REASONS TO BUY
Compact
Excellent construction
Adequate materials
REASONS TO AVOID
No assisted opening
Slender handle
Kershaw Chill Review
Small, well-made, and functional for moderate daily use and excellent for your backpacking cook set; it will cut vegetables and cheese all day long
Credit: Amazon
RELATED: Best Pocket Knives of 2024
Our Verdict
The Kershaw Chill sits squarely at one of the points in the market where value and function intersect. In a crowded field, where prices range from single digits to nearly four digits, there is a whole range of values available. In the under-50 price range, this is an excellent knife. You get careful design and excellent construction. The materials are adequate, especially for the casual user. Discerning knife consumers, heavy daily users, and those that are particularly detail oriented will notice the cheaper blade steel, the lack of assisted opening function, and a small-diameter handle. We like this knife for the camp kitchen and routine backpacking use. For EDC, it will work well too, but the slender blade and narrow handle limit it to casual to moderate tasks.
Our Analysis and Test Results
For day to day and backcountry use, we really dig the budget products from the knife industry's heavy hitters. A company like Kershaw has the scale and know-how to make a price-point knife, but they can't bring themselves to dumb it down too much.
Performance Comparison
Long and slender Chill. For backcountry use, the lightweight and thin profile pack away nicely and cut food well.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Blade and Edge Integrity
8Cr13MoV steel, as is used in the Kershaw Chill, seems to be fast becoming the lower cost steel of choice for the big knife companies. Kershaw's heat treatment is excellent, making for a finely tuned hardness. In normal use, you might sharpen the Chill once every few months or so. The blade geometry is thin and somewhat delicate. We didn't have any troubles with the blade of the Chill, but our experience with other blades sharpened to a shallow edge angle indicates that heavy use might chip or roll the Chill's edge.
Ergonomics
Ergonomics and portability are, to a certain degree, at odds. The narrow handle profile of the Kershaw Chill fits unobtrusively in your pocket or your compact backpacking kitchen bag. The catch is that it doesn't quite fill even small hands. The squared off handle corners and small handle “diameter” don't support heavy cutting forces. Also, the back-of-blade index finger tab for one-handed opening isn't as slick or fast as a thumb stud. For fast, daily use, an assisted opening function would be nice too. The Chill deploys slowly; it is best for more occasional and deliberate tasks.
Pull that finger back on the barely-visible tab to deploy the Chill's blade. This is the same blade deployment as the CRKT Jettison. The Kershaw Leek also has an option like this.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Select a thumb-studded, assisted opening knife for frequent use. The Chill doesn't deploy as reliably fast as something equipped with thumb stud opening.
A slender knife like the Chill isn't as well suited to whittling as a more robust option. Nonetheless, you can tackle a fair amount of wood shaping with this knife.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Portability
The Chill is on the small and lightweight end of the pocket knife spectrum. Of course, there are even smaller knives. However, any smaller than the Chill and you enter the novelty category. In short, the Chill is as portable as we want in a full-function knife. The pocket clip is tight and solid, the option to add a lanyard is nice, and the external profile isn't too sharp or rough. It isn't as gentle on the pocket as some, but it won't do too much damage either.
The Chill pocket clip is small and neutral in color. Only the very top of the knife itself peeks out of your pocket; just enough to grab ahold of but not so much that it is painfully obvious on your nice pants.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Construction Quality
We noticed no issues with construction quality on the Chill. Generally, this is our experience with budget items from the major knife manufacturers. They reach the price point with down-graded materials and elimination of some amenities but still assemble the knife well. This makes for a well constructed product.
When assessing construction quality, we look at tension and friction in hinges, locks, and the pocket clip. In these ways the Chill is right in the mix with the more expensive award winners.
Other Features
There are no additional features on the Kershaw Chill. This is just an excellent blade that folds into its handle. Simplicity in action.
If you want screwdrivers or beverage openers on your pocket tool, check out the Victorinox Climber or any one of our many tested Multi Tools.
Related: Best Multi-Tools of 2024
The compact handle of the Kershaw Chill disappears entirely in an average adult hand. You'll notice this only in the heaviest of tasks.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
The Chill flicks open with the index finger of the same hand holding the knife. True one-handed deployment, if you have a quick finger.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Value
The Kershaw Chill has great function but won't break your heart if you lose it. For small items, this might be the definition of value.
We tested these two knives extensively, side-by-side. The Chapter from The James Brand is nearly 10 times the cost of the Chill. The Chapter materials are significantly upgraded, but every tester's first impression valued the longer blade of the Chill.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
Conclusion
Of course, we like super high-quality knife blades. In most cases, excellent steel and careful attention to detail jack the price way up while making the blade nicer to a discerning eye. To the typical user, though, the marginal gains in blade quality and detailing aren't noticeable. You might use the Kershaw Chill right next to one at 2-4x the cost and notice zero difference in the blade. When we look closely, we can tell the difference. Over years and years, you might tell the difference. In the meantime, the Chill will do all you need it to do at a much more affordable price. In comparing to award winners, remember that the Chill also cuts out an assisted opening and thumb-stud activation. These things are nice but perhaps not worth the extra cost for a typical casual user. The Chill is the knife we recommend for installing in your camp kitchen. If you lose it, you aren't out tons of dollars. It cleans up easily and holds an edge for that occasional backcountry steak.
The Chill holds its own among this high-end selection.
Credit: Rosie De Lise
—
Jediah Porter
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