The Kershaw Clash is one of my favorite carry knives of all time. I carried this knife every day for almost 2 years, so I’ve had quite a bit of experience with it. And after 2 years of carrying it, how good of a knife is it?
Here is the short answer:
The Kershaw Clash is an affordable knife that works really well for EDC (everyday carry). It is a good knife for the price. After extensive use, the knife blade chips (like most knives will), but it held up extremely well. For the price range, it’s a great choice.
So now that you know the short answer, let’s take a more in-depth look at this knife and see just how good it is.
Specs
| Overall length: | 7.4 inches |
| Handle length: | 4.25 inches |
| Handle material: | Glass-filled nylon |
| Blade length: | 3.1 inches |
| Blade material: | 8Cr13MoV |
| Blade coating: | Black-oxide coating |
| Weight: | 4.3 oz |
From the specs, you can see that it is an average carry knife. It does have 8Cr13MoV, which is normal for a budget knife that is under 50 dollars. The handle material feels more like a hard textured plastic. The handle material is not as good as something like G-10 handle scales, but it will get the job done.
Functionality
The Kershaw Clash is a great knife for everyday carry. It has a comfortable grip that won’t slip out of your hand. It has blade serrations that work well when cutting wood or rope.
The knife has an extra-wide pocket clip that works well. The pocket clip can be adjusted to fit your left or right pocket.
It also features a liner lock, making it easy to open and close with one hand. The Clash has Kershaw’s SpeedSafe assisted opening and a flicker. The flicker has notches that make it easy to open with gloves on.
The Blade
The blade on this knife is fairly average. It is not extremely high-end steel, but about average for the price range.
After some punishment on this knife (punishment being throwing it at random objects), the tip did bend and lose its pointiness. The knife can keep its edge fairly well, and the serrations do come in handy quite often. For the price, the blade is pretty good.
The Handle
The handle on this knife is better than most in this price range. It fits very well in the hand and does not slip when using it. The knife’s handle is textured so it will not slip out of your hand if your hands are sweaty.
My one complaint is that the bottom of the handle can dig into your pinky finger.
The Action
The action on this knife is very smooth. It does not offer a lot of resistance, which is nice when your hands are cold and numb.
This knife has assisted opening, which helps when you need to pull out your knife fast. The assisted opening is very strong, it takes a lot to stop the knife when you hit the flicker.
The knife only has a flicker, so if you like a thumb stud, you may have to look at a different knife.
Overall I am very happy with the action in this knife. It is a lot better than other knives in this price range.
How Comfortable is the Knife to Carry?
The pocket clip is very nice. It does not slide out of your pocket, and it does not snag on things. It’s not as concealed as a deep-carry pocket clip, but that makes it easier to pull out of your pocket.
The knife is also small and maneuverable. The only problem I have with the knife is that the top sticks out of your pocket and can snag on brush or clothing. Sometimes that gets annoying, but it also makes it a lot easier to pull out of your pocket.
Conclusion
The Kershaw Clash is a good knife and works well for everyday stuff. The blade won’t rust (at least, it hasn’t for me) and it has a decent edge. The Clash is really good for the price and is one of my favorites on the market.
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