My first knife review, of the kershaw oso sweet:
Description:
It is designed to be kershaw's cheapest AO knife, designed by Ken Onion. I got mine off ebay for around $25 shipped, and arrived here within 3 days. Blade length is 3-1/2 in, handle is 4-3/8 in, and overall is 7-1/8 in. The seller neglected to mention that the knife was made in China, and described the steel as aus-8 when it was really aus-6.:grumpy: Handles are made of frn with fish-scale patterns to enhance the grip, and dual nested steel liners. The lock is a linerlock. Clip is right hand only, with either tip-up or tip-down.
Impressions:
This is my first kershaw, and I can say that it certainly won't be my last. Their Speedsafe feature is very impressive. It opens the knife with a push of the flipper, and even after 100+ openings on the very first day, its still going strong. I'm not a big fan of linerlocks, but this one pretty secure, although I still wouldn't trust it as much as a good lockback.
The fit and finish is above my byrds, and slightly below my spyderco.
The handle is very ergonomic and fits in my hand perfectly. The fish-scale pattern really does enhance your grip, although the frn feels a bit cheaper than the ones on my endura. The blade arrived hair-whittling sharp, and the almost full flat-ground blade is a welcome change from the saber-grind on my endura. Aus-6 was a bit of a disappointment, but it holds an edge reasonably well and sharpens up very easily. The only real gripe I can find for the blade is the lack of a thumbstud.
Overall, its a great knife for $25, even better than a byrd. Its size makes it perfect for use as an edc. I also think the blade and grip shape would be more useful and more comfortable than the leek. Its a great design, but the materials were lacking. Now if only the made this with etched stainless steel handles, s30v blade, and a framelock, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
Description:
It is designed to be kershaw's cheapest AO knife, designed by Ken Onion. I got mine off ebay for around $25 shipped, and arrived here within 3 days. Blade length is 3-1/2 in, handle is 4-3/8 in, and overall is 7-1/8 in. The seller neglected to mention that the knife was made in China, and described the steel as aus-8 when it was really aus-6.:grumpy: Handles are made of frn with fish-scale patterns to enhance the grip, and dual nested steel liners. The lock is a linerlock. Clip is right hand only, with either tip-up or tip-down.
Impressions:
This is my first kershaw, and I can say that it certainly won't be my last. Their Speedsafe feature is very impressive. It opens the knife with a push of the flipper, and even after 100+ openings on the very first day, its still going strong. I'm not a big fan of linerlocks, but this one pretty secure, although I still wouldn't trust it as much as a good lockback.
The fit and finish is above my byrds, and slightly below my spyderco.
The handle is very ergonomic and fits in my hand perfectly. The fish-scale pattern really does enhance your grip, although the frn feels a bit cheaper than the ones on my endura. The blade arrived hair-whittling sharp, and the almost full flat-ground blade is a welcome change from the saber-grind on my endura. Aus-6 was a bit of a disappointment, but it holds an edge reasonably well and sharpens up very easily. The only real gripe I can find for the blade is the lack of a thumbstud.
Overall, its a great knife for $25, even better than a byrd. Its size makes it perfect for use as an edc. I also think the blade and grip shape would be more useful and more comfortable than the leek. Its a great design, but the materials were lacking. Now if only the made this with etched stainless steel handles, s30v blade, and a framelock, I'd buy it in a heartbeat.
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