In the beginning, there was Clash. The original, which launched Kershaw's reputation as a maker of affordable quality folding knives, has now evolved into a fan favorite. The Clash brings an assortment of practical and stylish enhancements to the original Clash. The Clash Black, with its upgraded materials and sexier look, is a black-drop-point blade knife with some serious chop. The blade steel of this Kershaw Knives Clash Folder Knife is 8Cr13MoV, just like the real Clash. However, this high-performance steel comes with a secret ingredient: Kershaw's SpeedSafe assisted opening system. A simple pull on the built-in flipper reveals an additional benefit: the Clash Black has SpeedSafe, a mechanism that allows the knife to open and close with the push of a thumb stud. With slightly thicker front and backward curving of the blade in this Kershaw Knives Clash Black Folding Knife, the curvature of the blade increases grip and aids in opening the knife. Partially serrated, the blade on this Kershaw Knives Clash Black Folding Knife offers the strength of serration but less of a loss in steel hardness.