Valve Frame Lock Knife Bead Blast Stainless Steel (2.25" Stonewash) 1375

I bought this knife in the summer of ’21 now I’m back for another one. You see, I'm picky when it comes to a pocket knife. I know that there are others out there that have my discerning taste, but perhaps not the means to pick up 50 before finding their ‘one’. That’s not to say I’m a baller by any stretch, but if my experience can help narrow down the field for some poor sap without going through the sacrifice & money that I went through, then I’ve accomplished my goal with this review. Selecting the right knife is a lot like dating... I mean, ultimately, if you’re like me, you'll spend every day with it since you literally have it on you at every occasion (Hell, I had my Klein on me when I got married!) so you need to be happy with it. Some minor flaw or seemingly miniscule dissatisfaction early on can lead to a life of regret, disdain, and/or resentment… especially if you don’t have the means to get rid of it & purchase another. I want a dependable, easy to get along with companion that isn't obtrusive, yet will come to my rescue if I need her.... I mean “it”. I used to carry a Klein 44001. I spent 100x what that knife was actually worth on shipping it back to myself from the airport after realizing I had it on me in my pre-security pat-down. I finally had to hand it over one day because I'd cut my arrival too close to departure. I loved that knife & I sure hope the guy that got it appreciates it enough to spend the time & money on it that I wasn't capable of doing at the time. I wanted another just like it, but you just don’t find quality like that at the price I’d picked it up for anymore…. the price of knives these days.... wow. Prices had ballooned to the point that I couldn't justify the cost which led me to try out a few Kershaws for size. I'd love to have a Benchmade or Chris Reeve, but I’d also love a Ferrari & a squeezer from Katie Holmes, so here we are. I guess my Chevy will have to do. I want something slim. I've had a few that started off a bit on the big side. I thought I could overlook their bulkiness or get along with them despite it. As the days went on though, the constant pressure, the jabbing, the poking, hanging on door frames just became unbearable. In the end, those specimens either got bigger, or their true size became apparent once the sparkle of their other attributes began to fade… They were just too large for me. Not to say they weren’t good knives.. In fact, I’ll still take a larger one out on occasion (if the need arises), but I just don’t want to be married to one that big. A man with looser pants might love them. To each his own. I want something light, but durable. You might think that size & weight go hand in hand. Often times this is true, but with polymers & plastics these days, looks can be deceiving. However, too light is also a non-starter for me as well. I’ve handled some who’s frailty came across so much so that they seemed only suited for a display case. Weight is a funny thing…. Too heavy to break into a sprint or dragging your pants off is never a good thing. Too waifish, & you’ll forget it’s there, or worse… not recognize when it’s not! Call me Goldilocks, but it has to be light enough that my pants don’t sag on one side, yet substantial enough to know I won't break it when I get rough with it (& I WILL get rough with it). I want a looker… forever. I’ve had my share of lookers. You know the ones. They’re fun. They get attention. They get compliments. They make you feel like a kid again. Then, one day you realize that she’s exponentially aged and had she not been so done-up in the first place, she’d still look as good. Coated blades, bright/anodized/soft scales, Tanto/Recurve/Tapered spine blades (aka an exaggerated swedge or false edge which are also a pain to sharpen with a Lansky style sharpener by the way) all fall into this category. Seeing a scratch across a black blade every time you pull it out is worse than that dent in the driver’s side rear quarter. Give me a classic design without the frills that will look the same in 5 years. Yeah, it’s not as exciting, but I won’t wake up ashamed of it one day. I want a blade that holds an edge. Here I am playing Goldilocks again, but there is such a thing as too hard. I had a buck once that never seemed to get dull, but when it did, I needed diamonds to sharpen it. On the other hand, some of the cheaper gift knives I’ve received could shave…. Once… Before needing sharpened again. There’ve been letter openers that have outperformed some of those. I want a knife with a pocket clip. I don't want to be fumbling through the change, keys, or odd screws in the bottom of my pocket for that trusty 3 blade buck. No, it should be right there where I need it…. Everytime. Speaking of fumbling everytime, it should be oriented in such a way at the top of my pocket that I could be clinging to the dangling rope of a fleeing helicopter in pitch blackness with my left hand and be able to blindly grasp my trusty, unitarian friend with my right. I should be able to retrieve and deploy this blade in such a fluid/reflexive motion that I could dispatch whatever evil villain or crazed critter that’s crawling up that rope after me without having to flip it over or turn it around & potentially dropping it. For me that means pivot down, point up, handle forward. That’s a lot of boxes to check, yet the Kershaw Valve does it with grace. It’s slim profile doesn’t protrude from my side like some of the others I’ve had. (I’m clumsy & have hung door frames before). I still have scratches on the front of the rear driver’s door from trying to slip into my car with the 3” of space the jackass that parked in the next space left me. Combined with the short folded length, the overall size is perfect for pocket carry. Large enough handle everything a pocket knife should, yet small enough to still be able to use your pocket for pocket stuff while you’re carrying it. Despite it’s relatively small size & slim profile, it’s hefty. It’s well built, & snaps open with the same authority as the day I slid it out of the box. The finish is impeccable. I never scratched it despite several inadvertent attempts to do so. I’ve knocked it off of the shop bench countless times and kicked it across floors after forgetting it was there. It still looked great up until 2 days ago. The blade is sharp right out of the box. I use my knife nearly every day. From opening the mail, cutting the whacker string, to breaking down boxes. I’m not sawing through electrical wire or cutting access through chain-link fences with it, but it hods an edge. I have a Gatco (Lansky style) sharpener & hit it with a fine stone every 2 or 3 months. The clip is outstanding. In fact, I had to pry it open a bit to loosen it up. What good is a 1-handed retrieval if it takes 2 hands to put it back in your pocket? Afterwards, it never lost its tension. The clip is, however, not adjustable. That means you left handed guys or those of you who insist on fumbling with your blade are Sol. Because of the clip location, the Valve rides deep in your pocket. It’s almost invisible with how little it protrudes from the top. Think of it as a swiss army tie clip for your khakis when you’re in the office. My only real complaint with the Valve is the taper of the spine on the blade. It leaves really little square edge for my sharpener to clamp onto which requires more attention & more clamping force to securely hold the blade. If I had to sharpen it more often, this would begin to bother me. I've had this knife on me for 4 years now. I realized a couple of days ago that it was Mia. I thought maybe it was in another pair of pants, or maybe the couch ate it, but after looking for it for 2 days, I believe I left it on the rear bumper. Kershaw might not be able to solve my stupidity, but they can damn sure make a nice knife.

Sharp and compact. Nice weight to it, not flimsy at all. Definitely built well. Locks tight and doesn’t accidentally open. Good grip and great value.

I volunteer with youth teaching basic outdoor skills. This knife is the perfect size for demonstrating how to cut cord, whittle, sharpen the blade, and other small uses. Youth can easily handle the knife; and, as an adult, I love the knife for all sorts of uses around camp. You don’t always need a 6” fixed-blade knife at your hip. And I know Kershaw is a name I can count on for durability - this ain’t my first campout.

Great little knife with a small footprint. Tight hinge with no side play. Thin and unobtrusive in pocket. Decent steel for keeping an edge and a strong deep pocket clip. Minus one star for being a little difficult to open unless your holding it just right, but the spring assist works well. Also, I did have the liner lock slip off once under stress.

Kershaw quality for a good price. Handy little knife.

Kershaw brand. Small size. Assist opening. And the best part is, it's less than $30. I mostly just wanted an easy to grab knife for opening mail, packages, kids toys, etc. Oh and I wanted it small, just in case I decide to carry it.

This was a Christmas gift, and he was super pleased with it! The knife has nice weight, and fits in the hand well.

When you need a knife, you go to Kershaw! Great quality, and a great price!