Kershaw Blur Folding Knife 1670BLKST Review

Manufacturer: Kershaw
Model: 1670BLKST
Price: $69
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The
Kershaw Blur Folding Knife 1670BLKST comes in
black with a partially serrated modified drop point blade, super grip
handles, and the proven SpeedSafe assisted-opening system. With the
knife in hand, one of the first things that will jump out at you is
how much grip that the handle materials offer. The sides of the
aluminum handles have textured rubber inserts that make it virtually
slip-resistant, even with greasy or wet hands. With just a little bit
of thumb pressure against the thumb studs located towards the back of
the blade, the blade swings and locks open with an authoritative
thwack sound. The
liner lock keeps the blade securely open until you press it sideways
to release the blade. All in all this knife is packed with practical
features that make it great for every day carry.

When
we evaluate a knife there are many things to look at. The build
quality is a good place to start and the Ken Onion designed Kershaw
Blur 1670BLKST Folding Knife does not disappoint. Starting with the
blade, the model we received has a black DLC coating on it with a modified drop
point style. This blade shape is characterized by a slow
convex-curved top edge that drops down to the point. The drop-point
design lowers the knife tip for better control yet adds strength to
the point. The blade has plenty of belly on the cutting edge making
it good for slicing. The last inch or so of the blade that is closest
to the tang has serrations that are really excellent for cutting
things like rope and cord. This style of blade is probably one of the
most popular designs, since it lends itself to being a fantastic
all-around blade shape. The blade is made of Sandvik 14C28N which is
a proprietary stainless steel developed by the Swedish company
Sandvik for Kershaw. This specific stainless steel is designed to
have increased corrosion resistance over many other types of
stainless steels, yet still retain the ability to hold a quality
edge. The blade of the Blur is flat ground with a false edge on the
spine that goes from the thumb studs to the tip. Since the blade
grind starts almost all the way up by the spine of the blade, the
taper to the blade edge is long, making for a strong edge.  Kershaw
was one of the first to use DLC coating in production knife
applications. DLC stands for Diamond-Like Carbon. The DLC coatings
display properties similar to those of a natural diamond, such as
hardness, wear resistance, and reduced friction. The DLC coating is
applied in a process called Physical Vapor Disposition (PVD). During
PVD, metals are instantly evaporated and ionized via a high-current,
low-voltage arc. The metal ions are then accelerated into a vacuum
chamber. A negative voltage is introduced, which permanently deposits
a thin metal coating on the blades. The benefits of such a coating
are obvious when it comes to knives because it simply does not wear
or rub off.

Como
edge drop-point style blade

The
Kershaw Blur’s handle is made of 6061-T6 aluminum that is anodized
black. The side of the handles are CNC-machined with recesses that
allow the Trac-Tec inserts to fit in. The Trac-Tec is a textured hard
rubber-like material that offers amazing all-condition grip. The
handle very sturdy feeling and is securely fastened together so that
there is no wiggle or flexing of the two sides. Built inside the
handle is the SpeedSafe assisted-opening system that keep the blade
closed until you apply pressure to the thumb-studs which then allow
the blade to quickly swing open to the locked position. The stainless
steel liner lock also makes unlocking the blade is easy. The pocket
clip is removable and can be positioned to offer either tip up or tip
down carry. The knife ships with pocket clip oriented so that the the
blade is tip down. The blade-to-handle pivot point is sturdy and,
once the blade is opened, there is absolutely no wiggle in any
direction. This really goes a long way to inspire confidence.

Black
Anodized 6061-T6 Aluminum Handles with Trac-Tec Inserts

Testing
and Use

Many
knife injuries occur because of a poor grip and we are happy to
report that the Kershaw Blur 1670BLKST offers some good stuff in this
department. The grippy material is so good that when you try
to slip the knife into your pocket with the pocket clip it is
slightly difficult until you get used to it. It actually took a few
days for things to “wear in” so that it was easy to take it
in and out of my pocket when using the clip. This is not a bad thing
since it means that once you have the knife in your hand, or in your
pocket, it will stay put. We have always been fans of the SpeedSafe
assisted opening system and it does not disappoint on this knife
either. We love the authoritative way the blade swings open and how
it automatically gets locked into the open position. Since we prefer
the blade-down carry position of the knife, we left the pocket clip
the way it came from the factory. We did notice that at least 1/2″
of the knife does stick out of your pocket when you carry it with the
clip, so it’s not as discrete as some. We have used the knife for
various tasks around the shop that range from opening packages to
cutting rope. I am sure that the more I carry the knife, the more I
will try it out. So far, the blade has continued to be sharp and has
not required any sharpening.

Using
the Kershaw Blur Around the Shop

Conclusion

The
Kershaw Blur 1670BLKST offers good looks, fantastic multi-tasking
performance and high-quality materials. We really like the smooth,
one-handed opening that the SpeedSafe assisted opening system offers
and the confidence that is inspired by the sure grip of the handle.
For our Performance rating we gave this knife an 8/10 because it
represents quality American manufacturing and it offers a good level
of rugged durability. For our Value rating we also gave the Blur a
high score of 8/10. With its premium stainless steel blade material, DLC blade coating
and a solid build quality, the Kershaw comes to market with a price
that is competitive with some of the best in the business. Other varieties of this knife are available that include different blade designs, uncoated blades and red anodized handles with black Trac-Tec inserts.

Specs

• Blade: Sandvik 14C28N Stainless Steel
• Handle: 6061-T6 Anodized Aluminum with Trac-Tec Inserts
• Blade Length: 3-3/8″
• Closed Length: 4-1/2″
• Open Length: 7-7/8″
• Weight: 4.2 oz.