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I have a tanto Blur for two weeks now. I know, it's been available for a few years now. I'm writing this review because I found little reviews for it and because the knife made an impression on me.
Part A below gives my observations of my black blade tanto tip Blur. Part B compares the Blur with SOG Flash II.
Part A. the knife's first impressions
Blur is an assisted-opening folder from Kershaw's Ken Onion. The MSRP is around $90. I got mine at www.botac.com for $40 (plus $5 shipping). This puts the knife in the same price range and functionality as my EDC Flash II. Hence the comparison below.
Blade: I got the black coated, plain edge, tanto tip blade because that was the only thing from the vendor. I like the plain edge for ease of sharpening. I don't mind the black coating on top of the steel. I'm still deciding if I like the american tanto tip. No preference on the steel type until I actually used the knife more and resharpened.
I like that the blade is thin and sharp. The sharpness reminded me of my Benchmade 802 D2. But I would have preferred a longer blade instead of this middle of the road 3 1/2 inch blade. Anyways, this blade length further makes the Blur a competition for the Flash II.
I won't know if I like american tanto until I use the knife as a pry bar or an ice pick to see if it's actually stronger than drop point. I do know that I don't like the looks of american tanto.
opening: the knife opens up with a spring-assisted click when my thumb first push the blade from the closed position. The retention spring feels heavy. The thumb studs are asymmetric. They are textured and angled on one side only. Supposedly this makes the knife less prone to getting caught on clothing and easier to push open. So far I agree. I do enjoy the speed of the opening (stronger opening spring too).
lock: liner lock. feels solid. old but proven technology. but hey, won't know until someone does a torture test and film the lock.
handle: takes some getting used to. I like the positive grip from the rough surface. But my clothes don't. Tends to rub. Furthermore the handle can use a more aggressive grip to prevent my hands from slipping onto the blade in an interrupted stab. So I'll use an ice-pick grip to cover my bases.
no safety. but the spring is fairly strong and keeps the blade secure during my EDC for two weeks.
This is ample knife against cardboard boxes, envelops, and cloth. I also take a little comfort that a shop targeting LEO clients carries this knife. Maybe other more discriminating shoppers have bought and kept this model.
Part B. The Blur is now my EDC instead of my Flash II.
I'm comparing the two because of similar prices (Flash II costs $35 from Amazon [I still chafe at the lack of plain edge on amazon] and Blur costs $40 from Botac.com) and similar technology. Both have spring-assisted opening. Blur uses liner lock. Flash II has something similar to Benchmade's axis lock. Both have similar middle-of-the-road 3 1/2 " blade length.
I like the opening speed in the Blur. The fluid motion is much better than the Flash II.
I like the handle of the Blur. My Flash II has a plastic handle. The lightness is great but comes at a hefty price: The flash II feels flimsier and _is_ bulkier. To be fair, I handled FlashII models with aircraft aluminum handles. Now the two knives have similar weights and profile. I happen not to mind the extra rough texture on Blur's handle. So the affirmative grip wins my vote.
I like the thin blade on the Blur. The Flash II has a beefier blade. This may offer more strength as a pry bar but costs sharpness. The Blur is sharper and punctures boxes better. And since both manufacturers caution against pry-bar use of their knives, I choose Blur. but I'll try to remember to evaluate the Blur for weaker knife over time. Oh, I note that I had to sharpen my Flash II after opening a few dozens of envelops. So its steel isn't too great at edge holding and the edge came out of the box not as sharp as I'd like. The good thing was that the same steel was easy to sharpen. I will say that the combo edge (half plain/half serrated) is over rated and no particularly effective in a short blade.
I prefer the Flash II for it's safety. But this is marginal. I use the safety to prevent my toddler from opening the knife should it palm my EDC. I much prefer a knife that opens especially when I'm stressed and lose my fine motor skills. I'll just have to keep the toddler away from my EDC.
I prefer the Flash II for it's grip shape. And this is substantial. The grip profile on the Flash II is noticeably more aggressive than the Blur. Less worry about losing my fingers/tendons from slipping. But the plastic handle that I have lacks the Blur's rough texture. [oh well, not so important since I plan to use ice-pick hold when stabbing with either knife]
I prefer the Flash II for it's lightness. But this is marginal. On the one hand, FlashII is lighter than the Blur. On the other hand, the Flash II is flimsier than the Blur. Bulkier too. Another FlashII model sports aluminum handles. This one loses its advantage in lightness but gains back strength. So this is a close call between carrying comfort (light) and confidence in the hand (sturdy).
Flash II has a pocket clip that allows for deep concealed carry. The folder disappears into my pocket or belt line. Now, I'd want that concealment if I were the aggressor. It's stealthy and I'd have brought it out and opened it before attacking the innocent pizza box.
The Blur's pocket clip is more traditional. But it's placement allows me to pick it out of my pocket and into my palm ready to open: my thumb will be on the thumb stud almost naturally. (good design) And the more exposed knife allows easier pick up.
[But this is not so important. I'd get a fixed blade with a good holster/sheath if I wanted quick deployment. Still furthermore, I'd get a sword with wrist guard if I wanted to hold the knives like rappiers.]
The folder's lock is a toss up too. Neither manufacturer publish torture tests of their locking mechanism. I guess the older more traditional liner lock can make the Blur more reliable. But lack of evidence is still glaring. I also wonder how well SOG execute their version of the Axis lock. Some people elsewhere have posted their dislike of SOG's loose blade release when folded. it didn't bother me. I just want to see torture test results.
Steel choice: toss up. but I will update after I've sharpened the knives.
Conclusion: I like the Blur as my new EDC because the opening action is vastly superior to the Flash II (with plastic handle). Still I'd wish for an assisted opening version of Benchmade's AFCK.
Finally: Please pm me if anyone has experienced any failure of their Blur. I'd like to see how the Blur fails and when it does.
Part A below gives my observations of my black blade tanto tip Blur. Part B compares the Blur with SOG Flash II.
Part A. the knife's first impressions
Blur is an assisted-opening folder from Kershaw's Ken Onion. The MSRP is around $90. I got mine at www.botac.com for $40 (plus $5 shipping). This puts the knife in the same price range and functionality as my EDC Flash II. Hence the comparison below.
Blade: I got the black coated, plain edge, tanto tip blade because that was the only thing from the vendor. I like the plain edge for ease of sharpening. I don't mind the black coating on top of the steel. I'm still deciding if I like the american tanto tip. No preference on the steel type until I actually used the knife more and resharpened.
I like that the blade is thin and sharp. The sharpness reminded me of my Benchmade 802 D2. But I would have preferred a longer blade instead of this middle of the road 3 1/2 inch blade. Anyways, this blade length further makes the Blur a competition for the Flash II.
I won't know if I like american tanto until I use the knife as a pry bar or an ice pick to see if it's actually stronger than drop point. I do know that I don't like the looks of american tanto.
opening: the knife opens up with a spring-assisted click when my thumb first push the blade from the closed position. The retention spring feels heavy. The thumb studs are asymmetric. They are textured and angled on one side only. Supposedly this makes the knife less prone to getting caught on clothing and easier to push open. So far I agree. I do enjoy the speed of the opening (stronger opening spring too).
lock: liner lock. feels solid. old but proven technology. but hey, won't know until someone does a torture test and film the lock.
handle: takes some getting used to. I like the positive grip from the rough surface. But my clothes don't. Tends to rub. Furthermore the handle can use a more aggressive grip to prevent my hands from slipping onto the blade in an interrupted stab. So I'll use an ice-pick grip to cover my bases.
no safety. but the spring is fairly strong and keeps the blade secure during my EDC for two weeks.
This is ample knife against cardboard boxes, envelops, and cloth. I also take a little comfort that a shop targeting LEO clients carries this knife. Maybe other more discriminating shoppers have bought and kept this model.
Part B. The Blur is now my EDC instead of my Flash II.
I'm comparing the two because of similar prices (Flash II costs $35 from Amazon [I still chafe at the lack of plain edge on amazon] and Blur costs $40 from Botac.com) and similar technology. Both have spring-assisted opening. Blur uses liner lock. Flash II has something similar to Benchmade's axis lock. Both have similar middle-of-the-road 3 1/2 " blade length.
I like the opening speed in the Blur. The fluid motion is much better than the Flash II.
I like the handle of the Blur. My Flash II has a plastic handle. The lightness is great but comes at a hefty price: The flash II feels flimsier and _is_ bulkier. To be fair, I handled FlashII models with aircraft aluminum handles. Now the two knives have similar weights and profile. I happen not to mind the extra rough texture on Blur's handle. So the affirmative grip wins my vote.
I like the thin blade on the Blur. The Flash II has a beefier blade. This may offer more strength as a pry bar but costs sharpness. The Blur is sharper and punctures boxes better. And since both manufacturers caution against pry-bar use of their knives, I choose Blur. but I'll try to remember to evaluate the Blur for weaker knife over time. Oh, I note that I had to sharpen my Flash II after opening a few dozens of envelops. So its steel isn't too great at edge holding and the edge came out of the box not as sharp as I'd like. The good thing was that the same steel was easy to sharpen. I will say that the combo edge (half plain/half serrated) is over rated and no particularly effective in a short blade.
I prefer the Flash II for it's safety. But this is marginal. I use the safety to prevent my toddler from opening the knife should it palm my EDC. I much prefer a knife that opens especially when I'm stressed and lose my fine motor skills. I'll just have to keep the toddler away from my EDC.
I prefer the Flash II for it's grip shape. And this is substantial. The grip profile on the Flash II is noticeably more aggressive than the Blur. Less worry about losing my fingers/tendons from slipping. But the plastic handle that I have lacks the Blur's rough texture. [oh well, not so important since I plan to use ice-pick hold when stabbing with either knife]
I prefer the Flash II for it's lightness. But this is marginal. On the one hand, FlashII is lighter than the Blur. On the other hand, the Flash II is flimsier than the Blur. Bulkier too. Another FlashII model sports aluminum handles. This one loses its advantage in lightness but gains back strength. So this is a close call between carrying comfort (light) and confidence in the hand (sturdy).
Flash II has a pocket clip that allows for deep concealed carry. The folder disappears into my pocket or belt line. Now, I'd want that concealment if I were the aggressor. It's stealthy and I'd have brought it out and opened it before attacking the innocent pizza box.
The Blur's pocket clip is more traditional. But it's placement allows me to pick it out of my pocket and into my palm ready to open: my thumb will be on the thumb stud almost naturally. (good design) And the more exposed knife allows easier pick up.
[But this is not so important. I'd get a fixed blade with a good holster/sheath if I wanted quick deployment. Still furthermore, I'd get a sword with wrist guard if I wanted to hold the knives like rappiers.]
The folder's lock is a toss up too. Neither manufacturer publish torture tests of their locking mechanism. I guess the older more traditional liner lock can make the Blur more reliable. But lack of evidence is still glaring. I also wonder how well SOG execute their version of the Axis lock. Some people elsewhere have posted their dislike of SOG's loose blade release when folded. it didn't bother me. I just want to see torture test results.
Steel choice: toss up. but I will update after I've sharpened the knives.
Conclusion: I like the Blur as my new EDC because the opening action is vastly superior to the Flash II (with plastic handle). Still I'd wish for an assisted opening version of Benchmade's AFCK.
Finally: Please pm me if anyone has experienced any failure of their Blur. I'd like to see how the Blur fails and when it does.
