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Tuesday, November 1, 2011

Kershaw Outcast Fixed Blade Knife Review

Kershaw Outcast Ken Onion Designed Fixed Blade Knife 10" D2 Blade

Kershaw's plain-edge Outcast is a decent choice for an outdoor knife. It's reasonably strong, fairly priced, and has the reputation of Kershaw behind its craftsmanship... three very good reasons to keep this one in mind. What can I say about the Outcast except that it's an incredibly good blade for the money. If you read no further, my summation is that the Outcast is a great blade to work with. The geometry is somewhere between a bowie and a khukri, and achieves incredible chopping prowess through Ken Onion's great design. The fit and finish match much pricier blades, and the ergonomics are top notch.


The blade has a recurve drop point with half-length top swage, a suitable choice for heavy outdoor use. It's made from 10 inches of hardened D2 steel, which is then coated with ti-nitride for extra resilience and shine. And it's full-tang as well. D2 steel is not cheap, and tends to be a very durable tool steel. When used in large blades, it can be tricky to work with as it can be hardened to the point of being brittle and can also be too soft. When it's worked correctly, it's durable stuff and it can still take and hold an edge. Many blade-buffs questioned Ken Onion's choice to use D2 in a mass produced blade, but I have yet to hear of anyone being disappointed in this knife. Kershaw appears to have locked down a careful process that takes advantage of this steel's benefits.



The blade is housed in a well made Kydex sheath with a unique belt locking mechanism reminiscent of some of the gun holsters I have seen. This seems to work as designed, but isn't the most comfortable on the belt of the wearer, I'd recommend some sort of pad between the belt lock and your hip to keep this clip mechanism from digging in.


The handle also seems fully prepared for tough usage since it boasts a double-injection molded Santoprene handle. Santoprene is the branded name for the most widely used thermoplastic rubber on the market. It performs well under extreme hot/cold temperatures, but possesses a lot of the same flexibility and durability that rubber does.


The knife comes with a lanyard if you prefer to hang it, or a black Kydex sheath if you prefer to wear it.

The Kershaw Outcast is an very good knife with excellent craftsmanship and I would definitely recommend it.


To buy or get more information on the Kershaw Outcast Ken Onion Designed Fixed Blade Knife with 10" D2 Blade, click the link below.

Kershaw Outcast Ken Onion Designed Fixed Blade Knife 10" D2 Blade





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