The Thermite has been on my radar for a while because it is a Rick Hinderer design but I was in no rush to buy one. Then Kershaw announced they were discontinuing it in 2017 and that made me watch out for a deal. Their Amazon price is still only $21.59.
One of the the reasons I wanted one was that it had a 3.5″ blade but only weighed 4.9oz, in part due to the relatively light weight G11 handles. Add to this that it has the SpeedSafe Assisted Opening (AO) mechanism and it makes for a very decent utilitarian pocket knife. The blackwash finish is a nice touch.
The Thermite’s Specifications
- Blade length: 3.5″
- Blade Steel: 8CR13MoV – A nice mid-range stainless steel that Kershaw makes extensive use of. They treat it to a 58-59 Rockwell Hardness
- Closed length: 4.9″
- Overall length: 8.4″
- Weight: 4.9 oz
Comparison Photos
In case you are curious, here are three other blades that you can compare the Thermite too. The top is the Cryo with the Titanium Carbo-Nitride finish (1555TI), next down is the Cryo II with a blackwash finish (1556BW) and the bottom knife is the Knockout with an Olive Drab handle and black DLC finish (1870OLVLK).
In Summary
It’s a cool knife and I’ll definitely be using it more. I really like the combination of light weight, size and balance. For the price, you can’t beat it.
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