A pretty long time ago, I was given a Kershaw Brawler as a gift. It was among one of the first Kershaw knives I had ever had–and it was also one of the first assisted opening knives I’d ever gotten my hands on.
It felt like I was really stepping into the knife world and getting involved. And, as such, I really enjoyed that knife, thought it was a great one, and it was one of my favorites (I still do).
Of course, that was a while ago–and I’ve learned quite a bit since then. So, with what I’ve learned and all the other knives I’ve used and looking back on my experiences with the knife… just how good is the Kershaw Brawler?
Specs
First, let’s dive into the specifications of the Brawler.
| Overall Length: | 7.1 inches (18 cm) |
| Closed Length: | 4.1 inches (10.5 cm) |
| Blade Length: | 3 inches (7.6 cm) |
| Blade Thickness: | 0.121 inches (3 mm) |
| Blade Steel: | 8Cr13MoV |
| Handle Material: | Glass-Filled Nylon |
| Handle Thickness: | 0.55 inches (14 mm) |
| Weight: | 3.9 oz (110.6 g) |
The blade is made out of 8Cr13MoV–which is a pretty good budget steel. For the price of 8Cr13MoV, you’re unlikely to care if you chip, roll, or break the blade–or even just lose the knife. The steel is one that performs pretty well. It’s not super amazing (it is a budget steel, after all), but it delivers nice performance that, for most people, is all you’ll ever need.
The blade has a modified tanto shape that’s about 3 inches long. It also has a black oxide coating that, while mostly there for appearance, does help with corrosion resistance.
The handle is glass-filled nylon. It’s rigid, tough, and easy to grip with the texture that Kershaw built into the handle scales.
The pocket clip is a pretty standard 4-position pocket clip. It allows the knife to be ambidextrous along with the action. Speaking of…
The action is a flipper and a thumb stud, with SpeedSafe spring-assisted opening. The thumb stud also doubles as the stop for the knife when it springs out. It’s an ambidextrous, easy-to-open knife.
Finally, for the lock, it’s got a regular ol’ liner lock.
Design & Functionality
The overall design of the Brawler makes it look and feel like it should be used for self-defense. After all, the name of the knife is “Brawler.”
The black coating, the modified tanto blade, the SpeedSafe opening all just work together to make this super tactical-looking blade that seems like it should be used for self-defense, with the ability to use it as an EDC, as well.
Now, I’ll admit, I never actually had to use it as a self-defense knife–it just looks like that would be the main purpose. Instead it was an everyday carry for me (and I’m guessing it will be for you, too–I’m hoping you don’t have to use it for self-defense very often, if ever).
Real-World Use
In terms of how the knife actually held up in real-life use, I’d say it fared pretty good. Let’s check out each of the different (important) parts of the knife.
The Blade
The blade, with its 8Cr13MoV steel, didn’t stay sharp for too long. For the price, though, that’s totally fine. 8Cr13MoV is a budget steel that you sharpen pretty often because the edge retention isn’t the best. But it is very easy to sharpen and can hold a pretty sharp edge (just not for very long).
In terms of how well it actually worked, normally, with tantos, you run into an issue when slicing. The tanto blade shape is mainly used for stabbing/piercing. However, slicing with the Brawler really didn’t feel that bad.
When you slice, the blade tends to have a sweet spot further back in the belly of the knife, near the handle. With the tanto-bladed Brawler, it tended to slice better toward the front.
The second edge of the tanto (the front, pointy part) also lent pretty well to more precise cutting and slicing–and, of course, piercing/stabbing.
The flipper (which is technically built into the blade, but you might be able to consider it part of the handle) also lent well as a mini guard when holding the knife. So, when I was cutting something (or puncturing something), the flipper-turned-guard held my hand in place. There wasn’t much worry that my hand would slip and I’d cut myself on the blade.
The Opening
The action on the Brawler is nice and snappy. Opening it up does require a little bit of effort, but that’s something that I like about it: It means you won’t be able to easily open it up in your pocket or anything.
The action with the flipper is easier than using the thumb studs. You just press down on the flipper and the blade flies right out. Because the knife requires a decent amount of force to open it up, you’re generally not able to apply “too little” pressure on the flipper to where the blade doesn’t flip out. It’s really consistent in opening the knife up.
The thumb studs aren’t quite as easy to open because they’re almost level with the handle, which can make getting a grip on it hard. Your thumb also tends to drag on the blade when you open it, which can slow down the deployment of the blade. Sometimes, that can be the difference between the knife fully opening and springing just shy of activating the liner lock. The flipper was just much more consistent.
The thumb studs also double as the blade stop. The Brawler doesn’t have the regular bar inside the handle to stop the blade at its open position–instead, it’s got the thumb studs. This does cause some worry because the thumb studs are more exposed than the regular blade stop. So, if they break off, your knife won’t work anymore.
Luckily, the only time I’ve ever managed to break off thumb studs were from throwing a knife with fragile thumb studs and landing the knife on them (I don’t recommend throwing a folding knife unless you don’t care about it or want to break it–I was performing a strength test on that particular knife). That knife wasn’t the Brawler–I haven’t had any issues with my Brawler in the several years I’ve had it.
Overall, the action on the Brawler is solid and snappy, and the flipper is more consistent than the thumb studs.
The Handle
The handle isn’t exactly the most ergonomic or comfortable of all the knives I’ve handled, but it does do a pretty good job of keeping your hand from slipping.
The textured grip, the flipper acting as a mini-crossguard, and the jimping all worked extremely well to keep my hand in place. Again, it wasn’t exactly the most comfortable to hold when working with it for long periods of time, but I don’t exactly think that’s what the knife is designed for. I think it’s designed more for light EDC use and occasional self-defense use. Still, the handle worked pretty good.
I would have liked to see the jimping on the blade extend a bit further. My thumb tends to sit further on the blade than the jimping extended to (when held in the “Filipino” grip), but it wasn’t too big of a deal.
The other jimping inlayed into the handle worked really well in keeping my hand in place. It was almost imperceptible, but I could notice a difference when sliding my hand on the parts without the jimping inlays. The jimping added some extra grip and friction.
The flipper, as I noted before, also helped a lot to keep your hand from sliding onto the blade.
In terms of the shape of the handle, it’s kind of boxy and flat–not exactly the most comfortable to hold for long periods of time. Again, though, not terrible for what it’s designed for (and its price).
How It Sits in Your Pocket
Because of its size and shape, the Brawler may be something that’s hard to forget about, depending on the pants you’re wearing. It’s kind of blocky, so sometimes it will dig into your leg when you’re, say, squatting down. It mostly does that if you have on tight pants, though. For looser pants, you’re probably going to be fine.
The pocket clip is something that’s tight enough to solidly stick in place in your pocket, but not so strong that you can’t clip it onto the lip of your pocket. I’ve had that issue with some pocket clips and I had to open the clip up in order to utilize it. (I ultimately fixed that issue with those tight pocket clips by bending them out a little bit.)
I didn’t notice the knife tearing up my pocket at all, but I tend to wear pretty tough, rugged pants that take nearly forever to wear and tear. Depending on what you wear, your mileage may vary.
If you’re interested in getting the Brawler, go here (link to Amazon).
Alternate Options
If, after reading all this, you’ve decided that the Brawler isn’t for you and you’d like a different one, here are some alternative options I’d recommend based on what you’re looking for:
Kershaw CQC Series – For Self-Defense
Kershaw has a series of really cool knives called their CQC series. They’ve got the Emerson Wave on them, which is a little hook on the knife blade that causes it to catch on your pants pocket and open as soon as you pull it from your pocket. It’s pretty cool–and it’s great for self-defense. You pull the knife from your pocket and the blade springs out immediately.
If you’re looking solely for a (decently big) self-defense knife, Kershaw’s CQC series is pretty hard to beat–especially for the price. It also works great for an EDC knife–though, I think that mainly depends on what you’re using your EDC for and your preferences.
They’ve all either got 8Cr13MoV steel or 8Cr14MoV steel. The price depends on which one you get, but they’re generally all pretty cheap. They all also function the same, they just have different blade profiles and handle shapes. If you’re looking for a cool, budget-friendly self-defense knife, check out the Kershaw CQC series. My favorite of the bunch is the Kershaw CQC-11K (Amazon).
Kershaw Shuffle II – For More Tools
If you want a knife that doesn’t have assisted opening (for instance, for legal reasons), then that’s where the Shuffle II (Amazon) comes in. It’s a small, lightweight multi-function knife that comes in multiple colors. It’s got a thumb stud (manual) opening, a liner lock, a bottle opener, a pry bar, and a flat-head screwdriver.
It’s a bit more low-profile than the Brawler, but it’s also cheaper and has more functions. If you’re looking for a knife like that, then you’ll probably like the Shuffle over the Brawler.
Kershaw Blur – For EDC
The Kershaw Blur (Amazon) is one of their most popular knives. Sometimes, it’ll come with D2 steel, but this one comes in 14C28N. It’s got a stonewashed blade, a nice, blue aluminum handle with Trac-Tec inserts for better grip, Kershaw’s SpeedSafe system with a thumb stud to open it, a liner lock, and a reversible pocket clip (unfortunately not 4-way, though).
The Blur has a blade that’s generally more suited to everyday activities and also comes in a partially-serrated variety (which also means more utility). Unless you’re going to be puncturing things, you’ll probably find the Blur to work better for EDC. You can check the Blur out here (link to Amazon).
Conclusion
Overall, the Brawler is a solid, snappy knife that can be used for self-defense or as an EDC. While there are more specialized options out there for the categories the Brawler seems to be in, the Brawler’s still a solid option.
I’d recommend it if you’re looking for a budget-friendly, spring-assisted, tactical knife that can perform well. If you’d like to get it, you can check it out here on Amazon, or here at BladeHQ.
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