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Innovative design, solid quality, slim profile, April 17, 2009
I've had this knife for almost 2 years now and I carry it daily. When I bought it, I was just looking for something new to carry. I had been carrying a SOG Pentagon Elite for over 6 years (I still have it and would never give it up). But I work in an office environment, and whipping out a 4-inch stainless blade to open packages bothers people who see knives as threatening weapons rather than useful tools. I've carried a knife since I was 8 years old, not for self-defense, specifically, but for ANYTHING I might need a blade or point for. I've never cut anybody (except myself, and that was accidental, of course).
Back to my point (pun intended), the Kershaw Cyclone in black and partially serrated is slightly shorter than the SOG PE. Women wear black dresses to make themselves look smaller, and this works on knife blades too. In fact, the purpose black, matt finishes on blades is NOT to make them look cooler, but to make them less noticeable. So now I have a knife that has a 0.15 inch shorter blade, but which looks significantly smaller.
Unfortunately, the added stealth is completely undone when I finger the flipper and the internal torsion bar pops the blade out in the blink of an eye with a metalic *CHINK*. So I still get wide-eyed looks at work, but I just shrug and say "I just don't want to be caught with a knife too small to handle the job."
The aluminum handles give this knife a high quality feel. (Some Spydercos are very high quality but don't feel like it.) The slim profile fits very neatly clipped inside a pocket. The handle feels comfortable but not quite thick enough for heavy use (wood carving, cutting tough materials). I probably would not use this knife for a heavy job (even though I'm sure it could handle it), since the black coating can wear off the blade. But it works great on plastic strapping (use serration), opening boxes and blister packages, etc. I like the spear-point, which can punch into boxes and packages before cutting.
I like the Speed-Safe On-Off rolling switch on the back spine. If someone wants to take a look at it, I can quickly disable the assisted opening mechanism (just to be safe). The knife can still open and close with the Speed-Safe disengaged, but it requires using the thumb stud or both hands. Or you can combine a quick flick of the flipper with a half-circle motion of your hand to open it (and hopefully nobody gets stabbed). The liner lock is very solid and the blade has no play or rattle when locked open.
With the Speed-Safe on, pushing on the flipper results in the blade popping open with a noticeable recoil and snapping into locked position with a solid CHINK! I was surpised by the force the first time I tried it (on the Kershaw Blur). Other assisted openers I've tried have a softer, smoother feel when opening. But I like the strong snap.
All in all, this is a very nice looking, very tough knife, with an innovative and quite strong assisted opening mechanism, and it's easy to carry. I'm guessing it will be some time before I find a better knife (for my own purposes) for daily carry.
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Innovative design, solid quality, slim profile, April 17, 2009
This review is from: Kershaw Cyclone Serrated Black Blade Knife (Sports)
I've had this knife for almost 2 years now and I carry it daily. When I bought it, I was just looking for something new to carry. I had been carrying a SOG Pentagon Elite for over 6 years (I still have it and would never give it up). But I work in an office environment, and whipping out a 4-inch stainless blade to open packages bothers people who see knives as threatening weapons rather than useful tools. I've carried a knife since I was 8 years old, not for self-defense, specifically, but for ANYTHING I might need a blade or point for. I've never cut anybody (except myself, and that was accidental, of course).
Back to my point (pun intended), the Kershaw Cyclone in black and partially serrated is slightly shorter than the SOG PE. Women wear black dresses to make themselves look smaller, and this works on knife blades too. In fact, the purpose black, matt finishes on blades is NOT to make them look cooler, but to make them less noticeable. So now I have a knife that has a 0.15 inch shorter blade, but which looks significantly smaller.
Unfortunately, the added stealth is completely undone when I finger the flipper and the internal torsion bar pops the blade out in the blink of an eye with a metalic *CHINK*. So I still get wide-eyed looks at work, but I just shrug and say "I just don't want to be caught with a knife too small to handle the job."
The aluminum handles give this knife a high quality feel. (Some Spydercos are very high quality but don't feel like it.) The slim profile fits very neatly clipped inside a pocket. The handle feels comfortable but not quite thick enough for heavy use (wood carving, cutting tough materials). I probably would not use this knife for a heavy job (even though I'm sure it could handle it), since the black coating can wear off the blade. But it works great on plastic strapping (use serration), opening boxes and blister packages, etc. I like the spear-point, which can punch into boxes and packages before cutting.
I like the Speed-Safe On-Off rolling switch on the back spine. If someone wants to take a look at it, I can quickly disable the assisted opening mechanism (just to be safe). The knife can still open and close with the Speed-Safe disengaged, but it requires using the thumb stud or both hands. Or you can combine a quick flick of the flipper with a half-circle motion of your hand to open it (and hopefully nobody gets stabbed). The liner lock is very solid and the blade has no play or rattle when locked open.
With the Speed-Safe on, pushing on the flipper results in the blade popping open with a noticeable recoil and snapping into locked position with a solid CHINK! I was surpised by the force the first time I tried it (on the Kershaw Blur). Other assisted openers I've tried have a softer, smoother feel when opening. But I like the strong snap.
All in all, this is a very nice looking, very tough knife, with an innovative and quite strong assisted opening mechanism, and it's easy to carry. I'm guessing it will be some time before I find a better knife (for my own purposes) for daily carry.
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Kershaw Cyclone, March 14, 2009
This review is from: Kershaw Cyclone Serrated Black Blade Knife (Sports)
The Cyclone is the second Kershaw in this series with speedsafe that I own. The quality is first class. I would expect to pay at least $160.00 for a knife of this size and quality.
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