Kershaw Blur review

[Travis Morgan]

Blackout vs. Blur Comparison

    I recently got a Kershaw Blur after shopping around for a replacement for my Blackout folder, since I'd somehow lost it.(it was found sitting on the lawnmower the day after I got the Blur!)
    Both are assisted opening pocket knives, both fit the hand and pocket well, and both cost more than I think they should, but I'm cheap. The blade on the Blur is about 1/4" longer than the one on the Blackout, but not long enough to bother me. Both are still pretty handy.
    One thing that always bothered me about the Blackout was that every time I dropped it, it'd snap open and go spinning away across the floor; I can't seem to be able to make the Blur open when I drop it. That's a good thing.
    Another update is that the thumb stud on the Blur is ambidextrous, which is a real plus for me. Being able to open my primary carry knife with either hand is a major plus for me, as I tend to end up in rather serious hand to equine situations with recalcitrant horses. Being able to cut a rope before one of us get killed is a good thing. The one sided thumb stud on the Blackout was a total PITA to open left handed, but could have easily been replaced with a mail order replacement for about $5, total, but as I said, I'm  cheap. I just make sure I have a knife in my other pocket.

Pocket Clip

    The Blur has holes to mount the clip either blade up or blade down, but no holes on the other side so that it can be carried either right or left handed. I'd really prefer an ambidextrous clip option so that when I'm carrying a gun, I can grab my knife with my non-shooting hand in the event that someone grabs for my gun.
    One issue I have with the clips is that Kershaw makes them so flat that I always have to take them off and re-bend them every time I get a new one because they simply won't slide onto my pocket without tearing it up. When I do this, I completely remove the clip, grab the top of it with a pair of plier, or stick it in a vise, and bend it outwards a bit, then grab the bent part with a pair of needle nose pliers and bend the rest of the clip back down to where there's about a 1/16" gap for my pants pocket to get started into the clip. This generally takes about 5 minutes if you have the right size torx head tip to do it.
    The metal on this new knife's clip is substantially harder than the metal in the old clip, and took a little more muscle to bend, but it's staying in place.

    The only gripe I have with the new knife is that when Kershaw made it flatter, they also made it more difficult to get out of my pocket; with the Blackout being thicker at the bolster end, my thumb automatically slipped into my pocket to draw it out. Not so much with the Blur; I have to kinda wiggle my thumb behind the material to draw the knife, or use the thumb and forefinger "cherrypicking" method, which leads to fumbling and dropped knives.

Blade shape

    With the old Blackout, it came in two configurations I'm aware of; partially serrated, and plain. With the Blur, it comes in tanto and traditional drop point, with partially serrated models available. I'm not a fan of a tanto point in the first place for various reasons, among them, the attractiveness of using them as a prying tool. The tanto point on the Blur is on too long of an angle, for my tastes. The other blade shape is much more to my liking, though the tip could be swept up a little more, giving it more of a belly, for skinning purposes. The area of the blade slightly forward of the tang has a bit of curve before it gets to the belly, making for a harder to sharpen area, but excellent for cutting wet rope and strapping.

Sharpness

    I've never been all that happy with my Blackout's edge holding ability, but it's easy to sharpen, so I just lived with it. The new Blur came to me sharper than 99% of new knives I've ever handled. The odd shape of the blade makes it a bit of a challenge to sharpen, but the overall handiness will be worth it in the long run, I think. It's not, however, going to hold an edge any better than any other knife I've had, I'm afraid.

[Joel]

I looked at the UTube review and it seems like a  nice knife.  I've never owned a Kershaw for some reason; I don't have anything against them, just never bought one.  I might have to give one a try next time around.  Only thing is being left handed it would have to be a non-liner lock.  I HATE having to switch hands to close one.

[Travis Morgan]

With some liner locks, I can work them left handed. MY Leatherman wave is fairly easy left handed. I just hold it in my fist then reach down and around with my thumb to catch the liner. Some can be bent upwards so the liner has a higher profile, making it easier to reach.

[Simple Man]

I recently purchased the Blur and instantly fell in love with it. This knife is so fast and easy to use, I can open and close it with just one hand very easy. It carries well in my pocket and the clip holds it very securely so no risk of it falling out. The metal is very good at holding an edge and it came from the factory razor sharp. This was my first Kershaw but will not be my last. I ordered the Kershaw Echo last night. It's a fixed blade model which will do a lot of my game cleaning. I also plan to pick up the Kershaw Leek in the next week or so., I have handled the Leek and was very impressed with it as well. I really like the way you can open it with either the thumb stud or by flipping the piece at the top to flip it open.
I think Kershaw makes some of the best knifes on the market today for the cheap price you pay for them. I plan to eventually own 1 of each model Kershaw produces.

[Simple Man]

I like to collect things and it would be neat to have a full collection of one brand. Also, $300 knife is much better on the wallet than my current habit of collecting expensive firearms. 

The Leek is just so sleek and simple to use and even though I don't have small hands, the Leek does feel good in my hands. I think it's the perfect size for EDC and it's quick, one handed opening makes it very useful.

I will agree with you on not liking the rainbow offerings from Kershaw. Even though I know it's a quality knife it still looks like a cheap toy knife to me.