Kizer Aesthetics, a Breath of Fresh Air

Ken44 said:
Don't care for most of their designs myself. I prefer a very simple look, and don't care for most of their handles(shape or texture), or blade shapes.

I do think their plain Flashbang looks pretty good, and I think the Laconico Gemini looks great.
I don't buy China(but please don't flame me for it), but if I did the Gemini would be one that I would own. That's the style I like, and its a great looking knife, IMO.
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Right. And while I respect that you don't buy China, buying a Gemini supports a US blade designer. I'm not sure if that would be enough to persuade you or anyone else to change their mind, but I'm going where Ray's going for the simple reason that I'm priced out of his customs and I love his designs. (Thank God I bought a Slim EDC from Ray before the prices of his customs hit the stratosphere.) The fact that Kizer did a spectacular job of delivering a reasonably-priced production version of his Small Jasmine Flipper doesn't hurt anything either. I'd defy any other maker, foreign or domestic, to have done better.
 
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bld522 said:
Right. And while I respect that you don't buy China, buying a Gemini supports a US blade designer. I'm not sure if that would be enough to persuade you or anyone else to change their mind, but I'm going where Ray's going for the simple reason that I'm priced out of his customs and I love his designs. (Thank God I bought a Slim EDC from Ray before the prices of his customs hit the stratosphere.) The fact that Kizer did a spectacular job of delivering a production version of his Small Jasmine Flipper doesn't hurt anything either. I'd defy any other maker, foreign or domestic, to have done better.
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In addition to supporting Ray Laconico, buying the Gemini also supports Crucible, who Kizer gets its steel from (and Kizer may be buying other materials from the US as well, I'm not sure), as well as the American retailer that sells the knives, as well as the American companies that are part of the supply chain throughout the process.
 
jasonp said:
I've bought a couple of Kizer's and ended up selling both. I think they're headed the right direction but at the most basic level I think there is a cultural difference in what they want to produce and market over here vs. what those of us in the states really look for. I've noticed that they tend to lean toward a more artistic design vs a fully functioning design. The metal handle that you guys mention comes to mind. In the review I did here it was pretty much the reason I sold it. It tended to lay some where between a tactical folder and a gentleman's folder but did neither justice. It just didn't fit a need that I needed and the F&F was off a bit. If you look at some of their designs vs. say what ZT has to offer, they rely more on aesthetics (Asian) than actual function. I think American makers do the reverse; we value a knife that just works; grippy, solid lock-up, good steel, easy deployment, and aesthetic art last. If we can manage both in a knife, they sell great. I could be wrong, but that's what I see...
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I agree that they sometimes seem to sacrifice function for form, but I also think they're learning and adapting very, very quickly. The Mistral, Zambi and Walkabout all have at least a touch of artistic flare, but they also all look like very solid, functional knives. The Walkabout in particular strikes me as a very solid stand in for the Gemini for those who don't mind losing the bells and whistles.
 
Meh. I wouldn't call titanium framelock flippers a breath of fresh air. That has been done over and over.

Nor would I call those textured handles like in brancron's Flashbang anything new. Those have been done over and over too.

Are they well-engineered/crafted? From what people say about them, I assume so.

But as far as aesthetics, been there done that a while ago.

Since you asked.
 
So if you wouldn't mind sharing, is there a production manufacturer's aesthetics you do you like? If there is, what do you like about their aesthetics?
 
bld522 said:
So if you wouldn't mind sharing, is there a production manufacturer's aesthetics you do you like? If there is, what do you like about their aesthetics?
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That's not the topic at hand, is it? It is whether or not we like Kizer's. And I happen not to.
 
No worries. Just wondering if it was Titanium framelocks and sculpted handles in general or Kizer's implementation of them that weren't floating your boat.
 
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marcinek said:
That's not the topic at hand, is it? It is whether or not we like Kizer's. And I happen not to.
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Nothing wrong with that. I'll wholeheartedly agree that titanium framelock flippers have been done to death, but I welcome more modern folders that don't seem purely aimed at the tactical crowd.
 
I'd guess that the reason Titanium framelock flippers have been done to death is because of their popularity. It's hard to say whether or not that trend will continue. But if the products knife manufacturers are bringing to market are any indication, I don't see any signs of it letting up yet.
 
I completely agree. I thought I was done buying folders for a while, and then I got a look at the Gemini and was immediately smitten. I'm not in love with all of their designs, but it does seem like they have something for everyone.

Alas, my Gemini's been held up in customs for almost two weeks, now; hopefully it makes it to me while I still feel this way.
 
Keep the faith, Nap. It's worth the wait. I haven't been able to get my Gemini out of my pocket since the day it arrived. :)
 
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bld522 said:
No worries. Just wondering if it was Titanium framelocks and sculpted handles in general or Kizer's implementation of them that weren't floating your boat.
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I just don't find Kizer's interpretation of either much different than anyone else's. Which is precisely my point.
 
I agree. The handle material, frame lock and sculpting aren't what make them unique. What makes them unique in my opinion is that they collaborate with designers I like, particularly Ray Laconico. I'll be interested to see who else they bring on board.

My sense of things is that Kizer is out to make a name for themselves and they've got the resources to back them up. I'm blown away by the number of collaborators they've lined up and models they've brought to market in the short time they've been around. At the rate they're going, I'm convinced they'll become a force to be reckoned with . . . if they're not already.
 
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Dirk Pinkerton has some designs in the que. Tastes vary, but these look nice too.
Personally I don't like flippers and prefer G10 or CF handles, but still find some of the Kizer designs interesting. They may or may not be particularly novel, but standard, tried-and-true designs are likely to be good, functional designs. I just hope the price does not go crazy like Reate has.
 
dogrunner said:
I just hope the price does not go crazy like Reate has.
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You and me both. The bad news is that they have a big hill to climb by virtue of the fact that they're based in China and they haven't established a Stateside service department for their entire product line. The good news is that they're making the right moves when it comes to lining up talent and bringing a lot of well-made products to market. So how is this going to play out as their prices increase? I have no idea. But I've rarely followed a manufacturer with so much interest.
 
Considering that many of Kizer's selection is "art" knives, I would be surprised to see a Brian Tighe collab, button lock or klecker lock and all. That would bring it between CRKT crap and full on custom.
 
When I think of "art" knives, I don't really think of Kizers. I think more of William Henrys and Sebenzas with unique graphics and the like. But would I like to see a Kizer/Tighe collab? You bet I would. IMO, Brian deserves better than CRKT to manufacture his production pieces.
 
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