Massdrop Laconico Keen vs MBK EZC

[marchone]

A few owners of both knives and at least one reviewer commented they think the WE-made Keen is better than the Kizer-made MBK EZC. Both are licensed Ray Laconico designs for mass production.

Aside their obvious size differences speaking to usefulness, after a bit of tweaking the pivots, I'm not sure I agree. They both seem equally fine to me.

Neither are "drop shutty". Is that a negative? Why? I have no problem closing any of them with one hand. Both are very good FFG slicers.

At least in my three samples of two Keens and one EZC, fit, finish, quality of materials and ease of deployment seem to me to be on par with each other. For what it's worth I wear a Size Large glove.

If you own both what are your impressions?

 

[aleforme]

I've had both and agree, in terms of build quality, it's a wash for me. Both are done very well. Size aside, I can't say one if better than the other. I guess I could say the Keen is a little better flipper but I think that's mainly due to the weight of the blade.

I sold my Keen and I'm keeping my EZC based solely on the size alone. It's just a better fit for me. The Keen was a bit large and heavy for me.

 

[RBid]

Fascinating topic. I’m curious to see how people describe their perspectives.

 

[Spikediesel]

I have two Keens and an EZC and I have to say the Keen is hands down the better knife. I love my EZC after I blasted the titanium but when I put it down and flip one of the Keens it feels so right. My ideal Laconico would be a WE produced EZC that is the size of the Keen and has the clip of the Keen. I’ve had both knives apart and give the nod to WE in blade grind, Machining and laser engraving. To me a Laconico knife is crisp and clean in every aspect and while I don’t have a true custom that Ray has built I think We has come closest. And don’t get me wrong the EZC is a great little knife but to me it just isn’t as refined.

 

[BenchCo Spydermade]

I dont have these specific models, but my kizer and we titanium feamelocks are quite comparable in quality. Both drop shut, or are "Drop shutty"... smh

 

[marchone]

Drop shutty and slicey have both entered my vocabulary since joining BF and the varied sources it leads to.

 

[8-Fingers]

I've had both and agree, in terms of build quality, it's a wash for me. Both are done very well. Size aside, I can't say one if better than the other. I guess I could say the Keen is a little better flipper but I think that's mainly due to the weight of the blade.

I sold my Keen and I'm keeping my EZC based solely on the size alone. It's just a better fit for me. The Keen was a bit large and heavy for me.

I absolutely agree! I just received my EZC (thanks to Fullflat!) and it's a wash for me too. I'm able to legally carry the EZC to work and the Keen comes out to play after-work & on weekends. The Keen might be a little better flipper mainly to the additional mass of the blade, but both knives are exceptional in build quality! Seeing how MBK is using Kizer exclusively on the EZC and the Minpin speaks to the confidence the designer has in the manufacturer producing his product. The Minpin, EZC and the Kizer Feist are all related (brothers with different fathers?)!

.

 

[RBid]

I absolutely agree! I just received my EZC (thanks to Fullflat!) and it's a wash for me too. I'm able to legally carry the EZC to work and the Keen comes out to play after-work & on weekends. The Keen might be a little better flipper mainly to the additional mass of the blade, but both knives are exceptional in build quality! Seeing how MBK is using Kizer exclusively on the EZC and the Minpin speaks to the confidence the designer has in the manufacturer producing his product. The Minpin, EZC and the Kizer Feist are all related (brothers with different fathers?)!

.

Kizer did the OEM on the EZC, but did not build the Minpin. The Minpin was done by a small shop who has done outsource work for WE, Reate, etc.

 

[Lapedog]

I absolutely agree! I just received my EZC (thanks to Fullflat!) and it's a wash for me too. I'm able to legally carry the EZC to work and the Keen comes out to play after-work & on weekends. The Keen might be a little better flipper mainly to the additional mass of the blade, but both knives are exceptional in build quality! Seeing how MBK is using Kizer exclusively on the EZC and the Minpin speaks to the confidence the designer has in the manufacturer producing his product. The Minpin, EZC and the Kizer Feist are all related (brothers with different fathers?)!

.

All three got the same father and same mother. Laconico got Kizer pregnant who gave birth to the EZC, Minpin and Feist. (Edit: woops just remembered it was actually Lundquist who designed the fesit. Kizer wtf is with all the different feists coming out and STILL no large Feist? 3.25 or atleast 3 inch feist would be AMAZIN’)

Btw I thought Kizer was only making the ESC and the Minpin was being made by an undisclosed Chinese maker. Has that changed? Has news come out that Kizer is making the Minpin too? Last I checked Laconico wouldn’t say who was making the Minpin.

I wondered why he wouldn’t want to disclose the maker of the Minpin myself. (unless that has changed) I got the feeling that it might be because he wanted MBK to be considered a more premium brand that people pay alot of money for. At the same time Kizer is generally considered for making high value knives so maybe Laconico feared he wouldn’t be able to sell the knives for as much.

 

[BenchCo Spydermade]

Drop shutty and slicey have both entered my vocabulary since joining BF and the varied sources it leads to.

I may have shook my head at the term, but I sure as heck knew what you meant! Lol

 

[RBid]

All three got the same father and same mother. Laconico got Kizer pregnant who gave birth to the EZC, Minpin and Feist.

Btw I thought Kizer was only making the ESC and the Minpin was being made by an undisclosed Chinese maker. Has that changed? Has news come out that Kizer is making the Minpin too? Last I checked Laconico wouldn’t say who was making the Minpin.

I wondered why he wouldn’t want to disclose the maker of the Minpin myself. (unless that has changed) I got the feeling that it might be because he wanted MBK to be considered a more premium brand that people pay alot of money for. At the same time Kizer is generally considered for making high value knives so maybe Laconico feared he wouldn’t be able to sell the knives for as much.

The Minpin is built by a small shop who focuses on OEM work, rather than being branded. They’ve done work for WE, Reate, etc. There would be no brand name to report, which is why they haven’t been named.

While Carmel Cutlery/Sanford, Kizer, and Laconico will all continue to have working relationships, such as possible dealer exclusives for CC made by Kizer, the EZC will likely remain the only MBK model built by Kizer. Kizer prefers to do branded work instead of OEM. All of those entities get along very well, so this is simply a function of preference.

The OEM behind the Minpin is a very, very good fit for that kind of work, and I expect that we’ll see more MBK models with them as the builders. Future models will likely feel more like high end production pieces, rather than being built like customs as the Minpins are. In other words, we’ll probably see lock bar inserts, etc.

Sanford has some very, very cool plans for MBK. Four specific things we’ve talked about have left me smacking my head on walls. Some of this stuff takes a long time to get moving, and the excitement is a lot to carry.

 

[Lapedog]

The Minpin is built by a small shop who focuses on OEM work, rather than being branded. They’ve done work for WE, Reate, etc. There would be no brand name to report, which is why they haven’t been named.

While Carmel Cutlery/Sanford, Kizer, and Laconico will all continue to have working relationships, such as possible dealer exclusives for CC made by Kizer, the EZC will likely remain the only MBK model built by Kizer. Kizer prefers to do branded work instead of OEM. All of those entities get along very well, so this is simply a function of preference.

The OEM behind the Minpin is a very, very good fit for that kind of work, and I expect that we’ll see more MBK models with them as the builders. Future models will likely feel more like high end production pieces, rather than being built like customs as the Minpins are. In other words, we’ll probably see lock bar inserts, etc.

Sanford has some very, very cool plans for MBK. Four specific things we’ve talked about have left me smacking my head on walls. Some of this stuff takes a long time to get moving, and the excitement is a lot to carry.

Great explanation!

So are we gunna see a Laconico front flipper or what?

 

[RBid]

Great explanation!

So are we gunna see a Laconico front flipper or what?

Well... Sanford is a big of a fan of that one off, CF scaled EZC front flipper. It’s in his personal collection now. I don’t know if we’ll see one or not, but ... I’m definity doing my part to make sure he knows how much people want that one. If he did a 100 piece trial run, I think it would sell out on day 1.

 

[mikey488]

+1 on a CF scaled EZC front flipper .

definitely in for that one.

 

[Lapedog]

Well... Sanford is a big of a fan of that one off, CF scaled EZC front flipper. It’s in his personal collection now. I don’t know if we’ll see one or not, but ... I’m definity doing my part to make sure he knows how much people want that one. If he did a 100 piece trial run, I think it would sell out on day 1.

Depends if it it is exclusively a front flipper or not. I think alot of makers don’t really understand what makes a front flipper so appealing...

Basically the advantage to a front flipper is that it allows for a very minimalist and sexy knife design. (Imho having a tab that sticks out the end of the knife as a front flipper already detracts from say the feist or shamwari style front flipper).

Front flippers are actually not the best way to open a knife in terms of pure functionality. Thumbstuds/hole or flipper tab are much more intuitive and natural to use. Thus when you put a thumbhole or a flipper tab on a knife with a front flipper why ever use the front flipper? Basically alot of makers seem to tack a front flipper on as an afterthought. (Ie the Olamic busker)

So when I see a knife like this with a thumb opener, wave opener, flipper and front flipper (the ugly tab front flipper) I don’t think yay a front flipper! (Which I love) I think what a freakin’ disaster!

In my mind’s eye I have come up with one design that I think would be an awesome flipper + front flipper. Imagine a knife with a smock style in line flipper plus a feist style front flipper so that the front flipper and flipper sort of looked like two symetrical corners when the knife was closed.

Well... Sanford is a big of a fan of that one off, CF scaled EZC front flipper. It’s in his personal collection now. I don’t know if we’ll see one or not, but ... I’m definity doing my part to make sure he knows how much people want that one. If he did a 100 piece trial run, I think it would sell out on day 1.

Btw is there any pics of this knife? Is there any way we could pressure Laconico into releasing this knife?

 

[RBid]

Lapedog this is the original, which is kind of a top flipper more than a front flipper. Also non-locking, iirc. I think Ray was playing with a Blackstar kind of idea.

He also made a front flipper proto a couple weeks ago. New shape. More angular.

 

[Lapedog]

Lapedog this is the original, which is kind of a top flipper more than a front flipper. Also non-locking, iirc. I think Ray was playing with a Blackstar kind of idea.

He also made a front flipper proto a couple weeks ago. New shape. More angular.

Oh god top flippers need to make appearances more often. Laconico if you are reading this thread, what are you doing? Put these knives out already and quit playing with our hearts.

 

[marchone]

The EWC is a fantastic little fidget toy, but it needs to lock to be a serious cutter. I've asked Ray on Instagram to make a linerlock version.

To the opening post, I made my own question moot yesterday when this came in the mail. Who cares? My newly acquired custom EZC trumps them both by light years.

 

[OrangeBlueOrangeBlue]

The EWC is a fantastic little fidget toy, but it needs to lock to be a serious cutter. I've asked Ray on Instagram to make a linerlock version.

To the opening post, I made my own question moot yesterday when this came in the mail. Who cares? My newly acquired custom EZC trumps them both by light years.

I can't think of anything I'd use my EWC for that would necessitate a lock. Cutting cardboard, opening boxes and mail, and slicing apples are not unsafe with a double-detent slipjoint.

 

[flash900]

Is that th

The EWC is a fantastic little fidget toy, but it needs to lock to be a serious cutter. I've asked Ray on Instagram to make a linerlock version.

To the opening post, I made my own question moot yesterday when this came in the mail. Who cares? My newly acquired custom EZC trumps them both by light years.

Nice!
Is that the linerlock?
Blade size, please?