Kershaw Cryo II Tanto BlackWash Folding Pocket Knife 1556TBW

This is my new favorite carry knife. I've been seeing Kershaw knives for a while, but never paid much attention to them. I assumed since they aren't as expensive as more popular knife brands that they would be lower quality. I was wrong. This knife is more solid than my Gerber and CRKT knives. I haven't had any issues with my knife, but I'm told that Kershaw will replace any knife that breaks. This knife has a thumb stud on the side of the blade and a lip on the back for assisted opening. The lip is so easy and intuitive to use that I don't ever use the thumb stud.Pros-Sharp out of the box-Good weight (enough to feel sturdy without being cumbersome)-Very easy to open. I lightly press one finger one the back of the blade and the speedsafe opening does the rest.-SMOOTH opening. The speedsafe opening doesn't jerk at all. It feels natural.-Sturdy belt/pocket clip. Holds tight and hasn't come loose like all my other knives do after a couple months of use.-Sleek and thin design makes it ideal for pocket carry. You can hardly tell it's on, and it slides right out when you want it to.-The Blackwash coloring makes the knife seem more durable. It doesn't show scuffs and scratches as much as plastic or polished metal knives. It also looks really cool.Cons-Curved tanto edge takes more care when sharpening.-Pocket clip is so tight that it is difficult to remove from my flight suit pockets (they are zippered). At least I know it isn't going anywhere when I don't want it to.-The thin design occasionally leaves the hand wanting more grip. It doesn't slip, but tough use would be easier if your hand has more to grab.You will not regret purchasing this knife. Worth every penny. I'll be looking at Kershaw first next time I buy a knife.

I own the standard blade version of this tool and bought the Tanto as a Christmas present for my cousin. There are differences in the two blades, I think the drop point blade is more utilitarian but he is an artist and scene designer so I think the tanto blade will work better for him when precision cutting is needed.Regardless of the blade style, this is a good knife. The blade is a heavier and sturdier blade than the handle, but both are of good quality. The color is definitely a fashion statement but I think it looks really cool and weathered.My one complaint is quality control. My blade flips out smoothly and quickly and holds firmly once locked in place. His blade was slow to flip out. The screws holding the handle halves were too tight. After I loosened them a bit, the blade activated quickly but there was some slop once locked in place. I had to disassemble the knife and adjust the lockbar. These are good quality knives but may require some adjustment if yours is not perfect.Despite the defects, I give the product 5 stars because I emailed Kershaw about the problem initially suspecting the spring. Two days later I received a new spring in the mail with no questions asked. I don't need it now but maybe I will in the future. They have great customer service from my limited experience.

This is a very solid knife and just looks plain cool. I have to say that if Kershaw ever needed a person to test out their knives, I'd be their guy. There is not much bad to say about this knife besides the fact that it has some weight to it which depending on the user may not even be a problem and it certainly isn't for me. I only mention the weight because I know that a lot of EDC knife people don't like a heavy chunk of metal in their pocket. With that weight though comes the assurance that the knife will take a beating if dropped and the construction all around is well done.Pros:- Solid build- Holds edge well, easy to resharpen- Opens quickly, Kershaw's speed safe mechanism- Comfortable handle hold with blade guardCons:- A little bit heavier than your average pocket knife.