best kershaw edc

For many community members, a Kershaw knife was their first everyday carry knife. And over the decades, Kershaw has continued to tát make some of the best EDC folding and fixed blade knives. From timeless classic designs to tát modern EDC collaboration blades, there's something for everyone in the everyday carry community in Kershaw's lineup. This guide will introduce you to tát some of our favorite Kershaw EDC knives and explain why they deserve a place in your pocket.


The Best Overall Kershaw Knife: Composite Leek [Buy]

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The Best Kershaw Knife on a Budget: CQC-6K [Buy] / [Full Review]

The Most Premium Kershaw Knife: Lucha Carbon Fiber [Buy]

The Most Compact Kershaw Knife: Launch 9 [Buy] / [Full Review]

The Most Versatile Kershaw Knife: Blur S30V [Buy] 


Composite Leek
CQC-6K
Lucha Carbon Fiber
Launch 9
Blur S30V





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Blade Length: 3"
Blade Length3.25"
Blade Length: 4.7"Blade Length: 3.36"
Blade Length: 3.4"
Blade Steel14C28N
Blade SteelD2
Blade Steel: 20CV
Blade Steel: CPM 154
Blade SteelS30V
Key Features: Speed Safe assisted opening
Key Features: Wave Shaped Feature
Key Features: Live blade balisong
Key Features: Automatic deployment
Key Features: SpeedSafe assisted opening

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The Very Best Kershaw Knives

Kershaw's EDC cutlery offerings span the entire range of everyday carry knives. In recent years, Kershaw has brought designs in collaboration with custom knifemakers sourced from offshore to tát ensure they are affordable for everyone in the community. Some of their most recent offerings have embraced a pure made-in-the-USA supply chain featuring the best of the best materials and craftsmanship. Kershaw has also upped their game, offering more automatics (including OTF autos) and one of the best butterfly knives you can buy today with the Lucha.


Kershaw

Key Features

Liner lock

SpeedSafe assisted opening

Composite blade

Specifications

Handle/Scales

Stainless steel

The Leek is one of Kershaw's oldest yet most loved designs in the everyday carry community. Originally designed in collaboration with custom knifemaker Ken Onion and made in the USA, the Kershaw Leek exudes an organic design language and an ergonomic feel, making it a pleasure to tát use. The Composite Leek is the ultimate expression of the formula that has made the Leek one of the best Kershaw knives to tát EDC. As the name implies, the 3” blade features a composite of two sheets of steel melded into one: Sandvik 14C28N and D2 tool steel. D2 is a high-hardness steel that allows it to tát take a wicked edge, but it is not stainless steel lượt thích the Sandvik 14C28N it's been paired with. With that strong core and stainless cladding, this is one of the best-performing knives Kershaw has in their lineup.

Kershaw

Key Features

Liner lock

Wave Shaped Feature

Reversible pocket clip

Specifications

Handle/Scales

G-10, stainless steel

Kershaw's CQC-6K was made in collaboration with custom knifemaker Ernest Emerson. It adopts the Wave Shaped Feature, a hallmark of an Emerson design. The Wave Shaped Feature makes this a great tactical knife because it's designed to tát catch against your pants pocket to tát deploy the blade as you draw. This gives you performance similar to tát a fixed blade knife without the considerable overall length. You can deploy the blade with the manual thumb disk for a more considered draw. The D2 tool steel drop point blade has a well-defined edge and a firm belly for piercing and slicing utility. The knife also folds into a frame lock handle with a grippy G-10 handle scale on the reverse side.

Kershaw

Key Features

Live blade balisong

Bearing system

Future moddability

Specifications

Handle/Scales

Carbon fiber, titanium

Kershaw offers one of the most premium knives, the Lucha, a quality balisong or butterfly knife that offers quick and flashy deployment. It features a 4.7” spear point blade made of CPM 20CV, and the titanium handles come with carbon fiber scales for added grip with a touch of class. KVT ball bearings in the two pivot points make this one of the smoothest butterfly knives you can EDC today. While you should train on using this knife before carrying a live blade, you can also pick up a trainer version to tát start flipping before you bring it daily.

Kershaw

Key Features

Push-button lock

Made in the USA

Reversible pocket clip

With its sub-2” CPM 154 stainless steel blade, the Kershaw Launch 9 meets length restrictions in several jurisdictions. While this means it's easier to tát carry this automatic thư mục, it's always important to tát kiểm tra your local laws and regulations first. The shorter blade length also makes this one of the most lightweight and pocket-friendly knives you can EDC since it tips the scales at only 1.6 ounces. Another great feature of the Launch 9 is its low-profile push button, which helps prevent this spring-loaded knife from accidentally opening up in your pockets.

Kershaw

Key Features

Liner lock

SpeedSafe assisted opening

Trac-Tec grip-tape on handles

The Kershaw Blur is another great Ken Onion-designed blade that has enjoyed continued popularity in the community, especially after Kershaw upgraded the steel on its 3.4" edge to tát CPM S30V. S30V is a powder steel that can take and maintain a sharp edge for longer kêu ca the original version of this knife released years ago. It keeps the slight recurve in its edge profile, making the Blur excel at slicing tasks. The recurve increases the overall cutting surface of the blade without making it longer, keeping it EDC-friendly in your pocket.

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Kershaw

Key Features

Made in the USA

Double-action thumb slide

Reversible deep-carry pocket clip

The Livewire marks Kershaw's first foray into the world of automatic knives and OTF (out-the-front) design. It delivers in spades. Unlike a traditional tự động hóa, an OTF knife deploys the blade directly from the handle. On the Livewire, that blade is a 3.3” spear-point blade made of CPM 20CV stainless steel. The handle is black-anodized 6061-T6 aluminum, making this knife relatively lightweight at just 3 ounces.

Kershaw

Key Features

Exclusive release

Flipper opening

Frame lock

Specifications

Handle/Scales

PVD-coated stainless steel

The Misdirect was designed as a “starter” knife, but this model sports a premium CPM S35VN stainless steel folding blade. The minimalist look makes the original Misdirect stay with the knife and its stainless steel handle with xanh lơ PVD coating attractive and comfortable. And with its lanyard hole, you have an additional carry option if you want to tát use something other kêu ca the reversible pocket clip.

Kershaw

Key Features

Non-locking

Nail nick opening

Double-detent system

Slipjoints lượt thích the Kershaw Federalist let you carry a folding pocketknife in places where having a locking blade might be restricted or unnecessary. The Federalist also sports a traditional manual nail-nick opening and a design reminiscent of traditional gents' folders. But with its CPM 154 stainless steel blade and canvas Micarta handle, the Kershaw Federalist is more durable and capable, with outstanding maximum sharpness and edge retention.

Kershaw

Key Features

Frame lock

Flipper opening

Large blade with finger choil

Specifications

Handle/Scales

G-10, stainless steel

Kershaw's Strata fills the cleaver-style blade niche in their lineup. These heavy-duty blade designs feature a sizeable cleaver-shaped blade with a beefier spine kêu ca a traditional blade. It also makes it excellent for hard-use chopping and slicing tasks. While piercing might not be this knife's strong suit, the flipper opening with KVT ball bearings in the pivot makes it easy to tát use and deploy.

Kershaw

Key Features

Ambidextrous DuraLock

Dual thumbstud opening

Reversible deep-carry pocket clip

The Iridium introduces DuraLock ambidextrous locking controls to tát the Kershaw lineup. This design places a solid steel crossbar that you can lock into place with either hand, ensuring the 3.4" D2 steel stonewashed blade stays in place. This knife also features an excellent reversible deep-carry pocket clip for convenience.


The Competition

Now that we've introduced you to tát some of our favorite Kershaw everyday carry knives, it's time to tát show you some honorable mentions. These knives are popular in the EDC community, and you should look at them if you're looking for something different from our leading picks.

  • Kershaw Skyline: The Skyline features a deep guard and a flipper opening with a Sandvik 14C28N drop point blade with a hollow-ground edge.
  • Kershaw Link: The Link features a 20CV stainless steel blade and an anodized aluminum handle with Speedsafe assisted opening mechanism that makes it easy to tát open, especially with the flipper opening knife tab.
  • Kershaw Launch 1: If the design of the Launch series appeals to tát you, but you want a longer folding knife length, consider the Launch 1, which comes with a 3.5" CPM 154 steel blade.
  • Kershaw Cryo II: The Cryo II is based on a Rick Hinderer design, and it is one of the best frame lock thumbstud knives you can buy from Kershaw.
  • Kershaw Clash: If you're on a budget, the Kershaw Clash offers excellent value for money while still featuring the recurved edge geometry that a Ken Onion-designed blade is known for.
  • Kershaw Brawler: With its tanto blade shape and all-black tactical self-defense design, the Brawler is made for quick piercing and cutting through rough material.
  • Kershaw Scallion: The Scallion is a smaller, more EDC-friendly version of the Kershaw Leek, letting you carry a similar liner lock knife with less bulk.

Kershaw Knife FAQs

With as many knives as Kershaw has available, it's understandable that you may have many questions about which of their knives is suitable for EDC. We've written about and tested plenty of knives, and we're well-suited to tát get you the answers you need to tát make an informed decision.

What makes a good EDC knife?

A good EDC knife has the features, ergonomics, and performance that make it well-suited for the tasks you expect to tát accomplish every day. You need the right kind of blade, with sufficient length, to tát get what you need. Quality steel is crucial because you want to tát ensure it can stay sharp after multiple cuts. And the handle and lock of a knife can make or break what would otherwise be an excellent blade for EDC.

Are Kershaw knives any good?

Kershaw knives have made some of the best everyday carry folding and fixed blade knives that people have relied on for decades. Their most recent offerings predominantly feature made-in-the-USA quality with premium steels and modern designs that come with what EDCers demand.

Is Kershaw as good as Benchmade?

Both Kershaw and Benchmade are knife brands that make high-quality blades in the United States in Oregon, with a wide range of designs with much to tát offer. Benchmade tends to tát hover in the premium to tát super premium range. At the same time, Kershaw provides more affordable options for EDCers at a budget price point. That does not mean that Kershaw is a cut-rate knifemaker, however. Some of the best knives on this list feature premium blade steel, top-end attention to tát quality, and a lifetime warranty. Kershaw even offers a balisong that gives some of Benchmade's designs a lập cập for their money. Overall, it would be best to tát look at all the knives each brand offers and make your own choice.


How We Picked the Best Kershaw Knives

Decades of experience and deep connections in the everyday carry industry give us a unique viewpoint on the market to tát inform our product recommendations. We have the depth of information for thousands of products that have come before and an extensive eye on the market to tát see what's new and trending for each piece of gear. The result is a buying guide that we feel is informative and useful for EDCers of every trade, industry, and budget.

What is Everyday Carry?

Everyday Carry is both the concept of what people carry in their pockets and the process of picking out gear that thoughtfully considers what one wants or needs in their daily lives. It encompasses everything from style to tát preparedness to tát utility, meaning an entire industry full of valuable tools and essentials to tát choose from.

Why you should trust us

Our team has decades of combined experience in all aspects of everyday men's essentials, from wallets to tát pens to tát bags and everything in between, and we know where to tát find great gear ideas that you may not come across at your local stores or when shopping online. Our expertise with the industry and familiarity in design, materials, and usability help you make more informed choices when it comes to tát picking up your next piece of gear.

Jonathan Tayag is secretly an information technology and corporate security expert who prefers to tát moonlight as a creative sự kiện and commercial photographer whenever possible. His varied experience and substantial travels have led him to tát seek, without even thinking about it at first, the best gear for the best use at the best price available. Before the concept of EDC (everyday carry) firmly took hold, Jonathan already spent untold amounts of time optimizing for the best-in-slot pieces of gear, from cameras and lenses to tát pocket knives, pens, and bags and packs. In November năm ngoái, Jonathan joined EverydayCarry.com and has since written numerous articles and guides to tát help impart his knowledge to tát the community as a whole.

Jonathan's photographic works have appeared on numerous online websites, print, Clip, and television outlets for over a decade. Jonathan's previous clients include Blizzard Entertainment, Red Bull, ESL, Razer, and several other endemic and non-endemic esports sponsors and brands. His work also features heavily in online competitive gaming communities, especially those of the StarCraft and Fighting trò chơi genres. You've likely seen his work if you've spent time in a stream or in-game chat over the years.

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Bernard Capulong is an everyday carry (EDC) gear expert, entrepreneur, all-around nerd, and the founder and editor-in-chief of EverydayCarry.com—the largest online community for EDC gear enthusiasts. Since founding Everyday Carry in 2009, he’s built over a decade of experience in the industry, reviewing and highlighting brands and products, including pocket knives, flashlights, wallets, watches, bags, pens, and much more.

Bernard is known for bringing everyday carry out of obscurity and into the mainstream, having been published or featured in various publications such as GQ, TIME Magazine, The Thủ đô New York Times, VICE, HYPEBEAST, Outside, and many others. He has also played a part in curating, designing, and developing digital and physical products, resulting in successful crowdfunding projects or limited edition collaboration products with established softgoods brands. He stays on the pulse of the EDC industry by attending trade shows, participating in online interest communities, and actively engaging with fellow gear enthusiasts on social truyền thông media.

In addition to tát being the editor-in-chief and main social truyền thông media personality for EverydayCarry.com, Bernard is an avid gearhead and collector in general. His personal collections span technical bags, fountain pens, digital cameras, retro gaming hardware, personal hi-fi audio gear, and mechanical wristwatches, to tát name a few. Bernard Capulong is a prominent figure and trusted authority in the everyday carry industry with a career dedicated to tát helping people discover this hobby and stay prepared with quality gear.