- the knife that grows
The first thing to be decided is whether the Kershaw Heist lives up to its name or not? Are you being robbed/cheated of your money when you buy this knife? Speculation easily arises when you name a knife that way.
At that point, I can calm everyone down immediately, you won't!
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| Kershaw Heist |
On the contrary, I can tell you that this knife keeps growing. It may be needed as it is a fairly small knife in terms of both dimensions and, not least, weight.
Namely, this is Kershaw's contribution to what is now often referred to as the "Bug-Out" class* after Benchmade's best seller. Concretely, it has come to stand for a lightweight knife, which of course they were not the first with, but equipped with some form of "crossbar lock". So a lock with a transverse bolt. After BM's patent on the "Axis lock" expired, the market completely exploded with that type of lock. Basically, every manufacturer has one on the program, although Kershaw in particular was rather late with their version. The one you find here.
Incidentally, the two components were the reason why I chose to take a closer look at Heist. It has proven to be a viable combination in the past.
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| The knife has slightly angular shapes which, however, work perfectly |
Short version (former Twitter version): Kershaw Heist, an anonymous knife that turned out to be a real highlight!
Blade
The blade on the Heist is a modified drop point. The extra additions consist of an interesting false edge or rather thinning of the backside. The blade is initially full thickness and even has a slight thumb ramp before thinning out. What makes it not a real fake edge is that it doesn't extend all the way to the tip. There the blade regains its thickness again. Probably because it's damn thin right from the start.
Namely, the stock thickness is no more than 2.2 mm. The blade is 81 mm long and 26.5 mm high. Since the grind is quite high with its 18 mm, there are good conditions for a blade that is pleasant to use.
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| It is not often that you come across such thin and effective blades |
In return, the blade is relatively wide, which helps with stability. The finish is a medium rough stone-washed surface which hides scratches well. The branding is fairly discreet with the Kershaw logo on one side and a bit of unnecessary text on the other side. But the text is small.
The steel choice fell on D2 which I don't think is bad in this case. Sure, it's not the most rust-proof, especially not in stone-tumbled versions, although it's preferable to the blasting Kershaw often used. But it is a relatively tough steel, which means that it can hold the thin edge without chipping. It also makes the tip last better than it would with a more brittle steel.
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| The steel is D2 the blade says. It also says KAI, model designation, China, and then there is a small sign that says that Heist is an "in-house production" and not the result of any external collaboration |
In other words, the Kershaw Heist has a tip that is slightly stronger than the measurements suggest. It handles everything that a good tip should. Everything from removing skewers or in this household, cactus thorns, from fingers to puncturing plastic cans.
The rest of the cutting characteristics of the Heist are also just as sympathetic as I had hoped for. The thin blade handles everything from peeling a celeriac** to cutting printer paper.
This knife excels at cuts where you use the entire height of the blade. An example is, of course, cardboard. Now I'm doing a bit of kitchen renovation and there are a few things left over from the craftsmen, including packaging material that should be recycled. An excellent work for Heist.
Those properties are repeated when cutting ropes of different thicknesses but also in nylon straps. The knife has to work a little more when I cut cable ties and harder materials, but it's mostly because the handle is so thin that it feels that way. The blade does what it's supposed to. Heist also cuts surprisingly well in wood it might be added. But do not pry when you loosen the edge from the wood, then it will break.
Overall this blade is excellent and the reasons are found in the geometry. Kershaw has invested in a thin blade, which always cuts better than a thick one.
Handle
The handle is probably the least interesting thing about Heist. Or rather, it applies to the material on the sides. It is GFN which is one of many fibre-reinforced plastic materials. Extremely practical but not that exciting. But here it is very well done. The texture on the surface provides a very good grip without feeling like sandpaper and all corners and edges are well rounded.
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| The handle is comfortable for being as small and especially thin as it is |
Otherwise, this knife is built in the usual way around an internal and recessed steel frame. The handle is open in the back with three hourglass-shaped spacers as support. However, the frame is not lightened, which is a little strange considering that it is a lightweight knife. There are thus a few grams to cut. In return, it provides a stiff handle that does not flex if you put pressure on it, which has annoyed many owners of a BM BugOut over the years.
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| The knife is open in the back and built around a steel frame that is visible at the lock and at the spacers. It is unusually not drilled out |
The knife is assembled with three T6 screws per side and these are well recessed in the handle sides. In addition, there is an adjustable pivot screw with a T8 on one side and a decorative D-shaped bolt on the other side. This makes the knife easy to adjust because the screw does not spin freely.
The handle also has a very spacious hole made for a lanyard for those who want to use one.
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| Heist is likable in all the most common grips. It could possibly be objected that the handle is somewhat short |
However, the main merit of the handle is that it is comfortable to hold. As comfortable as a handle this thin can actually be. In front is found a finger guard that prevents the index finger from easily making acquaintance with the edge, and behind it a recess for said finger.
The rear part of the back is then softly rounded, which means that it fits well in the palm of the hand when holding the knife in a saber grip. Then the thumb also ends up in a distinguished way in the place intended for it. In addition, the entire handle is slightly curved so it follows the hand better.
Overall, a very good handle where all grips work without the user having to think about it. Extra likable is that the clip has a tendency to disappear even though it is of the "deep ride" variety.
Opening and Lock
Heist opens with thumb studs which is another big plus in my eyes. I'm one of those who generally prefer it over flippers if those are the options offered. The thumb knobs provide more flexibility. You can use both thumb and index finger flicks, opening the knife slowly or quickly depending on your preference.
These particular thumb studs are also excellent. They have the right shape, the right location, and are easy to reach. The right shape means that they don't hurt the skin while at the same time providing enough grip so you don't slip. They also stick out enough to be easy to hit. Correct placement means that they are easy to find when you open the knife, but also that they are not in the way when the blade is unfolded.
Then, of course, as with all locks of this type, you can use it to open the knife. Just pull back the locking bolt and flick your wrist and your blade is out.
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| Correctly placed and correctly shaped, the thumb studs are not revolutionary but work well |
The other knives Kershaw released with this lock type have ball bearings. Heist has not. Something I'm happy about. A lot of positive things can be said about ball bearings, but everything has to do with how good a knife is to play with. When it comes to practicality, a pair of bronze bushings beats them every time. That is for a couple of reasons. Firstly, they are thinner which means that the whole knife can be as well. Secondly, they are self-polishing, which makes the knife smoother as you go. But mainly it is more difficult for dirt to penetrate them compared to ball bearings, which makes them more practical. Then they are also stronger laterally as the contact area against the blade is larger, which is a bonus. Yes, provided the bushings are the right size, of course.
But of course, this means that this knife was not extremely fast opening when it was new. A bit tough actually. In return, it has become faster and smoother over time and is now just right. That is, the knife is easy to open and close without problems or further thought. It just works.
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| The lock is a derivative of an Axis lock and is called a DuraLock |
As I said, Kershaw wasn't the fastest out of the starting blocks with this type of lock. They came out with their first models equipped with DuraLock as this version is called in early 2023. The Iridium model was first out. It was quickly followed by this knife as well as the Covalent and Monitor.
But after using the Heist for a while, I can say that I like the DuraLock. The screws don't stick out that far but are still accessible and the spring force is well modulated. The blade is held in place as it should, especially laterally. Possibly there is a slight tendency to play up and down, but nothing that affects the function. Overall a well-made lock!
To Carry
Heist is almost perfect to harbor in a pocket. It is very light, although not the lightest, the outer dimensions are modest and it is thin. The knife weighs in at a low 79 grams and the thickness is only 10.8 mm.
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| The clip is almost a hit, if only the attachment had been a little better, it would have been there |
The material, on the other hand, is a bit rougher against trouser fabric and the like like all handles with a distinct pattern, but that's not what irritates, but something that is first noticed when you put the knife in your pocket and it has to do with the clip.
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| I often carry this and similar light knives in the breast pocket of a jacket. This one is not visible at all and the pocket lid is still not closed |
The clip is a simple but effective spring steel clip. The surface is gray and matches the rest of the knife purely in terms of appearance.
It can be shifted from the right to the left side and is attached with two T6 screws to a raised platform in the side of the handle. There we also have the only negative thing I have to object to the clip. The ramp is good and the tension is adequate, but when you get as far as the attachment on the clip itself, fabric likes to stick there and you have to push once more if you want to get the knife down deeper in the pocket. A small but annoying detail.
Otherwise, the knife fits properly once it is in place and it is relatively easy to pull. The dimensions mean that you hardly notice it when you've come this far.
To Conclude
The Kershaw Heist is a prime example of taking several small things and doing them right. It is sometimes said that perfection is just that, small details done correctly. Here you are quite close. Especially if you take the price range into account. If you would also like to spend a slightly higher amount for more premium material, there is a more luxurious edition of Heist. Then you get S35VN as blade steel and G10 instead of fiber plastic in the handle. But in return, the weight increases, so the question is whether you don't end up a little beside the class and the main strength of this knife.
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| Heist was the knife that grew from some anonymity to become a favorite |
Because what we have here is a knife that starts and ends with the blade. It may look a bit elaborate but is basically quite simple and above all Kershaw has used thin stock, a high grind, and avoided having too much steel behind the edge. Then they chose D2, which is a good steel in this case because it doesn't chip so easily and thus lasts well. The result is excellent.
Then it's matched by a handle that's really good too. Certainly a little heavier than the knife that gave the name to the class, but in return actually more comfortable and it doesn't flex!
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| Kershaw Heist is an excellent companion for summer adventures |
It can only be stated that with Heist, Kershaw has managed to achieve a real hit. Possibly it has ended up a bit overshadowed by some of their other models with Iridium at the forefront.
But what we have here is an EDC knife that really shines. Light, and flexible and it doesn't look too bad either. Plus, it doesn't completely break the bank. Currently, it costs around 1000 SEK in Sweden. And then it is the bad exchange rate that accounts for part of it.
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| Knivshop.se |
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| Kershaw Knives |
Specifications:
Length Overall: 193 mm
Length Folded: 112 mm
Weight: 79 g (weighed by me, stated 79g)
Blade Length: 81 mm
Blade Thickness: 2,2 mm
Blade Steel: D2
Handle: GFN on a steel frame
Lock: DuraLock
Produced by: Kershaw, made in China
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* There you will find, in addition to the original, knives such as SRM 255, CJRB Hectare, and Al Mar Payara.
** They often have remnants of soil on the outside, so you don't use your finest Sashimi knives for them.
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