Day 27 of our 100 Knives in 100 Days Giveaway brings us the Rick Hinderer designed Kershaw Decimus. Based on the Hinderer Maximus, it is not your typical EDC knife. With its dagger-like design, it is more reminiscent of a fixed blade stiletto than a traditional pocket-clip folder.
If you want to win this knife, you must Register for a free account, and leave a comment on our official contest thread (here)
Here is what Kershaw has to say about the Decimus:
Based on Rick Hinderer’s Maximus, the new Kershaw Decimus offers a heroic look—and makes for a very distinctive EDC.
The 8Cr13MoV blade is a single-edge bayonet grind with BlackWash™ finish for a handsomely dangerous look. It opens quickly and easily with SpeedSafe® assisted opening. The flipper itself is mirrored by a symmetrical protrusion on the back side of the knife, providing a short crossguard to keep your fingers safe.
The handle is steel with a stonewashed finish and black, glass-filled-nylon overlays that have zigzag texturing inspired by the custom texture on the original Maximus and designed for both secure grip and good looks. As an additional detail, the handle also has a Hinderer-style filler tab with stonewashed finish.
This new design from Kershaw and Rick Hinderer is sure to draw admiring glances every time you use it.
Specs (as provided by Kershaw):
- SpeedSafe® assisted-opening
- Flipper
- Frame lock
- Reversible pocketclip (right/left, tip-up)
- Steel: 8Cr13MoV, black-oxide BlackWash™ finish
- Handle: Stainless steel with stonewashed finish, glass-filled nylon overlay
- Blade Length: 3.25 in. (8.3 cm)
- Closed Length: 4.25 in. (10.8 cm)
- Overall Length: 7.5 in. (19.1 cm)
- Weight: 4.3 oz. (123 g)
Personal Observations:
The Kershaw Decimus has the heft and feel of a Zero Tolerance, Kershaw’s premium sister-brand under the KAI umbrella. The fit and finish, blade centering, and handle overlay all are top notch. Especially for a knife which retails for $52.
The knife opens with a satisfying snap. It takes a bit more effort to overcome the SpeedSafe “bias towards closure” when flipping than some EDC knives, but this is a feature of the mechanism, not a bug.
The ergonomics are certainly different than a typical EDC knife. When held in the traditional manner, my hand sits a touch further back than I am used to, but in a horizontal tactical/dagger grip, the knife just feels right to me.
Outside Reviews:
Finally, we are giving away a knife that has been tested by sources I trust. I hate not being able to test the knives myself, but we are sending them out new so that is obviously not going to happen. But Kershaw is great about sending out test/review samples, and I was able to find two really well done reviews.
BladeOps: for whatever reason it doesn’t embed quite as well as the Loadout Room’s review, but it is quite well done as well:
https://blog.bladeops.com/kershaw-decimus-knife-review.html
I’d like to close by thanking the folks at KAI for being a sponsor of our 100 Knives in 100 Days Giveaway. They provided 3 knives for the contest – 2 Kershaws, and a classic ZT 0350. All three are gems.