Customer Reviews

Kershaw Skyline Knife with Textured Black G-10 Handle

5 star:		(74)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm a multitool person and generally consider a folding knife as a waste of space, until I see this one.

The good:
1) Very light. At 2.3 Oz this is probably the lightest folder with 3 1/8" blade. It's the single most important feature for me who wear slacks instead of jeans at work.
2) Slim profile. Without the clip it's only 3/8", and with clip it's a little over 1/2". It doesn't create a visible bulge.
3) G10 scales. G10 is a modern fiberglass that's both very light and tough it's practically indestructible. The particular scales here have non-slip surface that feels like coarse fabric, good to keep the knife in your hand when wet.
4) Flipper. With little practice you can very quickly deploy the blade with just your index finger. The flipper also serves as finger guard preventing the blade from accidentally closing on you.
5) Liner lock. It obviously keeps the blade in open position (very solid), but a bump on the lock also mates with a hole on the blade to keep it closed. You have to apply a little extra pressure to open the blade, but it's good because it prevents accidental opening.
6) Finger groove. Deep index finger groove gives positive grip that prevents slippage. It makes the knife safer to handle.
7) Reversible & removable pocket clip. You can position the clip so the tip points up or down in your pocket, although it's on the right-hand side only. I removed mine because I don't need it.
8) Conventional drop-point blade. This is a versatile design that gives a good balance for many purposes. It's good for cutting and slicing without having too weak of a tip.
9) Decent steel. In the past Kershaw used 13C26 stainless steel by Sandvik (sweden), which has a reputation to rust but otherwise has good edge retention properties. The newest editions use 14C28N Sandvik steel that's supposed to be more resistant to rust.
10) Very reasonable price. With all its design features and modern materials, the knife is a steal at under $40.

The bad:
1) The pocket clip is not ambidextrous, so it will be less convenient for left handed people.
2) Thumbstuds are useless.

All in all, it's a great EDC (every day carry) knife.

Edit: After a year of ownership, I still EDC this knife the most despite owning other fine products from Spyderco and Benchmade.
Additional thoughts:
- The pocket clip is really tight, but it's not a problem for me because I don't use it.
- The blade is hollow ground, which means the surface between the cutting edge and the spine is slightly concave. It makes the knife a good slicer.
- The metal liner that locks the blade open is only on one side. This feature saves weight without sacrificing too much rigidity.
- The blade thickness is about 2mm or slightly over 1/16". It's not the beefiest blade, but combined with the single liner construction this knife is designed as a slicer rather than a chopper or mini pry bar.
- It comes sharp out of the box, definitely good enough for its intended use. This detail escaped me because I always sharpen my knives to my own standard.
- The blade is nicely centered between the scales when closed.
- I can use the thumb studs, but with difficulty.
- Torx screw construction. If you have the appropriate screwdriver bits, you can adjust the pivot tension and disassemble the knife for cleaning & lubrication. Can't take this for granted because there are many knives out there put together with rivets, making adjustment impossible and cleaning a chore.
- Bronze washers between the blade and the liner/scale makes it smooth to open.

Second edit after second year of ownership:
- I disassembled the knife completely, polished the phosphorus bronze washers with Flitz, then lubricated all the moving parts with mineral oil. Now it flies open every time I pull the flipper.
- The steel is reputed to be fine grained and capable of high degree of sharpness. I sharpened it on extra fine diamond stones and stropped it on leather, and now it's sharp enough to literally split hair. Fine grained indeed.
- Despite all the scratches from use, I don't see any sign of rust.
- It's not pleasant nor politically correct, but the knife would make a good slasher (thin profile) and stabber (pointy spear point). The index finger groove and flipper positively prevents your hand from moving forward in a thrust. In an emergency it can safely be used as a weapon.
- It has quite a long cutting edge in proportion to the blade. The cutting edge is as long as the blade, so it rivals the cutting efficiency of many other knives 1/2" longer.

Wow. There are a lot of knife enthusiasts on Amazon.

Some excellent, in-depth reviews here.
I'll try to keep mine short, and to the point.

If you're used to a quality blade, you'll be happy with this one.
If you're used to $10 knives, you'll be amazed at the difference.

I needed this for a "work-horse" of an EDC, which will get some actual use, and abuse.
As such, I wanted to keep the price down, but the quality reasonably good.

Bingo. Found it.

EXCELLENT steel. Trim and light carry. Lawful but FAST one-handed deployment.
"Fit and Finish" is just outstanding for such a humble little utility tool.

Rub your hand along the back of the blade. The edges are totally smoothed and rounded.
Go around the whole exterior of the knife. Same thing. Every exposed edge is FINISHED in some way.
Rounded, smoothed, the edges of the scales are beveled, even the edges of the protruding "Flipper" mechanism,
and the steel edges of the pocket clip are rounded smooth and polished.

Note: This isn't my only Kershaw (yeah, I'm another "knife guy" I guess.) This is typical of their quality.
I guess you could say I'm a fan.

Say what you like about resin-based materials.. G10 scales are great for this application.
They are light, strong, and just feel REALLY good when you grab 'em hard, like you mean it.

The handle includes a wonderful detent for the index finger, that affords me a "full-sized" fist grip on the blade, very secure, which is a big suprise for a knife this size. May I call that a full-sized grip from a "medium" sized knife, if you know what I mean.

Moreover, the blade profile is great for me. Robust belly, hollow-grind, and carton-slitting drop-point.
The blade will be good for cutting and slicing, BAD for prying.

I'm also very fond of the bead-blast finish. The blade length is substantial enough to make this a good, solid tool, without generating gasps of fear and horror from by-standers.


This is a very suprising knife at this price.

Couple of suggestions:

You might want to reverse the clip for tip-up carry so the blade will deploy correctly.
Faster / more comfortable that way, but the knife will protrude a bit more with the clip reversed.

You might want to remove the pocket clip altogether (my choice) to maximize this knife's slim, sleek profile, and lighten it a bit more. Think about it. Do you really NEED / use a pocket clip? Up to you, but try it. You can always re-install it.

If you want to keep / use the clip, then do yourself a favor and take a dremmel and lightly sand off the texturing under and around the clip. The G10 texture is very aggressive and the clip is strong, together they will quickly errode any cloth you clip it too in no time. Denim included.

At this price, you really can not go wrong with this little guy.
Yes, there are a lot of really great folders out there.
Frankly, I can afford any knife I want. For this specific use, my choice is this humble Kershaw Skyline.
And an excellent choice it is.


-Berk

I was looking for a small, secure assisted knife for pocket carry, and almost bought the Kershaw Leek -- a very popular knife -- for that purpose (I may still buy the Leek.)

I am partial to Kershaw; they seem to try hard to give you extra value and workmanship for your money and their designs are solid. The Kershaw Blur, which I own and love, is a larger assisted folder that opens lightning fast and is an excellent value, but is more knife than I want to carry everyday, it's more for fending off ravaging grizzly bears and bill collectors.

I generally prefer assisted opening knives, I don't care for flippers. And at first I thought I had made a mistake here. It would open and lock some of the time, but I couldn't get a consistent lock. However, when I got a torx wrench and slightly loosened the pivot screw (don't overdo this, just a little was needed on my knife), it suddenly transformed into a solid performer. The blade shape is perfect, like a leaf, not the more aggressive thin profile of the Leek. When the blade locks open, it creates a protecting guard for your forefinger that adds a good bit of safety and security in use. The wider blade makes it better for slicing and food prep, plus it does not look as threatening to others - a consideration in a knife you carry every day.

Construction is solid. its very light and thin because the plastic grip forms one side of the handle. The handle material is absolutely perfect with a fabric pattern molded into the handle that feels very secure and comfortable, the complete opposite of slippery.

The build is also perfect, with high grade torx screws used throughout, and bronze bushings on the blade pivot that give it a very smooth open and close. It comes out of the box fully lubricated and sharpened -- it can shave leg and arm hair no problem. When I get a chance, I'll put a finer finish on the edge, but it comes out of the box with a working edge.

Update 8/23/2009: If you're still having trouble getting a full 'open and lock' after adjusting the pivot screw the problem is friction from elsewhere. Note that most of the opening friction does not come from the pivot (assuming its VERY LIGHTLY lubricated); there is also a tiny bearing (looks like half a tiny ball bearing) sunk into the frame. The rear of the knife rides on this during opening. You can see this more clearly if you disassemble the knife, look for an arc-shaped mark at the rear of the blade. VERY LIGHTLY oiling the bearing will reduce some of the friction. You don't want to use so much oil that grit is attracted the location and creates MORE friction. Modern oils work at a molecular level anyway.

Conclusion: A bargain and a near perfect every day pocket knife. At the Amazon price, a steal.

=== Specifications - "The Facts" ===
-- Blade Steel: Sandvik 14C28N Stainless Steel with Stone-Washed Finish
- A stonewashing looks similar to bead/sand blasted frosting. The blade is refined by tumbling with an abrasive media, or "stones." The finish tends to mask any scratches that occur with use.
-- Blade Shape -
-- Handle: Textured Black G-10 Polymer
-- Blade Length: 3.125 inches (7.9 cm)
-- Closed Length: 4.25 inches (10.8 cm)
-- Overall Open Length:
-- Weight: 2.3 oz.
-- Lock Type: Liner Lock
- The "liner" is a metal part that forms part of the handle. When the blade is fully deployed, part of the liner, called the liner lock, wedges underneath the blade, locking the blade in an open position.
-- Opening Mechanism: Ambidextrous Thumb Stud or Flipper
- A thumb stud is a cylindrical shaped stud that is attached at the base of the blade near the handle, allowing deployment with one hand. The blade opens when moderate pressure with a rotation sweeping motion is applied on the thumb stud with one's thumb.
- A flipper is an extended part of the base of the blade that protrudes on the back side when the blade is closed. The blade flips open when some moderate pressure is applied by one's index finger on the flipper.
-- Pocket Clip: Reversible, Right-side Pocket Clip
-- Lanyard Hole: Yes
-- Function: Everyday Carry, Utility

=== Overview - "First Impressions" ===
The Kershaw Skyline is a handsome everyday carry (EDC) folding knife. It features a stonewashed stainless steel blade with black, aggressively textured G-10 polymer handle scales. The blade's 3.125 inch length and drop-point blade shape makes it ideal for everyday utility use. The very light 2.3 ounce weight and medium size makes it easy to pocket and a very light burden.

=== Performance/Lasting Impressions - "Things to put on the backburner." ===
-- Lock - The Kershaw Skyline locks up very well. Once locked, the blade does not wiggle side-to-side or forward-backward. Liner locks, by nature, are thin; however, for the Skyline, it is more than sufficient. In addition, when the knife is in the closed position, it will not inadvertently open. It takes deliberate and moderate pressure on the thumb stud or flipper for it to open. By pushing the liner lock to the left unlocks the blade to close. Gimping on the liner lock makes closing the blade easy work.
-- Maintenance - The knife is completely user maintainable. All of the screws accept Torx bits. At the knife's pivot point, the use a phosphor bronze washers that allow the blade to open and close smoothly unlike some other knives that uses plastic or Teflon spacers that becomes brittle overtime.
-- Opening - The knifes opens very quickly and smoothly with the use of the flipper. The use of the thumb stud, however, is very difficult. The thumb stud is located too close to the handle, making it hard for the thumb to have any purchase on the stud. The thumb stud is also too close to the knife's pivot point, giving very little leverage to open the knife. Lastly, the shape of the thumb stud resembles a volcano, with the smaller part on top and a large base, reducing the grip on the thumb stud. This makes this knife almost exclusively a flipper opening folding knife.
-- Customization - The pocket clip is reversible for either tip-up or tip-down carry. However, the handles are drilled and tapped for clipping on the right pocket. There are no options for left pocket carry. In either tip-up or tip-down configuration, the knife protrudes about a half-inch out of the pocket. It would be nicer if it would carry deeper, but this is minor.
-- Blade Steel/Sharpness - The Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel, according to the included literature, is "shaving sharp." Out of the box, the knife is indeed shaving sharp. This knife should hold up after some use in everyday carry. (I may add to this review later when it comes time to sharpen the knife.)
--Handle Texture/Shape - The black G-10 handle scales has a high traction texture looks like "checkering" and has the traction of skateboard tape. Even though the aggressive texture is great for maintain control over the knife when cutting and handling, the texturing under the pocket clip makes it a bit hard to clip your pocket and may shred the pocket. The handle's shape is ergonomic and feels solid in hand. A half-moon shape is cutout beneath the blade on the handle giving a perfect place for the index finger adding to grip and control.

=== Recommendation - "What I think..." ===
This is a wonderful and good looking everyday carry folding knife. If you want a light, compact, sharp, and affordable knife to carry around for whatever task arises, then this is the blade to get. As a right-handed person, the right pocket only setup is not an issue for me; however, for left-handed knife carriers, this may be a major detractor. The aggressive handle texture beneath the pocket clip may be annoying; however, is not a show-stopper for me. I live in an area that has a 4-inch blade restriction, and this knife, with its 3+ inch blade, fits the bill. I understand that this knife is not perfect, but the Kershaw Skyline meets my expectations for a less-than-forty-dollars knife (as of 2010); therefore, I recommend the Kershaw Skyline folding pocket knife for anyone looking for a good budget knife.

I love this knife. At first I thought the index nub was weird, but now I don't want a knife without it....it opens with a quick flick.

There was one big problem with my knife. It did not lock securely, and I was able to close the blade, with some gentle force, without pressing the release. There was a bad fit between the base of the blade and the liner locking mechanism. The solution was to take the knife apart, very gently grind the base of the blade and bend the liner lock so it will go into the lock position with more force. Now, the knife has a nice solid snap when it opens, and locks very securely. I was very careful how much I ground off, so the knife has no play when locked.

Awesome sharp blade.

Make sure you verify that your knife locks securely before putting much trust in it.

I am excited on my first folder knife that I had purchased for EDC. I like the overall blade geometry and feel/look of the knife. The Knife is very sharp and the G10 handle feel comfortable and provide a secure grip. No wiggle in any direction and feel solid for such a light folder knife. The thumb stud is pretty much useless but who cares since this knife is marketed as a flipper anyway (by the way the flipper design is excellent). Also note that once fully engage in the open position, the flipper will act as a lever thumb guard in the event should the liner lock fail when you use the knife in a stabbing motion. I know this is just nip picking but the pocket clip came very tight so clipping it in my pocket and withdrawing is tough.
All in all this knife is great.

I'm a knifemaker and have a house full of knives, but I always seem to be looking for the perfect every day pocket knife for around the house and the shop. I have a couple of contradictory criteria, it has to be well made, easy to carry, have a good-sized blade and take and hold a great edge. On the other hand it has to be inexpensive enough that I don't mind using it for rough work in the shop where it might get damaged.

This knife meets all those criteria. The blade takes and holds a fabulous edge very easily. The knife is incredibly light but well made and the blade lockup is very tight, no worries about it slipping. I've almost lost a finger before due to a lock failing so I'm very particular about that. The G10 scales give a very secure grip while weighing next to nothing.

I've been recommending this knife to all my friends, telling them it's the best deal on a relatively inexpensive pocket knife around. Highly recommended!

I received my first Kershaw Skyline about 3 weeks but this knife makes a lasting impression.

First of all, this bad boy comes out of the box razor sharp so watch yourself. This is something that I hear Kershaw prides themselves on and is one of many reasons I plan on buying more of their knives in the future.

The blade can hold an edge very well and pretty easy to sharpen even for a novice like myself.

The handle and the clip are possibly my favorite features of this entire knife. The handle is made of G10 scales which feels great in your hand and doesn't stop helping you grip the thing even when it's wet. I've heard of the scales and the clip tearing up your pockets but I haven't had an issue with it yet. I've carried this knife in my khaki's (I work at a big box electronics store so it's a part of my uniform) and my jeans with no problem at all.

It's a liner lock which I typically don't like unless it has some sort of safety feature like a CRKT auto-lawks or whatever because I always have this irrational fear of the lock snapping and my hurting myself but it's incredibly sturdy and tough. I have all the faith in the world in this lock and there is absolutely no wiggle on the blade in any direction which is impressive.

One thing that has been driving me a little nuts about all of the reviews I've seen on Amazon and other sites have been the complaints about the thumbscrews and the blade being difficult to be deployed using them. My answer to that is pretty simple, it's difficult to deploy with the screws because it's not meant to be deployed with the screws. First of all, it's a flipper by design and that's about the only way you can and should deploy this blade. Second, if you look closely at the knife when you blade if deployed, the screws sit up against the handle. They're used to stop the blade from deployed any further than what it's designed for. With that being said, the deployment did feel a little sluggish out of the box but eased up after about a day or two of compulsively deploying the blade and putting it away like I do with all of my new toys when I get them. I drove my girlfriend nuts which was pretty fun too.

All in all, I love this knife so much that I bought a second Skyline less than a week after I received my first one to keep as my spare. The way I see it, for the price and for it's features, I'd be kicking myself if I lost the first one and didn't have another one to replace it as soon as I got home. I feel weird when I don't have it on me. It's kind of like leaving home without your wallet or your keys or your cell phone.

This is an outstanding EDC knife, and should be perfect for any general purpose task you might throw at it. The blade itself is hollow-ground and of a drop-point design, measuring out at 3-1/8". It cuts like an evil villain's laser beams out of the box (absolutely shaving sharp), and the hollow grind makes the Skyline an outstanding slicer. The blade is fairly thin, which lends itself nicely to precision cutting work, but may not be well-suited to harder-use tasks like a saber-ground Spyderco Delica/Endura 4 might. The blade is made from 14C28N stainless steel, and holds its edge quite well. I've carried this knife continuously for about a month now and used it every day (mostly opening packages and cutting lots of food), and it only once needed a few swipes across the fine stones on my Spyderco sharpmaker to bring it back to paper-slicing, hair-popping sharpness. The blade had some minor cosmetic scuffing and wear near the pivot at delivery, but was otherwise flawless.

Unlike many of Kershaw's offerings, the Skyline is NOT an assisted-opening design. However, it doesn't really need it. A firm push inward on the flipper brings out and locks the blade. There are also dual thumbstuds on the blade, but these are difficult to access because they are situated almost flush to the handles/scales when the knife is closed. The pivot action is buttery smooth and offers just enough resistance (so you won't slice fingers off trying to close the knife one-handed) and the locking liner is rock-solid: absolutely no wiggle in the blade in any direction.

The scales are made of medium-textured G-10, which is grippy enough to inspire confidence. The G-10 material is well-machined, with no sharp points or surfaces along any of the handle contours. The deep finger choil makes controlling the knife quite easy, and adds confidence in handling the knife. The pocket clip is repositionable for tip-up or tip-down carry (right hand only), and is quite rigid and tight (which works fine with great pocket retention in my jeans, but might cause some fabric wear over time with other materials). The knife weighs 2.6 ounces, and is so slim and light that in terms of overall pocketability, I often forget that I am carrying this knife (until I need it).

Kershaw hit a home-run with the Skyline. It is well-constructed, comfortable, and extremely good at its intended purpose. The fact that it is $35 and made in the United States is icing on the cake. If you're in the market for a lightweight ~3" folding blade, and aren't bothered by the flipper opening design, this knife seriously deserves your consideration.

Such a wonderful knife!

Has a nice little spear point for poking, nice little belly for cutting and it's razor sharp thanks to it's relief edge.

I can't stop playing with this flipper design!

I'm having so much fun with a pocket knife that's light and so versatile.

If you don't have one of these in your collection or on your person for EDC (every day carry) then you're totally missing out lol

Thanks Nutnfancy for reviewing this great knife!