Who is ken onion

Q: What got you started down the path of a knifemaker? A: I had a thing for knives from a very young age. Growing up on a farm in West Virginia, we worked hard, and knives were an essential tool in our daily lives. That said, they were always more than a simple tool for me and I have fond memories of collecting pocket knives as a kid; cleaning them up, refinishing them and wondering what stories their various nicks, dents and scratches could tell.

I was stationed with the Marines in Hawaii, and when I got out of the service, I never left. That was around , and that local knife maker was the legendary Stan Fujisaka.

He was incredibly generous with his time and knowledge and helped to teach me what he knew. Think, for instance, of the models with the innovative SpeedSafe-assisted opening. A system that enables the user to easily open the blade using only one hand. It is not only safe, but also very legal! It is, therefore, a piece of cake for both left and right-handed users.

Also important to know is that the SpeedSafe-knives are not automatically opening knives which is why this opening system is legal in many countries. The most important aspect of the SpeedSafe mechanism is the spring.

Because it is what keeps the blade closed. However, you only need to apply a little pressure on the flipper or thumb stud to overcome the resistance of the spring after which the blade is released from the handle. In a locked position that is. All there is left to do then is use the knife. In Kershaw introduced the first Ken Onion knives with the SpeedSafe-opening after which he received a patent for this mechanism.

Today many other knife makers also introduce knives with an assisted opening. However, the immense popularity and the proven sustainability of the original will never be matched. This confirms how special and innovative this system actually is. Ten years ago Ken started pointing out that the knife industry had fallen behind. Especially when it came to maintaining a pocket knife. As you might know, dirt in between the handles and the blade can and should only be considered as a small disaster.

In the end you are left with a knife that needs to be disassembled. However, this is quite difficult, not to mention very time consuming. Ken felt it was time to fix this problem and came up with the Field Strip Technology. A technology which ensures that you can easily disassemble, clean, and reassemble your knife. Without being left with blade play. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Remember me Log in.

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