Kershaw Cinder Pocket Knife, Small Lightweight Keychain Knife

I wanted to put together a very small kit with some emergency essentials for hiking. I wanted a knife, magnesium fire starter, compass, some cordage, and a few other odds and ends to keep in a pocket in case of an emergency in the wild. I really wasn't planning on buying another knife for this-- I was planning on using a Swiss Army knife that I've had forever-- but the Cinder caught my eye. For $10 it was worth the gamble so I bought it and began evaluating it. It was fairly sharp out of the package but I spent a few minutes honing it and got it to where it will shave arm hairs. No, an emergency knife doesn't have to be this sharp, but it doesn't hurt and it's nice to have a sharp edge to cut paracord, etc. The short, slightly curved blade is very controllable for making fuzz sticks for kindling. It will also strike a decent spark on a magnesium fire starter. I also like that the blade locks into position. Since this is a knife that may see some abuse if it gets needed in an emergency, I wanted a blade that would be less likely to accidentally close. Everything else about the knife is fine. I like the option of using a lanyard, especially in an emergency. I put a couple of drops of oil on the pivot and the knife opens and closes smoothly. It's so small that it takes up very little room in my emergency kit, and it's so light that I hardly know it's there. It's a good choice if you want a knife that will be unobtrusive until it's needed.

This is in my opinion a perfect keychain knife - it is far smaller in hand than you can imagine, but that is what you want from a piece like this. Nobody who understands physics - needs a bottle opener so my only gripe is for the blade to be a little more flat and longer sans bottle opener. Then again, it's cheap enough to discard or even just give to someone who needs a blade w/o hesitation. Kershaw really fills the gap Gerber tried to occupy, but with far more quality IMHO.

I've been using this knife as an EDC for years. This knife is sharp, has kept its edge, and has many uses. It's easy to open and has a locking blade. I have purchased several of these as gifts/stocking stuffers and so far they have been a hit! This is small enough to fit in the "watch" pocket of jeans and you don't even know it's there. I pair this with a small Olight flashlight, they both fit comfortably in the watch pocket.

There are other tiny EDC knives like the Gerber LST ultralight (https://amzn.to/3Ko11Ni) which I own and love. But this in the only one I have found that has one-handed opening. I grab the thumb stud with my thumb, add a bit of wrist snap, and the blade is open and locked. This is a great feature for when you don't have two hands free. In terms of other issues that other reviewers mentioned: 1. Yes the blade is very short, that's why it's a very small and lightweight knife. The knife is the same length closed as my Toyota key. The above-mentioned Gerber knife as a 1.6 inch long blade while this guy is only 1 inch. But for opening boxes and such the short blade works fine. 2. price: I think the knife is very fairly priced. Most of my little EDC knives cost at least 15 or $20 so for the seven dollars that I paid I am quite happy. 3. The blade opening in your pocket. I'm not sure how this would happen, as it takes quite a bit of force to separate the blade from the magnet inside the blade case. Perhaps there is individual variation between different knives, so I will check the other two that I bought. I checked the other two Cinders, and they have even stronger retention magnets, so even less of a problem. 4. The only valid criticism is that the can opener/ Bottle opener is a little bit too short. So if you're buying this to open a lot of beers then I'd probably add a real bottle opener to your keychain. I never use a bottle opener so I didn't care about this. I might grind it off entirely. 5. All three knives I purchased the blade was razor-sharp. I haven't cut open a million boxes so not sure how it will hold the blade sharpness, but I don't mind resharpening it occasionally. My Gerber LST ultralight is .6 ounces and this one is .9 ounces, not a big difference. Although I love the Gerber it has a slip blade opening, so needs two hands. For now this little Cinder will be my keychain knife. I think it is a great knife for keychain or watch pocket carry, and perhaps the smallest single hand open and close knife on the market. For seven dollars and change, you can't go wrong. I bought one for every keychain.

I am obsessed with my Kershaw Cinder pocket knife! It's like a tiny superhero that I carry with me everywhere. The 1.4-inch steel blade is so sharp and durable, making it perfect for all my daily cutting needs. The stonewashed finish gives it a cool rugged look that I love. The handle is made of glass-filled nylon, which makes it super lightweight and comfortable to hold. I can't get over how convenient the liner lock is, keeping the blade securely in place. And the bottle opener and lanyard hole are just the cherry on top! It's only 0.9 ounces, so it's like it's not even there until you need it. I highly recommend this little guy to anyone looking for a reliable, versatile, and stylish pocket knife.

Bought this for my keychain. I've been looking at knife-bottle opener combos and liked the sheepsfoot blade on this as well as the super-light weight and small size. It is TINY, which is good. It's about the the same size as a MiniBuck, but with a smaller blade. So far it's been very handy, I've used it to cut plastic clamshell packaging, open cardboard boxes, and lightly pry. Comes with a decent edge, although the metal is not super strong. For the price it's an excellent value and very practical. Has a very positive click and strong lockup (kind of addicting to open and close), nice little thumbstud, big linerlock surface area (visible in pics on underside of knife), and a detent in the blade that holds it closed with a bead on the liner. The bottle opener works great, too. I compared it against the Buck 818 Apex, but chose this because it's smaller, not much bigger than the keys on my ring, and the sheepsfoot blade. I used the Paper Knives E.D.C. (RUT knockoff) for a while, but the design is not great, and I haven't fixed it yet. Also looked at another chinese no-name spear point on AliExpress with a cap lifter along the spine of the blade, but decided against it. Maserin Damp looked appealing, too, and I've been thinking of ordering a Michael Morris friction folder, but those are less ideal for my use as a knockaround lightweight loseable knife. Recommended as a nonthreatening keychain, easy everyday carry, kitchen drawer boxcutter, or even a first knife for a child (sheepsfoot means less stabbing, cap lifter for IBC rootbeer!). Practical, inexpensive, good-looking, well-thought-out pocketknife. Can't go wrong.

Easy to open and close with a nice texture on the handle with the knife itself having a nice edge.

I just received this little knife from Kershaw and it is now my daily use pocket knife. I love how small this is with a blade that is about a half inch long. The blade includes a nub to help you open the knife with one hand and also has a blade lock. It does not have a clip but includes a hole for a lanyard, which I am using. The blade is sharp enough for my purposes, cutting twine and opening packages. It even has a solid bottle opener. My only concern is forgetting to put this in checked baggage when I travel as I would hate to have TSA confiscate it. If that happens, though, it is easily replaceable at less than $10.