ith so many options at your disposal, you might be wondering why some brands have such a loyal following and what they do to gain that loyalty. There are many premium and ultra-premium knifemakers out there, and for one reason or another, some people have their preferences and stick with them. Ask any outdoorsman, craftsman, or member of law enforcement what the best knife out there is, and you’ll get a different response from each person you ask. Yet, even so, some names will come up again and again. Many knifemakers, such as Buck, Gerber, Benchmade, Spyderco, and far too many more to list, have a loyal constituency that just won’t have it any other way.

There are a number of things that might go into this, and a number of ways of looking at it as well. Some people love Victorinox knives because they are simple of design, affordable, and ergonomic. Some people love Buck knives because they are guaranteed forever and have an absolutely classic appeal - hardly anyone can argue with that. Then there are knives like Benchmade that are also guaranteed for life, are exemplary for their quality and dependability, and sometimes even use super steels.

Another of these legendary knifemakers is Kershaw, which produces quite a number of immediately recognizable blades for a number of different pursuits. Kershaw Knives, which has itself been producing reputable knives for a variety of purposes since 1974, today is a brand of KAI USA, which itself has been producing blades of the highest quality and caliber for well over a 100 years. However, if you’re asking yourself why you might want to consider carrying a Kershaw pocket knife , those are just words. They don’t even scratch the surface of the value of a Kershaw pocket knife, so let’s dive into that.

Precision, Quality, Innovation

Since its inception almost 50 years ago, Kershaw has been driven by the principles of precision, quality, and innovation that have led them to the production of so many award-winning knives. Since 1974, a Kershaw knife has been an icon of these three principles, while still offering an amazing warranty service. As you will shortly find out, you can carry a  Kershaw pocket knife for many pursuits.

All Kershaw knives are designs and engineered right here in the United States of America. Kershaw Quality Control is an interdepartmental team that works alongside the designers and the production department of Kershaw to ensure that, through every step of production, Kershaw knives meet their standards of quality.

On the front of quality, Whether it be in the consistency of the steel, the ruggedness of the construction, or the grips of the scales, a Kershaw knife is a paragon of quality. That is not idle prattle, either - every Kershaw knife is backed by their limited lifetime warranty against defect.

Kershaw knives are serious quality tools; that much is apparent. Yet perhaps the strongest factor in favor of Kershaw’s legendary reputation is their commitment to innovation. It is this driving principle that more than any other, has solidified Kershaw’s place in the world of blades.

Kershaw is noteworthy for the fact that it has come up with industry-leading, industry-changing technology, time and time again. For example, Kershaw created proprietary technology in their SpeedSafe assisted opening knives, as well as their sub-frame lock, which is strong, secure, and most importantly, lightweight.

In some of its knives, Kershaw also uses Composite Blade technology, which is perhaps their greatest laurel. As impressive as a sub-frame lock can be, or even their Speed Safe technology that they incorporate into automatic knives, their Composite Blade technology might be the most groundbreaking technology yet. Composite Blade Technology combines two different types of steels into their blades, which has some very pronounced benefits for users.

For example, a stronger, softer steel can be used in the spine of a blade whereas harder steel can be used along the edge. This differential composition gives blades the ability of strength and resilience while at the same time affording them superior edge retention. Every grade of steel has its own benefits and drawbacks, but expertly combining them together, their relative strengths can be preserved while their relative weaknesses can be largely annulled.

A Variety of Different Uses

Most Kershaw pocket knives may look sleek and futuristic but don’t let the appearance fool you. Kershaw knives are great for a large number of different purposes and are not just intended for uses associated with tactics, fighting, and self-defense. Some Kershaw pocket knives have assuredly been designed with these attributes in mind, but there is a Kershaw pocket knife or a folding knife out there for anyone who has a need for a blade.

Spend a little more than a few minutes looking through our collection of Kershaw knives, and you will quickly come to realize that there’s a Kershaw knife out there for you. You may be a hunter, a hiker, a backpacker, a craftsman, a conscious citizen with a need for EDC, or even a law enforcement officer, but regardless of your needs, Kershaw has foreseen them and crafted a solution for you. Check out some of these highlights from our collection as well as our suggested purposes for them. You’ll find that our suggestions take into account the strength of their features and that the recommendations are not only accurate but poignant.

Kershaw Al Mar AM-3 with a G10 Handle

The Kershaw Al Mar AM-3 with a G10 handle has a lot of features you’re going to love, even if you don’t think the knife will suit your specific needs. It won’t make a lot of bushcrafters happy, but given the scope of its design, it really shines in its own corner.

This fairly diminutive knife is surprisingly comfortable in the hand with its rounded G10 handle that is almost lozenge-shaped. The G10 scales are extremely lightweight and strong, offer a secure grip, and will neither absorb liquid nor deteriorate over time. There are also no sharp edges, which means you can drop this thing in a pocket for deep carry yea draw it in a flash should you need to do so; to that end, it also has a pocket clip if you want to keep it at the top of a pocket and ready to deploy.

It is also rapid and easy to deploy as it is assisted-opening and has a stud that projects from the back of the knife, making it easy to flick this knife open with hardly so much as a push of a finger. On the note of the blade, it is made from 8Cr13MoV steel, which is a fairly strong middle of the road steel. It won’t win any contests for strength or edge retention, but it offers a good balance between the two, is relatively tough and easy to resharpen, and is also corrosion-resistant.

The blade itself is sharply spear-pointed to the ‘point’ that most people would call this a needle-pointed blade. Needlepoints excel at penetration, but with that being said the knife also has a good portion of nearly straight edge reserved for cutting tasks. Also, with a point this fine, it can enable you to do detailed work. Don’t try to baton with it, but for piercing and slicing, you will be pressed to find a better blade.

Who will like it:

This knife is a great choice for everyday carry for those who don’t abuse their knives with heavy chopping, cutting or prying. It’s a tough little knife, for its size, but keep it for cutting, slicing, and detailing work and you won’t be disappointed.

Kershaw Agile Stonewash

Here is another tough, maybe even tougher knife, with a lot more stock behind the blade that will be able to put up with slightly heavier use than the Al Mar mentioned above. The Kershaw Agile sports an equally tough construction and comes with some serious practicality built into its design.

It comes with a stonewashed steel handle that is amazingly tough and includes a tough and reliable frame lock or the blade. The handle is not quite as ergonomic as the Al Mar above, but what it lacks in comfort, it makes up for in ruggedness. Besides, it’s not uncomfortable. It’s practical, and that’s what it set out to do in the first place.

This knife has several tools built into its design, including a bottle opener, a flathead screwdriver, and a lanyard hole so you can always keep the knife at hand. All of this comes on top of its impressively utile little blade that is just over 2.5 inches long and can easily be deployed with a flipper or thumb stud, and quickly due to its assisted opening mechanism.

The blade itself is stronger and thicker than the Al Mar, with a sturdier drop point. It also has a gently swept belly, which would make this knife as good or better for slicing tasks. It lacks a degree of fineness in the point, but that’s a fair tradeoff for the extra integrity of the tip. At the same time, the jimping along the spine will give you a sure grip, whether you’re shaving wood or breaking down a cardboard box.

Who will like it:

This knife is also great for those who need a knife for EDC but need more utility and a whole lot of toughness. It would be a great knife for a hiker or a biker to keep in their pack or for a craftsman to keep in the shop because it is not only rugged but includes a few tools.

Kershaw Blur

There are many different versions of the Kershaw Blur here at White Mountain Knives, but for the purpose of this expose we are going to focus on the Kershaw Blur with a black aluminum handle and a stonewash blade.

Most of what is great about this knife has already been said in that short, sweet, description, but it really is a great little knife for a number of reasons. First off, it doesn’t feel small in the hand, and its handle fills a grip well without presenting any hot spots. Also, the aluminum is lightweight and nearly indestructible.

The blade can be easily deployed SpeedSafe assisted opening mechanism and the blade itself is what really draws this knife into the limelight. It has a Sandvik 12C28N blade that is light, strong, holds an edge well, is easy to resharpen, and pretty resilient in the face of corrosion.

It is also tough, strong, and adequate, with a sturdy point for detailed carving and plenty of belly for slicing tasks. Some people are turned off by the recurve of the blade because it is hard to resharpen, but that recurve can be a real boon when you need to feed rope for slicing or skin small game; the recurve holds what you’re cutting right on the part of the edge where you need it. It’s also slightly larger than the other knives we showed on this list, so if you need a Kershaw pocket knife that can stand up to slightly heavier tasks (no batoning!) then this might be the knife for you.

Who will like it:

Anyone from the above categories will appreciate this knife. However, outdoorsmen, hikers, backpackers, campers, and others will probably find a lot of use for this tough, adequate knife. Also, although it’s not well designed as a hunting knife by any stretch, it can definitely serve as a backup to a hunter’s main blade. There’s probably someone out there who carries a Blur and uses it to dress small game, birds or fish.

These are only a few of the Kershaw pocket knives we offer here on our website, but we offer plenty of other knife models, both from Kershaw and other brands. In fact, if you determine that you want to find an automatic opener or a fixed knife, don’t limit yourself. You can find plenty of them right here, you just need to do some shopping.

By the way, don’t forget that all orders from our website ship free, and if you need to get in touch with our customer service team for any reason, contact us as whitemountainknives@gmail.com.