A slightly less tactical-looking version of the popular Blackout, the Kershaw Greenout Knife features the same sleek, functional appeal of the original Ken Onion design. This everyday utility knife clips in your pocket for easy access and features SpeedSafe, a torsion-bar assist that takes over after the user opens the blade partway. A scratch-resistant black Tungsten DLC blade coating minimizes rust and maintenance, and the green polyimide handle provides extremely durable performance without adding significant weight.
I've owned a kershaw blackout for five years. This is a fantastic knife- I've never had the blade swing out on its own when clipped to the inside of my pocket or on the side of work pants. The one handed opening takes about 15 minutes to get used to and after that its a dream. It stays very sharp; the blade has got good heft to it.
After thousands and thousands of uses the torsion bar does wear out and you have to send it in, which brings me to the real reason behind five stars- the service. I beat my knife up constantly taking it into the gritty sands of canyonlands using it daily at work, etc. I lived without the assisted opening for a couple months (which is where the knife can get dangerous, as it swings open pretty easily) but eventually sent it in impotent, dull, and abused. Kershaw sent me two brand new blackouts when I sent ol' yeller in. I don't know if this was a unique occurrence or clerical error, but they've made themselves a lifelong customer. I don't anticipate burning through these 2 blackouts within the next 10 years. Buy this knife if you can live with the green handle.
I just got the knife and I tried dropping in on the floor from various heights, it did open but only about 1 in 10 times for me. Additionally, I had to really try to drop it just right to get it to do this. I was flipping it around in the air and dropping it onto the carpet from about 5 ft up. Most of the time, this particular knife stayed closed.
I also tried turning the thumb knob around and it is possible (since I am left handed). I had to use a screwdriver, pliers and a cloth to protect the knob but it came fairly easily for me. It would require me to ream the hole just a bit to turn it around. There there is the issue of the clip being in the way.
Outside of that, it seems fairly solid. It's light weight and feels good in your hand. The green plastic is questionable but not enough to make me return it. I got it on the SAC site so for $27 plus shipping it was worth it.
I got this knife earlier this summer. I haven't had any issues with it. I've reversed the thumb stud so that I can open it left handed. I've dropped it a bunch and only in very limited instances has it popped open. It holds a wicked edge and the blade pops out and locks in place as expected. Additionally, I messed up the plastic by the end where the blade opens but I was able to fix this with some 600 grit emory cloth - looks fine! I love this knife and would highly recommend it. My only knock on it is that I can't easily move the clip. That's it.
