Damascus Knives

Kizer Knives: A Hands-On Review

of the Titanium

Kizer Cutlery is a testament to the old admonishment: “Don’t jump to

conclusions!” In a relatively short period of time, this China based company

has made a respectable name for itself in the knife industry. Using high quality

materials, intelligent design and precision manufacturing, they have cranked

out some top-tier knives for the world market. With many of their cutters

resulting from collaborations with well-known USA knife designers, Kizer

Knives has made impressive strides in the American market, and that’s a

tough nut for a Chinese knife company to crack.

Founded in 2012 in Guangdong, China by C. K. Zhou, they’ve been making

professional grade cutters for 14 years now. Kizer Knives has debunked the

“buyer beware” stereotyping of Chinese made tools and knives, at least as it

applies to them. A case in point is the Kizer S35VN / Titanium Framelock

Folder, Ki401B1. This is one of Kizer’s most popular models and one of my

favorites.

Here are the specs for the cutter: the total open length is approx. 8¼”; closed

length of 4¾” and blade length of 3¼” from point to ricasso. The thickness of the

blade is 4.0mm. The knife weighs in at 5.2 ounces.

The blade is CPM (Crucible Particle Metallurgy) S35VN stainless; satin finish in a

Drop point style. It’s hollow grind with a swedge in a spear point design. It is

equipped with dual thumb studs in a stepped cylinder design. The spine of the

blade includes thumb jimping for an improved grip and the ample flipper is ridged

for improved leverage as well. Hardness is 58-60 HRC. The Kizer knives brand

logo is etched on the left side of the blade along with the steel brand; the model #

on the right side.

Now for the striking handle scales. Sculpted of gun metal gray 6AL4V Titanium, the

design pattern consists of polished ridges and matte gray flats, similar to the look of

metal mesh screening. Finger grooves and thumb jimping make for a comfortable

and secure hand grip and thumb grip, respectively. The scales are joined with

modified Torx screws and supported by stainless concave pillars. The framelock

utilizes about 30% of the tang heel and a Titanium pocket clip is affixed to the same

side; reversible for tip-up or tip-down carry. The scales are drilled for a lanyard

hole.

The knife feels very comfortable in the hand and although it’s a fairly

large cutter, it’s Titanium construction minimizes the weight. That’s not

to say it’s lightweight, it’s just right weight. I like the size of the jimping

on the spine of the scales and the blade. The space between the ridges

is wide and the ridges are flat on top, both features improve the thumb

grip and comfort.

To sum it up, this appears to be a well-made cutter that’s well worth the

attractive price. I can’t find anything seriously wrong with it. The blade is

almost perfectly centered between the scales when closed – less than

1mm off. There is no blade play. The lockup secures solidly and with a

satisfying click. If I have any takeaways for the knife, it would be that the

thumbstuds are a little too sharp around the ridges and a little too tall;

the Torx screws might be a problem to remove because of their unusual

design and I would prefer the framelock have a bigger bite on the tang

heel. Other than these small knocks, I really like this cutter. It’s built with

top-grade materials, it’s rock-solid and it has an eye-catching design.

What more could you want for the price?

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