Modern Bushman

As mentioned in the Cold Steel Bushman review, the knife is an indispensable tool used by man for millions of years.  Even after so long, the idea of using the tool to slice or chop through something is just too good to let go of.  So good infact, that we want to carry it everyday, everywhere we go.

In choosing an Every Day Carry (EDC) knife, I started by first identifying the uses for the knife and required features:

• must be large enough to cut any common materials, such as cordage, with ease
• blade made from a steel that is able to hold an edge, yet sharpen easily
• no serration for ease of sharpening and for clean cuts
• handle just large enough for me to get a good grip
• fast action
• pocket clip for easy access
• easily affordable, represent a good value
• preferably made in USA (watch the movie 127 hours)

While there are literally hundreds of knives that have been designed for Every Day Carry (EDC), one of my favorites and personal choice for EDC is the Kershaw Blur folding knife.  Designed by notable knifemaker Ken Onion, the Kershaw Blur met and exceeded all my personal requirements.

Kershaw Blur 1670BLK:

The Blade

First of all, I love the design of the 3 3/8″ length blade.  The blade has a slight curve which gives it a nice slicing action, yet provides enough mass to accommodate deep cuts when needed.  Kershaw offers the Blur in both S30V stainless steel (model 1670S30V) and Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel (model 1670BLK).  While most knife enthusiasts would prefer the S30V for its edge holding properties, I went with the Sandvik 14C28N version (model 1670BLK) with the black coated blade for the simplicity in sharpening and lower price (affordability was one of my requirements and I really don’t mind touching up my EDC blade once a week or so).

Straight, serrated, or combo edge?  Well, that depends.  They all have their advantages and really depends on your intended use.  Since the purpose for my knife was EDC, I wanted a knife that I can use regularly without a care in the world.  I would be cutting everything from cardboard to cordage to carrots.  With my serrated / combo blade knives, I had moments of hesitation cutting certain materials (like cardboard), wondering if it was “worth it” to potentially dull the blade unnecessarily.  Now with my straight edge Kershaw Blur 1670BLK, I never worry about dulling it because I have no problems sharpening it.  Speaking of the blade, did I mention the Kershaw Blur’s speed?  The Kershaw Blur is an assisted opening knife utilizing Ken Onion’s patented SpeedSafe Assisted Opening mechanism.  The spring that powers the SpeedSafe Assisted Opening action is no wimp, either.  Flick the thumb stud and the blade opens with authority and stays locked.

The Handle/Body

The handle/body of the Kershaw Blur series folding knives is made from black coated 6061-T6 machined aluminum and is fitted with their Trac-Tec grip inserts.  Trac-Tec is Kershaw’s gripping material made from what appears to be soft, pliable rubber with a surface texture resembling extremely course sandpaper.

My two cents on the Kershaw Blur handle is that they make the knife very comfortable to handle and the Trac-Tec inserts provide a very secure grip.  I tested it bare hands and gloved hands, both wet and dry and the Trac-Tec gripped without any slippage.  In fact, I’ve read reviews on the internet with some users complaining about the amount of grip the Trac-Tec inserts provide.  I have no complaints about the grips doing their job well.

The Locking Mechanism

The Kershaw Blur 1670BLK features a locking liner.  This is the part that I was alittle nervous about at first.  I’ve heard a story of the locking liner failing on a Kershaw Blur folding knife a during spine smacking test.  So, when I received my knife, I opened the knife and tried to simulate the lock failure.  I made several attempts to have the locking liner fail by smacking the spine of the open blade against a hard surface (my work bench) with zero lock failures.  There is no way for me to measure the force I was applying during my strikes, but I can tell you I came down on the spine pretty hard and the Kershaw Blur’s locking mechanism never failed.  I understand that under stressful “life or death” situations, I may have to use the knife in a stabbing manner.  I believe the amount of force I applied during my spine smacking / locking liner test exceeds any backwards force the knife may experience in a fighting situation, especially if I’m stabbing or slicing soft tissue.  The fact is, I can’t ever see myself in a situation where I would use the back of the blade for any kind of striking, therefore the whole test seems alittle silly to me.  Below is the locking liner / spine smacking test against my work table.

The Perfect EDC Knife

As far as I’m concerned, the Kershaw Blur is the perfect EDC folding knife.  Aside from the main parts of the knife mentioned above (blade, lock, and handle), the Kershaw Blur has other features I find desirable in a EDC folding knife.  While the weight of the knife is considered “heavy” for an EDC folding knife, I found the weight to be a non-issue.  I weigh 170lbs and wear approximately 5lbs of clothes everyday.  Another 4oz isn’t going to kill me nor is the weight too uncomfortable for me to bear.  The closed length of the knife is 4.5″ which also isn’t a big deal when compared to the blade length.  Personally, I like my EDC folding knife to have a bigger, rather than a smaller blade.  So for the added length of the blade I’m willing to carry the added overall length.  The Kershaw Blur also features a reversible pocket clip, although you need a super tiny torx bit to change the orientation of the clip.

The Kershaw Blur model 1670BLK is made in USA and has a retail price of $99.95, but after a week of bidding wars, I was able to pick one up on an eBay auction for $34 + $2.95 for shipping/handling. Not a bad deal:  definitely a lot of knife at a great price.  The value there is simply unbeatable.

~ John, Modern Bushman