Damascus Steel Knives

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• Damascus Steel Knives

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Kizer Knives A Hands-On Review of the Titanium
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Kizer Cutlery is a testament to the old
admonishment Dont 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 thats a
tough nut for a Chinese knife company to
crack. Founded in 2012 in Guangdong, China by C.
K. Zhou, theyve 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 Kizers most popular models and one of
my favorites.
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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. Its 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.
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The knife feels very comfortable in the hand and
although its a fairly large cutter, its
Titanium construction minimizes the weight.
Thats not to say its lightweight, its 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 thats well worth the attractive
price. I cant 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.
Its built with top-grade materials, its
rock-solid and it has an eye-catching design.
What more could you want for the price?
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For more information check this out
Damascussteelknivesplus.com
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Thank You