Review: Kershaw Ripcord

Got an opportunity today to look at a knife I've never seen before. A used blade, on loan from me by a buddy who owns a multitude of knives. This knife is different from any I've had in my hands. It's got a unique design and features that are suited to a specific purpose. It's got a longer, tougher blade with the size of a compact folder, all in a little package that is easily clippable to webbing, belts, boots or whatever else you can get this little holster onto.

Kershaw's Ripcord

I've seen this knife advertised online for anything from 80 to 100 dollars. It seems to have been built for use as a knife to be included in a 'system'. Like anything, you've got to consider your philosophy of use with this item - it's unique in the way it's deployed. You pull the knife out and away from the holster to engage it, and likewise - you put it on the little peg and push in to hide it away again. It's a little awkward at first, but with some practise, I could easily deploy the blade in a few attempts.

The handle in it's compressed form was initially kind of difficult to get a grip on, but once you get your head around it, the mechanism works quite well. Extended, it sits well in the hand and feels balanced.

The handle has a spot for a paracord dongle - as always, appreciated by my fellow mancrafters. The whole unit fits in my hand when it's all collapsed, and not heavy at all - you'd hardly notice it on a vest or clipped to a bag.

The knife seats well in the holster and wiggles about when shaken - but not so much as to come out at all. I couldn't make it jump out of it's little slot. The knife extends smoothly and locks into place. The blade extends from the top of the handle and slides back into place when not in use.

A nifty knife - and at a hundred dollars it's still semi-affordable. It would probably fit for some people's requirements, be a toy for others, and a non-issue for the rest. A good knife, a solid holster included and a worthy piece of kit in my books.

Thanks to "ceriksson" from ASC for the reminder to include technical specs;

Technical Specs:

• Sandvik 13C26 stainless-steel blade with Tungsten DLC coating
• 6061-T6 anodized aluminum handle with Trac-Tec inserts
• Blade Length: 3 7/16in. (8.6 cm)
• Closed Length: 4 3/8 in. (11.1 cm)
• Weight: 4.2 oz.

For those interested in seeing a cut-test; this one is not my knife!
I can't put this one into any extensive cut testing because I don't want to void the trust of the owner - or the warranty by Kershaw for that matter...   =)