One of the knives I’ve owned for longest that makes its way into the rotation is the Kershaw 1555Ti. It’s cheap, I’m never worried about putting it through things, and it stays sharp beautifully with the Lanksy sharpening system. As a utility knife that is cutting open boxes, rubber hoses, or anything that needs a clean cut; this is my go-to.

Everyday Carry

The Kershaw 1555Ti makes it into my pocket more often than most other items. I work a desk gig and tend to not want to keep too many things on me. I keep a minimalist wallet, keys, watch, chapstick, headphones, my phone, and a knife on at me every day. The size and function of the 1555Ti lays slim against my leg and mostly out of sight with a robust deep carry clip. As mentioned, it stays sharp even with 8Cr13MoV stainless. It’s a worry-free knife for me.

Outdoors

This isn’t where the Kershaw 1555Ti shines. The all-metal minimalist construction doesn’t lend itself well to handle in wet conditions. The deep carry pocket clip doesn’t lend itself well for tedious use as it tires the hand if you’re really working at something.

I wouldn’t be upset if it was the only knife I had on me for the weekend, however. The knife is comfortable enough to use and the spring-assisted tab on the blade acts as a nice safety for gripping the handle fully. The blade is thin enough, yet robust enough, to handle outdoor chores well enough. I wouldn’t be at a loss to make feather sticks, cut notches, or cut down a sapling with this knife.

Years of Use

Honestly, I don’t know how long I’ve had this knife. I must have bought it when it first won the 2012 Best Buy of the Year. After ~6 years of regular use, I can say that this has proven to be a reliable, quality, affordable knife.

The speed assist is as snappy as the day I remember it and it locks up just as well. There’s zero play in my Kershaw 1555Ti cryo after years of use.

Issues

The ONLY issue I’ve ever experienced with this knife is the pocket clip screws dislodging. There was a period where the knife didn’t make it into the rotation because I’d have to find my Torx wrenches to tighten down the screws. At some point, I remedied this by adding a drop of super glue to the screw threads and they haven’t budged since. The pocket clip is reverseable.

Worth Mentioning

Why is there a thumb stud? It hasn’t gotten in the way while sharpening thanks to it’s low profile, but it seems like overkill when the tab on the back of the blade acts as the lever to spring the knife open. I suppose this is totally based on preference.

Final Thought

At the time of this writing, 2012’s best knife of the year is only $20. For the price, quality, and amount of use it has gotten; I’m more than pleased with my purchase several years ago.

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