Monitor Folding Pocket Knife, 3 Inch Black Blade with D2 Steel, DuraLock Locking Mechanism, Pocketclip

Kershaw has been making knives for many years. They are sturdy, reliable, and handy. I have come to trust the Kershaw brand and that’s why they are the first ones I look at when I need an every day carry knife. They are very sharp right out of the box and I have seen them in sleeves warning people of that fact. Plus, it is easy to keep a sharp edge on this knife so it’s always in good shape to use. The installed clip holds this lightweight knife securely in your pocket so it’s easy to remove and open with one hand using the open assist that’s on the back of the blade. Once open the blade lock holds the blade securely and is easy to release making the operation of the knife one handed. This great looking knife is well worth the price and you can be sure that you will get what you pay for! I highly recommend this knife! Have a blessed day and be well!

EDC knives have been evolving for years to increase the ease of one hand use and improve lockup and release. Over the course of many years I have followed this evolution, carrying knives with nail nick openers and back locks, liner and frame locks with thumb stud and thumb hole openers, assisted opening knives, a Mini Griptillian with axis lock ( a truly great edc knife), and moving on to flipper openers. In looking for the ideal pocket carry, I always felt the combination of flipper opening with some form of crossbar lock offered the best combination of features for simple and effective everyday carry and use. Two knives I’ve owned have come close, but I found I lacked faith in the strength of button locks in the highly streamlined Civivi knives, while the unnecessary thumb studs and highly raised crossbar lock release buttons of the SOG Terminus were pocket snaggers that reduced the usefulness of an otherwise excellent knife. The Kershaw Monitor may be the answer. It is light and very streamlined with the pocket clip removed, and the “dura lock” appears to match the security of the axis lock in my Mini Griptillian. With a D2 steel blade, comfortable handle architecture offering a good grip, and a truly deep carry reversible pocket clip (if that’s your preferred carry option), I believe this is the best edc knife I have ever owned. The flipper opening action is very smooth and fast, the lock release is easy to use one handed and provides for complete and secure closure, there are no pocket snagging protrusions, and the blade is centered and solid. At this price point, I believe this knife is a tremendous bargain.

I had some of the first axis lock knives that Benchmade put out. and the only thing I didn't like about them was the price. Now comes Kershaw, with an Axis style lock at about a third the price of one of Benchmade's models. Pro: -The thing is slim and very light. The way the clip is mounted moves its width up and off of the knife hilt, making it carry even more easily in your pocket. -Good quality steel. I'll have to run it through the wringer a few times to see how good the heat treat is, but so far it's razor sharp from the factory. -The combo of an axis lock and a thumb flipper makes this a fast and easy blade to open and shut. -Affordable, for an Axis lock. -The lanyard hole is actually big enough for paracord! Cons: -Out of the box, the clip is awful strong and stiff, I'll have to bend it out a little to make it easier to get the knife out of my pocket. -The blade is thin, a lot thinner than on my Mini Griptilian or my Kershaw Blur. This isn't a knife for heavy work. YMMV: -i think Kershaw should have made the crossbar just about a millimeter or so longer, so it's easier to manipulate with wet or gloved hands, but that's my opinion. Overall this is a nice knife and a good buy for the money.

Absolutely a best value knife for my needs. The pocket clip slides into my jeans pocket and holds the knife securely. Slide the button back and the knife flips open quickly and locks in place. Good sharp edge takes care of boxes, tape, wood carving, wire stripping, etc. General pocket knife duties. A quick swipe with my diamond stick and edge restored when needed. I also have a flipper model from same brand and I must say I like the button style with a quick flip of the wrist versus swiping the flipper on the blade edge. Both are great but just a choice. AT any rate, I don't find my $200 knife any better than this one for $59. Your $500 knife is better you say? Good for you. We're both happy but I have beer money left over.

The body of the knife feels durable and offers decent grip. It has a drop point blade which is pretty sharp out of the box, but I'll have to see how long it holds its edge. The knife has a flipper opener, but the bar lock has to be retracted for the flipper to work. So, the flipper is essentially useless unless you have the manual dexterity to manipulate the lock and flipper at the same time. The blade swings out smoothly after retracting the bar, so maybe the flipper is not needed. It also closes smoothly too, but you need to hit the lock again or push the blade in the last quarter of the way in. No big deal, but just something to know. All in all it seems to be a decent EDC for the money.

This 3" carry legal (in most states) is my favorite of my recent Dura Lock knives this year. I got the Iridium first and wow, that was impressive. The Covalent came after, but was not impressed with that one as the scales are a bit too thick right around the Duralock release bar to get a solid grip to fidget with regularly without excessive pressure to engage and disengage the detent bar, but I loved the way it look. My final purchase was this Monitor (smaller Covalent with better grip), which has the best GFN plastic scales so far of the two. It has great ergos, decent grip texture and the scales aren't too thick to allow frequent fidgeting/ flipping with the knife without getting sore by pinching the DuraLock detent bar too firmly. My received example arrived with perfect blade centering, excellent balance in hand, and in-use. Easy flipper tab operation and no slop anywhere with ultra smooth pivot operation. This one required no breaking-in like some of my Benchmades and Doug RItter/ Knifeworks exclusives that cost 3-4 times more. Great job on Kershaw for taking advantage like many have since the bar lock pivot lock patent expired. This is one of the better budget lock bar knives I've had the chance to use and fidget with. Kershaw's D2 is excellent as well and mine has kept it's edge better than some of the lower tier knives with D2!

It does take a little bit of getting used to opening and closing correctly, but once you get used to it works well. The flipper isn't always a guarantee that you will open it fully, and I still occasionally need to push it closed; however those can be solved with the flick of the wrist. Also, if you don't close it with enough gusto, releasing the dura-lock closes it the rest of the way. For the price everything feels good. The edge is fairly even on mine, there is no noticeable play in the blade, and the handle is nice and solid. My only other knife with a crossbar lock is a Benchmade Mini Emissary, and the dura-lock on this knife takes a little bit less effort to use than the axis lock on that knife. Overall, if you are looking for a relatively inexpensive knife with a flipper and a crossbar lock, I would say this is a pretty good option.

i was not sure what to expect with this Kershaw Monitor knife. I am typically not a huge fan of D2 steel but I think Kershaw did justice to D2 with their hardening. It is a thin, razor sharp blade. The lockup and detent are spot on and the bade is perfectly centered. You can flick this open and closed just like an Axis Lock knife and it; opens and closes perfectly. It's somewhat small in size compared to the competitors but honestly, it's perfect EDC size. The other factor in purchasing this knife is the price. $52.00 is a steal especially when you compare to the competition. I am loving this knife with no regrets. If you are on the fence, get it. You won't be dissatisfied. Cheers!