Kershaw Scallion 1620 A/0 Knife

So this is my second Kershaw knife, and I could tell in the first second I held it that it was going to be great. It's lightweight, attractive, and very sharp right out of the box. (Yes, I could easily shave my arm hair.) The assisted opening is also a great feature; it makes opening (nearly literally) a snap and it has a very satisfying mechanical click that says QUALITY.

My only beef with the knife? It's weird locking mechanism. Not the mechanism to lock the opened blade in place---that is a routine liner lock; it's fine---but the mechanism to KEEP THE KNIFE CLOSED WHILE IN YOUR POCKET. This is a badly designed and executed feature. It slips into and out of the locked position very easily, so it's basically useless as a protective measure when the knife is inside your pocket. And if you set it to "unlocked" and then need to use it very suddenly---say, for a self-defense situation---then you'll find the blade suddenly locked. And unable to opened with one hand. Or with much speed.

So to me this knife is flawed as an EDC, mainly because I want a knife to carry for self-defense, not merely to open packages and so on. (Although to be fair, having to fiddle with a locked blade when doing ordinary everyday things is a pain, too, just a less life-threatening one.)

I've recently hit a point in my life where self reliance and preparedness has become a priority for me, so I'm new to the blade/gear world, keep that in mind if you're reading my review. First off this blade is sharp right out of the box, cuts right through that annoying plastic clamshell packing like butter. The SpeedSafe assisted opening is fast and smooth, I really like the flipper on the side for easy one handed use that isn't awkward at all. The Pocket clip is great and sturdy for my pants pocket, I wouldn't suggest using it on a belt though. The knife itself looks very non threatening and I wouldn't expect getting any second looks by others if I pulled it out and used on a small task in a public area, alternatively the fast action of the assisted opening blade could appear intimidating if you ever had to use it for self defense purposes. All and all a great blade that I plan to carry every day for a long time. Highly suggested, you won't be disappointed.