Kershaw Bel Air Pocket Knife, Made in The USA, 3.4 inch CPM MagnaCut Steel Blade, EDC Design, Duralock Locking Mechanism, Manual Folder, Pocketclip

I got the light colored frame option. This review is based just on design and functionality, since I haven't put the knife's blsde to serious use, yet. I bought my wife the benchmade a couple years back; she loves it, but when I got this and compared it against hers it's not even a question, the aluminum frame and the build quality of this puts the benchmade to shame. I just got this in January 2026. I understand some of the first units out, a few years ago, had a little bit more play in the blade and some people didn't like that; Kershaw obviously listened, because this thing has no play. The blade is so easy to flip open, the knife is lightweight (heavier than the benchmade, but still super light to be a casual EDC pocket knife), the balance and feel of the frame and blade and everything is just so ideal. Even though I haven't to battle tested this, so I can't attest to the heat treatment, etc., for those of you who don't know much about a knife steels, this steel, CPM Magnacut, is probably the best possible deal you could use for a small folding knife. It has terrific edge retention, up there near the hardest of steels that are picked specifically for edge retention, while not sacrificing on toughness (the thing that keeps you from snapping the blade when you use it to pry something apart or banging on something), and while also being near-stainless (aka won't rust). Dr. Larrin Thomas designed this steel before Crucible went to bankrupt. He designed it to have smaller carbide formation, which allows it to be hardened to the levels of a much harder super steel without sacrificing toughness. Until Larrin releases his next steel (he's been working on commercializing his latest design), this is the best option out there for a small blade, and one of the best two options for a larger (bushcrafting) blade, the other being CPM 3V, which sacrifices some of the edge retention that Magnacut offers in return for better toughness (for malleting, machete hacking, etc.).

I own a lot of knives, and many are around the same size as the Bel-Air, all from respected companies. All I can say is wow! This is a fantastic knife. Fit and finish are excellent, action is incredible, and the Magnacut steel lives up to its reputation. This knife is a joy to flick open and close quickly with just a little pull on the lock. It feels almost like a razor-sharp fidget toy, it's that much fun to play with. The clip is great, low profile and holds well. The clip was the ONLY issue I had with the knife at first. I'm a lefty, and couldn't figure out how to get one screw out. The top screw on the clip goes all the way through the handle, and is actually TWO pieces nestled together. Getting it loose required a torx driver on either side. Once it came off though switching it to lefty was no problem. It took me a while to finally pull the trigger on this knife, and I'm sorry I waited so long. It's not a heavy-duty user by any means, but as an EDC that carries and handles well with great steel in that +/- 3" blade range, the Bel Air is hard to beat. I own a Benchmade Bugout that I was carrying before I got this Kershaw. If anyone wants to buy a used Bugout, let me know......

It is hard to beat a kershaw bel air knife for a EDC. I really like this brand as they make. high quality knife made in the USA. The bel air is super smooth opening and closing. The knife fits the hand and is grippy. Gimping on the blade adds to blade control. The knife’s hardware is very good and its blade is centered in the frame. The magnacut steel blade arrives super sharp. Kershaw has a fantastic warranty and customer service too.

Love the bearing lock system. Finger flick opening is a breeze. Very smooth action, high fidget factor. The sharp thin blade of strong magnacut steel fantastic & being USA made is the icing on top.

“The Bugout Killer — Smooth, Sharp, and Built Like a Gentleman with Calloused Hands” I wasn’t planning to fall in love again—but then the Kershaw Bel-Air showed up in my mailbox. I opened the box, flicked the tab, and that blade snapped out like it had something to prove. Smooth. Confident. Ready for business. First thing I noticed? It’s light. Like, “forget it’s in your pocket until you need to slice open a box or fend off an overly ambitious Amazon package” light. But don’t mistake that for weakness—this thing is sturdy, perfectly balanced, and that MagnaCut steel is no joke. It’s the kind of blade you could trust to cut cordage, open letters, or perform emergency surgery on a snack bag. Mine came razor sharp right out of the box—sharp enough to shave a few arm hairs just to test (don’t pretend you haven’t). The deep-carry clip disappears in your pocket like it’s undercover. And the color of the scales? Some folks called it a “weird tan.” I call it ruggedly handsome. Here’s the kicker: it was just over a hundred bucks on sale. Benchmade guys love to talk about their Bugout, but this Bel-Air? It walks in smooth, flips open faster, and leaves the Bugout quietly wondering where it went wrong. If knives had personalities, this one would be the guy who shows up early, chops wood shirtless, and still manages to smell like cedar and confidence. Bottom line: ounce for ounce, it’s the best EDC knife I’ve ever owned.