Review: Kershaw Groove 1730

Along with a few other toys, I received this knife from a private collection for review.

Upon holding it for the first time, it was clearly the heaviest of the handful of folding EDC knives I had gotten. It weighs in at 5.2 ounces. It's not so heavy that I would suggest you steer clear, but if weight is already an issue with your every day carry items, you might want to look further down the Kershaw line.

Beyond the weight, the Groove was the nicest to look at from the pack of blades I have here for review. The handle is silver and black, stylized with two finger notches up towards the blade. The blade itself has a ribbed design that ends just shy of the backside. A flipper on the outside edge allows the user to deploy the blade with ease, though one thing that I noticed was the lack of a thumb stud, even though the blade looks to have been shaped with one in mind. An afterthought maybe?

The knife fits comfortably in the hand and really feels like a solid tool - especially given the weight of the unit, it feels like a knife, not a toy. The pocket clip is held on directly to the handle via three screws, a design I've respected Kershaw for having in the past. It works and I've yet to find a Kershaw knife that has accidentally slipped out of my pocket for this very reason.

There are some holes drilled into the back side, but I think they are used more as an aesthetic enhancement than anything else. A hole drilled through both sides will allow for a lanyard attachment - a definite plus for the mancrafters out there.

The blade is held in place with a frame lock. It's very sturdy with no lateral movement at all. Technical specs are found below:

Steel:  Sandvik 14C28N stainless steel with 3-D machined grooves

Handle:  410 stainless-steel with G-10 overlays

Blade Length:  3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)

Closed Length:  4 1/2 in. (11.5 cm)

Overall Length:

Weight:  5.2 oz.

Some may find this knife a little large and heavy for use as an EDC tool but it all depends on the task. It's got collector appeal based on that second kind of cool that we hear so often of and surely has utility in it's handle shape and blade design. A good knife, but at around 95 dollars (as listed on Kershaw's site), you'll want to make sure it fits your POU before making the plunge.