Kizer Gemini Review
A note before I get to the review itself. This knife was sent to me,
unsolicited, as a gift from a reader, Elliot. Elliot and I have
emailed back and forth and he is a super cool dude. This gift is really
something I am grateful for and happy to have. He told me it was
because I provided good content (which I think many would debate, see
the Kershaw Cryo Review and comments). Whatever the reason, the
generosity is much appreciated. This knife, like all gifts, is going in
the permanent collection.
Kizer is 100% legit. I think that was established by the time I reviewed my first Kizer. Aside from some skirmish with a wholly disreputable source (so disreputable that I am not going to link to his particular brand of baloney), which is an unfortunate part of starting in any business, they have a great reputation for making good blades at a reasonable price. They were generally non-descript, but they were good. Now with the collaboration with Ray Laconico, they have some true winners on their hands. My favorite of the three collabs is the Gemini, as production version of the Jasmine.
Here is the product page. The Gemini is a production version of the Laconico Jasmine. I have had both the custom and the production knife, so it will be fun to compare the two. The Kizer Gemini costs $170. Here is a written review. Here is a video review. Here is a comparison between the Jasmine and the Gemini. Here is a link to Blade HQ, where you can find the Gemini, and all proceeds benefit the site when you purchase things through this link:
Blade HQ
Here is my review sample:
Twitter Review Summary: A-mazing.
Design: 2
Ray Laconico's original design was simple and elegant. The Kizer production version is that plus more. Instead of slab handles we are treated to fully contoured handles. There is a lock bar overtravel on the production that was missing from the handmade version. There is a steel upgrade (my Jasmine ran D2, this knife runs S35VN). And there are a few nice decorative touches with the blued screws and pivot.
Kizer is 100% legit. I think that was established by the time I reviewed my first Kizer. Aside from some skirmish with a wholly disreputable source (so disreputable that I am not going to link to his particular brand of baloney), which is an unfortunate part of starting in any business, they have a great reputation for making good blades at a reasonable price. They were generally non-descript, but they were good. Now with the collaboration with Ray Laconico, they have some true winners on their hands. My favorite of the three collabs is the Gemini, as production version of the Jasmine.
Here is the product page. The Gemini is a production version of the Laconico Jasmine. I have had both the custom and the production knife, so it will be fun to compare the two. The Kizer Gemini costs $170. Here is a written review. Here is a video review. Here is a comparison between the Jasmine and the Gemini. Here is a link to Blade HQ, where you can find the Gemini, and all proceeds benefit the site when you purchase things through this link:
Blade HQ
Here is my review sample:
Twitter Review Summary: A-mazing.
Design: 2
Ray Laconico's original design was simple and elegant. The Kizer production version is that plus more. Instead of slab handles we are treated to fully contoured handles. There is a lock bar overtravel on the production that was missing from the handmade version. There is a steel upgrade (my Jasmine ran D2, this knife runs S35VN). And there are a few nice decorative touches with the blued screws and pivot.
But the bones of Laconico's knife were really excellent. A simple, full-flat grind and the best flipper tab shape in the business are carried over and make this knife an excellent blade. One complaint that I have is that I think, for whatever reason, that this knife would work better as a smaller blade, even if it were just a touch smaller. Perhaps its the simple look or just my preference for blades under 3 inches, but if this thing came in at 2.75 inches it would be perfect. In many ways, this is the same reason I like the Dragonfly II over the Caly 3--both are truly superb designs, but there are knives that lend themselves to smaller shapes and I think the Gemini is one of them.
Fit and Finish: 2
Kizer's fit and finish is on par with ZT, Spyderco, and probably a bit above Benchmade. They aren't quite in that Al Mar/GEC/CRK tier, but its not too far away.
Grip: 2
I am especially impressed with the contouring on the handles. It is even, rounded, and quite pleasing to the hand. The lack of jimping here is a perfect example of why jimping doesn't matter. Jimping is a design crutch, not a feature. If well-thought out, a knife never needs it and the Gemini is proof of that.
The previous Kizer I reviewed had a massive hotspot where the clip was, but here thanks to a more shapely and better positioned clip, the knife is fine, even during high pressure use.
Carry: 2
The river rock smooth shape that is good in the hand is also good in the pocket. Nothing whatsoever to complain about here. I wish the knife were a bit smaller, but that's just not what this knife is and compared to other similarly sized knives, like the Kershaw Strobe, I felt that the Gemini did well when carried.
Steel: 2
S35VN is a very good steel. I have no complaints whatsoever and Kizer's implementation of Crucible's flagship stainless formula is as good as any. I am not sure where the heat treat is done, but for a long time that was a stumbling block (that and shipping costs) to getting go steel on Chinese knives. That problem is fixed and the market is better for it.
Blade Shape: 2
This is a beautifully simple blade shape, more of a drop point than anything else, but the Spyderco fan in me (the small part of me that I let enjoy branding) thinks this is very close to a leaf shaped blade. Whatever the name (and really at some point, the name of the blade shape doesn't matter), its a good one allowing for a great deal of control and precision.
Grind: 2
Like everything else on the Gemini, this knife is expertly ground. The grind lines were even and clean. I wish there was a true ricasso, but a lot of knives, great knives like the PM2, lack that. The cutting bevel was super clean, though I wish it were a bit wider. These two points however are nothing but nits to pick. This is a very good grind.
Deployment Method: 2
No production knife I have handled, including some of the craziest blades ever, has flipping action better than the Gemini. Only the truly elite handmade flippers match its effortless snappiness. Stunning, instantly and obviously superior to the competition, and a testament to just how good the Chinese have gotten at making high end production folders--the deployment here is first rate.
Retention Method: 2
There is the clip:
Its simple, very much like the Spyderco Spoon clip without the flared tip. Its plenty tight and yet it doesn't require a ton of force to get the blade in and out of the pocket. This is, however, the one place where the custom exceeds the production knife as the very end of the handle placement of the Jasmine's clip is great. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
Lock: 2
The lock functioned flawlessly.
It opened and closed without effort. It stayed put. There was zero blade play in any direction. The lockbar stabilizer really worked. As with most things about the Gemini, there are no complaints to register with the lock.
Overall Score: 20 out of 20
This is a great knife. Probably the best blade I have reviewed or handled in 2015 (note this is true by a technicality, I reviewed the Mnandi in December of 2014 and it is a clearly better blade). This is not a perfect knife, but it is one without major flaw or even a drawback. I don't like its size, but its not fair to ding every knife bigger than the Dragonfly. I also think there is some things I'd do different on the grind, but nothing that effects performance. In all this is a great blade and a wonderful addition to the market. Kizer has a major hit here. Chinese made knives are for real. The American companies better pay attention or, like with the shelves at Wal-Mart, they will be driven out of the market by foreign competition. Setting aside jingoism for a second--knife knuts are better for the competition. Competition and markets are inherent in the American worldview and this knife is competition for everyone--ZT, Chris Reeve, Spyderco. If you make a blade, regardless of price or country of origin, Kizer is your competition now.
The Competition
This is one of the better productions knives out there right now. I think it is easily in the same class as the Lionsteel G10 TRE.
For me, the more interesting comparison is how it stacks up to the custom original. First, I will tell you that my custom Jasmine had some issues. The blade play was really crazy bad. But I think that is better explained by the vagaries of the secondary market. Assuming that its fit and finish was perfect, I still think the production is a better knife. Put another way, if they were marked identically and the coloration was the same I do not think a rational person would take the custom over this knife. Both flipped great. The custom had a better clip with better placement. But after that the differences all favor the production. It has better steel, S35VN to D2. It has a lock bar stabilizer and insert. The custom doesn't. The production has fully contoured handles. The production doesn't. I can't really think of a major benefit to the custom, other than it is made by a very talented craftsman in the US. In short, I think I'd take the production. Of course, outside the thought experiment I would always take the custom because I could sell it, buy the production and end up with a superior knife in my pocket along with an extra $400-$600. I am sure Ray can make a knife superior to the Gemini. My Jasmine wasn't one of them. And that, my friends, is as good an endorsement as I can muster. This knife is superior to my custom version.
Fit and Finish: 2
Kizer's fit and finish is on par with ZT, Spyderco, and probably a bit above Benchmade. They aren't quite in that Al Mar/GEC/CRK tier, but its not too far away.
Grip: 2
I am especially impressed with the contouring on the handles. It is even, rounded, and quite pleasing to the hand. The lack of jimping here is a perfect example of why jimping doesn't matter. Jimping is a design crutch, not a feature. If well-thought out, a knife never needs it and the Gemini is proof of that.
The previous Kizer I reviewed had a massive hotspot where the clip was, but here thanks to a more shapely and better positioned clip, the knife is fine, even during high pressure use.
Carry: 2
The river rock smooth shape that is good in the hand is also good in the pocket. Nothing whatsoever to complain about here. I wish the knife were a bit smaller, but that's just not what this knife is and compared to other similarly sized knives, like the Kershaw Strobe, I felt that the Gemini did well when carried.
Steel: 2
S35VN is a very good steel. I have no complaints whatsoever and Kizer's implementation of Crucible's flagship stainless formula is as good as any. I am not sure where the heat treat is done, but for a long time that was a stumbling block (that and shipping costs) to getting go steel on Chinese knives. That problem is fixed and the market is better for it.
Blade Shape: 2
This is a beautifully simple blade shape, more of a drop point than anything else, but the Spyderco fan in me (the small part of me that I let enjoy branding) thinks this is very close to a leaf shaped blade. Whatever the name (and really at some point, the name of the blade shape doesn't matter), its a good one allowing for a great deal of control and precision.
Grind: 2
Like everything else on the Gemini, this knife is expertly ground. The grind lines were even and clean. I wish there was a true ricasso, but a lot of knives, great knives like the PM2, lack that. The cutting bevel was super clean, though I wish it were a bit wider. These two points however are nothing but nits to pick. This is a very good grind.
Deployment Method: 2
No production knife I have handled, including some of the craziest blades ever, has flipping action better than the Gemini. Only the truly elite handmade flippers match its effortless snappiness. Stunning, instantly and obviously superior to the competition, and a testament to just how good the Chinese have gotten at making high end production folders--the deployment here is first rate.
Retention Method: 2
There is the clip:
Its simple, very much like the Spyderco Spoon clip without the flared tip. Its plenty tight and yet it doesn't require a ton of force to get the blade in and out of the pocket. This is, however, the one place where the custom exceeds the production knife as the very end of the handle placement of the Jasmine's clip is great. Not a big deal, but worth mentioning.
Lock: 2
The lock functioned flawlessly.
It opened and closed without effort. It stayed put. There was zero blade play in any direction. The lockbar stabilizer really worked. As with most things about the Gemini, there are no complaints to register with the lock.
Overall Score: 20 out of 20
This is a great knife. Probably the best blade I have reviewed or handled in 2015 (note this is true by a technicality, I reviewed the Mnandi in December of 2014 and it is a clearly better blade). This is not a perfect knife, but it is one without major flaw or even a drawback. I don't like its size, but its not fair to ding every knife bigger than the Dragonfly. I also think there is some things I'd do different on the grind, but nothing that effects performance. In all this is a great blade and a wonderful addition to the market. Kizer has a major hit here. Chinese made knives are for real. The American companies better pay attention or, like with the shelves at Wal-Mart, they will be driven out of the market by foreign competition. Setting aside jingoism for a second--knife knuts are better for the competition. Competition and markets are inherent in the American worldview and this knife is competition for everyone--ZT, Chris Reeve, Spyderco. If you make a blade, regardless of price or country of origin, Kizer is your competition now.
The Competition
This is one of the better productions knives out there right now. I think it is easily in the same class as the Lionsteel G10 TRE.
For me, the more interesting comparison is how it stacks up to the custom original. First, I will tell you that my custom Jasmine had some issues. The blade play was really crazy bad. But I think that is better explained by the vagaries of the secondary market. Assuming that its fit and finish was perfect, I still think the production is a better knife. Put another way, if they were marked identically and the coloration was the same I do not think a rational person would take the custom over this knife. Both flipped great. The custom had a better clip with better placement. But after that the differences all favor the production. It has better steel, S35VN to D2. It has a lock bar stabilizer and insert. The custom doesn't. The production has fully contoured handles. The production doesn't. I can't really think of a major benefit to the custom, other than it is made by a very talented craftsman in the US. In short, I think I'd take the production. Of course, outside the thought experiment I would always take the custom because I could sell it, buy the production and end up with a superior knife in my pocket along with an extra $400-$600. I am sure Ray can make a knife superior to the Gemini. My Jasmine wasn't one of them. And that, my friends, is as good an endorsement as I can muster. This knife is superior to my custom version.