Kershaw Duojet Folder, by Pat Cascio

Kershaw Knives brings out a lot of new knife designs each year, and this is to our benefit. I can’t begin to keep track of the newest folders from Kershaw each year, so I only select those that I think our readers will really like. Today, we’re looking at the Duojet folder from Kershaw.

Ever since I was about 6 years old I have have some kind of pocket knife in my pants pocket. Growing-up in the 1950s and 1960s, just about everyone I knew – young and old alike – carried a folding knife. To be sure, these knives were usually carried as a tool, for many different chores. Of course, the gang members, then, as now, carry knives (and guns) as weapons. Many will remember the movie “West Side Story” that featured two rival gangs, and all the members carried knives for self-defense, some carried a “switch blade” – that is actually called an automatic opening knife. This movie did more to hurt the knife industry than it did to help it. Some – many – misguided politicians mistakenly believed that a “switch blade” was more deadly than a manual opening knife – go figure? So, there are some very restrictive laws regarding owning automatic opening knives. Many auto knives are produced here in Oregon, and they are legal to own and carry.

Of course, the FedGov wasn’t about to be left out, when it came to making laws, regarding auto knives, and you can NOT have them imported into the USA. However, they can be produced overseas, in parts, and assembled here into a fully functioning auto opening folder. Leave it up to politicians to find a way to ban a simple folding knife, based solely on how it opens. Even “gravity” opening folders are restricted, and in some states, they have banned knives that open via a “flipper” – you’d think these people would have more important things to do, than pass laws banning knives, based on a feature they might have, that allows them to be opened from the folded position. Okay, off my soap box…

When it comes to knives – and guns – and, well…just about anything else, I’m a sucker for a good deal, and you can sure find some good deals from Kershaw Knives. Many of their folders that are made overseas – and not just overseas, but here in Oregon as well. Many people mistakenly believe that anything made in mainland China is made in slave labor prison camps. However, reputable knife companies, like Kershaw and some others, actually own or operate these plants overseas, where their products are produced. And, to be sure, they are under strict supervision and the pay for employees is fair – considering the living wage in those countries. So, save the hate mail, if you don’t want a knife made overseas, then stop reading now.

Duojet Features

Let’s take a look at some of the features found on the Kershaw Duojet. First of all, it has a 3.25-inch long blade, made out of 8CrMoV stainless steel, that has a titanium carbo-nitride coating for a very nice looking gray subdued color. The handle material is stainless steel, that also has the same titanium carbo-nitride coating, as well as dual carbon fiber inlays in the front handle scale. The rear handle scale has the frame lock, and it has proven to be a fairly good method of locking a folding knife blade open, so it doesn’t fold on your fingers under use.

We have a single position, deep pocket carry pocket clip for right hand carry, tip down. Opening the blade is via a Flipper or the thumb stud – the Flipper is faster and easier if you ask me, and the blade flings open via the SpeedSafe assisted opening – that Kershaw first came up with many years ago, it opens every bit as fast as an auto-opening folder. We have a lanyard hole in the butt of the handle – a nice touch. The Duo jet only weighs 4.8-oz, so its easy to pack in your front pocket. The blade is upswept, and it’s a great design for many everyday chores. Just stop using a knife’s tip as a screw driver, or you’ll break the tip off – I see it all the time. Buy a multi-tool if you need a screw driver – period!

Some Mundane Task Tests

There seems to be a never-ending flow of USPS, UPS, and FedEx packages arriving at the Cascio homestead. They arrive almost daily, and these boxes and packages need to be cut open – carefully, of course. I have two large German Shepherd males, who take great delight in tearing apart cardboard boxes – it is a passion for them. At times, one will run out in the driveway to get a package from the UPS driver – hoping I will give it to him before even opening the box myself. So, it is important – at least to my dogs, that I open boxes as soon as I get them, so they can enjoy tearing the boxes apart, and fighting over the pieces of cardboard. You see, the other dog, always has the better piece of cardboard than the other one does.

At times, I can be caught carrying two folding knives, one in either front pocket, for testing. I really do get a lot of knives in for testing, for articles, and time doesn’t always allow me to just carry one knife at a time for testing around the small homestead. So, two knives can be on my person at any given time. I do all manner of cutting chores, that we all do, and I test a knives ability to cut various types of rope, and one of the toughest is poly rope – many knives can’t pass this test. I also us hemp rope, and plain ol’ clothes line for cutting tests. We have more blackberry vines around Western Oregon than anyone should have, and our digs have plenty of these vines. The blackberries make for great eating, but the vines can be quite vicious. So, all the knives I get in for testing, are put up against these vines. The Duojet, was tasked with a very big blackberry vine – and it almost cut it completely through, with one slice – I think I needed a little bit more “umph” behind my swing on this one – but it easily sliced through lesser vines.

The Duojet could easily slice paper without any effort, and if you want to really dull a knife’s edge, then start cutting cardboard. In my experience, this dulls a knife quickly. Once I got the Duojet nice and dull, I went about re-sharpening it – not a problem at all. Within 5-minutes I had the edge back to factory new.

All things considered, for an every day carry folder, that retails for around $47 it is a great knife. It fits my hand perfectly – it felt really good in the hand. If you shop around, you can find most Kershaw knives deeply discounted, especially on-line and at many big (and small) box stores. For example, Amazon.com sells the Duojet for just over $30. This would make a great birthday, Christmas, or Hanukkah gift for a man or a woman.