Kershaw Knives was born in the seventies when Pete Kershaw, who worked in the famous Gerber Corporation, left that company to form his own. Where he went on to produce his unique knife designs and rising quickly to well deserved recognition.
Through the years, the Kershaw Pocket Knife gained a reputation for unique, reliable and perfectly designed survival knives. A reputation built on results perfected through years of hard work. Each knife from Kershaw brings something new to the table as no two designs are duplicated or bland.
It is clear that this company strives for a unique approach to each new knife placed on the market, ensuring a secure place at the top of today’s knife manufacturers. Let’s talk more about the look and design of each Kershaw Pocket Knife below.
Kershaw Pocket Knife Design
What always strikes me as someone with a passion for wilderness and outdoor survival is the absolutely unique and almost savagely primitive approach in the design of these knives. As if relating back to the primordial, natural designs from the earliest tool making done by man.
Kershaw embodies the ruthlessness of survival in the iconic look found in their knives.
One of these design aspects is visible in many knives from the company. What is often noticeable at first sight are the short and wide blades, giving that recognizable, stubby look that hides more than you’d first think. A shorter but wider blade is the secret to the efficiency of Kershaw Pocket Knives. This innovation provides the user with a greater cutting surface and a powerful delivery of force that is equally distributed to the target.
A longer blade puts too much pressure on the joint and spreads the force over a longer surface. That’s why these fantastic, stubby blades hide great power in their design. They are perfected for rugged use in the wild, where greater pressure and good leverage are crucial.
This article will give you an insight in the nature of Kershaw Pocket Knives, mentioning some of their flagship models as a must. Out of a wide variety of models and designs, here are my recommended knives that are the perfect embodiment of what Kershaw is all about.
Top 5 Kershaw Pocket Knives
1. Kershaw CQC-10K
This is a regular sized folder that breaks the Kershaw pattern of drop point blades with its menacing bowie style blade. A collaboration with Emerson Knives, the CQC-10K is the perfect choice when you’re out in the wild.
The handle features a prominent downward curve that together with the finger notch and a textured grip provides the user with great traction and good leverage. The upper portion of the blade and handle feature a nifty, over-hanging groove for the thumb, for when you need an extra bit of pressure. Overall, this has to be the best hunting and camping pocket knife in this price range, offering a reliable, perfectly designed bowie that will fit in your pocket.
2. Kershaw Bisland
Bisland is all about simplicity, sleek lines and finding the perfect middle ground between a camping and everyday carry knife.
A sturdy design and a trademarked SpeedSafe opening method will ensure a quick deployment and safe usage. With a sleek, elongated drop point blade and an ergonomic handle, the lines of this knife embody the efficiency contained in the design. Whether you use it on your next camping or hiking trip, or utilize the deep carry pocket clip for your everyday carry. There is no doubt that Bisland will find its use and perform well.
3. Kershaw Onion Leek Folding Knife
The Kershaw Leek is one of the more iconic and famous Kershaw pocket knives, whose simple and reliable design quickly made it a hit.
Boasting a compact size, yet a good-sized blade, Leek is the perfect choice for your everyday carry. It’s amazing drop point blade is perfectly designed to complete a wide variety of tasks with ease. It has both great cutting capabilities as well as piercing. Kershaw Leek is such a nifty little pocket knife and the fact that it was proclaimed as the Best Buy of 2016 speaks volumes in itself. A definitive recommendation for your day-to-day tasks.
4. Kershaw Knockout Knife
The Knockout is like Jeckyll & Hyde. There hides a beast in this lightweight, pocket-sized handle and the beast is the blade.
This knife is the ultimate from Kershaw. Although compact and lightweight, it hides a short and amazingly wide blade whose looks embody power and cutting strength. With some smart designing they managed to combine an everyday carry possibility with a robust, stout survival blade. Resulting in a perfected pocket knife named the Kershaw Knockout.
5. Kershaw Shuffle
Talking of Kershaw, you cannot fail to mention their brainchild and their ultimate hit, and that is the Shuffle. This Kershaw pocket knife is a testament of some great designing and looking back to our past and inherent creativity.
Shuffle has it all, and in the palm of your hand. Think primitive. Think rugged. A stout, stubby blade and an ultimate, perfected grip will offer unprecedented power from such a small knife. And to top it all, its size makes it perfect for an everyday carry. While its efficiency and reliability will make it great for survival as well. If you’re looking for a compact and useful little knife, then Kershaw Shuffle is your last stop.
Best Kershaw Pocket Knife Conclusion
This little list is just a glimpse into the amazing world of Kershaw. It provides evidence that their every design is unique and aims to set new boundaries in the knife making industry, boundaries that are hard to top. I hope I've given you a useful insight in the reliability of these blades, and just maybe, you too will come to realize why a Kershaw Pocket Knife is one of the leading brands on the market.