The Kershaw Dividend is an EDC-sized USA-made folding pocket knife, with a retail price of around $42.
It features a 3″ blade size, anodized aluminum handles (model 1812GRY), and Kershaw SpeedSafe assisted opening mechanism.
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Update: This review was originally published on 5/5/2017, and republished on 3/27/2020. Why? That’s easy – this is still one of the best folding knives under $50 and I continue to use my sample regularly.
I have been testing a sample of this knife for some time now, and have grown to really like it. It reminds me of the feeling I had when I first bought my Kershaw Leek knife, reviewed here.
How can such an inexpensive knife perform so well and still be made in the USA?
There doesn’t seem to be any compromises in fit, finish, or quality, but you’re not getting any super-premium blade steel alloys or titanium handle scales at this price point.
Somehow, I feel like you get more than what you pay for.
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I find the Kershaw Dividend to be a quite nice pocket knife for EDC – everyday carry. It’s compact, but not tiny.
I like its subtle non-tacticool design.
It doesn’t have a safety lock, which my Leek seems to be unique in featuring, but the knife hasn’t opened up in my pocket unexpectently – or anywhere else – yet.
The SpeedSafe assisted opening feature works well. Press down on the flipper, and the knife swings out quickly and easily. You still have to put manual effort into moving that flipper, and it’s this that separates assisted opening knives from automatic knives.
As always, know your local knife laws and regulations before buying or carrying a pocket knife.
Features & Specs
| Kershaw Dividend, 1812GRY | |
|---|---|
| Deployment | Flipper Assisted Opening |
| Length | 7.25″ Open 4.25″ Closed |
| Blade Length | 3.0″ |
| Weight | 2.80 oz. |
| Blade Material | 420HC |
| Blade Style | Drop Point Plain Edge Stonewashed |
| Lock Style | Liner |
| Handle Material | Anodized Aluminum |
| Pocket Clip | 4-Position |
| Made in | USA |
| Street Price | ~$42 |
Check Price: via Amazon | via BladeHQ | w/ Nylon Handle
One nice feature is that the pocket clip is repositionable, for tip up or down carry, and left or right. It’s set at the factory for righty tip-up carry.
When placed in a front right pants pocket and towards the rightmost outer side, the blade is held closed against the pocket wall. There is a lanyard hole, but I don’t like assisted-opening knives hanging out loose in my pocket. Accidental openings are unpleasant surprises, especially when tip-up.
The blade shape is described as being a drop point, but I would describe it more as a modified Wharncliffe.
It seems to work well for slicing-style cutting tasks, and also precision tip-work such as when scoring.
I should have cleaned the knife better before taking photos, but I thought it shows what I mean about tip-work. Some knife blades are shaped better for precision cutting, the Dividend is one such knife. But it’s not a uni-tasker. The “belly” of the knife is gently curved, but nicely optimized for general purpose use.
The flipper tab is small, but as large as it needs to be. It’s easy to feel for, and easy to press.
That’s a big benefit of the SpeedSafe opening mechanism, in my opinion – the flipper tab can be smaller. If this was a manual knife, a flipper lever that small might require too much force for a successful opening swing. My guess is that, if this were a manual knife, that flipper would only swing the blade open halfway without a flick wrist or other compensating energy transfer.
It’s a liner lock knife. You don’t have to dig your thumb in to release the lock and close the knife.
This is a well-done and comfortable implementation of a simple but strong and effective lock design.
I’ve taken a liking towards frame-lock designs, but you’re not going to find a frame-lock knife at this price.
The blade is perfectly centered, and you can see how the knife is constructed. There are two steel slabs, one serving as the liner lock, and the two anodized aluminum handle scales.
Sorry, I guess the lighting makes it look a little purple. It’s not. It’s a beigey gray.
The steel gives the knife strength and durability, the aluminum gives it a light feel and textured grip.
It’s got a backwards flag, I’m guessing to denote its USA manufacturing origins. I had to remind myself of the meaning.
The two threaded holes at the top show an alternate placement for the pocket clip.
Having 4 position options is unusual. With a lot of knives, especially inexpensive ones, you have places to move the pocket clip to, if you can move it anywhere at all. Sometimes the sole choice is “pocket clip or no pocket clip.”
Made in the USA. Nice.
Hopefully the close-up gives you an idea of what the knife handles feel like. They’re not smooth – far from it – but aren’t rough or aggressive. The texture feels like very fine grit sandpaper that has been worn down – rough and grippy without being aggressive or painful.
The pocket clip isn’t remarkable, but its versatility is much appreciated. It’s no trouble to clip to the pocket of my jeans. If removed, you’re left with a very slender knife, in case you’re a “knife on a lanyard in a pocket” kind of user.
It’s somewhat larger than the Kershaw Leek. Shown here is my new teal-anodized Leek. Honestly, I think I prefer the stainless steel Leek knives, but this one was on sale. I ordered it during a holiday season Amazon Kershaw sale a few months ago.
This isn’t the best comparison photo, but if you know the Leek, maybe you’ll see something helpful.
Here is the Leek, Dividend, and Link. The Dividend is said to be a smaller adaptation of the Link. It might not look smaller in photos, but it has a noticeably smaller feel to it.
Here’s another Link joining the fray, to the right, with a partially serrated blade.
And just the Dividend and Link.
The Link feels like more of a workshop knife, but the Dividend is smaller to carry and nearly as capable.
I have medium-sized hands, and tend to like knives with 3″ blades, which is probably why the Dividend seemed to be a great fit.
I cannot comment about the knife steel yet, but 420HC isn’t premium stuff. It’s not bad either, and seems to be holding its factory edge through quite a bit of use.
I think that the Dividend has all the makings of a Kershaw classic. Now all we need are some color options, and it’ll be perfect.
There is a glass-filled nylon handle option. But unless you had a good reason for going with that style of handle rather than anodized aluminum, spend the few extra dollars and get this one.
Price: $40-42
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Buy Now: Nylon Version via Amazon
Given my experience with this test sample, would I buy one? Definitely.
See More ToolGuyd Knife Reviews
Thank you to Kershaw for providing the review sample unconditionally.
Joe Hanson
I always prefer textured G10 or ideally micarta though micarta usually won’t be available at this price. Even textured metal handles tend to get slippery when wet. I also am not a fan of metal because I have my knife with me at all times when out of the house and it gets cold here in Minnesota and metal handles hold the cold even after you walk inside. Stay outside in -30 F or colder with the windchill for a bit then come inside and grab your knife with your bare hand to cut something and let me know how it is. Do that a dozen times a day for maybe a week straight every winter and it gets old.
Stuart
Something like the Benchmade mini Griptilian might be good for that climate.
https://14cyiuhvcgv.com/benchmade-mini-griptilian-knife-with-cpm-20cv-g10-handles-review/%3C/a%3E%3C/p%3E
The lock seems like it would be easier to close with gloved hands. Well, maybe thin liner gloves.
Koko the Talking Ape
I’ll just mention a pet peeve of mine regarding knives. On the Link’s blade, close to the handle the grind simply stops. As you sharpen the blade over time, that little inside corner will get harder and harder to reach with a sharpening stone. The blade profile will eventually develop a reverse curve, which is also hard to reach with some sharpening stones. Much better to continue the blade grind into the little half-circle- cutaway many knives have (I think it is called a choil.) Oddly, the Link has that.
Stuart
Is there an example of a knife with a grind profile that you prefer?
A lot of flippers have that abrupt stop, with some potentially more difficult to sharpen than others. Others, especially non-flippers, look like they won’t develop this issue over time, but I have a hard time visualizing a flipper that doesn’t have that abrupt stop.
Koko the Talking Ape
I’m sorry, I meant the Dividend has that abrupt stop to the grind, not the Link. The Dividend’s grind has an inside corner where most stones can’t reach (so does the Leek.) On the Link, the grind continues into the choil.
I guess it is unlikely that any of these knives will be used to the point where it becomes an issue. It is just design flaw that I think is pretty easy to avoid.
Stuart
I see what you mean – it has that small unsharpened bump. I don’t think that’s designed as a finger choil. If it is, that’s smaller than I would have thought.
The Link goes through to facilitate sharpening.
The Dividend doesn’t, because…???
The Leek’s interruption seems to be for the creation of a hybrid finger rest choil.
I guess some users might want to use the Dividend’s choil for finger placement? It seems doable, but wouldn’t have been very intuitive to me.
Still, a very great knife. I wouldn’t be too worried about long-term sharpenability. After a lot of sharpenings maybe that area will have to remain a little duller than the rest of the knife.
Do a lot of $40 knives get sharpened?
Koko the Talking Ape
Yes. You know, I might be using the word “choil” wrong. I didn’t mean it as a bump or protrusion. I meant it as the quarter- or -half-circle cutout in the blade, at the edge right before the finger guard. The Leek doesn’t have one, the Dividend and the Link have one. I understood knife makers did that to allow the edge to be sharpened from tip to heel. So it is weird that the Dividend has that cutout but doesn’t use it. They could have set the CNC machine or whatever to just grind another 1/8″ down the blade, and problem solved.
The problem (in my view) is not really that the heel of the blade is not sharpened, it is that over time, the blade profile will change.
My parents have an old kitchen knife with a full length bolster, a small thickened (or rather, less ground down) section of the blade right in front of the handle. It works as a hand guard. But the guard extends all the way down to the edge, and it blocks some part of the edge from sharpening stones. Over the years, the belly of the blade has been ground away, while the heel has stayed full length. So the blade profile is now very concave. The edge won’t even touch a cutting board along its length, so it can’t be used for chopping. Only the tip of the knife is really usable.
I have a pretty good knife like that. When I am watching/listening to TV, sometimes I pull out a Dremel tool and grind away at that hand guard. (Hey, I am not doing anything else, and I would have to do it eventually anyway.) I read somewhere that full-length guards are considered obsolete now.
Do $40 knives get sharpened? I certainly sharpen mine. I have a few knives where the blade is visibly thinner and shorter from sharpening. Of course, that took more than a few years to happen.
But anyway, not a big deal. As you say, it is certainly a fine knife. I think I would go with a FRN or G10 handle, but that is personal, I guess.
Cubbie
Seems like a thin edge stone such as the Sharpsmaker would be able to sharpen the blade all the way to the end of the grind. Correct me if I’m wrong.
Stuart
I have a Leek, Dividend, and Link in front of me right now.
Plastic the finger forward of the flipper:
Leek: there is a small concave and forward-aimed choil-like finger rest.
Dividend: you can rest your finger in that semi-circle groove, and that little unsharpened bump is in contact but doesn’t do damage.
Link: any “real” pressure will cut my finger. You can NOT put your forefinger there.
I would guess it’s a compromise due to the smaller size.
The Dividend is said to be a smaller adaptation of the Link, so perhaps they wanted to keep that placement available for larger hands to grip comfortably.
Koko the Talking Ape
Yeah, it looks like in all those knives, the entire hand is supposed to go behind the hand guard. I know some Spydercos have a really big, deep cutout in the blade to accommodate a finger. These aren’t them. But at least in those knives, there is an excuse for not continuing the grind through the heel of the blade. With the Dividend, not so much.
Here’s an example of what I was talking about with a Spyderco knife.
https://images.knifecenter.com/knifecenter/spyderco-knives/images/C101CFPE2.jpg
Koko the Talking Ape
And @Cubbie, no, I am sure you are right. The problem is that if you don’t especially focus on that spot, you will grind away LESS of that spot. And then the bit right next to it becomes less ground away, because the first spot is protecting a bit of the next spot. So you start with a tiny concave spot, and it grows. Also, some stones get worn away by sharpening, so the corner of the stone wears away, and becomes less able to reach into that corner.
Round stones like crocksticks would have less of an issue, but many systems use a flat surface.
If I were ultra-anal about it, I might take something like a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel, and cut a little notch in the edge at that end of the blade.
Michael
Good review. I might have to have one
Nathan
glad to see it’s american made – and the price is about right. This is one of those cases where I wish they made a few options. IE more expensive better steel knive – this knife, and the different handle options.
for my work 3 inch is all I’m allowed to carry so this is perfect. However I’ve gotten used to carrying my leatherman skeletool. I do however wish it had a full plain blade.
Mac
I bought this from Amazon on Sunday while out of town and when I got home in Sunday evening it was sitting on the porch. It’s a great edc work knife that’s made in the USA. It’s thin enough to slip right in the front pocket of my wranglers and even sits low enough in the 5th pocket. I’ve been carrying an SOG Twitch II because it was small and fit perfectly in the 5th pocket but it would work its way out periodically and the assisted opening screws would come loose and the inside would get all gunked up so that it didn’t open with one hand.
I really like this design, it’s great for my edc tool set that I carry for my handyman business.
Jim Felt
What’s this “same day delivery” you speak of?
Must from be the future?
Where’s Marty and Doc when we really need them?
Kidding.
fred
FYI – like other assisted opening knives – this one may not be legal (or interpreted as such) in every locale. When I bought one (when Stuart first posted about it) – I had to use my Florida address – as Amazon would not ship it to NY
Stuart
I have a note/warning early on the post.
Some states have clarified their rules, but retailers might still follow previous restrictions out of an abundance of caution.
The issue – at least around here and from what I’ve read – isn’t that they’re not legal, but that law enforcement in some areas mistakenly consider them switchblades. For that matter, in some locales there have been issues with law enforcement considering one-handed-openers as gravity knives.
fred
That was my: (“interpreted as such” )
I never carry a pocket knife – except when camping or fishing.
I have no need carry one – especially an assisted opening one when in Manhattan for the opera or theater (once they resume). I figure that would obviate any need to test the NYPD’s interpretation of the statutes.
mmmtacos
I’ve owned quite a few knives and for the price I’d say Kershaw makes some of the best. The assisted open works great, many of them (if not all?) are made in the US, nice form, nice function and an unbeatable price. I personally like the aluminum scales on my Link, they offer a nice feel and a welcome amount of heft you don’t get in synthetic scales. In particular mine is the M390 steel version that, for under $100, is a steal.
As much as I appreciate knives I tend to stick with them until they either get lost, break or I have to sharpen them more often than I care to (cheap steel, a mistake I don’t make any more). This one has only been in my pocket for a year after I lost my Benchmade Mini Barrage. While I liked that one as well I also like to try something new and I am glad I did, because I don’t miss the Benchmade one bit.
Jonny
Funny timing Stuart, I just got my second of these in the mail today! They’re both the M390 version which is pretty much the best blade steel around. I have many higher end knives and find this little guy to be just about the perfect EDC. It’s got a such a slicey blade, great usable profile, thin handle, and I appreciate the assist in this application.
I’d also like to note that the grind is different on mine than pictured. The choil situation mentioned in 2017 comments has been taken care of and the trailing end of the blade looks similar to the Link pictured above.
kat
For that price you can get a D2 blade with Titanium handle from China
Michael
It looks like the love child of the Link and Leek. Which in this case is the best of both designs in one knife.
Jared
Nice looking knife. I don’t like the look of the clip though – mostly because I don’t want to attract attention to the knife in my pocket. I’m not try to conceal it, just don’t want to advertise unnecessarily. For that reason, I prefer clips that have the knife sit deeper in the pocket – whereas the top of this Kershaw would stick out.
I would also prefer a plain clip, not a black one with “Kershaw” in white lettering.
Small gripe I realize, but it is a deal-breaker for me.
tojen1981
Just ordered the Dividend Composite the other night. It’s backordered atm, but it looks pretty sweet. I generally just get the $20-25 Kershaw China (Cryo is my latest) line for EDC, so this will be a nice step up hopefully.
Rcward
I have the Leek and it’s a nice looking knife but a little tough to open. I hope this one is better.
Kenny Bergeron
You mention the lack of a lock mechanism, does the flip assist push forward essentially locking it from accidental opening?
Stuart
Not really.
Most assisted openers don’t have safety locks (the Leek is an example of one that does, and there are some others).
To provide unintentional opening, they can be clipped to a pocket such that the blade would have to push against the pocket sidewall in order to open, which is very hard to do given the lack of space, as it would essentially require the handle and bulk of the handle to open outwards into the pocket.
This knife requires a very deliberate press to open the knife, but there’s always the chance of accidental opening if no precautions are taken.
I only experienced accidental opening with one knife on two occasions, and then none after I started clipping assisted openers to my pockets in the manner described, with the spine of the blade pressed against the rear of my pocket. In theory, the flipper could be depressed since it faces contact with other pocket contents, but the forces keeping the knife closed are far greater.
Charles A Andrews
Mine came today. Wasn’t sure if I was going to like it but am very pleased. Thanks
Mike
Just received a Kershaw Launch 1, great Made in USA knife, great warranty, opens like lightening, and the best part – absolutely illegal in CA.