If you are a pocket knife kind of guy who is always on the lookout for innovative knives, then you need to check out Kershaw's new folder knife. It's called the Zing 1735 and it has a unique 3D machined blade. This folding pocket knife is made with special stainless steel and was designed by the famous knife designer RJ Martin.

When we first picked this knife up from a local retailer, we immediately took notice of the blade design. The blade is 3D machined with a striated pattern that leaves the blade with a unique textured appearance. The machined groves run perpendicular from the blade edge back towards the spine of the knife.  The blade steel is made with Sandvik 14C28N; this is a proprietary stainless steel developed by Sandvik for Kershaw. Sandvik is a world leader in producing special stainless steel and alloy materials and they are located in Sweden. The Sandvik 14C28N used in the blade of the Zing 1735 is designed to have increased corrosion resistance over many other types of stainless steels, yet still retain a keen ability to hold a precise edge. The handle's scales are made of injection molded Polyimide that is black in color and textured. (They also have a blaze orange version available, Model 1735OR.) The Polyimide material is very durable, lightweight, flexible, and resistant to heat and most chemicals. With many knife manufacturers starting to outsource their products overseas, we liked that many of the Kershaw knives we've looked at are made in the USA, including this one.

The designer, RJ Martin, has been designing knives since the mid 1970's and for this particular project he teamed up Kershaw to design and produce the Zing.  The unique and custom made knives made by RJ Martin command high prices and are highly sought after by the most discriminating custom knife collectors.  The Zing is just one of six different knives that RJ Martin has collaborated with Kershaw.

The construction of this knife is quite robust with thick stainless steel liners beneath the Polyimide handle scales. The blade is able to be locked open thanks to the liner lock that automatically engages once the blade is fully extended. Only once the liner lock is manually pushed out of the way, will the blade be able to swing closed. All the parts of the knife are securely screwed together with four Torx-style screws and nuts. The Zing features what Kershaw calls their "Flipper" manual opening. Just use heavy index finger pressure on the blade protrusion or use the built-in thumb stud to swing the blade out. There is a pocket clip pre-installed on the back side of the knife that holds it in a blade-down position. If you wish to carry your knife in a different position or location, there are two small Torx screws that can be removed; the pocket clip can then be re-located to two other positions that are already tapped for the screws. If you don't like pocket clips, you can just take it off.

As far as testing and use, we just went ahead and stuck it in our pocket and used it whenever we had a task for it. So far we are happy to report that the blade has remained sharp, even after opening numerous packages. The knife is a comfortable size that fits in the hand, but so lightweight, we hardly even noticed when it was clipped in our pocket.

Conclusion

Being that I am a pocket knife kind of guy, it was hard for me to resist checking out the Kershaw Zing 1735. This knife combines many of the elements that I look for in a knife: Quality materials, rugged build, and something that is a little different than what everyone else has. Combine all that with a well-known custom knife maker and a company like Kershaw, and we think the Zing is a winner. For our Performance rating we gave this knife a 10/10 since it really offers quality materials in a robust build that should last a lifetime. For our Value rating we gave this knife a 9/10 since it combines many quality and custom features at a pretty good price. If you look around, you can find this knife for considerably less than the MSRP (like we did).

About Kershaw Knives
KAI USA Ltd is the parent company of several knife companies that include ZT  Zero Tolerance Military and Tactical Knives, Shun Professional kitchen knives and Kershaw Knives. Kershaw Knives is based out of Oregon and has a worldwide reputation for quality and innovation. The company prides itself on using the highest quality materials and state-of-the-art techniques to produce knives and other cutting tools that are prized throughout the world