Friday, March 9, 2012

Kershaw Blackout Folding Knife Review


The Kershaw Blackout Knife is a folding blade primarily marketed as an everyday utility knife. It features a Sandvik 13C26 stainless-steel blade, a scratch-resistant Tungsten DLC coating and Kershaw's patented SpeedSafe opening system. Tungsten DLC (Diamond like Coating) was first developed by a weapons company looking for a non reflective coating that increases steel hardness.


The SpeedSafe is the opening device that helps you to open your Kershaw Knives. It consists of a torsion bar that keeps the blade closed. To open the knife you have to put manual pressure to overcome the force of this torsion bar. But once that this force is overcome the same torsion bar changes its motion and finishes to open the knife on their own. The Speed Safe system opens the knife smoothly and fast, and the blade locks into position ready for use. The key advantages of the SpeedSafe (besides being so cool) are that it permits an ambidextrous opening with only one hand and that it is really safe, because the torsion bar prevents that the blade deploys by accident.


The Sandvik 13C26 stainless-steel drop-point blade measures 3.25 inches and is available with a plain edge or a serrated edge. It is hardened to 55-57 on the Rockwell hardness scale. The quality of the blade is very good. The shape is nice, the point is sharp and the edge is straight, which ultimately makes sharpening it easier. There are no serrations on the blade. Sandvik is one of the largest global materials companies. They make a lot of different stuff and a lot of different steels. 13C26 is a newer modern steel. Sandvik's website has some very interesting microscope pictures of their steel compared to other stainless steels, showing a very fine and uniform grain structure. Finer grains make it easier to get a sharp edge, and even grain structures reduce the kinds of imperfections that create weak spots in the steel.

Sandvik 13C26 holds an edge very well. Sandvik's website recommends this steel for razor blades. For hard use knives, they recommend a different steel 12C27, because it's tougher (a little softer but resists breaking better). I use my Kershaw Blackout for a wide variety of everyday tasks and the blade has held up very well. It came very sharp from the factory and it has stayed very sharp for a long while before I had to resharpen it.

The handle is made of Injection Molded Polyimide - an extremely durable, stress resistant plastic for a secure grip.

The pocket clip works well. It is removable, but not reversible for lefties.

The Kershaw Blackout is an all around great knife. I recommend it.


To buy or get more information on the Kershaw Blackout Folding Knife with Assisted 3-1/4" Plain Blade and Polyimide Handles
, click the link below.

Kershaw Blackout Folding Knife Assisted 3-1/4" Plain Blade, Polyimide Handles



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