Named after a precious element that’s rare on earth but relatively common on extraterrestrial bodies like meteors and asteroids, the Kershaw Iridium is a “rare” piece of work.

First introduced a few years ago, the Iridium is technically nothing new, but it just may be the best Kershaw pocket knife in the running at the current time.

Nothing against the Leek and the Blur, which are consistently fan favorites, but if you’re looking for a new Kershaw, here are some of the reasons you might want to make it an Iridium.

The Bar Lock Bandwagon

Arguably the biggest selling point of the Kershaw Iridium is what Kershaw calls a DuraLock.

Call it what you will, but we know enough to tell you this: the DuraLock is really just a bar lock, like an AXIS lock - although they can’t call it that, since Benchmade owns the name.

No matter, the bar lock is one of the best, if not the single best knife locks ever devised.

The benefits of the bar lock are many. For one thing, it favors neither the right nor the left hand - which means it’s equally usable for both righties and southpaws, unlike liner locks and frame locks.

Unlike the latter, bar locks are almost impossible to accidentally disengage. They are also structurally much stronger than pretty much all other lock types, including ring locks, frame and liner locks, lock backs, and yes, even button locks.

For a bar lock to fail, the blade’s shoulder has to bend, or the bar itself does. That is extremely unlikely, to say the least.

So take that for what it’s worth. Also, bar locks are extremely fidget-friendly (nice to have) but more importantly, they can be disengaged with one hand and keep the fingers out of the blade’s path when closing. This makes them not only stronger, but safer.

The lock alone is frankly reason enough to hail the Iridium as the best Kershaw pocket knife in the game - but not the last of them.

Simple Ergonomics

The Iridium is not a showstopper in terms of profile or aesthetics, but the ergonomics are practical, and that makes a good pairing with a knife that’s intended to be used, especially every day.

It’s functional, with plain lines, indexes well, doesn’t produce a lot of hot spots, works well in more than one grip, and has other nice features, too, like a reversible, deep-carry, tip-up pocket clip, and a lanyard hole.

Plain, but practical. That’s the name of the game with this Kershaw pocket knife.

Bombproof Scales

Here’s another thing to love about the Kershaw Iridium, specifically the model at the previous link: the scales.

They’re plain, they’re gray, and they’re not flashy. They’re also made of anodized aluminum, which has a lot of benefits over, like, literally every other type of scale material.

Let’s rattle down the list. Aluminum is lighter and stronger than other modern synthetics like G10 and Micarta, even though it might not offer as much traction.

Aluminum is also comparable in weight to carbon fiber, but it’s just as strong (if not stronger) and not prone to UV attack or delamination - both problems with the latter.

Aluminum is also immune to decay, unlike natural materials like bone, antler, horn, wood, or stacked leather, even if it isn’t as pretty.

And, last but not least, anodized aluminum might not technically be as strong as steel, but for all intents and purposes, it really is. Plus, it’s a fraction of the weight and anodized aluminum is leagues more corrosion resistant.

Point made.

The Blade Steel and Profile

Last but not least, we have two of the strongest selling points for this Kershaw pocket knife after the bar lock (DuraLock): the blade steel and profile.

Let’s start with the lesser of these, as we see it, which is still strong: the profile.

The Iridium is made with a 3.4” blade in a profile that might either be called a drop point or a leaf-shaped blade, depending on whom you ask.

Either way, it leaves plenty of room for a swept belly, and the gently dropping point is strong while still remaining fine enough for carving, piercing, and detail work. The swedge at the top also helps with that and adds some cool factor.

As for the edge, it is gracefully swept for a wide range of basic utility and cutting tasks, no argument there.

But the steel is a real winner. Kershaw has made this unique knife with D2, a tool steel that offers exceptional performance, and far better than their standard flagship 8Cr13MoV steel.

With 1.55% carbon, D2 is definitely on the high end of “high carbon” and as a result can be made very, very hard and very sharp. This, in turn, makes it wear resistant.

With a healthy helping of chromium, at 12%, it is also relatively corrosion resistant. It will rust if you force it, though, so keep it clean and dry and you shouldn’t ever have a problem. It also has a smidge of nickel which also helps with this.

Now here’s the thing: with all that carbon, you might expect it to be brittle, but that is not the case, as the alloy contains generous amounts of cobalt, vanadium, and molybdenum, which increase density and strength, as well as wear resistance.

Now, D2 won’t keep an edge as long as some super steels, but this much is true. It can raise an insanely sharp edge. It is definitely at the top of its class for performance and price.

These things are what make the Iridium a most excellent Kershaw pocket knife.

Here to Pick Up This Kershaw Pocket Knife? We Have It!

Not sure if the Iridium is the Kershaw pocket knife for you? No worries - the company has produced a wealth of other unique designs with Composite Blade Technology and SpeedSafe Assisted Opening, that are just begging for a look.

We carry a wide range of Kershaw pocket knives in our collection. Take a look through them. A good one for you is in there, we promise.