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Discontinued

Kershaw Thermite Assist Knife, Hinderer Design, KS3880

MSRP: $56.99
$38.95
$29.95
(You save $27.04 )
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SKU:
KS3880
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OUT OF STOCK

Description

This knife is discontinued, shop all Kershaw Knives here.

 

The Kershaw thermite features tactical styling and practical performance. This Rick Hinderer design gives you a 3.5" stonewashed, hollow ground blade with a flat ground "spanto" tip for strong piercing cuts. The machined G10 front scale and heavy textured backspacer give you a solid grip. It opens easy and fast with the SpeedSafe using either the flipper or thumbstud. Comes with quad carry, deep carry pocket clip.

SPECIFICATIONS:

  • SpeedSafe assisted opening
  • Frame lock with lockbar stabilizer
  • Flipper and thumbstud
  • Quad-carry; deep-carry
  • Steel: 8Cr13MoV, stonewashed finish
  • Handle: Machined G-10 front, 410 steel back
  • Blade length: 3 1/2 in. (8.9 cm)
  • Closed length: 4 7/8 in. (12.4 cm)
  • Overall length: 8 3/8 in. (21.3 cm)
  • Weight: 4.9 oz.

Out of the Ashes

The Kershaw Thermite is a peculiar knife. Many components of this knife come in pairs. You will see that here in a minute. The first giveaway of these coupled components comes from its name. Thermite, to put simply, takes two elements Aluminum powder and Iron Oxide (rust) and makes it into a workable piece of engineering genius. Rust is typically not a favorable product: that is why there are stainless steels out on the market. But the thermite reaction utilizes this to make a strong and durable iron element. Not only is iron a byproduct, extreme heat and a bright light are given off. Similarly, Kershaw has taken many different materials and turned it into a strong and durable knife. It is a hot item.

Specs

To get a feel as to what the Thermite has to offer, here are the specifications for the knife.

  • Product Type: Spring Assist
  • Overall Length: 8.4"
  • Weight: 4.9 oz.
  • Handle Length: 4.9”
  • Blade Length: 3.50"
  • Blade Thickness: 0.11"
  • Blade Material: 8Cr13MoV
  • Blade Edge: Plain
  • Blade Style: Modified Tanto (“Spanto”)
  • Blade Finish: Stonewash
  • Handle Material: G-10 Front, 410 Steel Back
  • Handle Color: Black, Stonewash
  • Pocket Clip: Quad-Carry
  • Lanyard Hole Included

 

Many of these things will be covered later on, but this was just a quick overview of the Thermite. Other features on the knife include a flipper opening mechanism, the SpeedSafe Mechanism, and a frame lock. The “flipper” is a part of the blade that sticks out of the back of the handle that the user can pull back on (or flip) in order to move the blade easily out of the handle. The SpeedSafe helps to open the knife quickly and simply with a push on the thumb stud or by pulling back on the flipper. The frame lock is the safety feature of the knife. A portion of the handle frame moves behind the blade to lock it into position during use. This type of lock is sturdy and reliable.

Unique Design

The Thermite just explodes with a unique flare, pun intended. The flair that the Thermite gives off is hot. (Okay, I’ll stop with the puns.) In all reality, the Thermite has a unique design to it. The front side of the knife has a G-10 scale on it while the other side has a 410 stainless steel. Two different handle scales to make the thermite reaction a hot item.

Similar to Micarta and Carbon Fiber, G-10 (or G10) is used often in handles because of its moisture imperviousness. G-10 is a fiberglass based laminate made by layers of fiberglass cloth that are soaked in an epoxy resin, are compressed, and then baked. The result is a material that is hard, lightweight, and strong. The surface of the G-10 scale is a checkering texture that is added for additional grip support. A neat property of the material is that the grip improves when wet. This material is difficult to break. It is also an ideal handle material because it does not shrink or swell in extreme hot or cold temperatures. Many knife companies prefer to use G-10 because of these properties, but also prefer to use it because it is easy to shape into different designs and has a possibility for an unlimited number of colors.

Later the 410 steel will be discussed. Just another note on the G-10 scale, it has milled onto it surface different linear grooves. These grooves are both functional and an extra aesthetic detail for the knife.

“Spanto” Blade Style

The “Spanto” blade is a combination of two blade types; a Spear Point and a Tanto. This blade style was coined and developed by Rick Hinderer in 2004, and it is used extensively in his knives. Of the knife, he said, "[The Spanto] makes for a VERY strong spear point style of blade....the profile is a spear point but the grind is a tanto." It is a popular and useful blade shape. It resembles a Tanto blade but has the overall shape of a spear point. This makes it a versatile blade in that it has a typical curve and belly of a spear point, while retaining a stronger tip like that of a Tanto. It not only has the ability to slice but also an excellent ability to pierce and a thicker edge for heavier tasks. It is a fantastic everyday carry blade, especially for harder use everyday carry type of situations.

Rick Hinderer

In the mid-80s, Rick Hinderer began his knifemaking journey in a small turkey coop without any modern amenities. He began by making art knives, which are quite different than the tactical scene which Rick is involved with now. During his time, with his experience as a firefighter and EMT, he was able to develop knives for real world situations. His experience helps set him apart from other knife makers. It was during this time that he began to look at knives and designs more as hard-use tactical tools rather than works of art. His experience is shown through his design of the Kershaw Thermite.

Spring Assist

As everything comes in twos, especially on the Thermite, there are two different ways to open the spring assist knife. There is both the flipper and the thumb stud on the knife. The flipper is beneficial to use because of its fast deploying speed. Much like an Out the Front Knife, the mechanism is on the side of the handle in a position that is comfortable and easily ready to deploy with the flick of a finger. Another advantage that the flipper provides is its ambidextrous design. Any person can open the knife regardless of what hand they use. Plus the flipper acts as a finger protection once the blade is deployed. And lastly, it is just a lot of fun to flip around. It just feels right. The only downside to having a flipper is that the steel is protruding out a significant distance that it can get caught up in the pocket or other places.

Alongside the flipper is the thumb stud located on the blade of the knife. The thumb stud may be an easier alternative of opening the knife because it sticks out of the blade, making it easier to launch. The grip on the knife doesn’t change as much when using a thumb stud when compared to a flipper.

Pocket Clip

One of the nice abilities that the Thermite has is its ability to change back and forth between being a right handed knife and a left handed knife. This ambidextrous feature is loved by knife users anywhere. The Thermite is a more viable tool for a greater majority of people. What makes this possible is the pocket clip attached to the knife. The knife comes assembled as a right-handed tip-down carry. But with the loosening of two screws, the knife can become one of four different options. It can be a right-handed tip-up carry, a right-handed tip-down carry, a left-handed tip-up carry, or a left-handed tip-down carry. It is suggested that when you carry your knife in your pocket that the blade side of the knife should be snug up against the seam of your pocket. By doing this and having a tight pocket clip will reassure that your knife will not accidentally open up while in your pocket.

Steels

Within the metals used in the Thermite, there are two that make up the majority of the knife. The handle is made of a 410 stainless steel while the blade is made of 8Cr13MoV

Grade 410 stainless steel is a general-purpose stainless steel which contains 11.5% chromium. This provides a good corrosion resistance property to the steel. Their best use is for tasks that involve mild corrosive matter, higher temperatures, and tasks that require a great amount of strength. 410 stainless steel is resistant to hot gasses, steam, food, mild acids and alkalis, fresh water, and dry air. These steels obtain maximum corrosion and heat resistance through hardening. Having a smooth surface finish offers an improved performance of the steel.

The steel used in the blade of the Thermite is 8Cr13MoV stainless steel. For a knife that is inexpensive, 8Cr13MoV is a tough steel to compete with. It is a Chinese steel with similar qualities to the Japanese AUS-8 stainless steel. 8Cr13Mov and its variations (including 8Cr14MoV) are excellent steels considering how little it costs to produce. Similar to AUS-8, 8Cr13MoV lacks the edge retention of the higher end steels. This is considerable based on the cost of making the steel. It can, however, take a sharp edge, is considerably tough, and corrosion resistant. Owning a stainless steel knife does not require too much attention. Even though they are a little harder to sharpen, stainless steel blades are a popular choice. This is because of the environment where the knife will be used, i.e. working in less than ideal weather conditions, dealing with corrosive liquids, etc. It is important to remember with any knife, but especially stainless steel, to keep it sharp. A sharp blade cuts more easily, and helps prevent you from accidentally cutting yourself by trying to force a dull blade to cut.

Blade Finish

The Thermite has one of the best blade finishes I have seen in a long time. I am a sucker for a nice stonewash blade. The blade on the Thermite is simply stunning. The process of getting a blade to look this way begins when the blade is rolled and tumbled with pebbles and an acid of sorts, then smoothed. In theory, it can hide scratches or other abrasions to the blade. This is a favorable characteristic that many knife owners desire. Because of the tumbling process to create this finish, it looks as if there are already hundreds of markings on it. Yet, the markings are done in a natural way to form a work of art. Similar to a snowflake, no two stonewashes are the same. The finish has a different look to it. It is able to reflect direct light off the surface blade. With all of the noticeable artistic markings on the knife, there is no need to worry about other markings that may come with using the knife. The knife can be used for its intended purpose of cutting and doing any other type of work while taking on any marking. Some suggest that because of the process, a stonewashed knife can become more resistant to rust as well. The acid oxidation it goes through in the process enhances a blade's rust resistance with a stable oxide barrier between the steel and its surrounding. Another benefit of stonewashing a blade is their low maintenance and their ability to preserve their original look over time. I am in love with this blade. It is amazing to look at.

Larger Everyday Carry

To make sure that the Thermite is a good for everyday carry, there are a few items to consider. Those criteria are: carry depth, weight, and thickness.

Carry Depth

Recall that the closed length of the Thermite is just shy of 5 inches. For those that have shallow pockets, this knife may be slightly too large. But for those that have normal to deep pockets, this knife sits well. The benefit of the closed length being 5 inches is that there is little chance for the knife falling out of the pocket. It is always nice to have a deep carry knife. And that is just what the Thermite has to offer. The knife’s pocket clip is just over an inch long. Though short, this gives plenty of strength to hold the knife in any pocket.

Weight

If you are going to be carrying a knife all day long, especially in your pocket, it shouldn’t be heavy. The Thermite weighs 4.9 oz. This knife has a really nice weight to it. The odd thing about the knife is that the G-10 handle helps make the knife feel more buoyant while carrying it. It’s a strange sensation, but praiseworthy.

Thickness

Similar to the weight of the knife is its thickness. A clunky knife defeats the purpose of an everyday carry. A good everyday carry knife should be slim and a low profile. The Thermite has a great thickness to it. It is thick enough to have a comfortable hold on it, while not taking up too much pocket real-estate.

Conclusion

Overall I am impressed with this knife. For the price, it is a great spring assisted knife. You will definitely get your money’s worth out of it. You have a thermite reaction ready to go in your knife life, you just need to ignite it. The Thermite will light up your world.

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