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Kershaw Iridium Review
- Pros: Premium CPM-20CV steel. Buttery smooth action with a perfectly tuned crossbar lock. Comfortable, contoured aluminum handles with a nice texture. Attractive drop point blade with effective jimping. Deep carry, recessed pocket clip. Classy, office-friendly color scheme. Excellent value for the price. One of the best budget EDC knives.
- Cons: D2 steel, while good, isn't as desired as other options like 14C28N or S35VN. The cutout for the recessed clip is an eyesore on the show side. Jimping may be too aggressive for some users. Larger size may not suit all preferences.
Greetings, knife enthusiasts! Today, we're doing a Kershaw Iridium review. It’s a budget knife that, even though it has D2 steel, I am prepared to call it a budget banger.
Now, I do want to let you know that I bought this Kershaw Iridium with my own money. Funny story—I was flying down to Texas for work and missed the opportunity to check my bag with my knives by one minute. TSA wouldn't let me through with my knives, so I had to sprint out to my car to drop them off. Halfway through, I realized how terrible my cardio was. I barely made my flight, but I found myself in Texas with no knife! So I picked up this Kershaw Iridium, and I've been carrying it ever since.
Key Takeaways
- The Kershaw Iridium is a surprisingly impressive budget EDC knife, even with its D2 steel blade.
- The action is buttery smooth, with a perfectly dialed-in crossbar lock that rivals Benchmade's Axis lock.
- The blade is a classic Kershaw drop point with an attractive swedge and effective jimping.
- The aluminum handles are comfortable and slightly contoured, with a nice bead-blasted texture that's not too slippery or grippy.
- The recessed clip is deep carry but leaves an unsightly cutout on the show side.
- The bronze and gray color scheme gives the knife a classy, office-friendly look.
- If the Iridium had a better steel like 14C28N or S35VN, it would be the best Kershaw ever made.
- Even with D2, the Iridium is a strong contender for the best knife in its price range.
Specs
| Specification | |
| Overall Length | 7.87" |
| Blade Length | 3.50" |
| Blade Width | 0.87" |
| Blade Material | D2 |
| Blade Style | Spear Point |
| Finish | Satin |
| Edge Type | Plain |
| Handle Length | 4.25" |
| Handle Width | 0.87" |
| Handle Material | Aluminum |
| Frame/Liner | Steel |
| Weight | 3.38 oz. |
| User | Right Hand, Left Hand |
| Pocket Clip | Tip-Up |
| Lock Type | Crossbar Lock |
| Country of Origin | China |
Blade
The Iridium's blade shape is very Kershaw-ish, and that's a good thing. I love their drop point designs with the swedge, like on the Iridium. It could lean more toward a spear point, but the swedge gives it that nice drop-point look.
The branding on the blade is minimal and well-placed. The same goes for the jimping—there's just enough in just the right spot to be super effective without going overboard.
This D2 blade came nice and sharp out of the box. I've been using it for a week, cutting through all sorts of packaging, cardboard, plastic, you name it. It's held up extremely well, with only some minor wear showing. For D2, that's pretty impressive.
Handle & Ergonomics
The Iridium's aluminum handles are slightly contoured, which feels great in the hand. I prefer a choked-up grip with my index finger on the choil, but you can also grip it farther back. Both are comfortable, but I could see the jimping being a little aggressive for some people.
The recessed clip is an awesome, super deep carry. But, if I'm being honest, the cutout on the show side is a bit of an eyesore. I wish they'd skipped the recessing to avoid that weird gap.
The aluminum has a nice, smooth, bead-blasted-like finish. It's not grippy, but it's not slippery, either—sort of a Pro-Tech-like texture. The bronze and gray color scheme is also super classy and office-friendly.
Some other handle details I appreciate are the simple, clean pivot and the integrated lanyard hole in the backspacer. It all comes together really nicely.
Action & Lock
Holy cow, this action. I don't think I've ever said this about a Kershaw before, but it is buttery smooth. The crossbar lock is dialed in perfectly, easily as good as any Axis lock I've tried. Kershaw really took their time and got this one right.
The bearings are almost completely hidden between the blade and the handles, which will keep dust and junk out of the action. Impressive tolerances, especially for a budget knife.
Deployment is super smooth, either with the thumb studs or a reverse flick. It's crazy fidgety, and I can't put it down. Definitely a knife you'll want to play with.
Size Comparisons
This is the point in our Kershaw Iridium review where we see how the Iridium stacks up against some of the most popular crossbar lock knives on the market.
Benchmade Bugout
First up, we've got the now ridiculously overpriced Benchmade Bugout. Seriously, what's up with those egregious price hikes, Benchmade? Okay, mini rant over. The Iridium is a little longer overall, with a slightly bigger blade and handle than the Bugout.
Hogue Deka
Next to the Bugout, we have the much more reasonably priced Hogue Deka. Again, the Iridium comes out on top in terms of size, with a bit more blade and handle to work with. It's not a massive difference, but you get more real estate with the Kershaw.
Kizer Drop Bear
Now, let's bring in a budget option from Kizer: the Drop Bear. This is a great little crossbar lock, but as you can see, the Iridium is considerably longer. The Drop Bear is a compact knife, no doubt, and the Iridium definitely outclasses it in size.
Kizer Escort
And here's my 2022 knife of the year, the Kizer Escort. Such a good piece, and even this beast is a little shorter than the Iridium. The Escort is by no means a small knife, so that really puts the Iridium's size into perspective.
Kershaw did a great job with the proportions on this one. It's a longer, somewhat slender design that just works. All the lines flow together in a very attractive, stylish way.
Video Review
Conclusion
As I was doing this Kershaw Iridium review, I was blown away by how good the Iridium is, even with "just" D2 steel. It's easily one of the best budget EDC knives I've handled, period. If this had something like 14C28N or S35VN, it would be the best Kershaw ever made, hands down.
As it stands, this is still a strong contender for the best knife in its price range. It's an easy recommendation and one I think every knife enthusiast needs to check out. Kershaw absolutely nailed it with the Iridium.
