My first Kizer

[Fish30114]

Well I just received my first Kizer in the mail. It is the Ki412A2, which is a dual thumbstud liner lock folder. In a nutshell, I am very pleased. The knife has very good fit and finish, is very, very smooth, shows excellent lockup and is an attractive and well balanced piece. The first negative I have at this time is the pocket clip. It is only locatable in one position, which is not the position I would put my clip, it is tip down facing forward. To remove the clip you need to disassemble the knife. My example came very sharp out of the box, with a couple strokes on the leather strop it became truly hair popping. This is the model that is heat colored Ti, which on this knife the coloring runs along the center portion of the handle slabs, with the balance being a nice light grey. The blade is an handsome grind, with a groove running the length of the blade in the top 1/5th of the blade. I actually like this grind pretty well, it is a nice look along with the smooth, grooved handles. It is also drilled for a lanyard, which I don't use very often--in fact rarely--but it's a nice touch I think. The pivot is anchored with a proprietary fastener of some sort, which is the actual second negative for me. I actually think that a standard wide flat blade screwdriver will work on this fastener, I am going to send Kizer and E-mail and ask them what they recommend for it.

Overall, I like this knife a lot, and I titled this post 'First Kizer' as I already have a flipper model ordered from them, if it is like this knife except a good flipping action, I will be pleased.

 

[evilgreg]

Which flipper do you have on the way? I have one of their little 3" 3404 flippers and it flips very well, no wrist required:

 

[Comeuppance]

I think I ordered the exact same one the OP got. I'm kinda anxious to handle it, TBH, because I REALLY like the look of it. I might nab one of those modified sheepsfoot (red/black g10 linerlock) flipper model as well depending on how much I like the one currently en route.

Now they just need to open a US office for warranty work....

 

[RamZar]

You brought up the two real and somewhat objective issues that I've seen, read and personally experienced with the Kizers: one position carry for the clip and proprietary pivot screw. The pivot screw is pretty much a non-issue since you can use a flat-head screw driver.

 

[Nofooter]

All of this Kizer talk is making me want to order one! Thanks for the review!

 

[Fish30114]

Evilgreg, I have the knife you pictured on order. I am glad to hear it flips well, given the way the knife I just got looks, I'm pretty sure I will like this one a lot. Thanks for the pic, I have to get my camera fixed so I can upload a pic from time to time. Here is the knife I got from the company website: http://kizer-tbt.com/a/product/phantom/2014/0108/26.html

 

[Wheeler80]

A 5/32" hex bit is what fits the pivot of my 3404. I'd try that before a screwdriver.

 

[RamZar]

A 5/32" hex bit is what fits the pivot of my 3404. I'd try that before a screwdriver.

Thanks. I confirmed that it works. While at it I tried other bits from my Leatherman tool bits kit. Both Torx T27 and flat 3/16" worked as well.

 

[goldie]

Ive got the 401x & the new gingrich design. they are the most knife for the money i have ever seen.very well made knives,if they were crap,i surely wouldnt have 2 of them,i would have sent them back the next day.

 

[RamZar]

After a 5 day weather delay my new Kizer 3404A3 made it to California today. This is my second Kizer with the first being the nearly identical 3404A1 with the skull pattern on the handles.

My 3404A1 is so smooth now, so I added a couple of drops of Tuf Glide lubricant to the new 3404A3 and will flip happily away with it for the next few days. It's a little gritty right now with the flipper action. Other than that everything else is great: fit & finish, blade sharpness & grind & centering, etc. I definitely prefer the plain Jane version without the skull pattern and it was cheaper.

Once again, tremendous bang for the buck.

 

[Fish30114]

Wheeler80 and RamZar, that is helpful feedback about the pivot fastener. I will be trying it on mine tonight, I'm destined to pull the clip out of my knife. I've got all the drivers mentioned, so I'll figure which of those works best for me.

 

[RamZar]

Wheeler80 and RamZar, that is helpful feedback about the pivot fastener. I will be trying it on mine tonight, I'm destined to pull the clip out of my knife. I've got all the drivers mentioned, so I'll figure which of those works best for me.

On my new 3404A3 with a much tighter pivot, Wheeler80's 5/32" hex bit suggestion worked much better than the other two options.

 

[cutter17]

Ive got the 401x & the new gingrich design. they are the most knife for the money i have ever seen.very well made knives,if they were crap,i surely wouldnt have 2 of them,i would have sent them back the next day.

Goldie, you just make me anticipate more and more the two I am ordering! I am also glad to hear the info on the Gingrich folder. But I still can not figure out the Klecker pivot, looks like I may just have to use a pair of pliers! I have to have the tight pivot I like, plus being able to disassemble the knive's IS a must for me, because that is just how I roll!!

 

[sechip]

Just found out mine shipped today after a week and i should be getting it on tuesday, KI401B.

 

[BITEME]

Got my 3404 last week,excellent knife so far,not to happy about the 2yr warranty though-just to used to american makers that give a lifetime warranty, and honestly the zt,bm,spy. are really not that much more expensive.

 

[RamZar]

Got my 3404 last week,excellent knife so far,not to happy about the 2yr warranty though-just to used to american makers that give a lifetime warranty, and honestly the zt,bm,spy. are really not that much more expensive.

I beg to differ on the "really not that much more expensive". The Kizer 3404 is $115 for a well-made titanium framelock and handles, S35VN blade and a great flipper action. I don't see anything from Benchmade, Spyderco and Zero Tolerance for those materials and prices. Sure, it'd be nice if Kizer had four-way clip carry, stateside repair, blade replacement program and lifetime warranty but it's a fairly young company so let's give it a little time.

 

[evilgreg]

I beg to differ on the "really not that much more expensive". The Kizer 3404 is $115 for a well-made titanium framelock and handles, S35VN blade and a great flipper action. I don't see anything from Benchmade, Spyderco and Zero Tolerance for those materials and prices. Sure, it'd be nice if Kizer had four-way clip carry, stateside repair, blade replacement program and lifetime warranty but it's a fairly young company so let's give it a little time.

The part that I find especially enticing is that the knife I received isn't just functionally well executed with the right materials, but that the fine details are so well done as well. Outside of the sharp edges on the goofy pivot screw, the rest of the knife is so smooth. All the outside edges are rounded enough to take away their sharpness, and it just feels really well crafted all around. Comparatively, at the same size but with lesser materials at a higher price, the Brous Bionic feels like a cheap piece of crap . . .

 

[goldie]

Goldie, you just make me anticipate more and more the two I am ordering! I am also glad to hear the info on the Gingrich folder. But I still can not figure out the Klecker pivot, looks like I may just have to use a pair of pliers! I have to have the tight pivot I like, plus being able to disassemble the knive's IS a must for me, because that is just how I roll!!

i cant imagine you not being happy when these knives arrive.The overpriced secondary market on many knives these days is what fueled me to look into alternative products.i was never one to pay 3-4 times the cost of a product, & with these kizers, there is really no reason too. your gaining nothing but a lighter bank account....

 

[flash900]

I like my Kizer -- the small, plain Ti flipper shown in Ramzar's photos in post No. 10 -- and consider it a good value for the $$.

As I posted earlier, it's a good flipper and there are darn few 3-inch, 3-oz Ti flippers at any price. Well-done, Kizer!

But, just like other comments here, these are out-of-the-box impressions. It remains to be seen just how good the Kizers are on an absolute basis.

For one thing, we don't know what type of washers are used, although there is an unconfirmed dealer report that they are phosphor. My Kizer flips more smoothly than it opens with thumb studs. Even after a coating of Tuf Glide, it's a bit sticky. I'm still trying to work it in.

Some of the official Kizer specs are so suspect that my 3-inch blade is listed at nearly 3.5 inches. That doesn't instill confidence, any more than the two-year warranty. (To be fair, other direct Chinese imports have no warranty at all.)

And we still need someone to investigate the heat treatment on the S35V blade.

These aren't Sebenza-killers -- (but I'm not aware of any value-priced blades that are.) They are a large step up from the less-expensive imports that we've seen from other makers, but which weren't designed for the U.S. market. But then they should be -- Kizer's street prices start at just under $100 and hit nearly $200.

That's not chump change.

 

[Bugout Bill]

I'm still very suspicious of Kizer. For some reason I have a hard time believing that the S35VN used is actually S35VN, let alone properly heat treated.