Kershaw Scallion Speed Safe Opener, designed by Ken Onion

[Grant Lamontagne]

I went a little nuts with the photos on this one, so if you are on a mobile connection or (gasp!) dial up, you may want to skip this one.



The Scallion has always been my favorite of all the Speed Safe opening knives.  It's small, it's quick, it's not threatening (relatively speaking of course) and I like the shape.



It also features a nice safety lock, which to be honest I usually remove entirely.  It's the small screw you can see in the bottom left corner of the knife in the above photo.  Basically it's a small sliding pin- when it's in the inboard position the pin keeps the blade from opening.  When in the outboard position the pin is out of the way of the blade and it is free to open.  The next couple of photos (poorly) illustrate how it works.





The blade shape is a bit odd, unlike most factory knives.



In fact, what it reminds me most of is a larger knife that has been ground down too many times.  It has just enough finesse to let you know that it's supposed to look like that though.  It's odd, but I like it.



I've had quite a few of these over the years, and sold, traded or gave them away, but I usually take any opportunity to get another one as I really like them- plus the price is quite reasonable on this one, especially for a USA made knife.



It may not have some of the fancier features, like a pocket clip that can be attached in any configuration, but it does have the Speed Safe assisted opening system, and given it's size, is probably the fastest opening knife in the entire lineup.  It almost jumps out of your hand when you flip it open using the ambidextrous thumb stud or the flipper.



It locks open quite securely using a standard liner lock.  Again, nothing fancy, it just works, and that's really all she wrote.  There's no play, no feeling that you will accidentally disengage it.... simple and no nonsense.



This is by far one of my all time favorite tactical type folding knives, although I don't know how "tactical" it really is.  Sure it has a one handed opening, locking blade, it's all black and it has a pocket clip, but there's a straightforward honesty about this knife that takes this from the "ninja" type category and places it firmly in the daily workhorse or, dare I say it, dress knife category.

Want a nice, inexpensive knife that doesn't scare people (much) and does what you want it to do, and is also so much fun you will want to flick it over and over again for hours until your significant other threatens to use it on you?  Maybe the Scallion is a good choice for you.

Def

[Rux]

In fact, what it reminds me most of is a larger knife that has been ground down too many times.  It has just enough finesse to let you know that it's supposed to look like that though.  It's odd, but I like it.

Went to a friend of mine's house recently and he had a Scallion, though I did not know that at the time and these were my thoughts exactly at first.

Great write up and a nice little knife. I continue to be more and more impressed with Kershaw's quality to cost ratio. Quality, affordable working man knives. 

[kmanct3]

I'm sure by my previous posts you know I'm a HUGE fan of Kershaw especially the Leek, here are my scallions and a chive at the top, missing from pic is a stainless with combo edge nice review Def !

[Grant Lamontagne]

Beautiful knives!

I wish Ken hadn't sold the torsion bar design to Kershaw.  I'd love to see some of his modern CRKT designs with assisted opening.

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

[kmanct3]

The torsion bar design is awesome, Only had to replace 1 on an original Leek, Kershaw sent me 4 new ones free of charge. They say it is good for 10,000 openings

[Grant Lamontagne]

I've never had any issues with the torsion bar, but then I've never really had one that long either.

I think of all of the Speed Safe models I've had the one I miss the most is the Baby Boa.

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[toolguy]

I like Ken Onion's designs as well.His flippers are very cool.

The Blur with its S30-V steel and the skate board tape mark it as a working man's knife.

On the other hand his Ripple design,with its slim and intricate handle,seems to place it as a gentleman's knife.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Funny you should mention that, I was just talking about the Ripple.

http://forum.multitool.org/index.php/topic,46886.msg767616.html#msg767616

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

[toolguy]

Thanks for the link Grant.


The Ripple was the most difficult to open knife that I've bought recently.It was total crap.Instead of sending it back to CRKT,which I had every right to do,I spent several hours working on the moving parts until it glided open with a flick of my forefinger.

I'm stubborn that way.LOL

[Grant Lamontagne]

There's something to be said for doing it yourself. 

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[kmanct3]

I will post a pic of my other Kershaw flippers in a few , ken onion is certainly one of my favorite knife makers

[Grant Lamontagne]

I've been a fan of Ken's designs for a while too.  I was very happy to have met the man too.



Being a bigger name he tends to be quite in demand at the shows so he's hard to get a hold of sometimes. 

Def

[JAfromMn]

I really wish I would not of sold my favorite Ken onion




Made in usa S30v spec bump


I'm a idiot for trading it 

[JAfromMn]

[Grant Lamontagne]

That Bump is gorgeous! I feel the same way about the Baby Boa!

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[16VGTIDave]

Stop it!!!

You are making the voices so loud!

<chants to self> I don't need another knife. I don't need another folder. I don't need another Kershaw. I want a Ripple... D'Oh! </chant>

[Grant Lamontagne]

Lucky for you the Ripple is relatively cheap. Be glad we don't talk about Microtech knives that often here. ....

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[16VGTIDave]

Yeah, lucky. That's it. I've emailed another of my "enablers", who lives close to S&R Knives and will be visiting New Year's Eve, with an order. I refuse to go to that store, their website is dangerous enough...

[pfrsantos]

I got a Scallion. Great little knife! I only EDC SAKs more often because of the multiple tools they have. I just might get a MiniChamp and use the Scallion as the main EDC blade.

 

As for the blade shape, if you cover the choil on it, you'll see the blade is not so strange as it looks at first. It's fairly easy to sharpen, if you need to do it. The "pointy" choil just gives it the strange look but it offers a good guard to your fingers.

[powernoodle]

Now I want a Scallion.  Funny how that happens.

I bought a Chive to give myself at Christmas.  I was mighty surprised when I opened it.  Just what I wanted.

No pic of the Chive, so here is its cousin:


Kershaw Leek.

[leg0man]

Scallion is a great little knife! I prefer my folders a little bigger most of the time, but I got a Scallion in the really nice blue colour they have for my wife. The blade lock really sold me on it; she keeps it in her purse and doesn't have to worry about bumping it open by accident while digging for god knows what in there. If she ever leaves it out on the kitchen counter, I always give it at least a couple flicks.

[Grant Lamontagne]

I think that right there was the reason for their success.  First they are so non-offensive that they are actually cute and second, they are so much fun to play with.  :-)

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[powernoodle]

Received mine today.  Because . . . of . . . this . . . thread.  Immediately removed the lock, which had deployed several times without my consent.  The blade wouldn't fire open all the way, but the knife was cold from sitting in the mailbox, and a couple of drops of Ballistol on the pivot fixed it.  Its a fun little knife, and is as big as I will ever need.

http://www.ballistol.com/

[Grant Lamontagne]

Sorry..... But I'm interested to hear what you think about it after some use!

Def

Sent from a digital multitool

[powernoodle]

I am happy to report back after I get some mileage on this puppy.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Aaaaaaaaaaand it's gone.

I sent my Scallion to live with my father, with explicit instructions NOT to play with it until he talks to me first.

He'll like it, but him not knowing anything about assisted opener knives means I am going to need to walk him through it. 

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

[pfrsantos]

Aaaaaaaaaaand it's gone.

I sent my Scallion to live with my father, with explicit instructions NOT to play with it until he talks to me first.

He'll like it, but him not knowing anything about assisted opener knives means I am going to need to walk him through it. 

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery

No need for walkthrough. It just opens faster, you still have to use the flipper or thumbstud to open it. If you don't do it properly, it can even not open completely.

[powernoodle]

I've used my Scallion for a few days now and find it to be an excellent EDC.  Its been used for my normal daily routine like opening birdseed and cat food bags, opening packages and other mundane tasks.  After getting use to the Scallion, the Leek now seems gigantic in comparison.  I do prefer the Leek's thinness in the pocket (being a frame lock), and because the Leek is longer it provides more ballast in the pocket too and may be a little less likely to fall out and get lost.  I have carried the Scallion for a few days now, which is a rarity because I usually switch up my EDC pretty often.  But the Scallion does everything I need and will be part of my rotation.  I prefer the black on black coloration to other the other flavors, and think it looks good too as it starts to get some wear on it.

[Mr. Whippy]

Is Speedsafe the assisted opening system?  I got to handle a small Kershaw (Snapon branded) that was super quick to open and amazingly slim in the hand.  Loved it.

[Grant Lamontagne]

Yeah, that's what Kershaw calls their assisted opening mechanism.  It uses a torsion bar and if you aren't careful the knife will almost jump out of your hands.

Def

Sent from my smurfing hunk of techno sorcery