Natrix - Carbon Fiber

I love this knife. I have a number of Kershaw knives. I don't have any high dollar knives, mine are more functional and I enjoy sharpening them. This knife instantly became my favorite. It is so light and thin. I was surprised that there appears to be a magnet that keeps it closed. Pretty strong magnet but I can still open it one handed. Having cut myself when my scallion opened in my pocket, I'm a fan of the magnet. This fits nicely in the palm of my hand. I'm just very, very happy with this knife.

Great knife and priced right. It's hard to beat a Kershaw that holds an edge and is easy to open. It's built tough and comfortable and priced better than the rest. One or two should be plenty but I keep buying more because I trust Kershaw steel, they last and every one does a job a little differently and they are designed to meet multiple requirements that a person wants. The Natrix does that for me. Not my first Kershaw and won't be my last.

Got the copper version on sale. The D2 blade was fairly sharp with a good edc profile. Right away, the pivot started loosening with use. I ordered some blue locktite, which should eliminate the issue. Once the blade is centered, it’s buttery smooth and rock solid. I’m only on day 2, but liking the heavy copper handle. Starting to wear in a bit, as I’m able to reverse flick with the fuller if I’m really trying. Flipper tab has sharp jumping that grabs the finger, but also is sharp if you don’t overcome the detent. Overall, one of my new favorite knives.

I own a number of Kershaw knives and I believe they are a great value for the money involved. The Natrix CF is no exception. It is lightweight, carries nicely in the pocket, and, as usual, is razor sharp. The only concern I have is it's long-term durability. Time will tell how this knife will last with the light to moderate use I give all of my knives. I am basing my concerns on the light weight of the knife itself, however I am hoping that the unexpected light weight is due to the carbon fiber used in the scales. Based upon the solid construction I suspect I am being overly cautious. The construction of the Natrix is tight with absolutely no play or wiggle between the blade and the frame anywhere throughout the swing arc of the blade. It locks up like a bank vault door and I have no concerns about the frame lock maintaining it's integrity. Upon deploying the blade with the flipper you notice that the blade sits in a slight detent when stowed. For this reason a good firm press on the flipper is needed but that also ensures complete opening and lockup in a fraction of a second. The ball-bearing pivot is smooth as butter. This is a tip-up carry only knife however the pocket clip can be reversed for either right or left pocket carry. The pocket clip is a deep-pocket carry clip. I do wish the clip was about 1/2" longer. The blade has a very attractive fuller groove that runs just below the spine of the blade on both sides. This fuller is visible when closed, which I like very much. It's a very nice detail and can be used for purchase to open the knife with your fingers, if you choose. The side plates appear to be a dark blue-grey G10 with the carbon fiber scales inlaid. The frame lock portion is the same color as the blade which is a very nice dark grey. The frame has a finger groove for proper gripping just below and slightly behind the pivot, exactly where it should be. The top of the blade has a section of jimping for the thumb approx. 1/2" along the rear of the spine, above and just ahead of the pivot, exactly where it should be also. The fuller groove mentioned above runs from just below the jimping all the way to the downward-curving edge of the drop point blade. Overall, this is a very attractive folder with smooth-as-silk blade operation, is a very convenient size for pocket carry, and has very solid construction. I am very pleased with my purchase and would buy it again in a heartbeat.

This is a great budget knife. Not sure what people are expecting for ~$35, but this is well made for the price point. Modeled after the much more expensive Zero Tolerance 0770. It's very similar specs wise to the ZT0770 in weight and build (which is $225msrp). It's a lightweight knife, not a pocket tank. As such it will suit most needs for basic EDC tasks of the average person. Mine opens fast and securely locks up. Had a good edge out of the box. The stonewashed blade is a nice touch and the machined G-10 handle is comfortable in my hand. It's lightweight which I like in an EDC. Nothing wrong with 8Cr13 steel for basic use- takes a nice edge and retains it well enough. Blade thickness is on par with typical Kershaw knives- not sure what one reviewer is carrying- maybe a pry bar. Perhaps people need to read the description before they buy- this is a lightweight knife; if you think that equates to cheap, this is not your knife. If you like a slim profile, light weight and a great looking design this could be your knife.

I've long ago stopped buying knives that cost as much or more than a gun, so was never going to buy the ZT 0770 even though I was quite attracted to it. After the Natrix came out, I wouldn't buy because I'm not a fan of assisted openers. Enter the Natrix cf. This is the knife I've been waiting for and a steal at $36. The first one was immediately taken over by my son; I thought we could share it but it's been a month and I still haven't seen it, so I got another and couldn't be happier. Pros: No steel liners means light weight. No thumb studs means true flipper. The contrast of shiney CF against matt blue G10 is eye catching. Low ride pocket clip is A+. KVT bearings = fast and smooth opening. Kershaw has top notch warranty and customer service. Cons: Shut up about the blade steel, it's just fine for a light duty edc knife. Shut up about the coating, scratches add character.

This knife absolutely knocks it out of the park for $30-40. Kershaw has been on a bit of a roll lately, and this continues the trend. I honestly can't name a better flipper The good: 1. Fitment: It's extremely well-assembled. Lockup is extremely solid with no blade play in any direction. Blade was perfectly centered, and there's no rattle from the ball bearings. 2. Action: Runs on the time-tested KVT bearings. Extremely smooth, no grittiness or hitch points out of the box. Lockbar is easy to access and is easily moved to close it. Just as smooth as any ball-bearing Zero Tolerance knife I've used. 3. Ergonomics: Quite comfortable in the hand. I have large hands and it would be slightly more comfortable with a larger hump on the back for me, but I can still easily get a full grip. I might have to try out the Natrix XL next to see if that fits my hands better. The G10 feels very high quality for the price, and the carbon fiber provides a surprising amount of grip for being a smooth finish. It's extremely lightweight and thin, and the deep carry pocket clip works very well - it holds securely without being overly loose or tight. 4. Design: Based on the ZT-0777, it's an extremely good-looking knife. The two-tone handle with CF is very fetching, and the gray blade finish suits it well. I love wharncliffe variant blade shapes like this - they look great and are extremely functional for everyday usage. 5. Out of box sharpness: Good, as always for Kershaws in this price range. Not the sharpest knife in the world, but more than ready to start using right away. Neutral: 1. Blade steel: It's 8Cr13MoV. Nothing wrong with this steel - it's cheap, corrosion-resistant, and easy to sharpen, but it won't hold an edge as long as modern powder or tool steels. Kershaw's heat treat and QC on their steel is better than any of their competitors at equivalent prices, but I would have gladly paid $20-30 extra to have the exact same knife with D2, S30V, or even 154CM. I hope they bring out blade steel variants on this KVT version of the standard Natrix in the future. The bad: 1. Finish: While still very good for the money, it's not perfect. The grind lines on the blade are not perfectly symmetrical - the thick bit near the tip was about 1 mm further up on one side. While the blade spine and outside edges of the G10 handle are nicely chamfered, the inside edges are quite sharp if you dig in with your thumb while using the knife. This could easily be fixed by taking the knife apart and lightly sanding down the inside edges, and though they will likely wear in a bit over time. There were also a couple of dents/imperfections in the carbon fiber out of the box, and some small spots on the edges where the CF had obviously chipped during machining. Nothing that you would notice unless you really inspect it closely, but it's worth noting that it's not quite up to the standards of higher-priced options like a Zero Tolerance. All in all, an incredible value. It makes a great lightweight EDC, and it's cheap enough that you really don't have to worry about it getting dirty or damaged. The combination of its light weight, great flipping action, and low cost have had it in my pocket every day for the last few weeks, despite my collection including knives that cost more than 10x as much.

Blade deploys with a very satisfying thwick, locks well. It's very slim and therefore a great EDC. Pocket clip is very deep carry, again, making it great EDC. Didn't arrive very sharp but 15 minutes on a Wicked Edge fixed that and it's incredibly slicey now. Knocked off one star for the subframe lock-stick. Took much much break-in and some lube to get it to the point that the lock didn't hurt my thumb. It's still not a fidget-all-day knife but is functional. If you want a fidget knife I suggest you look at a Civivi. EDIT: After further use, the amount of detent is annoying, too much pressure needed on the flipper to deploy the blade. And that annoying lock-stick is still there. Doesn't render the knife unusable but it is really a sharp contrast to other knives that are only $12 more. If you don't need to use the knife often through the day, it's okay. If you have to open and shut, use a knife frequently, your forefinger and thumb will hurt at the end of the day.