Kershaw Iridium Folding Knife, D2 Black Spear Point, Aluminum Black, 2038BLK
[K2038BLK]

The Kershaw Iridium was my go-to EDC for about a year. I purchased it on the recommendation that it would be comparable to the 'Benchmade Bugout' for a fraction of the price, and after carrying it for a year I wouldn't say it's very similar at all, but it definitely has its own merits. For starters, I really liked the crossbar lock, the acoustics, and the action stayed consistent and smooth. I wasn't stress testing it or anything, but it was used for a multitude of daily cutting tasks, and it maintained its edge pretty well in an urban environment. I would always get compliments on the look of this knife and the unique design of the back spacers and lanyard loop. In terms of criticisms, the Iridium has a nice, sleek profile and sits nicely in the pocket, but some of the practicality was sacrificed for the aesthetic. I found that the aluminium scales were almost unbearably slippery, and although it looked great, there wasn't enough jimping on the blade to make up for the entire handle being so smooth. There were several times I felt like the knife would rotate in the hand or it just wouldn't sit comfortably in the palm, especially if the tasks was bigger than opening boxes. I think the balance was a bit off and some small adjustments to the scales could easily makes this a 4 star knife, but if you're looking for a knife that's going to be useful in any capacity other than opening packages and letters, this may not be the best choice. It's a great looking knife and a snappy crossbar lock, which is what initially drew me to the Iridium, but I'm happy to retire it to the shelf and find a new EDC that will be able to keep up with me a bit better.