Kershaw Blur and 440A

M

miro44

Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
752
I' m thinking of buying the Blur in 440A as my third Kershaw knife, but I' m worried about that blade steel.I have once before used 440A(Don' t remember the knife, though), and I didn' t like it too much.However that was yeas ago.Is it possible that 440A performs well, if heat-treated nicely(As I' m sure Kershaw does)?
And can you maybe tell me some stuff about the knife itself, like, how does the handle feel and how good is the pocket clip?
 
Hey miro44, I'm not too sure about the HT on Kershaw's 440A, but I own a few other Kershaws with that steel. Unless you've found an older Blur (New old stock), the standard model comes with a blade of Sandvik 13C26. You can also find S30V and SG2 blades (My personal favorite, the SG2 is like a folding scalpel!)

The good things are that 440A seems to be very resistant to surface rust (I've not yet had a single spot, and one of my knives was dropped in the fish tank!) but I do take care to wipe the blade down on a regular basis. The edge retention is good, as I can do normal cutting tasks for about 3 to 4 weeks before needing a touch-up. To most, the edge would still be fine, and sharp enough to continue with normal cutting chores, but I like the razor edge. That's another good thing about the 440A. It will take a razor edge, shaving sharp, and is very easy to resharpen or touch up. If you plan on doing a lot of work-type cutting (cardboard, rope, mulch bags, etc.) I'd suggest stepping up to the S30V.

As for the Blurs, they've become my favorite EDC knives. Excellent ergos, tip up carry if you wish, and the SpeedSafe activated thumb stud fires the blade with authority and the lock up is excellent. There are some good pics here. They mostly refer to the S60V Blur, but there are some very nice pics of the other Blurs, too.

All in all, the Blur is a great value for the $$, and Kershaw's CS and lifetime warranty are excellent. I don't think you'll be disappointed.

Miro, I should have included a link to the 440A to 13C26 Change Over Dates thread...hope this helps.......
 
The Blur is an excellent size A/O. At 4.5" closed, it fits well in front pants pockets. I prefer tip-up carry, but it's nice that the Blur can be set-up for tip-down if you prefer that.

As was said earlier, Blurs coming out (With a born on date) on July, '07 & later will have the newer 13C26 Sandvik steel, which is definitely a step up from 440A. While 440A can be sharpened to a very sharp edge & is very anti resistent, it doesn't hold an edge terribley great.

The tract insert allow for great grippiness (If that's a word, lol) & while it doesn't bother me, I've heard some people say that an A/O with a flipper can get in the way of their hand. You won't have that problem with the Blur.

Personally, I prefer more of a finger guard or choil, but I find the Blur to be very comfortable to use. If you like CE, the tactical Blur is a nice model & is carried by Wal-Mart, meaning you can pick one up for a great price ($55 IIRC). The S30V or SG2 Blurs are both great if you want high-end steel, & they're still relatively inexpensive (Well under $100 & if you look, somewhere around the $75 range).

Definitely get one & please let us know what you get.
 
Ok, thank you all.I looked on Newgraham.com, and they only had 440A and S30V, and SMKW has the Sandvik models, weird.I think I will now look for one in SG2.I was just kind of worried about the handle, it didn' t look like it would give a nice grip, but I guess that rubber stuff really helps.
 
It's not rubber and you'll find it plenty grippy enough.
You can count on that. :thumbup:
 
Do those tape inserts in the handle (on the clip side) cause any excessive pocket wear when using the pocket clip?
Thanks.
Jim
 
James Y said:
Do those tape inserts in the handle (on the clip side) cause any excessive pocket wear when using the pocket clip?
Thanks.
Jim
Click to expand...

The way the clip is designed, the contact point of the clip touches the
aluminum part of the handle. So when you pull it out there's no pressure
of the grip insert against your pocket. So no it doesn't cause excessive
pocket wear. Hope that helps.

SV
 
The Silver Blur is one of my two edcs, the other being the Lahar. I have retired all my other brands of knives, one being an older 440a Gator. The Blur, and mine is 440a, holds a considerably better edge than the old 440a Gator. My blur has the DLC coating, and I've found that I enjoy that coating considerably.
As far as the handle inserts, my blur has the smooth silver g-10. No pocket wear, great pocket clip.
I posted some pics of it a while back.
 
Thanks for the info, guys. Now I'm sure a Blur is on my short list for upcoming purchases!
Jim
 
I think you'll like it James. It feels great in the pocket as well as in hand.
There's also a variety of flavors to choose from. The AO kicks like a mule
on the Blur. Very solid lock-up as well.
 
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