Kershaw Iridium Folding Pocket Knife, 3.4 inch D2 Steel Blade, DuraLock Locking Mechanism, Pocketclip

The Kershaw Iridium is hands down my favorite pocket knive at the moment. I love how quickly and smoothly it flicks open with just a press of a button—it’s super satisfying. The blade is incredibly sharp and holds its edge well, and the slim, minimalistic design feels great in the hand. It’s high-quality and reliable, perfect for everyday carry or whatever task comes up. Simple, sleek, and built to perform.

I like the aesthetics of this and it’s really easy to deploy and close. The design is sleek and functional, but I do wish the handle had some grip to it, as it can get a bit slippery when using it. Other than that, it works well and looks good.

I have a plethora of knives and I wanted to add something new to my EDC set up. I had been eyeing this one because I didn't want to spend over $100 for a new knife that was going to be beat on and could potentially get lost, so I ordered this iridium. Upon opening the package I liked how sleek the knife looked and while the handle is smooth it's not slick, and it has a good swell to the front to keep your hand in position. The colors are excellent and catchy, the blade is absurdly sharp (as in doesn't even slide down my fingernail), and the build quality is top notch. The blade opens so smoothly, locks in place securely, and closes back again faster than any assisted opening knife could ever do. Great in hand weight, the balance is pretty good, and it really performs very well. I'm looking forward to carrying this knife for the foreseeable future!

First off, $56 for this knife is awesome! The Duralock mechanism is great, and the design really makes it stand out. I wouldn’t mind busting this thing out at a fancy steak restaurant if I had to. When sharp, it’s smooth! It would literally cut that steak like a hot knife through butter. Other than that, there were a couple of things that I wouldn’t mind being a bit better, and one issue that I hope is just a one-off and not a design flaw.For starters, the aluminum scales are too soft and I worried at times that it could slip out of my hand. They make for a very sleek knife, but I would have loved a slight texture to them. A nice diamond pattern ala’ the KRONOS BRAZEN from Civivi would give it a bit of extra grip without compromising the design too much, I think. Then there’s the thumb studs; the edges are too sharp! A little bit of rounding would do them well, but you could get away from using them by just using that sweet Duralock mechanism to open and close.However, there is one thing that I found to be a possible flaw. At the front of the edge I noticed it getting caught up when cutting paper as I was checking its edge retention after trying it out for a couple of days. It was surprising because I hadn’t used it on anything serious. Not even cardboard. And it was only on one spot at the front while the rest of the edge was still nice and sharp. “Was it the steel that just wasn’t holding up?”, I thought. But this is D2 steel, which is supposed to hold an edge really well! Like, “9/10” on some websites I found. So I decided to take a look inside the handle at the orange back spacer and, lo and behold, it was running into it in the same spot I felt the edge dulling out!I hope this is not a design flaw and it’s just an issue in this knife I got, so I’m sending it back and asking for a replacement to test a different one out. I hope that’s the case because I’ve been shopping for a new knife and, although it has some small flaws, it would be a bummer not to be able to stick with this one. The price point is awesome, the looks are sleek, and the Duralock mechanism along with the ball bearings at the pivot is phenomenal!I’ll report back once I’ve got the new knife in hand. Until then, it’s 3/5 Stars. If not a design flaw, I’ll bump it up to 4/5.UPDATE: I received a replacement knife and have had no issues with it running into the spacer as with the first. So, I’m please to give it 4 stars, only because of the other issues I mentioned; the thumb stud and the scales being slippery. But I’ve tried a kit of other knives from Kershaw, and this one just still stands out. I’ve seen some of the new versions out as of 1/14/25, but I’d still prefer this to the new Iridium models out. I can update the scales and call it a day, or I can just leave them on and enjoy the sleek design!

Smooth lock and release, sharp out of the box. Nice finish and feels like a quality knife.

The iridium is a sold knife, the aluminum handle is reinforced with steel inserts that make the knife feel sturdy but keep the knife very light as it nearly vanishes into the pocket. The crossbar lock or "dura lock"/ "axis lock" make this knife truly ambidextrous fantastic for leftys. Opening and closing is very smooth on the ball-bearing or "kvt" system, when compared to my benchmade griptilian that pivots on bronze washers the iridium is significantly smoother, the griptilian is by no means bad just not as effortless.The build quality on mine is great ,perfectly centered blade the QC was on point, my only real complaint is the blade stock, the spine looks thin when compared to other kershaw knives I own.That being said it is a beautiful knife and makes for a great gentleman's carry or an edc.The iridium blade steel is d2 for quick reference d2 is a mid-range steel most commonly used to make most hand tools. Its edge retention, flexibility and durability is good but d2 does have one drawback and that is corrosion it will pit and rust more easily then other budget steels like 8cr13mov but unlike 8cr13mov it will hold and cutting edge for significantly longer. To mitigate this just wipe the blade down and occasionally oil it and it will fine.Overall this is a great blade at a really good price, the design is unique and beautiful made with premium materials if you take care of it this will serve you well.

I have not used it for cutting yet, but here are first impressions. I like the aesthetics got a neat look. Seems good fit and finish, nice very smooth action and lock. Lock releases easily so you can ‘flick’ open one handed. I don’t regret the $49 deal. May update review once it use it for cutting.