Kershaw starting Sprint Runs!

dirc said:
I'm old fashioned, and like the thought of saying 'anything by company x is good stuff'... which I can't do any longer if I'm being honest. I don't obsess over it lol

440a would be miles better than 3cr13... so yeah, if the only goal is new user / low cost entry to the knife world... I kinda see your point

I'd still personally try to guide them to the $18 - 8cr13 so they have a better overall experience... or better yet, I'd gift them that 8cr13 model after they've suffered with 3cr13 for a few months, just so they get their sharpening skills worked out lol
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As I've said already, the vast majority of them aren't going to sharpen it ever, so any advantage that 8cr13mov or D2 might offer becomes entirely irrelevant.
 
Walmart's Ozark Trail brand uses 3Cr13. Several models cost less than five bucks. That's probably a fair price for 3Cr. It's so early on the curve of diminishing returns that you can radically increase quality for the price of a cup of coffee. That's the real issue with 3Cr, 4Cr, and even 5Cr15. There just isn't much reason to want those steels in 2020. Starting around ten bucks, you can get into 7Cr and 8Cr and those are stable choices up through double that price.

That's why I say Kershaw is behind the times. They've got 4Cr for 8Cr prices and 8Cr for Chinese D2 prices. A big part of how brands like Kershaw and CRKT keep doing that seems to be protection from that competition in the big box stores. I'm hoping that more people shopping online will help to curb that nonsense.
 
Chronovore said:
Walmart's Ozark Trail brand uses 3Cr13. Several models cost less than five bucks. That's probably a fair price for 3Cr. It's so early on the curve of diminishing returns that you can radically increase quality for the price of a cup of coffee. That's the real issue with 3Cr, 4Cr, and even 5Cr15. There just isn't much reason to want those steels in 2020. Starting around ten bucks, you can get into 7Cr and 8Cr and those are stable choices up through double that price.

That's why I say Kershaw is behind the times. They've got 4Cr for 8Cr prices and 8Cr for Chinese D2 prices. A big part of how brands like Kershaw and CRKT keep doing that seems to be protection from that competition in the big box stores. I'm hoping that more people shopping online will help to curb that nonsense.
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I'll keep saying it, at that level knives are very unlikely to ever be sharpened. Have you seen the edge condition of most cheap, working knives? Edge retention is entirely unimportant if the owner doesn't maintain the edge. I'd much rather see someone spend $15 on a 3cr13 Kershaw and get solid build quality, warranty and customer service than spend $5 on an Ozark Trail. Steel is important to us because we maintain our knives, to anyone that doesn't, rust resistance and build quality are going to be their best friends.
 
Mr.Wizard said:
http://zknives.com/knives/steels/steelchart.php

I suppose it depends on if you count equivalent grades.
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I wouldn’t count equivalents. I haven’t come across hundreds and hundreds in my 20 years in the hobby, that would imply at least 400 steel types.. but at just two decades, I’m “just getting into knives” so I might come across hundreds more as I get more seasoned.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
I'll keep saying it, at that level knives are very unlikely to ever be sharpened. Have you seen the edge condition of most cheap, working knives? Edge retention is entirely unimportant if the owner doesn't maintain the edge. I'd much rather see someone spend $15 on a 3cr13 Kershaw and get solid build quality, warranty and customer service than spend $5 on an Ozark Trail. Steel is important to us because we maintain our knives, to anyone that doesn't, rust resistance and build quality are going to be their best friends.
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I’m going to disagree with you on the sharpening piece. Most people I know that buy pocket knives buy a sharpener eventually... but they get carbide type sharpeners... things like an accusharp or a smiths.
 
Kenpo149 said:
I’m going to disagree with you on the sharpening piece. Most people I know that buy pocket knives buy a sharpener eventually... but they get carbide type sharpeners... things like an accusharp or a smiths.
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That hasn't been my experience, but given the way those sharpeners operate I'd rate that as another point in favor of a steel like 3cr13. A soft steel like that won't take quite as much damage from a pull through carbide sharpener as something run harder.
 
Kenpo149 said:
I wouldn’t count equivalents. I haven’t come across hundreds and hundreds in my 20 years in the hobby, that would imply at least 400 steel types.. but at just two decades, I’m “just getting into knives” so I might come across hundreds more as I get more seasoned.
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Heck, go to Bladehq and filter all their knives by blade material and you'll see a few hundred different steels there alone.
 
Insipid Moniker said:
I'll keep saying it, at that level knives are very unlikely to ever be sharpened. Have you seen the edge condition of most cheap, working knives? Edge retention is entirely unimportant if the owner doesn't maintain the edge. I'd much rather see someone spend $15 on a 3cr13 Kershaw and get solid build quality, warranty and customer service than spend $5 on an Ozark Trail. Steel is important to us because we maintain our knives, to anyone that doesn't, rust resistance and build quality are going to be their best friends.
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I 'd say that makes edge retention even more important. If someone is never going to sharpen their pocket knife, and they are buying knives in this price range, then there are only a few possibilities. Maybe they buy it and never use it. Maybe they use it so infrequently, maybe just on a loose button thread here and there, that it really doesn't matter. So they'd be okay. However, some people are buying these as disposable or replaceable pocket cutters. For those folks, the factory edge on 3Cr or 4Cr is likely to crap out sooner than 7Cr or 8Cr. For those folks, I'd say it's worth investing that extra "price of a cup of coffee" or a few minutes' time to shop around.

The same could said for corrosion resistance. It is arguably more important for the people who don't maintain their knives. Of course, 8Cr13Mov isn't an upgrade on that parameter. 5Cr15 and 7Cr17 are better low-tier choices for corrosion resistance. Given its balance of edge retention and corrosion resistance, I think 7Cr17Mov is an unsung hero in the world of ultra-cheap gift knives, tackle-box beaters, and possible gateway knives. :cool:
 
I used to be huge on D2, but it is such a challenge to get sharp. I have come back to softer type metals as my preference, because my 1”x42” belt sander can put a wicked edge on very fast. A slight hassle changing belts. I just wish I would remember to bring down 3 or 4 knives to sharpen at the same time.
 
Chronovore said:
I 'd say that makes edge retention even more important. If someone is never going to sharpen their pocket knife, and they are buying knives in this price range, then there are only a few possibilities. Maybe they buy it and never use it. Maybe they use it so infrequently, maybe just on a loose button thread here and there, that it really doesn't matter. So they'd be okay. However, some people are buying these as disposable or replaceable pocket cutters. For those folks, the factory edge on 3Cr or 4Cr is likely to crap out sooner than 7Cr or 8Cr. For those folks, I'd say it's worth investing that extra "price of a cup of coffee" or a few minutes' time to shop around.

The same could said for corrosion resistance. It is arguably more important for the people who don't maintain their knives. Of course, 8Cr13Mov isn't an upgrade on that parameter. 5Cr15 and 7Cr17 are better low-tier choices for corrosion resistance. Given its balance of edge retention and corrosion resistance, I think 7Cr17Mov is an unsung hero in the world of ultra-cheap gift knives, tackle-box beaters, and possible gateway knives. :cool:
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I definitely think there are better candidates than 3cr13, but I also think you're very much stuck in an enthusiast mindset and not really considering how most people use their knives. Edge retention is vastly more valuable with routine sharpening. Take that away and any steel will dull and if a knife spends the majority of it's existence dull the little bit of extra time sharp that you've purchased is worth very, very little.
 
I missed out on a Random Leek sprint? @#$%!
 
A Kershaw Clash was the match that lit the knife fire for me.

I used it for work exclusively for about 8 months. I enjoyed it so much I started researching the internet and landed here at BladeForums.

It worked great and still does. It served as a fine EDC for someone who at the time did not really care about knives and steels all that much. I just needed a good knife backed by a good warranty.

I also have a junky Schrade folder with 3cr13mov. I have only used to open boxes or cut tape when shipping boxes. Lots and lots of boxes. I shipped over 8000 pounds via FedEx last season using this knife. I have not sharpened it once.

It serves admirably for what it’s needed for and quite honestly the work done with this 10 dollar beater is what made me an income that paid for all my other knives.

I believe there is a market for these tools and thankful we have options and a myriad of choices.
 
Planterz said:
I missed out on a Random Leek sprint? @#$%!
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Yeah, thanks for bringing the discussion back to where it's supposed to be.

I'm anxiously waiting for mine to show up so I can take it to work and see how that Random Leek blade shape performs!
 
Man, I'm really loving this thing so far. The little bit of extra belly and more robust tip really make it feel a a bit different than the standard leek. It just seems to want to slice more and I'm finding I start cuts about half an inch further up the blade with the Random blade style.

I was mildly interested when this was first posted, but after this release I think this is going to be something I look forward to on a regular basis like the Buck of the Month exclusives and Spyderco sprints/exclusives. I hope Kershaw releases knives on a fairly regular basis. It's such an exciting time to be a knife enthusiast.

One thing to note is that the screw holes have Cerakote in them so if you want to swap the clip to tip up, I recommend tapping the hole with the screw without the clip in place first.
 
I got mine yesterday but only had time to take it out of the box and give it a quick look. The Blackwash Random blade really pops with the yellow handle.

I'm already eager to see what the next sprint run brings.
 
Chronovore said:
I've been carrying Kershaw knives on and off since the very late 90s. I haven't noticed any big decline. They still stand behind their products. Just like around the turn of the century, I can call them and get a real person on the phone. They'll still send me replacement parts like clips or torsion bars for free. As far as steel, I actually remember being excited about their use of 8Cr13Mov back in the day. (I had some Kershaws in AUS-6 and it seemed like a step up.) The problem today is that Kershaw just seems behind the times. They're still using 8Cr13Mov in Chinese-made knives at prices where China-direct manufacturers are using steels like Chinese D2, 14C28N, or Acuto 440.

The 3Cr and 4Cr stuff is just deplorable. The China-direct price analog for those is 8Cr13Mov now. Heck, even a lot of the similarly priced knock-offs and counterfeits coming out of China now seem to be running at least 5Cr. :oops:



Following from the above, I'm all set on Chinese D2. The market is flooded with it. It's routinely available for the same price as their current 8Cr13Mov models. If Kershaw wants to "upgrade" existing knives, I'd like to see something different. That's doubly true for sprint runs.
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dirc said:
I'm honestly surprised to see so many people accept 3cr13 steel - I guess we also have many secret fans of mtech, gerber & schrade which specialize in this steel :)

Personally, It's a hard pass for me every time
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You know, the two of you could start your own thread on this topic. It might make for a neat thread rather than junking up this one that is about something else entirely. The topic comes up enough between the two of you. Just a thought.

On topic, if I were a leek fan, I'd have been all over this. Unfortunately, I find the knife too small for my tastes. I can't wait to see what Kershaw does next with these sprints!
 
Addicted_to_Knives said:
-snip-I would probably also ban any knife for sale with D2 blade that has $500+ price tag. I'd also abolish and punish any knifemaker for using those cheap teflon washers or lower grade blade steels. The knife world would have never been the :eek: same :D:D:D:D

P.S. Lasers on Shark patrols? I say lets add train horns and extreme sirens too :)
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Ahem, Mr. Bob Dozier would like to see you out in the hall for a minute. Bring a chair and a notebook, you're going to need them.

:D
 
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