Kershaw Pink Chive Knife Review

Kershaw has it all. They have the award winning technologies and advanced materials to give you a knife that you can trust. This means that when you are carrying a Kershaw, you are carrying the real thing. So what does the real thing mean? Well, to Kershaw it means that they are giving you value and lots of it.

They were founded in 1974 with a founding mission to design and manufacture tools that knife users would be proud to own, carry, and use. This has meant that every Kershaw knife must be of the highest quality. Whether it’s a hardworking pocketknife, a hunting knife, or a special collectors’ edition, Kershaw always chooses appropriate, high-quality materials and is dedicated to intensive craftsmanship. Along with extremely tight tolerances and state-of-the-art manufacturing techniques, this ensures that Kershaw knives provide a lifetime of performance.

Kershaw also has a commitment to innovation. They have actually pioneered the use of many of the technologies nada danced materials that are today standard in the knife industry. Kershaw says, “Our SpeedSafe assisted opening knives were first-to-market. We introduced the concept of knives with interchangeable blades in our Blade Traders. Recently, our Composite Blade technology, which combines two steels into one blade, gives knife users the best of both worlds by enabling us to use steel known for edge retention on the edge and steel known for strength on the spine. And we will keep on innovating, bringing new and better technologies and materials to today’s knife making industry and knife-using public.”

Kershaw is also a brand of Kai USA Ltd. For over 100 years, Kai has been Japan’s premier blade producer. Kai takes an innovative approach to product development based on the close coordination of research and development, production, marketing, and distribution functions. While many of Kershaw’s quality products are made in Kershaw’s 55,000 sq. ft. facility in Tualatin, Oregon (just south of Portland), they also draw on Kai’s resources to provide the very best for the customer.

Kershaw says, “If this is your first Kershaw, be prepared. You just may be back for more. If it’s not your first Kershaw, welcome back. We’ve got some cool new blades to show you—along with a wide selection of your favorites. For design, innovation, quality, and genuine pride of ownership, Kershaw is the one.”

Today we will be going over their classic Chive. This time, in pink.

 

The Blade:

The blade is made out of 420HC steel. This modified 420 steel has higher amounts of carbon and chromium to boost hardenability and corrosion resistance. It is an excellent everyday steel: tough, corrosion resistant, easy to sharpen and takes a good edge. This steel has been hardened to a 58 HRC.

The blade has been finished with a bead blasted finish. This finish is created by using abrasive class or ceramic beads that are blasted at the steel with a high pressure, which results in an even grey finish. A blasted finish works to reduce reflections and glares because of its even matte surface. The blasting process does create an increased surface area as well as micro abrasions in the steel which make the steel more prone to rusting or corrosion. In fact, a blasted blade can rust overnight if it is left in the exact wrong environment.

The blade has been carved into a clip point blade shape. This is going to be a great all-purpose blade. It is one of the most popular blade shapes that is in use today. The most common place that you are going to find a clip point blade shape is on a Bowie knife, but you will be able to find it on pocket knives such as the Chive. The shape of the blade is formed by having the edge of the knife run straight form the handle before it stops about halfway up the knife. At this point, it will turn and continue to the point of the knife. This area is named the “clip,” because it looks as if that portion of the blade was clipped out. This is (obviously) how the knife got its name. While the clip can be curved or straight, on the Chive, it is straight. Because of the clip, the knife has a lowered point, which means that you are going to be able to better control your cuts when you are using this knife. This means that you are going to be able to perform fine detail work with this knife, or have very steady cuts. One of the things that the clip point really excels at is stabbing because there is less drag during insertion and then faster withdrawal. Clip points also have a very large belly, which is the perfect characteristic for your everyday knife. The bigger the belly, the easier it is going to be to slice. Clip points really only have one major disadvantage: because the point is so narrow, it is prone to breaking when used on harder targets.

 

The Handle:

             The handle on this knife is made out of 6061-T6 anodized aluminum. Aluminum is a very durable material for knife handles. It is a low density metal, but it will still give you a very hefty feel to the knife without it actually being weighed down. The most common alloy of aluminum that is being used today is the 6061-T6 alloy, which has the highest tensile strength.

When an aluminum handle is texturized correctly, it is going to give you a reasonably secure grip that is going to be comfortable enough that you can use it for extended use. However, aluminum also has high conductive properties. This means that if you are going to be using this knife during the winter months, it will probably be uncomfortable to use.

The overall pros of an aluminum handle are that it is strong, light, durable, and resistant to corrosion. The cons of an aluminum handle are that it is going to be cold to hold, it can be a little slippery, and it is susceptible to scratches and dings.

This knife has been anodized a bright pink. The anodization process not only adds this sleek color, but it also increases the wear and corrosion resistance of the knife. The handle is all curves, with a very elongated and shallow finger groove. The butt of the handle is rounded and does have a lanyard hold.

 

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this knife is a single position pocket clip, which means that it can only be attached in one way. On this knife, the pocket clip is attached on the left hand side for tip-down carry. Tip-down carry is the preferred carry position when deciding between the two. This is because if the knife accidentally comes opened in your pocket, when you reach inside, you are not in danger of cutting yourself. The pocket clip on the Chive is a satin finish, which pairs well with the pink handle and matches the blade. The clip is kept in place by two silver screws that match the rest of the hardware on this knife.

 

The Mechanism:

The Chive has been equipped with a SpeedSafe assisted opening knife, a flipper, a liner lock, and a Tip-Lock slider.

The SpeedSafe Assisted Opening helps you open your knife quickly and easily with a manual pull back on the flipper. This is built into many of Kershaw’s best sellers, such as this one. The SpeedSafe helps you open the knife with only one hand and does NOT make this knife a switchblade. The heart of SpeedSafe is its torsion bar. Closed, the torsion bar helps prevent the knife from being opened by “gravity;” it creates a bias toward the closed position. To open the knife, the user applies manual pressure to the thumb stud or flipper to overcome the resistance of the torsion bar. This enables the torsion bar to move along a track in the handle and assist you to open the knife. The blade opens smoothly and locks into position, ready for use. And, the SpeedSafe is incredibly safe. When the user overcomes the resistance of the torsion bar, SpeedSafe assists in opening the knife. Once opened, a locking system secures the blade in position so that it does not close accidentally. When releasing the lock, the blade won’t snap shut due to resistance provided by the torsion bar. Since the torsion bar provides a bias towards the closed position, it will normally hold the blade securely closed. New SpeedSafe users can ensure safe use of the technology by practicing to proficiency.

The flipper is a protrusion on the back of the blade that the user can pull back on, or flip, to move the blade easily out of the handle. Once the knife is opened, it acts as an extra-large finger guard. This also keeps your fingers out of the blade’s path, which creates a safer way to open the knife.

The Chive is also equipped with a liner lock. The liner lock is the most common of today’s blade-locking systems. In knives with locking liners, the handle consists of two metal (usually steel or titanium) plates (the “liner”) on either side of the blade. When the knife is opened, one side of the knife’s liner, often called the lock bar, butts up against the backend of the blade (the tang) 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.

Kershaw explains the Tip-Lock by saying, “There is an exception to the rule about the purpose of locking systems being to keep the blade open. Some Kershaw knives also have a Tip-Lock designed to keep the blade inside the handle. The Tip-Lock can be found on all Leek and Scallion SpeedSafe® knives. It’s a simple slider that, when engaged, ensures the blade will not accidentally open. It’s especially helpful in cases where the knife might be juggled in a briefcase, backpack, or purse.”

 

The Specs:

The blade on this knife measures in at 1.9 inches long with a handle that measures in at 2.9 inches long. The overall length of this miniature knife is 4.8 inches long. This knife weighs in at 1.5 ounces. This knife is tiny, but it is going to get the job done. You also aren’t going to feel it in your pocket, which is exactly what you want from your everyday knife. This knife was made in the United States of America.

 

Conclusion:

             Kershaw says, “Perfect in pink. With its less-than-two-inch blade, the pink Chive is a small knife. This, of course, makes it perfect for pocket, pack, purse, or briefcase carry. But just because it’s small doesn’t mean the Chive isn’t mighty. In fact, the Chive is perfect for just about any cutting task you’d care to ask it to do—from opening packages to cutting duct tape.

To ensure this handy little blade is always ready when you need it, the pink Chive is equipped with SpeedSafe assisted opening. Just pull back on the flipper and the blade moves out of the handle, ready for use. The high-carbon blade steel offers good edge retention and excellent corrosion resistance. The bead-blasted finish is easy to maintain. This Chive’s handle scales are pink anodized aluminum over steel liners. Anodizing not only enables the aluminum to take a scratch resistant color, but it actually strengthens the aluminum.

The pink Chive’s handle is strong, lightweight, and colorful. For safety, it has a locking liner to keep it locked safely open and a Tip-Lock to keep it locked safely closed during transport. If pink is your color, the pink Chive just might be your knife.” You can pick up this knife today at BladeOps.