Kershaw Blur Review

Welcome back to another gear review, everyone!

Today we’re going to be chatting about one of the best values in the American Made sector of everyday carry knives…The “Blur” by Kershaw.

If you’re unfamiliar with the Kershaw Blur, i’ll drop some general specifications about it below….

• Overall Length: 7.9 inches
• Blade Length: 3.4 inches
• Closed Length: 4.5 inches
• Blade Steel: Sandvik 14C28N (or) S30V
• Knife Weight: 3.9oz
• Handle Material: Aluminum w/ Trac-Tec Inserts
• Opening System: Speedsafe (Assisted Opening)
• Made in the USA
• Various Options: Straight edge, partially serrated, black finish or stonewashed, multiple handle colors
• Average Price: $60 (for the Sandvik 14C28N version)

Kershaw Blur Handle & Grip (ergonomics):

When you initially pick the Kershaw Blur up, it’s almost a shock because of how nice it feels. You expect a $60 knife to feel kind of sub-par. But the Kershaw Blur feels phenomenal. The aluminum handles contribute to a premium feel, while the Trac-Tec inserts are almost like a non-abrasive/rubbery sandpaper. The grip feels amazing.

The grip on the Kershaw Blur doesn’t have a ton of obnoxious curvature or over-designed features to it either. It’s fairly simple and it excels. It’s very ergonomic and fits your hand nicely.

Kershaw Blur Gimping & Finger Choil:

If you’re a fan of aggressive gimping & an emphasized finger choil, you’re probably going to dock some points from the Kershaw Blur. The gimping on the back of the handle and the start of the blade is very mild. And there is a slight curvature for your pointer finger to rest into…But it’s certainly not a finger choil by my definition. So I wouldn’t pick this as my first option for a self-defense weapon, due to your finger being able to slide forward fairly easily into the blade.

Kershaw Blur Blade Steel (Sandvik specifically):

Let’s talk about the Sandvik Steel for a minute. A lot of people are unfamiliar with this steel. And if you are, I highly recommend you give it a shot. I’ve used Sandvik steel in a couple of everyday carry knives, as well as a lot of my bushcrafting and camp knives. I am particularly hard on my bushcraft/camp knives and the Sandvik steel has been incredible. It has held a phenomenal edge and is always super easy to resharpen. The same goes for the Sandvik 14C28N steel found in the Kershaw Blur. I’ve used this knife for a while now as my primary EDC Knife and i’ve only had to strop it a few times.

Kershaw Blur Blade Design:

I am a huge fan of Ken Onion’s blade shapes, particularly on the Kershaw Blur and ZT 0350. They’re a bit funky and remind me of a recurve blade design. I’ve found this blade shape to be highly effective for EDC tasks and even food prep. It  has also proven to be a very strong blade design for utilitarian tasks (just don’t go prying open any doors).

Kershaw Blur Flow-Through Design + Standoffs:

I love a knife that has an open or flow-through design, held together by standoffs (picture below of what I mean by this). This allows you to easily clean & maintenance your knife.

Kershaw Blur Pocket Clip:

I’ve heard several other people review this knife and dock points against the Kershaw Blur for it’s pocket clip. And I get it…It’s not the sexiest looking clip out there. But it gets the job done, and does it well. It's always held on tight and never let the knife shift around in my pocket. I particularly love how flat it lays against the outside of my pocket. This prevents it from snagging onto stuff as I walk past (which almost always ruins the clip by bending it).

Kershaw Blur Ride Height:

Again - Several people have complained about how high the Kershaw Blur sticks out of the pocket when it’s clipped on. Maybe it’s just because i’m a simple Kentucky Boy and everyone carries knives around here, but I really don’t care about the ride height on this knife (or most knives for that matter). If you do care, or live in a location that this isn’t socially accepted please note that 1” of the knife does stick out.

A bit more on this:
If the knife were to completely submerge itself into your pocket it would honestly be super hard to get out when you need it. I personally love that there’s some surface area sticking out to grab onto when I need to deploy the knife. So…No complaints here on the ride height.

How have I used the Kershaw Blur?

I have used the Kershaw Blur as my everyday carry knife since November of last year. I’ve used it for all sorts of mundane everyday carry tasks like: opening packages/boxes, food prep, cutting cordage, etc. I’ve even used this knife a lot on my outdoor adventures when I decided not to bring a fixed blade along.

As much as I love all of my other knives, I just cannot get this one out of my pocket. It’s so slim, lightweight and simply feels amazing. I love the speedsafe assisted opening mechanism on this knife (which is no surprise coming from Kershaw). It’s super smooth and has never failed to lock open for me.

When I bought the Kershaw Blur, what did I think?

Honestly, when I purchased the Kershaw Blur I thought I would pack it for a bit and then throw it into a box with all of my other other knives. However, after carrying it for awhile now it is a close competitor to my beloved Spyderco Paramilitary 2.

Kershaw Blur - Recommend or No?

I would hands down recommend the Kershaw Blur to anyone. This knife is super affordable at $60, performs like a champ and uses the best materials (USA MADE BABY). In it’s price range there is no other knife that can compete with it!

10 out of a 10 for the Kershaw Blur!