Kershaw walmart knife bundle 2013 - Freefall and Swerve

Kershaw recently released a holiday bundle pack for black Friday and Christmas 2013. The pack includes two flipper knives and a small flashlight. unfortunately it comes in a clam shell pack, so you can't handle the knives before you buy them.

this was an admirable effort by kershaw; two black coated flipper knives with steel liners for $20.

Knife 1: 3850BLK "Freefall"



Knife 2: 3840BLK "Swerve"



3CR13 Steel

I figured for $20 I couldn't lose, and wanted to give the knives away to get some people started on carrying and using pocket knives.

so of course I couldn't just wrap this pack up without checking the knives out first, you know - just to make sure they're both in working order X-D

One of the knives, which looks like it borrows a lot of design influence from the kershaw knockout, actually turned out to be a decent and functional knife.

However the other knife was a big disappointment. It has a gritty and squeaky opening, and doesn't even lock up unless you really whack it open.

Neither knife is a functional flipper, but the better knife can be flicked open via thumbstud.

both knives feature very poor steel, both have bladeplay

Both knives were sharpened unevenly, some parts of the edge are sharp, others are dull.

The handles of these knives are molded plastic with steel liners. They're actually both pretty nice to hold and use.

The Kershaw swerve was sadly the worst knife I have owned, just do to the fact it really didn't function and was unsafe to use. the knife wouldn't lock up under normal opening, and when open would fail easily.

I figured trying to fix the swerve would be a better use of my time than standing in the wal mart return line, since I hate wal mart to begin with.. so I took it apart.

I found that the swerves pivot rides on two white washers (I believe to be Teflon washers) and to no surprise the lock face and knife tang were crudely machined. I cleaned the pivot area and sanded down the blade tang with sandpaper enough for it to lockup safely.

These make decent beater knives, but I wouldn't recommend picking up the pack. If you want a $10 knife from kershaw I highly recommend the kershaw crown, much better knife.

Pros:
ergos

Cons:
functionality - flippers that don't flip, a lock that won't lock.
poor machining
plastic
dull edges
blade play
loose thumbstud
soft steel
poor coating

Kershaw Knockout 1870 review

I noticed an amazon lightening deal for the Kershaw knockout and couldn't pass it up. It's an impressive knife for the $45 I paid.

This is the newer kershaw knockout model with aluminum scales and stainless steel "sub frame lock" as well as speed safe assist.

as far as fit and finish goes this knife has exceeded my exceptions. the aluminum handles are nicely machined and finished, and so is the blade and thumb stud. there are no sharp edges, nor does the blade have any play up or down side to side.

The blade even has no play and is centered when closed.

The lock up on this knife is right where it should be, and it is consistent when opened soft (with both hands) or flicked open.

The knockout is very pocket friendly, and has plenty of cutting power with its wide blade and very pointy tip.

every surface of this knife is smooth, and it is void of any jimping. It was a good decision to leave jimping out of this design, it is not necessary with a properly designed handle.

Pros:
Ergonomic as it can be (for a fairly flat pocket friendly design)
Steel: Sandvic 14C28N
Made in USA
Sub Frame lock

Cons:
Plastic Backspacer - this choice is puzzling to me, I would have rather had a design made with only metal. I believe it is made of Zytel.

It's hard to even nitpick this knife when you realize it isn't even a $50 knife. the minor nitpicks I have are the relatively boring but functional low rider pocket clip and the plastic back spacer.

and although the thumb studs on this knife are well made, and fit the look of the knife well, they are pointless and should have been left out. There's really no need for them when you have the flipper, or want to open it two handed in public.

Chris Reeve Umnumzaan Knife Review

Umnumzaan “The Boss”

Pros:

-s30v steel and titanium frame construction

-Robust frame lock

-very light weight

-very strong lock and grind

-USA made

Cons:

-Polished thumb stud provides no traction

-Thumb stud O-rings can wear out, but can be removed. 

The CRK umnumzaan is extremely well designed, engineered, and manufactured to perfection. Every nook and cranny of this knife is designed and made with care. The knife is made out of ideal materials. S30v has proved itself to be an exceptional working steel, and the thick titanium handles are very strong and light. The thick stock and hollow grind provide a mix of strength and sharpness. The harpoon swedge helps pull apart material when stabbing through.

Key features that set this knife apart:

-The ball detent on the corner of the lock bar. This makes the umnumzaan extremely smooth to open, and it has no detent ball drop off/dead zone. I believe this is completely unique to this knife.

-lock bar thumb grip is milled out. this feature allows the knife to have no cut out to release the lock, the milled out section grabs your thumb for closure.

-no sharp corners, all are beveled or rounded. 

Lock bar thumb grip:

lockup:

Hollow Grind:

Common criticisms/claims:

-The knife is hard to reassemble because you have to use Loctite

-the knife is hard to flick open or slowly open

-hollow ground.

-the knife has no pivot bushing like the CRK sebenza

-The knife isn’t worth its cost ($425) and ($12) tool kit

None of these things should sway you away from the Umnumzaan. It is an improvement over the sebenza in almost every way. The Sebenza is a classic, but the umnumzaan takes first place in my opinion. Using Loctite is easy, just make sure you use purple Loctite, 222ms. This way you can get the pivot anywhere you want it.

When correctly lubed, the knife flies open like an auto if you want it to. They omitted the pivot bushing in favor of a more robust and adjustable pivot. The thumb studs are an issue thought. they could have been made to provide better grip.

Hollow grinding is known as being cheap to produce and machine. It is sometimes frowned upon in favor of full flat grinds. However I enjoy hollow grinds, they can produce a very thin and wickedly sharp edge. the hollow grind and thick stock can cause problems when cutting certain materials. cutting something like a watermelon can be a problem. the stock at the top will split the watermelon without the edge cutting it.

As far as the umnumzaan being worth it, I think it is worth it. You can get a knife with the same materials as the umnumzaan or Sebenza for around $200-250. The Chris reeve knives can’t be beat by those offerings. There is simply more detail and time put into them. You also get incredible customer service with CRK. The price is high, but nobody beats their knives for less money. Whether it’s worth the $425 is anyone’s opinion.

LL Bean Maine Lodge Boot Review

 Pros:

-high quality leather construction

-very comfortable footed

-double stitching, heavily stitched moc toe

-good stability on snow and ice

-very good looking, unique color

Cons:

-Made in China

-Stock laces are thin and slippery

My Maine Lodge Boots have seen a year of heavy use especially throughout the fall and winter. They have offered all day comfort and stylish looks. The boots are heavily cushioned and very stable. They are one of the most comfortable pairs of boots I’ve ever owned. I can tell they will offer service for years to come. The boots were very nice to wear all day, but the laces were a little short for my feet, and the laces are thin and easily come undone. I replaced the stock laces with some thick brown laces that are a few inches longer. This easy change ($3) perfected this pair of boots. These boots are suitable for casual wear with jeans or khakis, or for light work. My particular boots have seen miles of snow and sludge. I wish they weren't made in China, but I still find them to be a good value.

Invicta 9937 Review

Invicta Pro Diver 9937:

The main goal with producing the Invicta 9937ob was creating a Rolex Submariner clone that was both high quality and affordable. The Rolex is famed for its design, reliability, and capability. Most poor man’s Rolex submariner offerings are low quality. They look a lot like the sub but are made with cheap materials, and are poorly finished. The 9937 is definitely and exception. 

I have owned one for years, and put it through real work. It has never let me down, and the face of the watch looks brand new. Invicta’s flame fusion crystal which is sapphire and mineral fused together is very reliable. It has proved to behave just as a plain old sapphire. The Cyclops on the face magnifies well. It comes close to Rolex here.

Invicta claims the 9937 can make it to 660ft which is much further than I would ever dive. My watch has seen sinks, showers, and the bottom of pools. I’ve never had a water resistance issue at all. I would go on a real dive with this watch with confidence. The Rolex will go down to 1000ft. 660ft is pretty close considering the cost of each. 

The Invicta uses a 26 jewel Swiss stilleta or a 25 jewel ETA, which is where a lot of your money is going for this watch. It has been keeping time for me very well for years. The Rolex will keep even better time with their in house movement, but in the end who buys any automatic watch for accuracy. A $10 quartz will kill a Rolex time accuracy. both of the swiss movements invicta uses are known to be reliable. 

I was not impressed with the lume on the watch. It does lume pretty bright at first, as any lume will. and it’s nice and consistent. It would be great if it lasted longer. the Rolex lume is very good.

The bracelet has mirror finished inner links and brushed outer, which looks great. This is the one area where I think the Invicta actually beats the Rolex. It has a nice strong milled solid clasp, instead of the stamped metal on the Rolex. a common criticism of invicta watches is their use of soft steel for the bracelet which scratches easy. This has not been an issue in my experience.

Another thing the Invicta has over the Rolex is the nice exhibition case back, that’s also a sapphire crystal. The movement is beautiful and has a nicely decorated rotor.

As far as accuracy to the real sub, from 10 feet away it looks the same. There are some little subtle differences, I think the most notable difference is the dial. The Rolex has bigger markers, and a much bigger “12”. Obviously different logos. The case, crown guard, bezel, and lugs are all pretty close.

The watch dial on the 9937ob reads “Swiss Movement” on the bottom. I interpret as meaning it was not assembled in Switzerland. That would be “Swiss Made”. I have searched around, but cannot find where exactly this watch was made. Some Invctas are made in the USA, some are actually Swiss made, but my bet for this one is China. Have to cut the costs somewhere to hit the street at $300 or less.

Thinks I wish were done better on the 9937: the logo and Invicta lettering could use better finishing. to me they both look cheap upon close inspection. The luminescence could be much longer lasting. Everything else looks and works as it should.

This watch is extremely good for your ~$300. However, it is no magician; it does not beat the much more expensive submariner. If you’re interested in this watch you want a good deal on a classic looking diver that also has the quality. This is a master of that segment.