EL PASO, Texas (KTSM) — For the past three or four months, I have been rediscovering traditional pocket knives, the type of pocket knives I might have had when I was a boy or that my father, an uncle or scoutmaster might have carried back in the day.
My newest addition was kind of a surprise for even me. I bought a Kershaw Gadsden from Chicago Knife Works.
The knife is a mini-trapper with red bone handles. For the uninitiated, a trapper pattern traditionally has two blades coming out of the same end of the knife — a clip point and a spey blade. A clip point is pretty self-explanatory, a blade with a sharp point that is great for cutting.
A spey blade usually has a more rounded tip and can be great for cutting paper, string or spreading peanut butter in a pinch. It is actually quite useful. And the spey blade on my new Kershaw Gadsden is actually a littler pointier than the usual spey blades on some of my other traditional knives.
The Gadsden is 3.5 inches long when closed and each blade is 2.75 inches long, so it fits pretty easily into a fifth pocket in your jeans or Dockers or in one of the utility pockets in cargo pants.
The fit and finish is nearly flawless and both blades have great “snap” to them. There is no half stop on either blade, if that sort of thing is important to you.
My verdict: It compares quite favorably to the Case Sod Buster Junior I recently bought, at about half the prices.
Kershaw dates back to 1974 and is widely credited with developing assisted-opening knives. The company has a reputation for making quality modern knives.
Truthfully, I had no idea this company even made traditional pocket knives.
But last week, I came home from a hectic day of work and turned on YouTube and started watching EDC videos, after the rest of the family was off asleep.
My friend Andrew over at Baxters Blades had just picked up a Kershaw Gadsden himself in red bone and he was showing it off.
I have to confess I have never done this before. While watching his video, I went ahead and ordered it from the exact same place that Baxters Blades did. I didn’t even wait to finish up the video before making the purchase.
Usually, I am quite the overthinker and I like to analyze things, look at different angles and see what looks like the best solution or fit.
But I was in the mood for a new knife and this one was right in my budget range. From Chicago Knife Works, I was able to get it for around $23, including shipping.
Kershaw Gadsden in red bone Photos by Dave Burge/KTSM
Hats off to Baxters Blades for another fine recommendation.
I messaged him and told him that I ordered the knife. He replied that my only regret would be not ordering two. He was right again.
As for the name, I absolutely love it — the Gadsden.
From an historical standpoint, the nearby Mesilla Valley in Southern New Mexico was part of the Gadsden Purchase back in 1854. A Southern New Mexico school district, headquartered in Santa Teresa, also bears the Gadsden name.
One note: The Kershaw website lists the Gadsden in red bone as being discontinued.
Here are some helpful links if you are interested in adding this to your EDC.
Here is a link to the video Baxters Blades made on the Kershaw Gadsden
Here are some other YouTube channels that I have found to be fun and informative:
C. Risner Cutlery (Traditional Pocket Knives)
Editor’s note: Dave Burge is a web producer and digital reporter for KTSM.com. All gear mentioned or reviewed was paid for out of his own pocket unless specially stated otherwise.
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