KERSHAW 1776 Link Flipper Folding Knife Review

The KERSHAW Link Flipper Folding Knife with assisted opening is a versatile and lightweight everyday carry folding knife with a high-carbon steel blade. The blade is extremely sharp right out of the box. The handle is made from glass filled nylon which has a nice feel in your hand. It also has the option of being on your left or right pocket as the pocket clip is able to be switched to either side of the handle. The blackwash finish on the blade also gives it a nice “worn” look.

I have nothing bad to say about the KERSHAW Link Flipper 420HC folding knife. I’m extremely pleased with it and highly recommend anyone looking for a decent and affordable folding knife to get one. It also makes a great gift for someone you know.

Specs

Drop-Point Blade
SpeedSafe Assisted Opening
420HC Stainless Steel
Black-oxide BlackWash ™ finish
Glass Filled Nylon Handle
Blade Length: 3.25″
Overall Length: 7.6″
Weight: 4.8 ounces

Pros

Very Sharp
Lightweight
Affordable
Alternating Pocket Clip
Made in USA

Cons

Continual sharpening
Can open if dropped

Cost

At the time of this article, the KERSHAW Link Flipper 420HC Steel Folding Knife goes for around $80. It does come on sale occasionally, so keep an eye out! I’ll list a few websites below depending on if you’re in the USA or Canada.

BladeHQ (USA)
DLT Trading (USA)
Warriors & Wonders (Canada)
West Coast Hunting (Canada)
Timber Knives (USA)

First Impression

I was given the KERSHAW Link Flipper as a gift from a few of my closest friends. As soon as I took it out of the box I was very happy with how the knife looked. Even though it’s lightweight at just under 5 ounces, I could tell that the blade had a decent weight to it and the handle had almost no weight at all. The handle felt nice and smooth in my hand, but with the knurling you still get a good grip. The blade stopper on top also acts as the “flipper”, so with a quick pull with your index finger, the blade snaps open and locks in place.

420HC Blade

The blade is constructed from 420HC (High Carbon) Stainless Steel which allows for good durability and strength while also giving you a decent edge. The shape of the blade itself is nice and the thickness is 0.11″ making it a high performance blade! The BlackWash finish gives it a sweet look without having a high shine, but more of a rugged look to it. The thing about the 420HC Blade is that it’s extremely easy to sharpen, so that after continual use of the blade, and it dulls over time, you can quickly get that sharp edge back by using a sharpening rod. The edge itself has been measured to roughly 0.020″.

Handle

The handle is constructed out of Glass Filled Nylon, which is made by using powdered glass and nylon resin. This style of handle is great for is extreme strength and resistance to heat. The knurling on the sides give you a nice grip on the handle. There’s also a high point where the blade meets the handle, so that while you’re cutting there’s no chance for your hand to slip up the blade.

Scenarios

The KERSHAW Link Flipper 420HC makes a great everyday carry knife. You can use it for making shavings for a fire in the woods, or for emergency situations like cutting a seatbelt off, or for snacking on an apple! The possibilities are endless. If you have this blade clipped on your jeans, you’ll sure be using it often enough.

Conclusion

If you’re in the tactical community at all, then you know how important it is to have gear on your or nearby ready to go that can be used at a moments notice when needed. The motto I have been using on this blog, “Live. Fight. Move.”, fits perfectly for this knife. It can be used in survival applications, it can be used to fight to protect yourself or those around you, and it can be used to allow someone to be freed in danger and move out of harms way. I’m very happy with the KERSHAW Link Flipper 420HC, and I know you will be too if you decide to purchase this knife. I love the look, the feel, and the functionality.