Kershaw Double Cross - Extended Use

Buzzbait

Buzzbait

Joined
Feb 25, 2001
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I’ve had my Kershaw Double Cross for a couple months now, so I thought I’d let everybody know my thoughts on it after the benefit of extended use. I’m very happy with this knife, to put things mildly. It’s a dynamite user knife.

First off, the looks are just gorgeous. Kershaw really did their homework and produced a beautiful piece of art. The fit and finish are just wonderful, and you absolutely can’t find a more “sheeple” friendly appearance. Non-knife-nuts tend to be a little standoffish when it comes to tactical looking knives, but Kershaw showed great wisdom in creating a functional yet traditional looking folder. The average office worker runs for cover at the sight of black G-10 handles and blade serrations, but surprisingly warm up to nicely finished rosewood handles and a stylish wharncliffe blade. The Double Cross is a completely non-threatening looking knife, without compromise to functionality.

Now lets talk about production costs. Kershaw jumped way out on a limb and produced a style of knife previously made only by custom knife makers. I have to believe that tooling and molds were purchased for the project. The Double Cross uses a dizzying array of materials on the double cross, featuring wood scales, nickel/silver bolsters, tiny riveted thumb studs, bass liners, plastic spacers, and of course the blade steel. Seeing as few of these parts could exist in previous knife designs, Kershaw probably laid out a big piece of cash for the production equipment. That’s what I call risk taking when producing a virtually untested kind of design. Kershaw’s marketing people must have had a huge level of confidence.

So what do all of these various materials add up to? They add up a flat out great knife. Yes, the price is a bit high for a traditional knife in AUS-6 steel. But considering all of the money that Kershaw had to spend to produce the Double Cross, I’m not surprised. But... you get a very high quality knife for the money. I’ve bought a lot of folders over the last year or so, and the Double Cross is one of the few knives that stands the test of time. I can say this about my Sebenza, Dozier, Camillus EDC, and a couple of Bucks.

Putting things into perspective, this is a hybrid sort of knife. Other than a pocket clip, the Double Cross has all the features of a small tactical folder. It’s got clip and wharncliffe blades, liner locks and one-hand opening thumb studs. The Double Cross also has the traditional looks and style of a classic slip joint. And to top it off, the Double Cross has two blades, a feature missing on almost every tactical knife made. This knife should appeal to any knife nut who wants an extremely “sheeple” friendly knife, and also to anybody who values the aesthetics and versatility of more traditional folders. To put things in a nutshell, the Double Cross is the small knife for everybody who uses a small knife. You can’t ask for better than that.

I’ve used the Double Cross pretty hard since I got it. I’ve regularly carried my large Sebenza for larger chores, with all small tasks going to the Kershaw. If you’re anything like me, 90% of your cutting tasks are small. The Double Cross has opened mail and mailing boxes, cut plastic blister packs, and even handled some wood whittling. I’m normally not a huge fan of AUS-6 steel, but it seems right at home in a small pocket knife. I wouldn’t want to be splitting logs with AUS-6, but it seems perfectly fine for any reasonable use of a Double Cross. Small knives just don’t seem to need super steels. Just look at how long we’ve gotten along with 440A on out slipjoints. Kershaw’s AUS-6 is definitely superior to your average everyday slip joint steel. My Double Cross has had months of use now, and has only needed a couple of swipes on the SharpMaker in all that time.

I am quite surprised by how well the knife has held up. No noticeable blade play has developed, and no slop has appeared in any of the rivets. Other than a little scratching on the bolsters, the Double Cross is actually better than when it arrived at my doorstep. The action on the blades has smoothed out over time, wearing just enough to make the blades open as smooth as silk.

I could use all sorts of glowing adjectives to describe the Kershaw, but I’ll use one sentence that couldn’t be used to describe most of my knives. This knife has never let me down in my expectations of its performance, aesthetics or ease of use, and I have no recommendations on any modification that would add value to these characteristics.

The Kershaw Double Cross is my perfect small folder.

lumber1.jpg

Whittled with a Kershaw Double Cross, where only two swipes on the SharpMaker brought it back to shaving sharp.
 
Buzzbait, Thank's for the review. IMO the Double Cross IS the perfect pocket knife
as it adresses all of the wish's of the slip joint pocketknife owner. It opens one hand,
it locks and it has the two most useful blade shapes for everyday use. The only problem
I have with it ,like most knives, is it's made for right handed people.
 
Thanks for the review.
I like this knife better than its bigger brother with the long spey blade. I haven't gotten one yet, but I've been curious ever since I saw the ad and handled its larger brother at a shop (haven't seen the smaller one in person).
Jim
 
Nice review, Buzzbait...I agree with just about everything you’ve said. I’ve also been carrying the Double Cross intermittently for a few months I’ve really grown fond of this little knife. It’s definitely a nice change of pace from the “black tactical” routine and it seems to be a pretty well thought-out design. I do wish that Kershaw had used a “better” steel (probably because I’ve been hanging around here too long and have become a bit of a snob), but I have to admit that you’re probably right…AUS-6 is a completely adequate steel for this type of knife and it certainly helps to keep the knife affordable. My only minor beef with the design is the fact that it took me a while to “train” myself to open the knife via the thumbstud without letting my thumb chase up onto the (very sharp) blade (Ouch!). I’ve run into this same situation with other Kershaw linerlocks…I seem to have better luck if I push the thumbstud forward in the same direction as the axis if the blade (on most of my one-handed folders I use a more “curving” motion…pushing the thumbstud out & away from the handle and then letting my thumb travel around the pivot in an arc-like motion). It’s certainly not a major problem…my fumblefingers just didn’t learn the proper technique until I had been “bitten” a few times :p. All in all, a pretty nifty little knife.

Now I just wish Kershaw would come out with a slightly more upscale version of this design with a premium steel and some nice scales of exotic wood, jigged bone, etc. There’s probably not much of a market for such a piece, but I’d buy it…
 
Nice review, Buzzbait. I've been looking at this knife for a while. You may have pushed me over the "edge".:rolleyes:

Ugly Jim: I've found with almost all thumb stub knives that I'm better off just pushing straight forward with the thumb. Your normal instinct is to "swing" the blade out in a curving motion, but it seems just better all around to get used to a straight forward motion. It's quicker and safer.

Just my $.02
 
Any thoughts on the Kershaw vs. the Buck Ecco?

The two seem to indicate something of a design trend: multi-bladed, one-hand-opening POCKET knives. I'm all for the trend! The Kershaw certainly seems classier, but the Buck is lighter and offers both a plain and a serrated blade - and, I'd imagine, a lower price tag. I've made a vow, not to buy another pocketknife until I either A) pay off some debts or B) lose my current EDC. Needless to say, option B) seems more likely. ;)
 
I haven't had the opportunity to try out a buck Ecco yet. I definitely like the looks and blade styles of the Double Cross better.

I'm surprised that the smaller Ecco has a partially serrated blade. It seems like a partially serrated blade is somewhat tenuous in its practicality to begin with; but who cuts accurately enough to use only the non-serrated portion of that a 2.25” blade? That would about a half inch that isn’t serrated? It would have made more sense to go with a fully serrated blade or lose the serrations altogether.

Heck. Buck puts out a good product for the money, and the Ecco is quite a bit cheaper than the Double Cross. I might try one if I accidentally lose the Double Cross.
 
I also have been very pleased with my Double Cross. After purchasing it, I emailed Kershaw if they had any plans on manufacturing any more modern variations of the traditional slipjoint look. My suggestion to them was to make a 5" Texas Toothpick with a thumb stud and linerlock and natural wood or bone handle.

Kershaws response was that they see a trend toward more traditional looking pocket knives and will do additional styles after they monitor the sales results of the Double Cross.
 
Great review and a nice bit of whittling to boot. File this is my "to get at a future date" file.
 
Buzzbait,
Thanks for the review. I'm glad to see I made a good choice on the Double Cross.
I came across one at Beck's Cutlery in Cary NC (shameless plug for nice people) yesterday and it came home with me. It looked like a perfect smaller knife for those day to day uses like opening packages, cutting tape and such. I'm looking forward to using it at work this weekend. I'll be working a concert Friday and most of the guys on our crew carry a good knife, light and multitool with them, in addition to the hammer, wrench and such that are in the tool bag. It's nice to sometimes get to work with people who respect good tools. I'll be interested to see what they think of the Double Cross. On Saturday I'll be working a kids Halloween festival and it will be interesting to see how the sheeple react to the Double Cross, like the guy last year who borrowed my SwissTool to fix his son's horn and then complained "that thing's got a knife on it, don't it?" He couldn't fix the trumpet either.
I glad to see someone else though it would be a good whittling or carving knife. I tried it for a couple of minutes when I was in the shop last evening on a piece of pine I'm carving into a sheep for a Nativity setting. I was well pleased with the result (of the knife's performance, not my carving ability).
Again thanks to all for the info and their comments.

Best Wishes
Steve
 
but a co-worker got one and he can open both blades at the same time with the same hand. Cracked me up. Be careful, you have to open the correct one first or you'll get cut. He only gets them about half open, though.
 
Like it, love it, ya gotta have it!
They really did a good job on this, while I am an admitted steel snob the steel in this takes a very keen edge, arrived sharp as well! Which wasn't too much a surprise as Kershaw knives are known for sending out razor sharp products.

I use mine quite a bit, mostly for slicing up fruit during my morning breaks at work, fits the hand nicely and the blade is just long enought to make nice thin slices, make that fruit go a long way!

Nice carving there! Inspires me to get a piece of wood and start a bit of carving myself...
G2
 
Excellent review Buzzbait! I really like when someone reviews a knife like this. I still love my little Old Timer Pal so this one would be a nice step up for me in the future. Another point you made that I totally agree with, is that Kershaw really seems to making knives lately for knife lovers. I seems like they've been hitting them out of the park now for the past couple of years and they keep going strong because like you said they take risks. Thanks again for the well thought out review. Regards.
-Rick
 
It is a very cool little carry knife, and I agree that AUS-6 works just fine for what the knife is intended. Thanks again :) !


"Hunters seek what they [WANT].., Seekers hunt shat they [NEED]"
 
Greetings! After looking at the posts about this knife I went down to the local knife shop to "check-out" this knife. The knife looked like very nice quality and all but when I tried to open the knife, had a HARD time to open it. The short blade wasn't as bad. Just my 2 cents.



Pilgrim2
 
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