In this Kershaw Shuffle review, we are going to look at both the Shuffle 1 and Shuffle 2, which are two decent options for your EDC knife.
Both Shuffle versions are versatile and affordable pocket knives with bottle openers.
In addition, you also get a handy flat head screwdriver built in for the more active among us.
You're probably wondering what the overall difference is between them.
It's simply that the Shuffle 2 is slightly larger, has a Tanto blade style, and slightly different look.
However, both knives are small and have an excellent blade. A few of their other features make them excellent everyday carry knives for those on a tighter budget.
Read on to check out the full specs to see if this knife is a great match for your needs.
Disclosure: Some of the links in this article are affiliate links, where I make a small commission at no extra cost to you.
Kershaw Shuffle Review
Kershaw
When Pete Kershaw left Gerber over four decades ago, he founded his own knife manufacturing company, Kershaw.
His company made Oregon its home and remains headquartered there to this day. They are part of a larger Japanese corporation that produces many different types of knives.
Kershaw focuses on pocket knives. Some of the larger corporation’s other lines focus on other forms of cutlery.
Kershaw is known for making high-quality knives and is well respected throughout the knife industry.
Blade
The original Shuffle from Kershaw is slightly smaller. It features a quality steel blade, a liner lock, a decent grip, and a reversible pocket clip.
The blade of the first Shuffle is 2.4 inches long, has a drop point, and is crafted from 8Cr13MoV.
8Cr13MoV is a Chinese steel, which is comparable to the Japanese steel AUS-8.
This steel is popular in budget friendly knives and holds an edge well. It is easy to sharpen to a fine point.
The blade is available in silver and black.
Mechanism
The knife user opens the blade using the convenient thumb studs. The knife opens easily and swings open smoothly.
Once the blade opens, it locks in place by a liner lock mechanism. The knife has a split liner in the handle.
After the user opens the blade, part of the liner snaps into position and locks the blade open. Overall, given how small the blade is, the liner lock works fine.
Handle
The Shuffle’s handle is made from Kershaw’s K-Texture material, which provides a firm grip.
However, because the knife is so small, the handle shape extends onto the blade.
Because of this, the knife does not have much of an indentation to prevent your hand from slipping towards the blade.
While it is shaped to fit your hand, it is still concerning how close your index finger will be to the cutting edge.
The handle is available in black, purple, teal, and lime green.
In addition, the bottle opener located directly on the back of the handle gets uncomfortable. This issue is addressed in the next version of the knife, the Shuffle 2.
Extra Tools
What really makes the Shuffle a unique knife is the bottle opener and the flathead screwdriver on the end of the handle.
This gives the knife some added versatility, which is an awesome feature for an everyday carry knife.
One version of the original Shuffle, called the Shuffle DIY, features a bit driver and includes a Phillips screwdriver bit and a flathead bit with built in storage in the handle.
This makes it easy to remove and use them, but also easy to store them.
Shuffle vs Shuffle 2
The original Shuffle is slightly smaller at 3.25 inches when closed and weighing 2.8 ounces. The reversible pocket clip is another nice feature.
In our opinion, the best version of the Shuffle is the Shuffle DIY, as it adds changeable bits to allow for Phillips and flathead screwdriver use.
This is the only version of the Shuffle we would recommend over the Shuffle 2.
The shortfalls of the Shuffle include its’ very small size. Because it is so small, it is potentially unsafe and does not cut as strong.
Another issue is that the bottle opener is not in the best spot. These shortcomings were corrected with the Shuffle 2.
The Shuffle 2 is slightly larger than the Shuffle. It features an improved handle, a better-positioned bottle opener, and allows for more cutting power.
The blade of the Shuffle 2 is 2.6 inches long and has a Tanto point.
The Tanto point allows for much more cutting strength than the drop point blade of the original Shuffle.
The additional length helps as well.
The blade of the Shuffle 2 is all black in color. Similar to the Shuffle, the blade is crafted from 8Cr13MoV.
Also similar to the Shuffle, it opens manually with thumb studs and is locked in place by a liner lock mechanism.
One major improvement of the Kershaw Shuffle 2 is the handle. Since the glass filled nylon handle allows for a slightly lighter weight knife.
It also allows for a better grip and is much more resistant to wear and tear. What really makes the handle better is the deeper indentation for your index finger.
The improved location of the bottle opener makes the knife more comfortable to use. The bottle opener was moved to the end of the handle and is now a part of the flathead screwdriver.
This prevents anything from digging into your hand while you are using the knife.
The deeper indentation makes it less likely for your hand to inadvertently slip down the blade. The handle is available in black, tan, and olive.
However, one slight issue with moving the bottle opener is that the pocket clip is no longer reversible.
In our opinion, this is a minor price to pay for a vastly improved bottle opener position. The closed length of the knife is 4 inches with a weight of 3 ounces.
Without the bottle opener to catch on your pocket, this is a much better every day carry knife even though the pocket clip is not reversible.
Conclusion
Overall, the Shuffle II is a much improved version. The handle is more comfortable and safer.
The blade allows for more cutting strength as it is slightly longer and has a better shape with its Tanto point.
One slight disadvantage is that there is no Shuffle 2 DIY version available. You are limited to just the flathead screwdriver for now.
We would recommend the Shuffle 2 or the Shuffle DIY. Both will make a excellent everyday carry knife at a very reasonable price.
If you like the Shuffle, you'll definitely want to check out the Link.
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