Kershaw Cryo II Tanto BlackWash Folding Pocket Knife 1556TBW

This is my new favorite carry knife. I've been seeing Kershaw knives for a while, but never paid much attention to them. I assumed since they aren't as expensive as more popular knife brands that they would be lower quality. I was wrong. This knife is more solid than my Gerber and CRKT knives. I haven't had any issues with my knife, but I'm told that Kershaw will replace any knife that breaks. This knife has a thumb stud on the side of the blade and a lip on the back for assisted opening. The lip is so easy and intuitive to use that I don't ever use the thumb stud.Pros-Sharp out of the box-Good weight (enough to feel sturdy without being cumbersome)-Very easy to open. I lightly press one finger one the back of the blade and the speedsafe opening does the rest.-SMOOTH opening. The speedsafe opening doesn't jerk at all. It feels natural.-Sturdy belt/pocket clip. Holds tight and hasn't come loose like all my other knives do after a couple months of use.-Sleek and thin design makes it ideal for pocket carry. You can hardly tell it's on, and it slides right out when you want it to.-The Blackwash coloring makes the knife seem more durable. It doesn't show scuffs and scratches as much as plastic or polished metal knives. It also looks really cool.Cons-Curved tanto edge takes more care when sharpening.-Pocket clip is so tight that it is difficult to remove from my flight suit pockets (they are zippered). At least I know it isn't going anywhere when I don't want it to.-The thin design occasionally leaves the hand wanting more grip. It doesn't slip, but tough use would be easier if your hand has more to grab.You will not regret purchasing this knife. Worth every penny. I'll be looking at Kershaw first next time I buy a knife.

This is a very solid knife and just looks plain cool. I have to say that if Kershaw ever needed a person to test out their knives, I'd be their guy. There is not much bad to say about this knife besides the fact that it has some weight to it which depending on the user may not even be a problem and it certainly isn't for me. I only mention the weight because I know that a lot of EDC knife people don't like a heavy chunk of metal in their pocket. With that weight though comes the assurance that the knife will take a beating if dropped and the construction all around is well done.Pros:- Solid build- Holds edge well, easy to resharpen- Opens quickly, Kershaw's speed safe mechanism- Comfortable handle hold with blade guardCons:- A little bit heavier than your average pocket knife.

I got this because I like my Kershaw Brawler so much. It's the perfect next step up, still a tanto, still assisted, more robust blade, bigger handle. Great feel, Hinderer design, like a ZT little brother. It's big, and kind of chunky in the pocket. But not terribly so. Very sharp out of the box. The backwash gives it a nice aged look and also hides small scratches and such. It's also kind of intimidating looking, so kind of fun to screw with people at work while you play with it (maybe don't try this yourself).

Overall I was pretty pleased with this knife when I first got it. It's sharp, sturdy, fits into a pocket well, and has a comfortable grip. The only minor complaint I have about the design is the frame lock. It does an excellent job of holding the knife open, and I have no fears at all of the blade slipping the lock and closing on my fingers when I use it, but when it comes time to disengage the lock and close the knife, it's a bit hard on the finger tips. To disengage the lock you grab the part of the frame that forms a leaf spring and pull it back, but the only thing you have to grab is a tiny little sliver of metal that sticks up above the other side of the frame, and that really digs into your fingers if you don't have some thick calluses on the tips.The other problem I had was that less than three weeks after I got the knife I heard a cracking sound and the spring assist that lets you flick it open with the nib on the back stopped working. I disassembled the knife and found that the spring, a piece of bent heavy gauge wire inside the frame, had indeed cracked and become useless. Now admittedly I did have a habit of fidgeting with it, flicking it open and closed while I sat at my desk, but I am still quite disappointed to have it break, presumably from metal fatigue, less than three weeks after I got it. I'm still giving it three stars because after reassembly it still works fine as a folding knife, and is even openable one handed with the thumb stud, but the spring mechanism is NOT durable, and doesn't live up to the general sturdiness of the rest of the construction.UPDATE: I filled out a form on the Kershaw website, and after nine days they sent me three replacement torsion bars in the mail for free, no questions asked. After reassembling the knife with the replacement part, the spring assist functions perfectly again. It also seems to require a bit more force to open and close than the original spring did, perhaps because of the flaw in the original torsion bar that allowed it to break. Anyway I'm giving them a star back for the prompt and hassle-free customer service. I'm quite pleased with my purchase now.