Name: Kershaw 2038 Iridium DuraLock KVT Folding Knife 3.4" D2 Two-Tone Spear Point Blade, Gray Aluminum Handles, Reversible Clip
Brand: Kershaw Knives
SKU: KS2038
Price: 69.99 USD
Availability: InStock
Rating: 4.375 (16 reviews)

Rebelbuck
Tennessee

Apr 05, 2024

Pros: Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

Awesome EDC

This thing is awesome, D2 blade steel is good for the price point, aluminum handles make the knife feel very sturdy and strong in the hand, cross bar lock is very smooth and easy to work, KVT ball bearing system makes for a knife that opens and closes with little to no resistance, I personally like to compare this knife to the Benchmade 940 Osborne due to similar sizes and purposes. If you want a Benchmade quality knife for not a lot of money I definitely recommend this knife.

Robofavo
St. Paul, Minnesota

Mar 29, 2025

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

The perfect pocket knife?

Cutting to the quick - I've purchased many knives from K.C. but this one hits the "goldie-locks" zone. The blade length is perfect, not to short, not too long. The weight is nice and light in the pocket. The handle, for my large hand, is perfect but on the thinner side. What I really like is the sound, opening and closing, instead of a "clang" it has a quite "snick" that does not draw attention to itself. My came very sharp and the blade is definitely on the thin and slicey side. The aluminum handles are a handsome dark gray, with dark orange, almost bronze colored accent colors. It's a joy to open and close too. I'd like to see a few more variations, more colors, different handle materials, higher end steel too. This one is a winner!

Ted
NY

Jan 22, 2023

Pros: None

Cons: None

Pre-ordered it, received it, love it.

I've become a big kershaw fan as of late and tend to stick to the USA made offerings as a rule. However when they showed this one in the release video I was intrigued right away as I don't have any kershaws that aren't assisted, nor any with this lock type. It arrived quickly and I was impressed with it right away. Smooth but not slippery aluminum handles, smooth ball bearing action that gets better as you fidget with it more, and nice sharp blade out of the box. I do worry a little that I'll end up scratching the finish on the handles though so I'm being careful with it for now. Overall very pleased with it! Wouldn't hesitate to buy another like it if they come out with versions with upgraded blade steel, different color handles, USA made, etc. ;)

Martinoh
Garfield Heights, Oh

Sep 19, 2023

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

Best Kershaw I own

I own several Kershaw knives: A Leek easily my most disappointing knife I only keep it for CPM-154 steel, A Link - big and heavy and boring but 20CV steel, a Blur with S30V - so so, and several Natrix models which are OK. I stopped buying Kershaw knives until I saw and bought the Iridium. Crossbar lock, great action, sleek look, sharp D2 steel, nice feeling aluminum handles and at a real good price point. I saw a review comparing the Iridium to the the Kizer Drop Bear and I agree to a point. I'd rate the Kizer higher just for the steel and I think the action is better. Never-the-less the Iridium is a winner and Kershaw got this one right.

Phillip
Kimberly, Al

Jan 22, 2023

Pros: None

Cons: None

Smoothest knife ever

Love the feel of this knife. Very smooth action with an amazing blade shape. Very sharp out of the box which is standard Kershaw brand

John
Chesaning, Mi

Jan 22, 2023

Pros: None

Cons: None

Kershaw Home Run!

This knife impresses on so many levels. I love the look, I love the feel and quality of the materials, and I absolutely love the action. The dura-lock is a killer mechanism that rivals the Benchmade Bugout and Kizers Drop Bear. I say that without any hesitation because I have both of those other knives and carry them often. It's going to be difficult to knock the Iridium out of my EDC rotation. Thank you to Kershaw for this awesome knife and thank you to KnifeCenter for the quick delivery and great customer service!

Bill S.
NY

Apr 07, 2023

Pros: Ease of Opening, Handle Material, Pocket Clip, Blade Sharpness

Cons: None

I love this knife

The blade shape is great, and the aluminum scales feel nice in the hand. Opening and closing are very smooth. I'm hoping Kershaw sees its success and comes out with a version 2 of this knife. What I'd like to see is a 3" blade and CV20 or something similar. Until then, this is a knife that I carry happily every day.

Tom
Tampa Fl

Jul 17, 2023

Pros: Pocket Clip, Blade Material

Cons: None

Awsome

I really like the blade shape design, D2 is a good enough steel, axis lock is strong and fail safe. I was a little worry about the grip being slippery but it isn't. Deep carry clip is discrete. The little orange spacer give it a playful look like it isn't a weapon.

Ned
Ca

Apr 04, 2025

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Weight

Cons: Lock Ease of Use

With a little practice, EXCELLENT!

Without the clip, I had to adjust my handgrip to close one-handed. Once I got that, so smooth!

John D.
Missouri

Jan 23, 2023

Pros: None

Cons: None

I'm loving it!

If Kershaw is trying to evolve then this is a great move in that direction. The fit and finish are excellent. I love the aluminum scales. They have grip without being textured. I always felt the Bugout should have been a little longer, in the 7.5"-8" range. This knife satisfies that desire. The aesthetics are fantastic. Feels good in the hand. Its punching way above the $65 price tag.

Cookie1986
Wilmington, DE

Oct 07, 2025

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

Kershaw 2038 Iridium Review

Straight out of the box I loved it. This was my first Iridium and now I know why it is coveted as one of the best EDC knives on the market. The weight is perfect, the action is perfect, the blade was sharp and glided through paper with ease, and the fit and finish is excellent. My only gripe was the blade was slightly off center by a couple hairs. However, I didn’t adjust the pivot, after a few actions of opening and closing the knife, the blade self centered and has stayed centered. Lastly, I think the Iridium is a simple yet beautiful design. I’m very happy with my purchase!

Jeremiah
Lander, Wy

Jan 08, 2026

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Weight

Cons: None

Near perfect

Kershaw out did themselves. This knife is becoming my main go to for EDC.

Reynard The Fox
North Carolina

Jun 09, 2025

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Handle Material, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Weight

Cons: Pocket Clip

Nicely Designed, Slick Little Knife

These Kershaws are quite cool. The blade design is beautiful fan shape, with thin saber grind at the dead mid-section of the blade. It has a lengthy top swedge and frisky jimping on the back of the blade. It is the perfect geometry and thickness for sharp slicing (and it came nicely sharp ;) Blade Snaps out cleanly with easily accessible ambidextrous thumb studs. The crossbar lock is strong and (of course) allows for another mode of deployment and closing. There's a bit of a finger choil on the titanium frame, which is gestures at a further notable point about these knifes: the quality of the materials at play: titanium and D2. Aesthetically the accent back bolster is attractive on the Iridium model. The pocket clip is almost deep pocket. It is rounded well, but a little on the stubby side. Some criticisms; aesthetically the titanium frame's finish is good looking and pleasant in the hand; nevertheless, it is too smooth for serious practical application. The aforementioned jimping is well cut and sized, but it is so high up on the back for the knife, it is only useful for feathering type cuts and NOT a a general saber grip of the knife. The last criticism is dependent on the size of your hands. Admittedly mine are huge, but it's a diminutive knife. I sometimes have difficulty acquiring a good grip or hitting features because of its small size. If your medium or smaller, it will fit perfectly in hand. It is a testament to the overall likability of this knife that I shall keep it in spite of these drawbacks.

Jerry
Southgate, Mi

Jan 19, 2026

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Ease of Opening, Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Lock Type, Overall Quality, Pocket Clip, Sheath, Weight

Cons: Handle Material

nice knife....but

I would love to give this knife a better score. Nice blade design. Snappy opening and easy closing. But it wants to fly out of your hand when you open it and use it because the aluminum scales are so slippery. That is the one reason it is not my EDC, it wants to slide out of your hand.

Michael
Houston, Tx

May 08, 2023

Pros: Weight, Pocket Clip, Blade Sharpness

Cons: Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use

Poor QC-Bad Lock Stick

My Comments •This a is a thin medium size, light knife which feels very thin in the hand. •Very disappointed about a lack of attention to detail. Kershaw didn’t bevel one of the long edges of the left handle scale as they did with all the other scale edges. As a result, it has a very sharp top edge remaining that is very uncomfortable. For some reason that top edge was missed during the beveling / de-burring process. •The DuraLock exhibits bad lock stick dragging when attempting to open the blade. Gets worse the more I use it. Purchased two of these knives and both copies exhibit the same problem. •Compounding the above lock sticking issue is the fact the release button is quite small and hard to contact and use. Also the DuraLock spring is quit stiff. This is a poor example of how to build a cross bar lock knife. •I like the contrasting bronze anodized accent color of the back spacer against the gray scales. •Blade can be opened using the DuraLock or ambi thumb studs. •Blade is 0.020” behind the cutting edge and was delivered ‘hair popping’ sharp. •I like the nested, Deep Carry pocket clip with Recessed screws. Works great.

Constantino Bazakis
Miami, Fl

May 10, 2024

Pros: Blade Material, Blade Sharpness, Handle Material, Lock Type

Cons: Handle Feel, Lock Ease of Use, Overall Quality

Defective product, QC problems

The lock wasn’t going fully closed when it wasn’t forcefully engaged. Even then, it didn’t lock all the time. Before I noticed this, while fiddling with the knife, the blade shut on my finger and got cut. I thoght I had been negligent and it was due to lack of attention on my part. However, later that day (everything happened on day 1 of ownership), I found out about the faulty Omega springs. They didn’t have enough tension to shut all the way every time. I opened the knife, and couldn’t fit the springs again, and bent one side severely while trying. This was my fault, but I was trying to fix the knife. It’s very hard to strip completely down and put it back together. Don’t waste your money on this.