Kershaw Half Ton Review

I first heard about the Kershaw Half Ton when I got into knives years ago. Everyone loved it for its great quality and value. Honestly, buying it now is kind of pointless since there are so many better small knives on the market. A couple years ago, there weren't nearly as many small knives on the market, so this Half Ton was one of the few decent options you could get. It's cool, and is good enough for me to recommend. I don't give it my wholehearted recommendation, but if you like the style, check it out. 

Design wise, this is a pretty stout and kind of bulky knife. I don't particularly like the concept of these "big small" knives. It's a smaller knife, but it carries like a mid-sized knife to me. The handles are super thick, which makes the knife pretty heavy. I do like the look of the design though. It's nothing crazy, but it's practical and simple for EDC. 

The blade is 2.5" long, which is a great size for EDC. It's not too small, and not too large. I would say I see it on the edge of the small knife spectrum. I consider small knives to be anything that has a blade length of around or less than 2.5." The blade steel on this thing is 8Cr13MoV, which isn't anything fancy. It's exactly what you'd expect for a knife that costs $10. The thumb studs are an okay way to open the knife. The action is very smooth, but the placement of the thumb studs make the blade harder to deploy.

Handle wise, the ergos are okay. They feel slightly cramped to me. I've definitely felt better ergos on knives in this size range. I do like the scales. They're plastic, but they've got this rubberized sort of grip to them that feels good in the hand. The red and black color combo looks sweet. It's got a liner lock and has solid lockup. I've got no issues with the lock at all. 

Like I said, this carries like a mid-sized knife to me. I think the clip is super impractical. It looks cool, but stands out way too much for EDC. It's a heavy and thick knife, so I notice it a lot when I'm carrying.

You can pick these up for around $10. You're getting a quality knife for that price. I definitely think it's a good value. Normally I'll have quality issues with some of the cheaper Kershaws, but this one is perfect. 

All in all, this is a decent knife. With so many small knife options on the market today, I don't think it stands up to them at all. It's too heavy and bulky to be a good backup blade in my opinion. If you're looking for a smaller knife, check out the Cold Steel Mini Tuff Lite. That one is so much better than the Half Ton. This knife was designed in mind to be overbuilt and take some abuse, so Kershaw did a good job with that. Personally, I don't need that in an EDC blade. Check it out if it peaks your interest, but look elsewhere if you want a small knife. Thanks for looking!