Why carry a single-blade folder when you can carry one sporting three blades at roughly the same size? We’re guessing that’s the main draw behind the Kershaw Brandywine, an upcoming folder with three different blades on board, allowing you to execute any cutting task with the best blade for the job.
Billed as “an update on the classic slipjoint style,” the pocket folder puts three separate blades in a single handle, eliminating the need to rely on just a single blade to execute all your slicing, cutting, and piercing jobs, regardless of how badly suited it is for the job. Whether you need to cut rope on the road, skin small animals in the backcountry, or chop onions in the pantry, this thing gets you the best knife for any task at hand. Simply put, it’s a much better setup than simply carrying a single knife.
The Kershaw Brandywine has three fold-out blades, a clip point, a spey, and a Wharncliffe, giving you maximum versatility for every task you encounter. When camping, for instance, you can pull out the clip point for general tasks such as cutting rope, the spey point for skinning a rabbit you caught, and the Wharncliffe for food prep tasks like cutting onions (it’s ideal for avoiding accidental piercing). Just familiarize yourself with the blades and how they function to let you make the best of them whenever an unexpected task comes up, whether at home, in the workshop, or out in the backcountry.
This is a manual folding knife, by the way, with no mechanical assist, so you’ll have to use two hands to open it (one hand on the handle, one hand nicking the blade open), unless you want to give yourself a harder time than usual. There’s no pocket clip, either, so you’ll have to drop it in a pocket on your pants or jacket, instead of mounting it somewhere on your pants. Basically, it’s an old school folder, which should appeal to those who haven’t quite warmed up to fancier modern knife technologies.
The Kershaw Brandywine has blades cut in 7Cr17MoV stainless steel, which is reinforced with added vanadium, giving it extra strength, wear resistance, and toughness. According to the outfit, the blade should exhibit excellent edge retention and durable function, making it extremely useful as part of your EDC stash. The blades, which are satin-polished for a traditional appearance, measure 2.6, 1.8, and 1.9 inches, respectively, with the whole thing measuring just 3.5 inches long when closed, making it compact enough to fit in most anyone’s pants pockets, all while weighing just 2.3 ounces so it won’t add any discomfort while you go about your day. Other elements include brass liners and brass rivets for that extra touch of class, as well as an equally sturdy handle covered in polished black G10 scales.
The Kershaw Brandywine is scheduled to ship later this year, priced at $39.99.