The Kershaw Pub is the first friction folder I've tried. I'm not entirely sure I'm sold on the concept. It's an interesting knife, but not a personal favorite. I do like that Kershaw did something different in this sub-$20 knife range. I luckily haven't had any major issues with it. It more so isn't my cup of tea.
Design wise, it's a nice looking knife when it's open. They do have a few other options as far as handle materials go, like a blue one and a carbon fiber one that is still under $20. The quality has been quite good too. I usually have hit or miss experiences with Kershaw's quality, but this one is great. I don't have any major complaints about the design or quality. It's nice to try something different for a change.
This is just a shot of it partially open. Kershaw says you can attach it your keys through the loop, but I don't understand why you'd want to do that. You'd have to make sure you remove it from your keys completely through that small gap so that it can open all the way. I see this as a knife that's more for novelty to play around with than one that you'd actually want to EDC. If I were to carry it regularly, I'd either throw in loose in the pocket or put it in my EDC pouch or bag.
The handle is a bit over 3.6" which is an okay size. It's only a three-finger knife for me. For you guys with bigger hands, I could see it being more of a two-finger knife. As a smaller knife, the ergos are okay. I don't love the rectangular handle shape. It's not the most comfortable for me, and the edges aren't as rounded off as I'd like. There is some jimping on the top edge before the blade starts, which helps provide some extra grip. The aluminum handles aren't my favorite, but they are adequate enough. Even though this knife doesn't lock, I have no worries that it'd close on my fingers. Your hand is covering the whole longer edge that moves, so as long as your hand stays there, the blade won't pivot back to the closed position. I hope that makes sense. I'll also have a video with my thoughts on this knife up soon, so it may be easier to see what I'm talking about there. The big point is that this blade isn't going to close on you unless you're being an idiot. Kershaw loves to add bottle openers and other tools to some of their knives. The Pub has the bottle opener and a small screwdriver on the corner. You could probably do some scraping with the exposed metal on this bottle opener end too. I'm not sure how well the bottle opener works, but I assume it works as it should. The screwdriver works decently, though I'd prefer to use a better one from my multitool. It's nice to see some extra tools on a small knife like this, yet it's not really necessary. I kind of wish they weren't included. I do get that it's named the Pub since it has the bottle opener.
Blade wise, the Pub has a 1.6" blade. That's a nice size for lighter tasks as a backup knife. I wouldn't want to cut anything too hardcore with this knife, but then again, that's not its purpose. The steel is 8Cr13MoV, which is not the fanciest steel. For a budget knife, it's what you'd expect. This one has been relatively sharp. I like the stonewashed finish on the blade and the frame. I haven't had any issues with rusting, which I know is a problem with some of these cheaper Kershaws. There is a bit of a learning curve to figure out how to open this knife. I've been able to open it one-handed, but it opens way easier as a two-handed knife. It's hard to describe how to open it, so again, just check out my video if you want to see it in action. I don't know if I'm opening it right per say, but I have found a few ways that work. For an EDC knife, it doesn't open quickly enough for me. Like I mentioned earlier, I don't think this is the best EDC knife anyways. I was surprised to find that there isn't any blade play with this knife. The blade isn't going to blow you away, but it works as it should.
This version goes for about $15, which is a good value for what you're getting. You're not getting the greatest materials obviously. If you're like me and have never tried a friction folder before, I think this is a good one to start out with. You're not getting a good EDC option in my opinion, but you're getting something that's different from all the manual G-10 folders out there. It's a cute little deign, yet not a personal favorite. I have this one on loan, and I wouldn't want to buy one for myself after I return it. It's been fun to try, but that's about as far as it goes for me. If you've liked the look of them, then I say pick one up. You can do a whole lot worse for $15. If you're looking for a smaller EDC option, this is not the knife for that purpose. The Spyderco Ladybug or Kershaw Cinder are much better in this size range. I don't personally recommend it, but it does have a unique cool factor to it. Props to Kershaw for doing something that isn't done much by these bigger knife companies. Thanks for looking!
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