Interested in a Kizer...

K

ks_wayward_son

Joined
Apr 15, 2021
Messages
70
...but not really sure which specifically. I have a few Spyders, Civivis, and others but some Kizer models look good. Looking for a model between 3 to 3.5 inch cutting length 50 to 100 bucks. The Vigor looks pretty cool as does the Begleiter but not really interested in the folding "cleaver" style of the Sheepdog at this time. Looks like a bunch of models have N690 steel. Suggestions?
 
I've never owned a liner lock Feist, but based on the frame lock version that one's worth considering. There are some great Kizer sales going on right now (BladeHQ, KnifeCenter); the Guru for $95 would be pretty tempting, although I've not owned one of those. (The Sheepdog is great, BTW. Don't count it out!)

Personally, I don't think the Vanguard line Kizers are as good a value as CIVIVIs. Kizer's sweet spot, IMO, is in the ~$150 Ti/Ti frame lock zone.
 
The Wanderer is $86 at one Chicago knife place (googling kizer wanderer $86 will pull up the deal thread on Reddit).

Nice sculpted ti handle plus a 3.5" s35vn blade is pretty crazy at that price
 
Kizer is one Chinese brand that continues to draw my attention despite the fact I personally tend to keep away from any Chinese knives.
 
PirateSeulb said:
Kizer is one Chinese brand that continues to draw my attention despite the fact I personally tend to keep away from any Chinese knives.
Click to expand...

One thing I will say about their company culture is that they definitely try to earn it, they're very busy and while they're not quite a WE level, they're very good at sculpting titanium into pleasant feeling forms and they have consistently improved what they're capable of over the years. Many of their models have needed a personalized break in and pivot tuning period, where my WE and Reate knives have been more consistently set-and-forget.

That may be down to personal bias and idiosyncrasies with my maintenance routines, but I don't really see it as a flaw anyway, they're good knives and it's rare that one makes it past my shopping process and then disappoints me. When I like the look and specs of their work I almost always love the knife and it often exceeds my expectations. Especially the higher grade Begleiter in both framelock and carbon fiber liner lock, it's a beautiful and brilliantly made knife that even compensates for the fairly slender blade with a thin stock and an aggressive compound grind.

I've become a fan of theirs, just because of their price point and the way some of them slip through the cracks and linger until I get them on sale as new old stock. Now I have so many that I just feel good about their work and it's too easy to buy another design from a favorite vs trying some other company who might not impress me as much. Also the familiarity of their smooth and cloudy gray titanium finish, their scales always feel great in hand and I don't need aggressive texturing on my knives anyway. I do have a few Spyderco and Benchmade and Cold Steel knives that have appropriately rough grips, but for the most part I like knives that don't accelerate the destruction of my pockets any faster than necessary.
 
I've owned a bunch of Kizers and I've taken most of them apart for inspection. As others have said, they might not be quite as good as WE but they are pretty good. N690 is a decent steel that's generally in the same ballpark as VG-10. Action tends to be good. They have a bunch of models with Micarta scales and I like the way they feel in hand.

The Micarta Gemini and Mini Domin have been long-term members of my EDC rotation. They recently upgraded the Mini Begleiter from washers to bearings and I'll be checking that one out when I get a chance. I've given a few Kizers out as gifts and they go over well. My daughter carries the purple Mini Domin. Even their cheaper Tangram line is pretty good. A relative of mine has been carrying a Tangram Santa Fe as his primary EDC now for about a year.

Customer service is good. I had one issue with a mangled washer on a Mini Domin. I think they sent me two complete sets of replacement hardware free of charge. In another case, a relative managed to lose their pocket clip so I swapped it with mine on the spot. Kizer only wanted five bucks to send me a replacement clip.
 
Thanks for all the replies. The Wanderer does look great, I was also looking at the Guru which seems interesting. Digging the thumb stud Guru over the flipper. Might have to have a go at this one.
 
Last edited:
gazz98 said:
I own one Kizer. Very nice knife for the price. I'd recommend it and it meets your requirements albeit at the very top of your budget. Not sure how you feel about jade G10 but I like it myself.
https://www.bladehq.com/item--Kizer-Azo-Vanguard-Series-Begleiter--118474
Click to expand...
This Begleiter is my last purchase. After breaking in the detente, it is a very nice knife. Great for the price.

This is my second Kizer. The discontinued large Vigor is my other, also a fine knife.
 
Last edited:
ks_wayward_son said:
Thanks for all the replies. The Wanderer does look great, I was also looking at the Guru which seems interesting. Digging the thumb stud Guru over the flipper. Might have to have a go at this one.
Click to expand...

I've got a recent production thumb stud Guru, it rocks too. The pivot of mine is really glassy for Kizer, like the CF Begleiter. Very neat thing and the blasted finish is also pretty unique for their lineup.
 
I own a few Kizers and two of them are Sheepdogs. They're just such solid working knives. The mini sheepdog is a sturdy little workhorse for shipping and receiving stock at work that won't scare anyone (the XL not so much). I find that while I like the look and action of my Civivi knives, the Kizer knives are ones I actually use more day to day.

The Gemini is my favourite on looks and action, and I also like the looks and feel of the Begleiter Blue. There are still quite a few Kizers I don't own that are on my list to get at some point, like the Yorkie Titanium, Activ Bantam, and the Deviant. The Minitherium looks good too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top