Manufacturer: Kershaw 1560Item: 48550UPC: 087171156002Specifications and features:
3-1/4" plain blade
4-1/2" closed
3.5 ounces
440A stainless steel
SpeedSafe assisted opening
Synthetic handle
Pocket clip
Limited lifetime warranty
For warranty issues, contact 800-325-2891 or warrantyinfo@kershawknives.com
Whirlwind Knife -
They're some of the first of Kershaw's Ken Onion SpeedSafe knives and still among the best. All feature 13C26 stainless steel blades for strength and corrosion resistance. The Blackout's blade is also coated with scratch resistant Tungsten DLC for a handsome, non reflective surface. All knives include a contoured handle of injection molded polyimide, an extremely durable engineering plastic, for a comfortable and stable grip. Stainless steel liners add to the overall handle strength.
440A Stainless Steel -
440A is a US standard of a martensitic stainless steel. It is known to keep a hard edge but not as tough as some of the other martensitic stainless steel.
What is SpeedSafe?
SpeedSafe is a patented system that assists the user to smoothly open any SpeedSafe knife with a manual push on the blade's thumb stud or pull back on the blade protrusion. SpeedSafe is built into many of Kershaw's best-selling knives.
How does SpeedSafe work?
The heart of SpeedSafe is its torsion bar. Closed, the torsion bar helps keep the knife closed, preventing it from being opened by "gravity." In order to open the knife, the user must apply manual pressure to the thumb stud or blade protrusion to overcome the resistance of the torsion bar. After the blade is out of the handle, the torsion bar moves along its half-moon track and takes over. The blade opens smoothly and locks into position, ready for use.
How safe is SpeedSafe?
Very, SpeedSafe opens ONLY when the user manually deploys it using either the thumb stud or blade protrusion. Once deployed, a locking system secures the blade in position so that it cannot close accidentally. When releasing the lock, the blade does not snap shut due to resistance provided by the torsion bar. This bar also provides a bias towards the closed position, which holds the blade securely closed. New SpeedSafe® users can ensure safe use of the technology by practicing to proficiency.