Kershaw Method Knife Review

Kershaw Knives design and manufactures a wide range of knives, including pocket knives, sporting knives, and kitchen cutlery. Kershaw is a brand of Kai USA Ltd., a member of the KAI Group, headquartered in Tualatin, Oregon.

Kershaw Knives was started in Portland, Oregon in 1974 when knife salesman Pete Kershaw left Gerber Legendary Blades to form his own cutlery company based on his own designs. Early manufacturing was primarily done in Japan. In 1977, Kershaw became a wholly owned subsidiary of the KAI Group. In 1997 the U.S. production facility was opened in Wilsonville, Oregon. Due to an expanding market, the facilities were moved to a larger production site in 2003. Currently, Kai USA manufacturing facilities are located in Tualatin, Oregon with some goods coming from their Japanese and Chinese factories.

Kershaw has collaborated with a number of custom knife makers over the years to produce ground-breaking knives. Collaborations include working with Hall of Fame Knife Maker, Ken Onion on Kershaw’s SpeedSafe knives, Ernest Emerson, Grant and Gavin Hawk, Frank Centofante, Rick Hinderer, RJ Martin, among plenty of others.

Today we are going to be talking about the new Kershaw Method manual knife.

The Blade:

The blade on this Kershaw knife is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel. This steel is a budget brand of knife steel made in China. This steel is comparable to AUS-8 but does contain a slightly higher carbon content. The biggest advantage that this steel boasts is how inexpensive it is; and with its low cost, you do get a lot out of it. However, when it comes to blade steel, you really do get what you pay for, so this steel is not going to stand up to the super steels that are on the block. This is a softer steel, but surprisingly, it holds an edge for long periods of item. And because it is a softer steel, it sharpens easily and you can get a very fine edge on it. One of the other benefits to this steel is that it has a high corrosion resistance. While this steel is not going to stand up as well as a super steel does, it is well balanced with regard to strength, cutting, and anti-corrosion properties. 8Cr13MoV steel has a hardness level of 56-59 HRC.

The blade has been finished with a black-oxide BlackWash finish. A stonewashed finish is created by tumbling the blade in an abrasive material, which is most commonly small pebbles. This finish easily hides scratches, while also providing a less reflective nature than a brushed or satin finished blade. A BlackWash is also known as an acid stonewash or even just a black stonewash. This special style of stonewashing is created when the blade has had an acid treatment that darkens the blade before it undergoes stonewashing. The acid oxidation enhances a blade’s rust resistance by placing a stable oxide barrier between the steel and the environment. A very positive benefit of stonewashed blades is that they are low maintenance and preserve their original look overtime; the stonewashed finish hides the scratches and smudges that occur with use throughout a blades life. The BlackWash is one of the most rugged finishes that you can find.

The blade has been carved into a clip point blade shape. The clip point is one of the two most popular blade shapes, designed for piercing, but also making a great all-purpose knife. The shape is formed by having the back edge of the knife run straight from the handle before it stops about halfway up the knife. At this point, it turns and continues to the point of the knife. This area is straight and looks as if it has been cut out of the blade. This cut out portion is referred to as the clip. On the Method, the clip is not as dramatic as you can find on other knives, but it still creates a lowered and sharp point. Because this tip is lowered, you are going to have more control over your slices, which means that you can use this knife to perform fine tip work. And because the tip is controllable, sharp, and thinner at the spine, a clip point is going to excel at stabbing. One of the characteristics that make the clip point design an all-purpose blade shape is the large belly that makes slicing a breeze. The clip point really only has one disadvantage, which is because of the narrow tip, the blade does have a tendency to break fairly easily wen used on harder materials or targets.

This knife does sport a plain edge, which helps to make the Method a great everyday knife.

 

The Handle:

The handle on this Kershaw knife is made out of Machined G10.

G-10 is a type of Garolite, which is a laminate composite made of fiberglass. G10 has very similar properties to carbon fiber, but because it is inferior to carbon fiber, it can be made for a much smaller cost. This helps to keep the overall cost of the knife down. To create this knife, the manufacturer takes layers of fiberglass cloth and soaks them in resin, then compresses them and bakes them under pressure. The material that results is very tough, very hard, very lightweight, and very strong. G10 is even considered to be the toughest of all the fiberglass resin laminates and even stronger than Micarta.

This handle is going to be brittle because the fiberglass strands are all arranged in a single direction. While the material is going to be very strong in that direction, as soon as it is stressed in a different way, it is going to start to break apart or chip.

The benefits to a G10 handle are that it is tough, light, and durable. Some of the disadvantages to having a G10 handle is that it is going to be brittle and it does lack elegance and personality.

The handle has more angles than curves. There is a large finger groove which makes this a comfortable knife to hold, even if it is for long periods of time. There is a slight finger guard, but because of the flipper mechanism, it creates a very thick finger guard. This helps to make the Method a very safe knife to use. The spine of the handle is straight until halfway down towards the butt, where it angles down towards the butt.

This knife also features a lanyard hole that has been integrated into the butt. By attaching a lanyard onto this knife, you will be able to more easily pull this knife out of your pocket. When you are just using a pocket clip, because the clip is latched onto your pocket, it can be difficult to pull out. When you are using a lanyard with it, you can pull the knife out even more quickly. Some people feel as if the lanyard actually hinders their ability to withdraw the knife smoothly, so it really all just comes down to personal preference. And, if you would rather not use the clip because you are not right handed, you can solely rely on the lanyard in your other pocket.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on the Method is a single-position pocket clip. It can only be attached on the right side of the handle for tip up carry. The clip is black and kept in place by two black screws. These screws match the rest of the hardware on this knife. This clip will allow the knife to fit securely inside your pocket.

 

The Mechanism:

This is a manual opening knife that uses a flipper and the KVT ball-bearing opening system. This knife is also equipped with a liner lock and an inset liner lock. Because it is a fully manual opening knife, you don’t have to worry about any strict automatic knife laws.

The Kershaw KVT ball-bearing system makes one-handed opening of your knife fast and easy—without the need for a mechanical assist. The KVT relies on a ring of “caged” ball bearings that surround the knife’s pivot. Caged means the ball bearings are secured within a ring that surrounds the pivot. It keeps the ball bearings in place, while allowing them to rotate freely When the user pulls back on the built-in flipper, the blade rotates out of the handle as the ball bearings roll in place. KVT makes one-handed opening quick, easy, and smooth as butter.

The Inset Liner Lock is a Kershaw variation on the liner lock that enables us to provide the security of a locking liner in a knife that’s slimmer and lighter. It works because Kershaw insets a sturdy steel plate on the inside of the knife’s handle. It’s a partial liner that is riveted into place in a custom-machined cutout on the interior of the handle. This means Kershaw doesn’t need a complete steel liner on both sides of the handle, which in turn means the knife won’t be as heavy or thick as a fully lined knife. In setting the lock in this way enables Kershaw to make a knife with a slimmer profile that won’t weigh your pocket down, while still providing the strength and security of a locking liner.

The flipper is a small protrusion that comes out of the spine of the handle when the knife is closed. The flipper enables fast and easy one-handed opening as well as being ambidextrous in design. To open the knife, hold the knife handle I none hand with the butt end resting firmly in the palm of your hand. Place your index finger on the highest point of the flipper. Push down strongly and quickly on the flipper. The blade will move out of the handle and lock into place. If you are having troubling moving the blade fully out of the handle, add a slight flip of the wrist to assist you.

The liner lock is the most common of today’s blade-locking systems. In knives with locking lingers, the handle consists of two metal plates on either side of the blade. Handle scales cover the plates. When the knife is opened, one side of the knife’s liner, often called the lock bar, butts up against eh backend of the blade and prevents the blade from closing. The lock bar is manufactured so that it angles toward the interior of the knife, creating a bias for the locked position. To close the knife, the knife user applies manual force to move the lock bar to the side so that the blade is unblocked and can be folded back into the handle. The liner lock provides a secure and convenient way to make using this knife even safer.

 

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 3 inches long, with a handle that measures in at 4.25 inches long. This Kershaw knife measures in at an overall length of 7.25 inches long. This is a super lightweight knife, weighing in at a measly 2.1 ounces.

 

Conclusion:

When Kershaw is talking about this new knife, they say, “This smaller pocketknife from Kershaw and Jens Anso features a slim, 3-inch blade of 8Cr13MoV in our BlackWash finish. A top swedge adds to its eye appeal. The Method opens quickly, easily, and manually with our KVT ball-bearing system and a built-in flipper. The handle is black—of course. The G10 handle features an unusual machined pattern reminiscent of an architectural truss. It not only looks good, but also offers additional grip security. A custom back spacer features Jens’ large lanyard attachment for those of you who prefer a lanyard, and adds a touch of style even if you’re the lanyard-free type. An inset lock keeps the weight down on the Method while still providing solid blade-lockup security. A single position pocket clip (right, tip-up) enables the knife to sit securely inside your pocket. How do we accomplish all his style and value in a smaller knife? By using the Kershaw manufacturing ‘Method,’ of course.” Pick up this brand new knife today at BladeOps and have your new favorite go-to knife.