Changes

[[Image:Leek.png|thumb|right|200px|Kershaw's most recognizable knife, the Kershaw Leek, was designed by Ken Onion in 2002. While serving as a US Marine, Onion devised a helicopter mechanism that was adopted for use by the military. This mechanism eventually morphed into the speedsafe technology that makes the Kershaw Leek so unique and safe among assisted opening knives.<ref name= "CR">{{cite news |last=Ayres|first= James |title=Cutlery Rejects Turned Gold Mines|publisher =Blade Magazine|date=2003-09-01|pages=58-68|volume=30|issue=9|accessdate=2008-08-05}}</ref>]]  

[[Image:Leek.png|thumb|right|200px|Kershaw's most recognizable knife, the Kershaw Leek, was designed by Ken Onion in 2002. While serving as a US Marine, Onion devised a helicopter mechanism that was adopted for use by the military. This mechanism eventually morphed into the speedsafe technology that makes the Kershaw Leek so unique and safe among assisted opening knives.<ref name= "CR">{{cite news |last=Ayres|first= James |title=Cutlery Rejects Turned Gold Mines|publisher =Blade Magazine|date=2003-09-01|pages=58-68|volume=30|issue=9|accessdate=2008-08-05}}</ref>]]  

Kershaw Knives formally began in 1974 when Knife salesman Pete Kershaw left [[Directory:Gerber Tools | Gerber Legendary Blades]] to form his own cutlery company based on his own unique designs.<ref name="GP">Pacella, Gerard (2002), 100 Legendary Knives, Iola, USA, Krause Publications, 145. ISBN 0873494172</ref><ref name="NI">Inman, Naomi (2002)"Birds and Bees: How Businesses Are Really Born, Business is blooming—Oregon’s outdoor retail industry leads the world.", ''Brainstorm NorthWest Magazine'', October 2002</ref><ref name="PR">"Kershaw Knives", ''American Handgunner Magazine'', May-June, 2005</ref>  Early manufacturing was primarily done in [[Directory:Japan|Japan]] before becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese Cutlery giant the KAI Group.<ref name="GP"/><ref name="PR"/><ref name="KAI">"KAI acquires the balance of Universal" Chain Drug Review,  January, 2007</ref>  In 1998, production switched to a new facility located in Wilsonville, Oregon making Kershaw one of the few companies to manufacture their knives in the USA. Due to growth, the facilities were moved to a larger production site close to the original factory in Tualatin, Oregon in 2003.  Current manufacturing facilities are still located in Tualatin with certain goods manufactured in their Japanese and Chinese factories.<ref name="PR"/>  

Kershaw Knives formally began in 1974 when Knife salesman Pete Kershaw left [[Directory:Gerber Tools | Gerber Legendary Blades]] to form his own cutlery company based on his own unique designs.<ref name="GP">Pacella, Gerard (2002), 100 Legendary Knives, Iola, USA, Krause Publications, 145. ISBN 0873494172</ref><ref name="NI">Inman, Naomi (2002)"Birds and Bees: How Businesses Are Really Born, Business is blooming—Oregon’s outdoor retail industry leads the world.", ''Brainstorm NorthWest Magazine'', October 2002</ref><ref name="PR">"Kershaw Knives", ''American Handgunner Magazine'', May-June, 2005</ref>  Early manufacturing was primarily done in [[Directory:Japan|Japan]] before becoming a wholly owned subsidiary of the Japanese Cutlery giant the KAI Group in 1978.<ref name="GP"/><ref name="PR"/><ref name="KAI">"KAI acquires the balance of Universal" Chain Drug Review,  January, 2007</ref>  In 1998, production switched to a new facility located in Wilsonville, Oregon making Kershaw one of the few companies to manufacture their knives in the USA. Since the late 1990s, Kershaw has seen rapid growth. In order to keep up with demand, Kershaw's facilities were moved to a larger production site close to the original factory in Tualatin, Oregon in 2003.  Current manufacturing facilities are still located in Tualatin with certain goods manufactured in their Japanese and Chinese factories.<ref name="PR"/> The Kershaw company is now officially named ''KAI USA Ltd'', and has three lines of products including the original ''Kershaw Knives'' name, ''Shun Cutlery'', which sells kitchen cutlery,<ref name="PR"/> and ''Zero Tolerance'', a newly introduced line of combat knives.<ref name="PVA">"Sharp Partnership". Paraplegia News. January 2006.</ref>  

 

The current incarnation of the Kershaw company is officially named ''KAI USA Ltd'', and has three lines of products including the original ''Kershaw Knives'' name, ''Shun Cutlery'', which sells kitchen cutlery,<ref name="PR"/> and ''Zero Tolerance'', a new line of combat knives.<ref name="PVA">"Sharp Partnership". Paraplegia News. January 2006.</ref> The Zero Tolerance line represents joint designs between custom knife makers Ken Onion, Tim Galyean, and Strider Knives; a portion of the proceeds from the sale of each knife is donated to the Outdoor Recreation Heritage Fund for the Paralyzed Veterans of [[Directory:United States|America]].<ref name="PVA"/> 

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