportunities had a habit of materializing at a moment’s notice. You can’t do any of that stuff without a knife.
My grandpa carried a traditional folding pocketknife with a couple of blades. He was a retired carpenter and was always fiddling around with things that might require a quick cut. Every night he would place that knife on a small table next to his easy chair.
My dad carried the same kind of knife. He was a mechanic and on any given day he might have to cut a radiator hose or fan belt. At home, he had a vegetable garden and a pocketknife always comes in handy for cutting trailing vines, strings for bean plants, or slicing seed potatoes. He also used it to cut fishing leaders, slice bacon in camp and other things.
Jump ahead several decades. The armed citizen who doesn’t have a good, sharp knife handy at all times is not well equipped and may one day regret it. “Sharp” means capable of shaving in a pinch and “good” means a reliable tool made from quality steel that will keep an edge for use in an emergency, such as cutting an accident victim out of a jammed seatbelt or building a shelter.
Kershaw makes good knives, and not just because they’re based in Oregon. The Northwest is home to some of the best knife companies anywhere including Columbia River Knife & Tool, Gerber and Benchmade (all in Oregon), Buck (Idaho) and SOG Specialty (Washington).
My younger son is something of a Kershaw fan. I’m a bit reluctant to show him the new knife models as his desires sometimes out-weigh his wallet. But he’s got a birthday coming up in February so I’ve been checking out three of the new models, and there are some 20 in the lineup.
First on my list is the Model 1390 Tremolo, a rugged-looking little folder with a glass-filled nylon handle, reversible pocket clip, liner lock, SpeedSafe assisted opening with flipper and a 3.125” 4Cr14 blade with a stonewashed finish. It’s part of Kershaw’s “Starter Series,” but there’s nothing “beginner” about this model. It weighs a scant 2.8 ounces and has an overall length of 7.25” when opened.
I’m also looking at the Cannonball Model 2061, described by Kershaw as “tough, beefy, and loaded with firepower.” This one should handle lots of chores easily, with a 3.5” D2 blade with an upswept edge and a BlackWash black oxide finish. The handle is stainless steel with a gray PVD coating, and it measures 8” overall when open. It also offers SpeedSafe assisted opening, and has a reversible pocket clip. This one features a frame lock, and it weighs 5.4 ounces.
There’s also an intriguing little fixed-blade model called The Brace (Model 2085), with something of a skeleton frame with a removable glass-filled nylon overlay that serves as a handle. Made with 8Cr13MoV blade steel with a stonewashed finish, I guess what gets my attention is the 2” blade with its upswept edge.
Kershaw calls this a “neck knife” because the polypropylene sheath has a cord designed to tie loosely around one’s neck. The knife won’t fall out. I can see the Brace being used in the backcountry, during the fall hunting season to cape out a deer or elk, and to accomplish other chores. It might also be a decent survival knife because it is almost unnoticeable with its 1.6-ounce weight. It measures only 4.9” from point to butt.
I expect to see more new models from various manufacturers over the next several weeks. If you carry a gun for personal protection, or you spend time in the outdoors, you will eventually need a good knife. Buy the best you can afford, and you’ll never be disappointed.