- Kershaw Iridium · Spear Point3.4″ blade · 3.3 oz · ~0.98″ tall
Kershaw Iridium
The Kershaw Iridium is a 3.4" spear point folder in D2, flat ground. The handle is Aluminum, secured by a duralock. Its DuraLock lock is rare here — no other folder in the catalogue uses one.
- Blade
- 3.4″
- Weight
- 3.3 oz
- Steel
- D2
- Price band
- Mid
Everyday carry and general utility
We don’t have a verified retailer link for this knife yet. We only link products we have confirmed resolve to the right item — here’s why.
Specifications
Manufacturer-published figures, cross-checked against kershaw.kaiusa.com, knifecenter.
- Blade length
- 3.4″
- Blade shape
- Spear Point
- Grind
- Flat
- Steel
- D2
- Overall length
- 7.9″
- Closed length
- 4.5″
- Weight
- 3.3 oz
- Lock
- DuraLock
- Deployment
- Flipper
- Handle material
- Aluminum
- Country of origin
- China
Why a spear point
Symmetrical or near-symmetrical about the centreline, so the point sits in the middle of the blade. Strong tip, even penetration, less belly than a drop point.
Every spear point here →About D2
Semi-stainless: enough chromium to resist spotting, not enough to be stainless. Big carbides mean long edge life and a coarse, toothy edge.
1-5 is a relative ranking drawn from published composition and hardness, not a lab measurement. Higher is better on every axis, and no steel is a 5 across the board — edge retention and toughness pull against each other. All D2 knives
What owners say
Drawn from 683 owner discussions of the Kershaw Iridium since 2024. The opinions are theirs. The specifications above come from the maker.
What owners like
- The DuraLock and bearing pivot make for a smooth, fidget-friendly action: one owner fell for it within an hour, another calls it buttery smooth, and a buyer who owns expensive knives and customs calls theirs centered and fidget friendly
- Slim and light in a pocket: one owner who has carried theirs a while calls it slender and definitely light, and another has no trouble with it in pants with big or side pockets
- Factory edges that cut well out of the box: one buyer calls the full-size Iridium sharp and says it cuts extremely well, and another whittled hard palo santo with ease on day one
- Cheap enough to treat as a beater: one owner who carries it for work calls it a sleek knife you simply replace for about $50 if it breaks, and another calls theirs a favorite beater
- Given as gifts: one owner gave three groomsmen an Iridium after carrying their own for a year, and another bought Mini Iridiums as birthday presents after loving the full-size one
- Benchmade crossbar parts swap in: one owner fitted a Bailout's tritium thumb stud and lock bar, and another runs a tritium Bugout lock bar on an M390 Iridium
- Holds its own against other crossbar knives: one owner rates it a much better knife than a Benchmade Bugout, and another who has had both found it less fun to fidget than an S35VN SOG Terminus XR, whose side-to-side blade play that owner could never get rid of
What owners flag
- The D2 blade rusts with sweat: one owner found rust spots after a day of walking despite a protectant, another saw rust near the thumb studs two days after buying, and one owner's friend comes back almost every week for help removing rust from theirs
- Blade play and centering drift show up on some knives: one buyer had about 1mm of vertical play out of the box, one owner's knife developed slight play over time, and one who bought several as gifts found every one wandered off center after some flicking
- The aluminum scales are slippery: one owner finds them a little slick for a work knife, another finds the knife too slippery in hand, and a third who dislikes the knife names slippery scales alongside QC issues
- The spine can cut you while the knife is closed: one owner cut a thumb on it in the pocket after two months, and another who carried one for a few days ended up with cuts up an index finger and suspects the same cause
- Omega springs can fail and spares are hard to find: one owner had a spring break within weeks of Christmas, and another could not find replacements online and worries about waiting on Kershaw
- Thumb stud and lock bar texture bothers heavy flickers, according to one owner, and another found the stock thumb studs would not unscrew for modding even after ten minutes with channel locks
- Not everyone takes to it: one owner sold an Iridium they hated and bought a Bel-Air, and another found it heavier than a Bugout with more lock stick and an odd blade shape
Under $30 for a mispriced display model, $50 on an Amazon sale, $65 for a reverse tanto, $75 at a local shop: buyers quote prices like these when they explain why the Iridium became their everyday carry. The 3.4-inch D2 blade on aluminum scales is carried as an everyday knife, a work beater and a pocket knife that let one owner stop carrying a Leatherman Wave everywhere, and owners credit it with smooth action and sharp factory edges for the money.
The complaints are specific. D2 rusts with pocket sweat: one owner found spots after a long walk and another two days after buying. Blade play and off-center wandering show up on some knives, the aluminum scales feel slick in a working grip, and one owner cut a thumb on the closed blade's spine while another suspects it caused cuts up an index finger. One owner broke an omega spring in the first weeks and another could not find spares online, though one owner found a Benchmade lock bar fits when paired with Benchmade omega springs.
Two owners moved up to the Bel-Air: one who loved the D2 Iridium bought a MagnaCut Bel-Air on the strength of it, and another who hated the Iridium found the Bel-Air lived up to the hype. Against a Benchmade Bugout, one owner calls the Iridium the much better knife while another found it heavier with more lock stick, and a SOG Terminus XR owner found the SOG more fun to fidget but stuck with blade play.
Will the D2 blade on the Iridium rust?
It can. One owner found rust spots after a day of walking even with a protectant on, and cleaned them off with baking soda and water after WD-40 was not enough. Another saw rust near the thumb studs two days in, and one owner's friend needed help removing rust nearly every week.
Iridium or Bel-Air?
Two owners who moved up liked the Bel-Air: one who loved the D2 Iridium bought a MagnaCut Bel-Air as a no-brainer, and another who hated the Iridium was won over by the Bel-Air. One Bel-Air owner says its blade drops open and closed as freely as the Iridium's when the lock bar is pulled.
Is the Iridium bulky in the pocket?
Two owners who carry it say no. One calls it slender and definitely light, and another has no qualms with it in pants with big or side pockets. One owner of a Bugout, by contrast, found the Iridium the heavier of the two.
Where do you get spare omega springs for the Iridium?
One owner could not find any online and worries about relying on Kershaw if one breaks, and another whose spring broke within weeks ordered replacements through Kershaw's replacement program. One owner who swapped in a Benchmade Bailout lock bar ended up using Benchmade omega springs in the Iridium.
Can you mod the Iridium?
Yes. One owner fitted a Benchmade Bailout thumb stud and lock bar, another a Bugout lock bar, one 3D-printed a new backspacer, and one had it reworked by D2Z Design for more grip. The stock thumb studs are the snag: one owner could not unscrew them after ten minutes with channel locks.
What if my Iridium has blade play or will not stay centered?
It happens on some knives. One buyer found about 1mm of vertical play out of the box, one owner's knife developed slight play over time, and another found a knife loose enough to flick open while closed but could not tighten the pivot with a driver. One owner who bought several as gifts says they can be adjusted, but saw every one wander after a day of flicking.
Features
- Flipper
- DuraLock
- Flat grind
- Made in China
- Tool steel blade — will patina
