Beware the Kershaw Spec Bump / Speed Bump as a hard use knife

[Dr. Tad Hussein Winslow]

Until yesterday, I had had nearly full confidence in the unique locking mechanism of my Spec Bump.

But beware, it will not stay open under hard use, or EVEN under soft use, after carrying in pocket awhile - debris/lint gets accumulated in the channel that the locking stud and spring are in, preventing the stud from going all the way to the end of the channel, and thus makes it VERY "fragile-ly" locked. This knife is actually potentially quite dangerous to rely upon the lock under hard use.

I have a fix potentially involving disassembling, milling the channel out maybe 1/10th" or less, and then replacing spring with longer/stronger spring, but this is something Kershaw should have done from the get-go. At a minimum the spring should be stronger. Yes, a simple cleaning can and will help, but in the long run, this is not a dependable knife without modification.

A bit frustrating as this had been my favorite knife. Now my favorite EDC knife is either the Kershaw Leek or Kershaw Avalanche.

 

[Mike U.]

Try a Kershaw Bump. It's a Frame Lock and there will be no lock-up issues. However, it is a bit more expensive than the Spec Bump.
I have the Spec Bump and the regular Bump (in green) and am happy with both. The one pet peeve I have with them is they are tip-down carry and I prefer tip-up.
I agree with you in that I believe I'd have gone with a slightly heavier lock spring on the Spec Bump and the locking mechanism needs to be cleaned from time to time to insure good lock-up.

 

[hso]

The other problem with the Spec Bump's lock is that guys with beefy hands can push the "knobs" forward as the get a strong grip squeezing flesh out and toward the knobs.

 

[Tirod]

I've carried a knife for about 40 years, and have trusted only a few. Lock mechanisms get jammed with pocket debris. It will happen eventually with any type of lock. So will guns, pocket pliers, etc.

A duty grade framelock isn't as prone to the problem. I would think the ZT line offers more in that regard.

Until Emerson, Strider, ZT, and a few others came along, most knives billed as hard use were simple fixed blade military knives. Many who advertise the possibility just sell the sizzle, but not the steak. It's simple features and construction that make a tough knife.