Kershaw Barricade Pocket Knife

I’ve been a fan of Kershaw “SpeedSafe” flippers since I picked up a limited edition OsoSweet (orange scales and black blade) a few years ago.I recently purchased the RJ Tactical (black scales, black blade) and the Barricade (orange scales, black blade) to evaluate which one would make a good gift.I thought it would be nice to compare all three. See pictures attached.NOTE: You CANNOT get the orange and black OsoSweet any longer. However, the black and silver Oso you can still buy is the same size and deploys at the same speed as my orange one for purposes of comparison.Barricade: This knife is much bigger than I was expecting. It’s beefy and takes a little more umph to deploy. It snaps open quickly and locks up nicely. With a seatbelt cutter and glass breaker, it’s got a few extras. Too big, even for a Wookie, to daily carry without being awkward... I didn’t realize the extra 1/2 inch would change the ergonomics so much, but it does. So it’s going in the center console of my vehicle. It would make a decent survival knife in a pinch.I did remove the thumb studs… they are actually dangerous and made me cut my finger when the blade opened. Used Vice grips on each side of the stud and with a little twist, popped right off.OsoSweet: Very fast opener, lightweight, easy to use. Perfect middle ground. Currently available in black/silver, grey/silver, and green/silver, all with a silver clip... and they just look plain. But for an everyday carry knife, that’s fine. It does what it’s supposed to... open quickly, cut quickly, and carry deeply. I'm just not impressed with the current color choices.RJ Tactical: This guy is just a smidge smaller (1/10 inch) and lighter than the OsoSweet. It also deploys slower (but also quieter). Don’t get me wrong, it’s still a fast opener just a little slower than the others. Over time it’s slowed considerably requiring oiling to maintain ability to effectively flip open. I do LOVE the black on black look... really clean. Definitely has a tactical look which can weird people out a little. Got a few sideways looks with this one where the much larger Barricade got no attention. This one is only tactical in appearance.All three have a decent steel (8Cr), take a hair popping edge, have assisted opening, and tip up carry. All three come in right at the $30 mark so no breaking the bank.Barricade: Decently big, good knife for your car, bug out bag, etc. Haven’t tried the seatbelt cutter or window breaker yet, but they look functional. Too big for daily carry unless you are a giant Wookie like me.OsoSweet: My absolute favorite (except for the look of the new ones). If they were black on black, or better yet still available in orange on black, it would be the best choice here. Still, if you have to pick one OsoSweet is really O-so-sweet.RJ Tactical: I’m not a big fan of the slower deployment... but it’s perfect for people learning to use an assisted flipper and for those who don’t like the “thwack” of an aggressive flipper. Big bonus points (or not) for the all black (tactical) look. Needed work to keep flipping after about a year.If you want big, go Barricade...If you want medium & really fast (but plain), go Oso...If you want gentler opening and tacti-cool, go RJ...Or go all three for under $100

this is a simple well-built knife with well-executed features. The seat belt cutter is double-bladed. They form a V in the cutting notch and they are very sharp. The glass break looks to me like it will work well. The knife is not super light not super heavy. so I wonder how much force it would take to break a car window with this but I suspect if you need to use it to get out of a car in an emergency your adrenaline will make up for any extra force needed . I'm a 6'6" tall 43 year old man so factor that into my definition of "light" as you see fit.The handle texture is great and the molded contour of the orange plastic grip is comfortable and my finger tips and edge of my thumb naturally fit in the subtle contours when opening it one handed and while holding it with the blade open. The handle is very comfortable andthe proportions are great, it's slim but not too slim. Fits well in my pocket with the belt clip facing out clipped to my front pocket. The belt clip is STRONG and it is fairly short at about 1/3 the length of the handle. No fear about it coming off my belt or out my pocket.Now the action. FYI I have basketball player hands.The speed safe spring is STRONG and the blade came very tight. The spring is so strong that it really pushes against you when you are closing it....so be aware of that and be careful. This blade takes 2 hands to close safely. If you mess around trying to close it with one hand you are likely to get your finger somehow in the way of the blade snapping closed. The spring pushes back hard for first 2/3rds of closing motion until you overcome it then it SNAPS shut very quickly. Watch your fingers because it is SHARP.Opening the blade with my index finger using the "flipper" that is part of the shape of the back of the knife blade is difficult. It takes me over one second to get it to release and open applying quite a bit of pressure. When it snaps into place it does so slowly. It is very tight, very stiff. It may looosen up...it may not. Not sure how that will go. I'm going to give it a few months before considering loosening the pivot screw. (no idea if that is the correct term) As stated my fairly strong large hands have to work to open it one handed. I like bright orange handled knifes...this orange is a great color but not super neon/super bright orange. It's slightly burnt orange color. I love it. All in all I love this knife. I'll probably lose it long before it comes close to wearing out. Again the blade is sharp SHARP. $25 for a Kershaw ? Well this one is closer to living up to the reputation and quality you get with Kershaw products made in the USA or Japan for a higher cost. This one is made by their manufacturer in China and those blades can be hit or miss. I call this one a hit but don't expect a silky smooth open or close out of the box. Good knife for the money I say!

Easy to open/close, blade locks in place securely, good quality, and it's small and lightweight -- overall a good choice for everyday carry. Plus, it's fairly inexpensive -- important when you forget you have it and have to surrender it to TSA or some other security checkpoint.