# Kershaw Outcast Knife Review



## TOB9595 (Jul 21, 2005)

I got this for ~ $60 shipped.
It's a GREAT field knife.
It's 22 ounces of D2 steel, rubber handle, kydex sheath, 10 inch blade.

I had loved my HI Khukuris for outdoor bushwacking and such. They are heavier than this...Gotta weigh em. My BAS was my fav till this Outcast came along.






I whisked thru light brush and weeds like it had a motor on it. THin blade and long cutting edge helped in this.
I was concerned about the rubber handle blistering my hand. Surprisingly, not even a hot spot.

I lopped a 1.5 inch limb that was way overhead. Must have been over eight feet cause I didn't get a good swipe with the blade. Had to reach way high and didn't come down as I would have liked.





took two swipes till it was cut thru.





Course this was at the other end of the limb and I was watching out for them...Got stung anyway /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif





Repositioned the bees hive into the woods. They circled and circled till they found the hive again. Industious little beggers....
Well I used it a mite and the edge was still sharp





So I took to choppin through a large trunk.





After 50 or so hatchet like cuts I stopped. It's damn hot and humid out nowadays!!!!!
But I was satisfied that I could cut through most anything...if I really need to. A saw is what I would use on this anyway.....Chipped out a good deal of wood when I was done with choppin.





So How will it baton...It's thin so will it break? I didn't have any end grain to baton thru so I drove it into some trunk.
The limb you see to your right was the baton stick.










Very IMPRESSIVE WITH BATONING THIS!!!!





When I was done beating it like a madman and sweat was pourin off me I figured I'd sit a spell and draw pull the knife and see what it's do. I figured the edge would have rolled
NOT!!!!!!!!!





Course I'm using several different areas of the blade. Belly for chopping and batoning. The belly drew thru very nicely but it's a bugger to pull cut and keep on a plane to get thin stuff with a belly. It keeps wantin to veer off to the side.










This piece is thinner than it appears ...






This is the edge when I was done with all this. I didn't steel or strop or sharpen thru the whole ordeal..















All in all a fantastic knife at a GREAT price.
Of course it is for general heavy cutting
Tom


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## drizzle (Jul 21, 2005)

Great review and pics!

I still haven't really spent a lot on a knife so $60 seems like a lot of money. But when you look at the competition with this quality of steel this looks like a good deal.

Man, this would make a great camp knife.


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## ErickThakrar (Jul 22, 2005)

It is indeed a great camp knife. But I don't agree with the blade being thin. 
It's almost a quarter inch thick. That's not thin in my book. 
I love this knife though.


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## TOB9595 (Jul 23, 2005)

Pics of the sheath.

Fits well in the sheath. Nice and tight. I wonder how long the knife keeper (lashdown for the handle) will stay together, feels a bit flimsy but with the materials used it may last longer than me /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Weighs 22.8 ounces in sheath. Many configurations available with the eyeholes. TO move the TekLok or lash the sheath to leg or pack.





Belt keeper is efficient and BIG. The belt is a 1.5 inch Wilderness five stitch. There is no slide to take up slack of the belt size. dunno if this will be a concern in field use. I haven't spent much time in the woods with this on my belt.





The sheath has a split thumb ramp which I have come to enjoy from other kydex sheaths. It is an ease to draw.










The handle fills the hand when drawing and "unlocking" with the thumb.





Tom


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## TOB9595 (Aug 1, 2005)

No! Not my hand, but a bud who ok'd me posting this pic.
He was whackin about the yard with his Outcast. Gettin kinda dark/dusk. He popped it into the sheath and, as I have done with many kydex knives and the outcast, he put it in upside down.
The blade was stuck so he got a good grip and yanked it out.
The blade was facing the thumb opening and ripped the livin $$$$ outta his hand.
Some damage to the hand but he was lucky. ????

Just a heads up to be careful. I will always, I HOPE, have the image of this hand when I put a blade in kydex upside down...

This could happen to any of us.....

Really speaks well for the edge holding of the D2 Outcast.

Thanks Mark for lettin me post the pic...
Tom


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## Kevin Tan (Aug 2, 2005)

Thanks for the review!!!

Wasnt interested at first bcus of the d2 steel not optimised for a chopper n oso not currently inthe market for a big blade, but after ur review i'm getting 1!!!

Oh! Thanks for making me get another blade /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif /ubbthreads/images/graemlins/grin.gif


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## Grox (Aug 2, 2005)

TOB that's a nasty nasty picture. That would have hurt a lot. But the Outcast looks like a great camp knife. I really enjoyed reading your review!


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## Mandog (Jun 16, 2008)

I realize this is a very old thread, but I'd like to know more about how your buddy did that to his hand, TOB9595. I don't fully understand how he "put it in upside down". Please elaborate, if you still remember that is.


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## Illum (Oct 3, 2008)

if you look at the sheath of the outcast you'll notice that its made to hold the blade in one way only



And also note that the top part of the sheath have fewer rivets than below

When the knife is properly sheathed, the blade edge is pointed down, safely holding the sharp edge away from the drawing area 
top view:




bottom view:




Now, say that the blade was inserted backwards, it would mean that the blade can only go as far as the pic depicts here

Any further it will be jammed if you force the blade tip between the two polymer layers which is, in term, tensioned by the rivets.



note that the knife belly is now completely exposed to the outside where no rivets are present? his buddy probably tried to draw the knife in the manner in which the knife was meant to be drawn, but the knife isn't properly positioned:shrug:

any help in resolving the confusion?


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## TOB9595 (Oct 7, 2008)

When you carry and use the Outcast it's easy to jam the blade in upside down.
And because we are so use to the blade going smoothly in....The upside down blade is jammed in with some good force.
I have attempted to put the blade in upside down. NOT on purpose but it just fell in that way.
I did GINGERLY remove the blade ALL THE WHILE thinking of the palm that got so ripped up.

This isn't the first blade I have tried to put in upside down.. and jammed in the sheath.

As you note my bud tried yanking the blade out with a LOT of force. He was successful at removing the blade...ALAS the thumb opening just spread apart and sliced him good.
Tom


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## Illum (Oct 7, 2008)

If you have a tendency of stuffing it in upside down...consider installing a lanyard through the handle


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## Patriot (Oct 15, 2008)

It seems that it would be easy to feel the handle curve and that it wouldn't be easy to put in upside down due to that fact. If that happens a lot I think Illum's idea of the lanyard is a great idea. 

Thanks for the review and thank God your friends hand is ok. No missing fingers and hopefully no nerve damage.


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## mryen (Oct 26, 2008)

hi guys,

trying to figure a way to carry the outcast in a lower position. the original belt clip makes carrying the outcast too high...also making cumbersome to draw the knife.:shrug:



yen


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## Illum (Oct 27, 2008)

Unscrew the two screws that holds the belt attachment and parachord it to where you want it to hang, IIRC there are no other areas that the belt attachment thingie.

I find the holster big and bulky if I wanted to attach it on me, I have it tied to the packpack


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