Kershaw Marks 50th Anniversary With a Limited Edition Tilt Redux

 In 1974, Pete Kershaw first launched his namesake knife brand. In the decades that have followed, the Kershaw knife company has blossomed into one of the biggest and most reputable blade- purveyors on the planet, with an every-growing catalog of dependable knives and tools, including everything from EDC knives to outdoor axes to kitchen cutlery. 

With 2024 marking the Kai-owned outfit’s semi-centennial, the company has opted to mark this illustrious occasion with the release of a reimagined cult classic cutter, christened the Kershaw Tilt 50th Anniversary Knife — or simply the Tilt 7424. 

The Original Tilt

Despite looking like its design was influenced by the Cybertruck, the Tilt 50th Anniversary Knife is actually a modernized, updated reissue of a cult classic knife that first debuted in 2010. Sporting an ultra-angular, geometric-inspired design, the original Tilt 4001 was pieced together around a titanium handle with a frame-lock on its rear-side and a carbon fiber scale on its show-side. Spanning 9.50” overall, the Tilt 4001 featured a 4.0-inch Wharncliffe composite blade composed of a combination of Vanax 75 and 420 high-carbon steel. Initially priced at around the $500 mark, the now-discontinued Tilt 4001 has become a coveted collector’s knife that routinely fetches double its original MSRP thanks to its cult status and the fact that only a few hundred units were ever produced. 

Semi-Centennial Edition

Released to celebrate five decades of continuous operation, the newly-unveiled Kershaw Tilt 7424 is an EDC flipper knife that’s modeled directly after its 2010 predecessor, though benefits from a number of key tweaks and a few minor adjustments in size. Unveiled last week at Blade Show in Atlanta, the new 50th Anniversary-spec is slightly smaller, at 9.45” overall (down from 9.50”), and its blade has been shortened by 0.35”. Despite these changes, the 7424 maintains the original’s angular design — and decidedly top-shelf nature. 

The Handle

Boasting a thickness of roughly half-an-inch (or 0.51” to be precise), the Tilt 7424’s handle consists of a polygon-shaped item that’s crafted from top-shelf titanium. The new 50th Anniversary Edition jettisons the Tilt 4001’s carbon fiber show-side scale in favor of an all-titanium unit with carbon fiber inlays front and rear. The handle has also been fitted with a sub-framelock mechanism (i.e. a regular frame-lock that’s partially hidden beneath the carbon inlay on its rear side). Carried over from the 4001 is the brand’s patented caged Kershaw Velocity Technology ball bearing pivot arrangement. 

The Blade

Though there’s no denying the Kershaw Tilt 7424 is a very unique and striking-looking knife as a whole, the real star of the show on the 50th Anniversary model is undoubtedly its 0.156-inch-thick, 3.65-inch-long blade. Sporting a Wharncliffe profile with just a hint of reverse Tanto influence, the 7424’s blade utilizes a patented composite blade technology. And while the original Tilt from 2010 benefitted from this same composite construction tech, the new semi-centennial edition sees the original model’s amalgamation of Vanax and 420 replaced with a more modern and more high-end combination of CPM CruWear and Sandvik 14C28N — with the USA-made powder metallurgy steel comprising the bottom portion of the blade and the Swedish-made material being used for the upper portion and spine. A black stripe separates the two steels, picking up where the handle’s carbon inlays leave off and creating a continuous motif.

Anniversary Edition Odds & Ends

Tipping the scales at 5.7oz, Kershaw’s new Tilt knife is rounded out via a series of admittedly minor details that collectively help to elevate this limited edition knife as a whole. For starters, it’s handle has been treated to a bead-blasted finish and a black oxide-coated hardware set. Like the original knife from 2010, the 2024-spec features a pocket clip that’s been milled from a solid block of titanium — albeit the 7424’s clip now sports a sharper, more angular design that better matches the shape and aesthetic of the handle. Additionally, with the spine of the handle sporting a closed design — save for an opening towards the top to allow the flipper tab to rotate out — the Tilt looks similar to an integral knife. 

Limited Edition Details

To commemorate the occasion — and to further distinguish the Tilt 7424 from its 4001 predecessor — the new 50th Anniversary Edition sees the spine of its handle laser-engraved with a “1974 – 2024” logo. Each limited edition knife is also sold in a special gift box that comes adorned in the same anniversary logo. Additionally, each 7424 unit also ships with an included certificate of authenticity. 

Spec Sheet

Pricing & Availability

Limited to just 500 units worldwide, the Kershaw Tilt 50th Anniversary Knife is slated for a release in the coming weeks — if not sooner. Pricing for the limited edition Tilt 7424 has been set at $500. Despite its substantial price, we expect this commemorative Kershaw flipper knife to sell out fast.

Recap

Kershaw Tilt 50th Anniversary Knife

Kershaw marks half-a-century in the knife-making business with a limited edition, modernized reissue of a cult classic knife from 2010.

Learn More: Kershaw