Kershaw Shuffle II Olive Tanto Folder Knife Review

There really is nothing like a Kershaw. From award-winning technologies and advanced materials to the solid sound of the blade lockup, when you’re carrying a Kershaw, you know you’re carrying the real thing. The real thing means value and plenty of it. With Kershaw, you get incredible bang for your hard-earned buck. Kershaw says, “Even our inexpensive models are impressive. In fact, everything about a Kershaw is solid, crafted, and reliable. That’s why we can back each of our knives for the life of its original owner against any defects in materials and construction with our famous Limited Lifetime Warranty. And yes, people do own their Kershaw knives for a lifetime. (Although, occasionally, a Kershaw has been known to get accidentally left at a campsite, lost in the garage, or permanently borrowed by a friend.)

The point is, you can always look to Kershaw for everyday carrying knives that can tame any cardboard box and liberate any purchase from its plastic packaging, sporting knives that make hunting, fishing, watersports, and camping even better, work knives that won’t let you down, and tactical knives that ensure you’re ready for anything.”

Kershaw was founded in 1974 with a 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 has a commitment to innovation and has actually pioneered the use of many of the technologies and advanced materials that are today standard in the knife industry. They say, “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 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. While many of Kershaw’s quality products are made in their 55,000 sq. ft. facility in Tualatin, Oregon (just south of Portland), we 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 discussing the Kershaw Shuffle II.

 

The Blade:

The blade on this knife is made out of 8Cr13MoV steel. You may have heard that 8Cr13MoV stainless is basically the equivalent of AUS8A. And it’s true. For everyday use, even a serious “knife knut” would be hard-pressed to tell the difference between a well-made 8Cr13MoV blade and a well-made AUS8A blade. Nevertheless, there are slight differences in the steel formula. While most other components are relatively equal, 8Cr13MoV has slightly more carbon for hardness and wear resistance and slightly less nickel. The key to blade performance for both of these steels is manufacturing quality. That’s where Kershaw’s expertise comes in. Kershaw precision heat-treats 8Cr13MoV steel to bring out its best high-performance characteristics: the ability to take and hold an edge, strength, and hardness. Kershaw says, “8Cr13MoV is top-of-the-line Chinese steel and, we believe, offers our customers an excellent value.” This steel has been hardened to an HRC 57–59.

The blade has been finished with a black stonewash, or BlackWash finish. A stonewashed finish is created when the manufacturer tumbles the blade in an abrasive material, which is normally a ceramic pebble. The finish easily hides scratches, while also providing a less reflective nature than a brushed or satin finished blade. A BlackWash finish is a blade that 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. This will preserve the original look of the blade overtime.

This knife has thick tanto style blade. The tanto blade curves toward the point of the knife. The blade lacks a belly and instead has a straight edge that then angles up toward the point of the knife. Because of the lack of the belly, this does not make a great utility knife. And because there is a thick point, it can repeatedly pierce into hard materials and not break.

 

The Handle:

The handle on this knife is made out of Glass-filled nylon, or GFN. This is a nylon synthetic polymer is reinforced with glass threads for increased strength, stiffness, and dimensional stability combined with excellent wear resistance. This material is almost unbreakable. This is because all of the fibers are arranged in a haphazard manner, which means that it is going to be strong in all directions. This is different from the other fiberglass based materials that have their fibers arranged in a single direction. The other materials (G10, Micarta, and Carbon Fiber), are incredibly strong in one direction but when they are stressed in other directions they begin to break apart or crack. This is the reason that the other materials suffer from being brittle but GFN does not.

GFN is also incredibly cheap because it can be injection molded and texturized in the manufacturing process. This means that the manufacturer can produce many handles at once which does keep the cost down significantly.

The handle is just as beefy as the blade. It has a spine that has a steep curve towards the butt of the handle. The belly of the handle has three finger grooves, the first two are deep and one is built into the blade. The third one is elongated and is more for comfort than a secure grip. The GFN on this handle is an olive green. The butt of the handle has a very wide lanyard hole, which will fit virtually any lanyard that you want it to. This lanyard hole is also where the screwdriver and bottle opener rest.

The Pocket Clip:

The pocket clip on this knife is black and slightly skeletonized to cut down on weight. It is reversible for either left or right handed carry. However, it can only be attached for tip down carry, which is the safer out of the two ways to carry a knife. The clip is kept in place by two small black screws which match the rest of the hardware on this knife.

The Mechanism:

This is a manual opening knife that has been equipped with a thumb stud and a liner lock.

Because it is a manual opening knife, there is not mechanical assist, such as the popular SpeedSafe, that can be used to open the knife. This knife just opens the classic, old school way. There are a few benefits to this as well as a few drawbacks. First of all, it is going to be easier to maintain because you do not have to worry about a spring like you would with a spring assisted or an automatic knife. This means that you do not have to be as nitpicky when you are cleaning this knife as you would with the other two styles of knives. Of course, to keep everything else in tip-top shape, you should be aware of keeping everything dry and clean. The next advantage is that because there is not mechanism, it is going to be legal in more states, cities, and areas than the other two styles of knives. Of course, you should still know your local knife laws before purchasing or carrying this knife. There are the disadvantages though. The biggest one is that it is not going to be as smooth as a spring assisted or automatic knife. This is because there isn’t a mechanism and you do have to open it completely by yourself. The next major disadvantage is that it is going to take longer to bring into play than the other styles of knives. This is because you have to do everything manually so you cannot click a button and have it open automatically.

The thumb stud is a small barrel that sits where the blade begins and the handle ends. This barrel is used as a way to get a solid grip on the knife that you are trying to open by using your thumb to push the knife open fully. The benefits to a thumb stud is that it is easy to use. It is also comfortable to use and can be used with only one hand. The disadvantages are that the thumb stud does protrude out of the blade, which can get in the way when you are trying to open the knife. The other disadvantage is that the thumb stud does put your fingers in the path of the blade when you are flipping open the knife, which can be dangerous.

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. Handle scales, which can be made from a variety of materials, such as G10, aluminum, plastic, or natural materials like wood or bone cover the plates. When the knife is opened, one side of the knife’s liner, often called the lockbar, butts up against the backend of the blade (the tang) and prevents the blade from closing. The lockbar 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 lockbar 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 2.6 inches long with a handle that measures in at 4 inches long. When the knife is opened, it measures in at 6.3 inches long. This knife weighs in at 3 ounces, which is lightweight for how large it is.

 

The Extras:

             This knife is also a bottle opener and a screwdriver.

 

Conclusion:

             When Kershaw is discussing this knife, they say, “The Shuffle II offers a bigger blade and longer handle, but with the same multi-functional flexibility and value pricing that made the Kershaw Shuffle such a hit. And now it comes in outdoors-loving olive. The manual opening modified tanto blade is made of 8Cr13MoV, a quality stainless steel known for its ability to hold an edge, strength, and hardness. The heavily textured handle enhances grip, while still being comfortable to hold and use. A liner lock secures the Shuffle II’s blade open in use, but closes easily when its tasks are done. It also features the strong finger contours, handy bottle opener, screwdriver tip, and lanyard attachment that help define the Shuffle. As a utility knife, a work knife, or just a great multi-function pocketknife, the Shuffle II with its handsome olive handle is a perfect choice. It comes complete with a convenient reversible (left/right) pocket clip.” You can pick up this knife today at BladeOps and have a new favorite crazy tough knife.