Kershaw PUB Knife Review

People of all walks alike believe that there is nothing like a Kershaw. When you are carrying a Kershaw knife, you are carrying the real deal. This means that everything from the solid sound of the blade lockup to the award winning technologies and advanced materials—all of it is going to be the highest quality.

No matter which model that you buy, you are getting the best bang for your buck. No matter which knife of Kershaw’s you are choosing to use, you are getting value and plenty of it. In fact, everything about a Kershaw is solid, crafted, reliable. Because of their high quality knives, Kershaw backs each of their knives with their famous Limited Lifetime Warranty. This warranty backs each of their knives for the life of its original owner against any defects in materials and construction.  And yes, it is very possible to own a Kershaw knife for your lifetime. Kershaw knows that occasionally a Kershaw has been known to get accidentally left at a campsite, lost in the garage, or permanently borrowed by a friend.

No matter what situation you are choosing to face, you can always look to Kershaw for every day carrying knives, sporting knives, work knives, and tactical knives. These knives can take on tasks from destroying a cardboard box, to fishing or watersports, and then on to preparing you to take on truly nay task that a knife could be used for.

Kershaw was founded in 1974 with a mission to design and manufacture tools that knife users would be proud to own, carry, and use. From hardworking pocket knives, to hunting knife and even a special collector’s 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. In fact, Kershaw has pioneered the use of many of the technologies and advanced materials that are today standard in the knife industry. From being the first to market with SpeedSafe assisted opening knives to the concept of knives that sport interchangeable blades, and lastly their Composite Blade technology, which truly gives knife users the best of both worlds. Kershaw is committed to keep on innovating, bringing new and better technologies and materials to today’s knife making industry and knife using public.

Kershaw Knives is a brand of Kai USA, Ltd. a member of the Kai Group. 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.

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

The Blade:

The blade on the PUB has been made out of 8Cr13MoV steel. This is a popular budget brand of knife steel, which is made in China. In its composition this steel is close to the Japanese steel of AUS 8 grade. 8Cr13MoV steel at its low cost demonstrates very worthy characteristics of cutting. With the great heat treatment that Kershaw uses, the steel will retain its sharpness of the cutting edge and have a very good corrosion resistance for long periods of time. The range of hardness on this steel is 56-59HRC. Knives made out of this formula of steel will keep sharpening well and at the same time they are easy to sharpen, and have highly aggressive cuts on soft materials. This steel is well balanced with regard to strength, cutting, and anti-corrosion properties. Many features made this a suitable steel for production of non-expensive tourist and urban knives with good average performance. The biggest advantage that this steel boasts is its inexpensive cost.

The blade has been finished with a stonewashed finish. With this type of finish, the steel is literally rolled with pebbles and then smoothed. Many people like this type of finish because it hides scratches better than other finishes. A stonewash finish also hides fingerprints pretty well, so the blade might not need to be polished as often as others with different finishes. The finish preserves the look of the blade easily overtime.

The blade is a modified sheepsfoot with a straight edge and clipped rather than rounded tip. In some cases, you want a knife that is perfect for slicing or cutting without worrying about controlling the point. You can easily avoid an accidental stabbing by using a sheepsfoot blade. The main purpose of a sheepsfoot blade is for cutting and slicing while minimizing the chances of anything accidentally being pierced by the point. The design of a sheepsfoot knife includes a straight edged blade and a dull back spine that goes straight down to meet the straight edge. The two blades meet at the tip to form a “false point”. The distinctive flat cutting edge is well suited to giving you a supremely clean cut, especially on flat cutting surfaces. Sheepsfoot knives are popular amount emergency responders who use them to cut seatbelts and other restraints without injuring the victim with a sharp point. They are also popular among sailors who use them to safely cut rigging without the danger of piercing the sails. The only disadvantage of a sheepsfoot blade is its lack of a sharp point which also happens to be one of its advantages.

This blade sports a plain edge, which is perfect for giving you clean cuts. The plain edge is the more traditional edge option that you have, especially when compared to a combo or serrated edge. The plain edge is the easiest edge to sharpen as well as getting a finer edge on it.

On the back of the blade, there is a row of thick jimping to help you have a secure grip and to give you better traction while you are using the Kershaw PUB.

 

The Handle:

There are a couple of different options for your PUB handle. The first option is a Carbon Fiber front handle scale with a steel back scale. Carbon fiber is a somewhat generic term referring to thin strands of carbon being tightly woven then set in resin. Carbon fiber reinforced polymer is wheat you get when you buy a knife marketed with a carbon fiber handle. The result is a tremendously strong yet lightweight material that is also rather expensive. While strong, it is far from indestructible and suffers from being brittle. This is because all of the fibers are arranged in a single direction so when they are stressed in that direction it is super strong. However, it starts to break apart when stressed in other directions. Because its brittle, it can crack I subjected to sharp impacts. Due to the way in which the carbon “weave” reflects light, you can achieve some nice looking results in a knife handle. Production of carbon fiber handles is a labor intensive process, though, so it tends to be found only on the higher end knives. The back handle scale on this knife is stainless steel, so it provides excellent durability and resistance to corrosion but is not particularly lightweight. The carbon fiber is black.

The other two options are made with an anodized aluminum front scale with a steel back. Aluminum is usually anodized for color, hardness, and protection. One of the options has been anodized blue and the other version has been anodized black. Aluminum is a very durable material for knife handles. It is a low density metal that provides for a nice, hefty feel to the knife without weighing the knife down. When properly texturized an aluminum handle can provide a reasonably secure grip that is also comfortable and easy for extended use. On the downside, if you use your knife quite a bit during colder winter months, you might find the handle uncomfortably cold given its conductive properties. Aluminum is generally considered inferior to its stronger, yet more expensive brother titanium which tends to be found on the more premium knives.

The handle is a rectangular shape with a bottle opener on the butt of the handle. This handle also features a screwdriver tip, a pry bar, and a key chain attachment. The PUB is considered a multifunctional knife because of all these extra features.

 

The Mechanism:

This is a purely manual opening knife. There is no mechanical assist, such as SpeedSafe, used to open the folding knife. It opens the classic, old school way. Closed, you would never know that there was a handy blade inside—although you would definitely see the equally handy bottle opener. And if you were exceptionally sharp eyed, you might notice the slotted screwdriver tip right next to the bottle opener. To reveal the blade, just push down on what looks like the key ring attachment. You’ll see the blade move out of the compact handle. Keep pushing and the blade will swing all the way out, ready for use.

 

The Specs:

This is a miniature knife. The blade on the PUB measures in at 1.6 inches long. When the knife is opened, it measures in at 4.5 inches long. When the knife is closed, it measures in at 3.1 inches long. This knife weighs in at only 1.9 ounces.

 

The Pros of the PUB:

• Kershaw has earned their reputation of having quality, durable knives that you can rely on.
• The blade is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel which is an easy steel to sharpen and continue re-sharpening over the years.
• The blade has been finished with a stonewash finish, which easily hides scratches and fingerprints.
• The 8Cr13MoV steel holds an edge for a long period of time.
• The stainless steel has good corrosion and rust resistance.
• The modified sheepsfoot blade shape makes it easy to avoid an accidental stabbing.
• The flat bottom will provide you with an extremely clean cut.
• The plain edge is easier to sharpen and easier to get a finer edge on it.
• The carbon fiber handle is crazy strong.
• The carbon fiber handle is extremely lightweight.
• The aluminum handle is extremely durable and resistant to rust and corrosion.
• Aluminum has a dense feel to it, to provide the strength behind the knife, while still being very lightweight.
• The manual mechanism makes this a legal knife in any area.
• Sports a bottle opener.
• Sports a screwdriver tip.
• Boasts a pry bar.
• Features a key chain attachment.

 

The Cons of the PUB:

• 8Cr13MoV steel is a softer steel.
• The blade only has a false point, which means that you won’t be able to stab with it, when needed.
• Carbon fiber is a brittle material.
• Aluminum is a cold material.
• The manual mechanism is going to be less swift than an automatic or spring assisted mechanism.

 

Conclusion:

The Pub is one of many new folding models released by Kershaw this year. Designed by acclaimed knife maker Dmitry Sinkevich, each model boasts a stainless steel blade that can be opened manually just by pulling down on the carabiner-like key ring attachment. When in the closed position, the tools of this knife are highlighted–including a bottle opener, screwdriver tip and pry bar. Every Pub is classified as a friction folder which by definition is a folding knife that does not use a lock or springs and uses the handle’s friction against the tang to stay open and the strong detent keeps everything at bay until needed. The handle features either a black aluminum front handle scale or a carbon fiber front handle scale, a stainless steel back handle scale, a modified sheepsfoot style blade in a stonewash finish and there is no included pocket clip option. This is the perfect multi functioning knife to have with you on at all times. The gadgets that are included with the PUB are sure to come in handy more than once.