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Kershaw Crown II

It's never easy to replace a favorite EDC. But in fact I was looking for just such a replacement. The Kershaw Crown II comes by recommendation from an iKC member. It is a slightly smaller version of the Kershaw Crown.

Initially viewing the knife in its clam shell packaging I was a little disappointed. I mean I knew it came that way but was still kind of surprised not to see it in a conventional box. I hoped it did not mean it was a sub-par knife.

I also noted the small plastic clip at the point of the knife...is this really necessary...I thought?

First a little about the CrownII :

Steel is 8CR13MoV,satin finish
Handle is satin finished steel and polished micarta
the knife comes with a Limited Lifetime warranty
the blade length is 2 7/8 inches
Closed length of the knife is 3 3/4 inches
The weight of the knife is a mere 2.6 oz.

Overall the fit and finish of the knife was quite well done. No gaps or noticeable spaces were in evidence.

From day one I put the KCII through its paces with a great deal of skepticism. It was temporarily replacing my trusty KaBar and about to face several days of challenges. Would it stand up to the tasks at hand?

My usual day consists of all kinds of cutting chores. Cutting open baled hay, removing splinters, shaving a marking pencil, twisting wire, opening bags etc.

I have to say for as nice as the knife looked, it was a small workhorse and performed all the above quite easily. The edge of the blade was good although not deadly. On my scale of sharpness out of the old clam pack, 1-10 with 10 being the sharpest, I would rank this KCII about a 7. It could be sharper yet did everything I asked and then some.

The other thing I noticed was the lightness of the knife. Honestly, I had to check several times to see if it was still there. I do prefer to carry my EDC on a pocket clip. It drives me crazy when that knife sinks way down in my jeans pocket and I have to try and find it. I prefer to wear it on my pocket like a tool which to me it is. More on the clip in a minute.

What didn't I like....well a few things. One it is a small knife for me and I do prefer a bit more "gripping power". I sometimes had to use fingers from both hands to handle the knife and perform the task. Not something I would want to do on a regular basis.

The other thing was the knife carried tip up. I don't know about you but my personal preference is tip down Tip up seems a bit alien. The clip itself is mounted high so the knife rides low enough to stay out of my way and stay in my pocket. The clip is sturdy and has good tension that holds on yet releases without tearing my pants. I would have preferred the clip be blacked out so it does not stick out there and announce "KNIFE". Future enhance may be a powder coat job.

Another nice feature is the clip has a good sized bend up at the bottom so if you do have to pull that clip you can without breaking a finger trying!

My overall impression of the knife was very good. It looks nice and handles well. It is a dressier knife so perhaps it more suited to social events, shows or other get togethers. Its light, easy opening and sharp enough to perform most of what you might need. the knife is inexpensive so you won't get hysterical if you lose it. This knife came from Sonoran Desert Knives and should be available from your favorite retailer.

Tags: crownII, kershaw, review

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Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on February 2, 2012 at 14:56

Thanks so much Perry, I will say i am liking the Kershaw quite a bit which surprises me a little...to be honest it has not come out of my pocket yet!lol! Never tried a Leek...might have to put that one on the list for sure.

perry coleman said:

I have had trouble in the past replacin EDCs but this looks like a nice Kershaw! I edc a Rainbow Leek sometimes myself.

Nice and flat and easy on the pocket for sure.

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Permalink Reply by Patrik Ilijev on February 2, 2012 at 15:22

Steve this is a nice executed review if I did not own this knife I would buy one for sure. Keep up the good work.

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Permalink Reply by Clint Thompson on February 2, 2012 at 15:43

Steve....

This is a very nice review of the Kershaw Crown II which was done in a very informative way. I enjoyed the read and hope to see more of the same.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on February 2, 2012 at 18:29

Thank you Patrik, you were absolutely right a very good knife for the money!

Patrik Ilijev said:

Steve this is a nice executed review if I did not own this knife I would buy one for sure. Keep up the good work.

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on February 2, 2012 at 18:30

Thanks Clint, I hope to do more. Just another way to keep members informed about what is out there!

Clint Thompson said:

Steve....

This is a very nice review of the Kershaw Crown II which was done in a very informative way. I enjoyed the read and hope to see more of the same.

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Permalink Reply by perry coleman on February 2, 2012 at 20:15

They are great EDCs! Very flat and one finger operates it.

Steve"Hog"Hanner said:

Thanks so much Perry, I will say i am liking the Kershaw quite a bit which surprises me a little...to be honest it has not come out of my pocket yet!lol! Never tried a Leek...might have to put that one on the list for sure.

perry coleman said:

I have had trouble in the past replacin EDCs but this looks like a nice Kershaw! I edc a Rainbow Leek sometimes myself.

Nice and flat and easy on the pocket for sure.

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Permalink Reply by Barry Greene on February 2, 2012 at 22:25

This is a really good looking knife. I have several Kershaws and am always happy with the quality and value of their products.

Thanks for sharing this post.

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Permalink Reply by perry coleman on February 2, 2012 at 22:46

Ok, now you've lit a fire under me Steve to go tomorrow and check out some more Kershaws at the Army /Navy store here.

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Permalink Reply by Glenn Banks on April 30, 2012 at 19:08

I'm a big Kershaw fan and this an excellent review Steve. I like the pocket clip on this knife and especially the streamline look. Nice EDC

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Permalink Reply by Lee Saunders on May 10, 2012 at 19:24

Nice Steve. I was glad to see you were happy with this knife as an every day. Sounds like it really works well for you.

I was going to recommend the heavier of those modern pruners I wrote about last week or so. The black one has a clip and is heavy and hecka sharp!!

Anyway I bought it from Garrett Wade Tools if you ever need another EDC that can do the kinds of things you need one for. That's how I use mine but I'm sure my day isn't as Heavy-Duty as yours. Garrett Wade has a lot of good stuff. They seem to want all of my money.

Lee

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Permalink Reply by Steve Hanner on July 17, 2012 at 10:08

Just wanted to post a six month update: So far I have put the Kershaw CrownII through virtually every test a knife could imagine.

Cutting, boxes, hay string(over 40 bales) tape, tubing, hose and plastic.
Scraping of battery terminals and clamps
Wire stripping
notching 2x4's

OK it did require a small sharpening with the stone, but after six months of Daily, Continuous Use: the knife is sharp, clean, virtually undamaged and still a fully working EDC.