Kershaw Military Knife with 1 Piece, Drop Forged 1.4116 German Stainless-Steel

by Kershaw

Product Features

• Finish is bead-blasted, matte gray, and non-reflective
• Includes multi-use sheath and strap system
• Features a slim design for multiple carrying options

Product Description

The Military Knife is drop forged from 1.4116 German molybdenum/vanadium stainless steel for hardness and a very sharp edge. The knife's simple shape enables it to handle well and move quickly, making it ideal for personal carrying and utility. The finish is bead-blasted, matte gray, and non-reflective. Steel riveted POM scales provide an excellent grip, while the handle design and net-finish allows it to lend itself well to a variety of grip styles. Kershaw's multi-carry sheath expands the Military Knife's utility. The quick-release sheath features a slim design for multiple carrying options, including under the coat. It also carries well on the belt or strapped to a leg or arm.

Product Details

• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
• Shipping: Currently, item can be shipped only within the U.S.
• ASIN: B001CEJIXI
• Item model number: 4351
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (27 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #94,063 in Sports & Outdoors (See Top 100 in Sports & Outdoors)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

36 of 41 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A neat trick: elegant, useful "military boot knife", March 16, 2007

By 

Scott Burright (Laramie, WY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Most knife enthusiasts think of a very particular design when someone says "military boot knife." The archetype is the long, double-edged, needle-point Fairbairn-Sykes fighting knife (currently manufactured by Sheffield, among others), with its straight edges and foil-like grip. A more familiar variation may be the similar but more robust Applegate-Fairbairn pattern, exemplified by knives bearing that name as well as others like the AG Russel Sting. These are all essentially small daggers: double edged knives with the point set right down the middle, optimized for piercing but also suitable for slashing. Such knives are designed for one thing, which is killing people. They are not generally regarded as utility knives.

The Kershaw Military Boot Knife bears scarce resemblance to such knives. With its drop point, top "false edge," distal taper, and slim profile, it can definitely pierce much like the Fairbairn-style daggers. But the drop-point configuration gives the blade more belly for its width than any dagger, which makes it extremely useful for kitchen duty. It's really more like a long paring knife or a short boning knife than a small dagger. The pommel and guard are, to my eye, the only things marking this as a "military" design.

Indeed, I wish Kershaw had given in just a bit more to the utility aspect of this design by swapping the integral guard for something more like the bolster of a good kitchen knife. This would allow the use of the edge's full length on a cutting board while still keeping the fingers out of the blade in an emergency.

Still, that's a small complaint considering this knife's utility and value. My example arrived razor sharp. It seems to me that the POM (aka Delrin) scales were assembled to the tang before finishing, and then the two were machined together to final shape. The result is a fit and finish superior to anything I have seen in this price range.

It's a knife whose balance, keen edge, and slim profile would meet Fairbairn's requirements for a fighting knife (minus the double edge) while still being useful for something besides stealthily dispatching unwary sentries. That's a very neat trick. Since most campers cook far more often than they kill, this knife will get far more use than any other "military boot knife" that I'm aware of.

11 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!, August 13, 2009

By 

Daniel Brewer "Victorinox knife guy" - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kershaw Military Knife with 1 Piece, Drop Forged 1.4116 German Stainless-Steel (Sports)

This knife is simply great. The fit and finish are exceptional. The grip, size and balance are just right, as is the blade design. Note - this knife is intended for fighting, it is a weapon, not a utility knife. In my own cutting and penetration tests it outperformed virtually every other knife I own (which is quite a few), even larger blades.

The only drawback for military use would be that the blade is really too thin to punch through flak jackets, body armor, etc. (or for use as a combat utility knife). Otherwise it is very and quick an maneuverable and well suited to its intended purpose.

25 of 33 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Small knife, says "CHINA" on German Stainless Blade, May 24, 2010

By 

J. Edwards (Big-D) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kershaw Military Knife with 1 Piece, Drop Forged 1.4116 German Stainless-Steel (Sports)

I bought two of these to give as gifts but when they arrived I was surprised to see that the 1 Piece, Drop Forged 1.4116 German Stainless-Steel blade had "CHINA" stamped on it. Giving a German knife as a gift is one thing, giving a Chinese knife as a gift is something else. Not that there is anything wrong with Chinese knives, I'm just saying...
This knife looks like about $10.00 worth of Chinese steel and plastic. I thought it would make a cool letter opener but at $35.00 I had to send them back.