Kershaw Ken Onion Bump Knife Review

After a long wait, Kershaw Knives finally did it again. They released a high end Ken Onion designed model called the Bump. It's perhaps the sexiest looking piece I've seen come from this dynamic duo. There are curves all over this beauty! There is not one straight line on this piece, making for a visually exciting knife as well as comfortable to hold and use. The 3-D machining and anodizing gives the titanium handle a lot of vibrance as well as texture. One look at this piece and you can easily discern that this design came from the mind of Ken Onion.

The Bump's blade shape kind of defies definition. It is essentially a clip point with a bump in the profile of the belly, hence the moniker [I guess!]. Anyhow, it is 3.5 inches long, flat ground out of 1/8" S30V stock. Dual thumb studs are present though I don't see the point in having them on this knife as there is a flipper which aids in opening the blade fast and easy with the assistance of the Speed Safe mechanism. Out of the box the edge was laser sharp per Kershaw's usual work. Grinds are even, though on this particular sample the swedge grinds are off a bit. Though, this has no impact on performance and barely visible unless you look at it up close.

The handle is milled from 6AL/4V titanium and there is an integral lock cut out of one of the scales. Integral locks are stronger than your standard liner lock® and also make the knife thinner due to the lack of liners. The buyer has a choice of two handle colors - blue and green. Both come with gold highlights and the 3-D textured surface. While the texturing adds to the look, it also gives the user a nice grip as the surface isn't so slick. Though, the appearance of the blue or green handles maybe a bit too "festive" for some, I find them to be refreshing. This knife will clearly stand out in a sea of black and grey knives. A steel pocket clip is mounted at the pivot end to carry the Bump tip down in the pocket, and does so relatively low.

The lockup is excellent. No play in any direction and the blade snaps out instantly with the tug of the flipper when the blade is closed. Action is smooth. So far, the Bump has been a pleasure to carry. It also is a nice conversation starter too with its sexy curves and vibrant handle treatment. Performance wise, the S30V steel is the best you can get today and a big kudos goes out to Kershaw for opting to use this steel for the Bump. The large finger recess in the handle forms sort of an integral finger guard in which to protect your hand from sliding up on the blade.

The swells in the handle are in all the right places to fill your grip nicely. It feels as if the knife were molded to your hand. The blade geometry and shape facilitates easy cutting. The bump in the cutting edge allows for easy slicing when using a smooth, even, sawing motion. So, the blade's appearance does have function as well as aesthetics. No complaints at all in the blade department! I even had to do some work with the knife that required some work with the tip of the blade. The Bump handled this task well. I was able to choke up on the handle and blade effectively to provide the necessary control.

Kershaw has struck a gold mine when they paired up with Ken Onion. Chives. Leeks. Whirlwinds. Blurs. And now, Bumps. Another winner in this knife design tag-team. My recommendations would be to produced a "toned down" version for those who might think the blue or green anodizing to be a bit too flashy for their tastes. Also, the dual thumb studs could be done away with since the flipper offers quick and easy deployment with either hand - even for those not familiar with the Speed Safe assist opening mechanism. While Ken Onion's designs are certainly very pleasing to the eye, their appearances are not in any way overshadowed by performance, and Ken's knives are designed to perform as well as they look. And the Kershaw Bump is no exception to this. The Kershaw Ken Onion Bump Knife will add a high performance flash to any collection so get yours today!

All Comments are Welcome and Appreciated.