The OSO Sleeper

[vwb563]

Been playing around with a couple Kershaw OSO’s the last few days. I got a black handled and a olive drab colored one. Pretty neat little knives. They’re assisted which I kinda like. (I know a lot don’t but I do) They have the option of tip up or down carry. The pocket clips attach to a pocket easily and are secure. The blade steel on both are the 8Cr China stainless stuff with the typical edge holding abilities. The black one has a flat ground brushed finished blade and the olive drab is hollow ground with a satin like finish. Both were shaving sharp out of the box. Both have a lanyard hole. These seem to be a real sleeper in the Kershaw line and don’t get much attention but they really are nice knives for the money.

 

[Planterz]

Kershaw has quite a few inexpensive knives that fit in the same category. Under $40 or so with 8Cr13MoV steel and handles of varying quality of materials. Some assisted, some with their KVT bearing system. Knives like those make me wonder why anybody would bother with questionable junk from knock-off companies like Ganzo. With Kershaw you don't just get a knife you can trust, but one with a lifetime warranty, free sharpening, and replacement pieces like clips and screws should the need arise.

 

[Chronovore]

I had one of these a few years ago. It was okay but the clip bugged me. If you hunt around, these can often be found for $20 or less. At that price, 8Cr13Mov is acceptable. Up over $20, you can start finding better steel and some decent manual actions from brands like Kubey, Tangram, Ruike, Petrified Fish, QSP, etc.. Planterz rightly pointed that Kershaw has excellent customer service. It keeps them relevant as more of those Chinese competitors creep down into this price bracket with better materials. I just wish they'd stop using 8Cr13Mov in their $30+ knives.

 

[Rich S]

Had an Oso-sweet for several years. Excellent knife. Takes a good edge, operates smoothly, well made. One of my favorite Kershaws.
Rich

 

[vwb563]

Kershaw has quite a few inexpensive knives that fit in the same category. Under $40 or so with 8Cr13MoV steel and handles of varying quality of materials. Some assisted, some with their KVT bearing system. Knives like those make me wonder why anybody would bother with questionable junk from knock-off companies like Ganzo. With Kershaw you don't just get a knife you can trust, but one with a lifetime warranty, free sharpening, and replacement pieces like clips and screws should the need arise.

Yes I know you are correct on all points but seems the little OSO has been around a long time and gets very little attention. But it must be a good seller for it to still be available from Kershaw or they would have discontinued it like they usually do. And I totally agree about the Ganzo thing. Why would anyone buy one when Kershaw has knives like these available and how they stand behind their products with free clips, springs, and sharpening service.

 

[hhmoore]

The black one has a flat ground brushed finished blade and the olive drab is hollow ground with a satin like finish.

I'm certainly no expert on Kershaw's product line; but this raised an eyebrow.... did kershaw produced this blade with 2 different grinds? I took a quick look, and didn't see anything about brushed finish or flat ground. Certainly doesn't mean it didn't happen; but it struck me as unusual.
Where is/was that version available? Was it an exclusive?

 

[Hackenslash]

You can still find the OD handled OSO Sweet if you look around. I don’t think it was a special run; just an alternate color. The blade finish is stone washed. I think Kershaw calls the blade finish on the black one “satin”.

I didn’t know the OD green was hollow ground vs flat on the black. It’s a very subtle hollow ground from looking at pictures.

 

[Henry Beige]

The only OSO model I have ever come across is the OSO-Sweet in black. They have been around for a long time. I might never have bought one if not for a salesman who really wanted to do me a favor by pointing out the great special they were having. I bought one to humor him, but it was pretty hard to turn down at thirteen bucks. The blade on mine is hollow ground.

The clip is oddly shaped and mildly annoying. I doubt it would help to relocate it for tip-up carry. If I ever troubled to take it off, I would just leave it off. The action works well enough as long as the pivot is clean and lubricated. It seems unusually vulnerable to pocket lint and grit which can constipate the action.

 

[Planterz]

Yes I know you are correct on all points but seems the little OSO has been around a long time and gets very little attention. But it must be a good seller for it to still be available from Kershaw or they would have discontinued it like they usually do.

There's a bunch of knives by Kershaw in this category that get little notice here. Some quick googling shows that the Oso Sweet is or at least was available at places like Walmart, Big5, Bass Pro Shops, etc, so no doubt it's an attractive option for people browsing around. Individually, these Kershaws don't get much attention jere, probably because there's so many of them, and because most of us tend to be happy spending more, but as a group they're a common recommendation for those looking good, inexpensive knives.

 

[Hackenslash]

Does anyone know if the Oso was one of the knives Kershaw made in 3Cr for sales through big box stores?

 

[Rich S]

No it was not. Kershaw made a model named "Hotwire" for Walmart in 3Cr....; not to be confused with the current "Wire"model.
Rich

 

[vwb563]

I'm certainly no expert on Kershaw's product line; but this raised an eyebrow.... did kershaw produced this blade with 2 different grinds? I took a quick look, and didn't see anything about brushed finish or flat ground. Certainly doesn't mean it didn't happen; but it struck me as unusual.
Where is/was that version available? Was it an exclusive?

I should have said stone washed on the olive drab. I was half asleep and called it satin. Anyway it is a stone washed finish and is hollow ground. It’s a subtle hollow ground but it’s certainly not a flat grind. The black handled one is completely flat ground with a brushed like finish. I received another one today in the mail that I purchased. It’s the black handled, black clip & hardware, black washed blade version. It also has the subtle hollow grind. They all came from sellers on the bay site.

I had one of these a few years ago. It was okay but the clip bugged me. If you hunt around, these can often be found for $20 or less. At that price, 8Cr13Mov is acceptable.

I agree on all points. I’m not crazy about the clip but it works and don’t shred pockets like I’ve had a lot more expensive knives do and it is switchable from tip down to tip up. I completely agree on the steel. All I can say is it works and is pretty tough stuff. It’s not brittle like some of the super steels are and will bend before it snaps which is good if you’re rough on blade tips.

 

[Chronovore]

I knock 8Cr13Mov a lot but that's just because of the current market. I remember when Kershaw used a lot of AUS-6 and 8Cr13Mov was a welcome change. Excepting arguments about the vastly superior corrosion resistance of 7Cr17Mov, 8Cr13Mov is much better than the lower-numbered Chinese steels.

For instance, that Hotwire in 3Cr13 is cool but edge retention is a bad joke. The counterpoint is that it's very easy to sharpen and super cheap. Of course, 8Cr13Mov is fairly easy to sharpen and also "cheap" in appropriately priced $20ish knives like the Oso Sweet. This is so far down on the curve of diminishing returns that you can make huge leaps in quality for very little cash.

Another knife I liked in this category a few years back was the Clash. It had an interesting shape and the ergonomics were decent. Like the Oso Sweet, it had a goofy clip. The Clash's clip is much more ergonomic than the Oso Sweet's but I'll include a clip so you can see what I mean.

 

[Planterz]

I knock 8Cr13Mov a lot but that's just because of the current market. I remember when Kershaw used a lot of AUS-6 and 8Cr13Mov was a welcome change. Excepting arguments about the vastly superior corrosion resistance of 7Cr17Mov, 8Cr13Mov is much better than the lower-numbered Chinese steels.

I had a couple of Kershaw 2415 (I think) in my early knife days (zinc handles, or possibly aluminum, rubber inserts that get gooey over time) and I have no idea what the steel was, except that it was soft and I could get it screaming sharp even as a novice, but held an edge like it was made out of a soup can lid. I had a Vapor after that with AUS-6 and I couldn't get it sharp worth a damn. Finally I graduated to more expensive knives, getting a Rainbow Leek, which back then still used 440A, the terrible edge holding of which prompted me to find better, which led me to this forum. 8Cr13MoV isn't great, but it's better than that 440A was. I'd love to have a rainbow Leek again (I gave my old one away to a girl [not what you think]) in the Sandvik steel, but not at eBay prices.

 

[Chronovore]

I had a couple of Kershaw 2415 (I think) in my early knife days (zinc handles, or possibly aluminum, rubber inserts that get gooey over time) and I have no idea what the steel was, except that it was soft and I could get it screaming sharp even as a novice, but held an edge like it was made out of a soup can lid. I had a Vapor after that with AUS-6 and I couldn't get it sharp worth a damn. Finally I graduated to more expensive knives, getting a Rainbow Leek, which back then still used 440A, the terrible edge holding of which prompted me to find better, which led me to this forum. 8Cr13MoV isn't great, but it's better than that 440A was. I'd love to have a rainbow Leek again (I gave my old one away to a girl [not what you think]) in the Sandvik steel, but not at eBay prices.

Yeah, 440A is another one where 8Cr13Mov can be better. There are more. I'm just happy to see better choices drifting down in price. There is a ton of Chinese D2 in the $20-30 range now. It is definitely harder to sharpen but edge retention is a big improvement over 8Cr13Mov. My main issue with D2 is the low corrosion resistance but honestly, 8Cr13Mov isn't that much better. (The bead blast finish on some of those Kershaws doesn't help.)

My favorite has been the Acuto 440 used in Kizer's Tangram line. I've seen claims that it's a modified 440C but looking at the chemical composition, it looks more like a modified 9Cr18Mov. Coincidentally, edge retention is roughly on par with Civivi's 9Cr18Mov. That's a good thing given that you can find a Tangram Santa Fe for like $25.

I used to have a Blue Smoke Leek in 14C28N. It was my "office carry" for years. It's yet another Kershaw with a goofy clip situation. Between that and the little safety doodad, I eventually sold it off. Edge retention with Kershaw's 14C28N was decent. I'd put it in the same ballpark as Civivi's 9Cr18Mov and that Acuto 440. It's a nice budget steel. I know Ruike and Real Steel are using it now and some of those models are value-priced.

 

[cchu518]

I do wish Kershaw would bring back the Zing Groove and OD1 and OD2 series. It's not often you find a cam lever knife to buy.