Kershaw Oblivion Pocket Knife, Black and Gray Design, 3.5 Inch Stainless Steel Drop Point Blade, EDC with Assisted Opening, Reversible Deep Pocketclip, Everyday Carry Pocket Knife for Men and Women

I didn't really need another budget folding knife but as soon as I saw this one, the design "spoke to me". It has that futuristic post-apocalyptic sci-fi aesthetic of things like Oblivion (Tom Cruise flick), Mass Effect, Halo, District 9 and The Expanse. It also kind of looks like a Microtech Glykon OTF. I really like all those things and thus, couldn't resist... especially when I saw the ridiculously low price tag. The knife didn't disappoint. It's even more attractive in person, with very nicely ground and stoned washed spear point blade. The bead-blasted handle is also very attractively shaped, well-rounded, and ergonomic, making the knife great to wield. No disappointments when it comes to the action either. Kershaw’s spring assist if well implemented here and deploys the blade just as quickly and reliably as any side opening auto. The frame lock engagement is very positive, secure but also easy enough to disengage. There’s no vertical or horizontal blade play to speak off. I also like the fact that unlike most of the aforementioned autos, you can easily close this blade one handed, as the spring doesn’t push on the blade the entire way. Basically, disengaging the frame lock lets the blade drop enough for you to grab and push closed with your thumb. Very nice! 8Cr13MoV stainless steel is definitely nothing fancy these days but honestly, it’s perfectly adequate for the job. It takes a nice edge and is very easy to retouch as necessary. My edge came very sharp, which I’ve come to expect from Kershaw. Excellent paper slicing performance. As I mentioned, the handle feels smooth and comfortable, filling the palm of your hand in a satisfying way. The synthetic inlay provides for good traction and the generously sized bolster protects from slipping onto the blade. Both standard and reverse grips work very well with this knife. The deep carry pocket clip is reversible, which is always a plus. There’s also a VERY generously sized lanyard hole if you need it. So yeah… as far as I am a concerned, this knife is kind of a hidden gem, especially for the ridiculously low current price. It’s my favorite budget knife in some time.

Kershaw makes nice knives and I’ve been a daily carrying Kershaw fan for about twelve years now. Recently my Cryo II spring broke, so while I waited for the warrantee replacement spring I bought this…because of the price, frankly. The Cryo II used to be $30 and then went to 40, 50, and now $90?! Holy cow. I wasn’t spending that so I grabbed this one at $28 and hoped for the best. What I like: very strong spring open. It snaps open and locks solid every time. Very sharp blade, holds its edge, and the bump on the back of the blade for opening the knife so serves as a great thumb rest when using it. The pocket clip stays snug. What I’m not keen on: the opening lever on this is opposite end from the pocket clip, whereas the lever on the Cryo II is on the same end as the clip. So I continually have the knife upside down. That’s a me thing based on years with the other knife, but why they changed it around I’m not sure. Works fine, obviously. This knife is also not as stylish in my humble opinion, but again that’s a matter of opinion. Nothing I don’t like as far as functionality.

Let's cut to the chase: this is a lovely knife. Right out of the box, it looks solid and sleek. It's got a good contrast between the grip and the flake-surface steel or whatever it is. That grey surface makes the blade and frame feel smooth, but not so smooth that you notice finger prints or just any stickiness when handling it. It looks very clean because there are only two surfaces. The blade and frame match perfectly and then there are slightly grippy plastic (g10?) panels covering a small portion of the frame. Opening the knife is very easy and positive. Once open, you have an supremely usable EDC tool.This thing fits my hand so good. I don't have any problem doing detail or hard work with this knife. It looks solid and square, but feels extremely natural in the hand. How they did this, I'm not sure, but it is a miracle. Buy one for yourself if you're average or bit larger than the average man size hand. Also buy one for any of your knife-loving friends. Look elsewhere if you need a super-heavy-duty knife, but also expect to pay maybe 2-3 times the cost for premium steel and don't expect it to look as clean or work as well for (medium/large man) EDC.

I've carried a Leek 1660ST for years. Perfect for me, with 2 pocket clip positions (tip up or tip down), 3" partially serrated blade. Great boating knife, lightweight, intuitively one handed and great quality. I bought this Oblivion to use as a camping tool. Heavier, longer thicker blade. A nicely made sturdy working knife, well worth the purchase price. Looks good too. Being a lefty, I carried my Leek left front pocket, tip down. It was very smooth and intuitive to extract and open. I do find that the Oblivion is a little clumsy for me given that the only clip locations are left or right, tip up. A longer clip with a bit more spoon at the end would make it much smoother to draw and open. A clip the length and shape of the Leek clip would be perfect. I find that the shorter clip makes the knife come free of my pocket in a less than complete control grip because my index finger falls a little short of the ideal position for pulling back on the opener. My workaround is to draw the knife with my middle finger on the exposed clip end. This places the knife solidly in my grip as it clears the pocket and my index finger is properly located to pull back the opener. See photos. 4 stars only because the Kershaw Leek is a full 5 stars for me and the Oblivion is a real nice sturdy tool, just not quite up to the Leek on one handed deployment in my case. Someone with larger hands might not have the problem. Still, it's a keeper and I'm glad to have it. I'm sure the more I carry this one the more natural it will be to extract and open.