Kizer Ki3404-3 Review
This is part of a new wave of knives coming out of China that aren't just nice, they are truly superior tools. The designs, the fit and finish, and the materials are all a massive step up from previous Chinese made blades. After years of making inexpensive knives (some of which are good, see the
) and working as OEMs for other companies, we now have Chinese knives that compete with the best from anywhere in the world.
The Ki3404-3 is the most straightforward, most refined, and least ostentatious of the Kizer line. Think of it as a Ti
with better blade steel, or a
-ized flipping
. This is a very interesting design on paper, but whether it lives up to its look and materials in use is another question. Let's see how it performs.
Here is the product page. The Kizer Ki 3404-3 costs $129. I can't find a written review.
is a video review. Here is a link to Blade HQ, where you can find the Ki 3404-3, and all proceeds benefit the site when you purchase things through this link:
Here is my review sample (purchased with my own money from Blade HQ):
Twitter Review Summary: The benchmark in value for Ti Framelock Flippers
Design: 2
The Ki3404 is chocked full of brilliant little touches, as if Kizer has been lurking in the forums and collecting pros and cons of various designs. But they don't just get the little stuff right--the big stuff is there too. The flipper's shape works. The blade shape is simple and excellent. The handle shape is nice and the scales are even contoured. All of the big stuff is just damn good. Then there are the small details--a Hinderer lock stop, the stonewashing on the blade, and the handle cutout for lock disengagement--all are superb. Overall, there is very little I could ask for in a Ti Framelock Flipper that the Ki3404 doesn't provide and it provides all of those features in a cohesive, aesthetically pleasing knife.
The performance ratios are decent. The blade:handle is .75. The blade:weight is .97. Neither are the best ever, but both are above average. A three inch blade in a 3.10 ounce body will always be good.
Fit and Finish: 2
Compared to other $130 blades the fit and finish here is insane. Compared to $300 blades the fit and finish is still bove par. I am just stunned at what Kizer was able to do here. The handle is blemish free. The stonewashing is perfectly even. The edge came hairshaving sharp. The pivot has not loosened (that happened on all three of the following knives: my Sebenza, my
, and my Hinderer). The only slight ding I could levee against the knife is that the blade is moderately off centered, something like 55% to one side. It is so slight that it is impossible to photograph. That's it.
Look how clean cut and even the lock bar side is (and now nice the domed screws look):
Grip: 2
The Ki3404 has three things that give it a superior grip--a slight curve to the handle, excellent contoured Ti handles, and a good spot for your index finger created by the hook of the flipper and cut into the scale. In hand, it just locks into place:
If you need jimping, its there and its good, but given everything else, its really just icing on top. There is a drawback that impacts grip, but I have decided to count it in a different category, see retention method below.
Carry: 2
This is a 2 with a cavaet, for more on that, see below. But in terms of pocket companion, you'd be hard pressed to find better. The gentle curve of the smooth matte handles lets the knife slide in and out of your pocket easily. Its also a very thin knife and that helps too. Plus it weighs in around 3 ounces (3.10 ounces to be precise, I measured it on my own scales). The overall packages is a great carry knife.
Steel: 2
In over a month of use and carry I have no reason to believe that this is not S35VN despite what was alleged on the forums about this knife. It has held its edge well and has stropped just like my Karroll SES, a knife made in S35VN from a custom maker I know personally and really trust. S35VN is really a very good steel, with an elegant balance of corrosion resistance, hardness, and toughness, while being less chippy and easier to sharpen than S30V. Its not the best in the world at any one thing, but it is probably one of the best all around steels. Here it works well.
Blade Shape: 2
Look at that:
This is an elegant, simple drop point. It doesn't have a recurve, a compound grind, nor does it dead end into a finger choil. This is a simple and simply great blade shape.
Grind: 2
This is a very good grind. The cutting bevel is wide enough to register on a strop or stones and the thin hollow grind of the main bevel does a good job thinning out the S35VN down to an accute edge. The grind lines are pleasing to the eye with nice curves and they are quite crisp. I can't find a single fault with the grind on the Ki3404.
Deployment Method: 2
Best production flipper? Maybe. Its at least as good as the KVT-based flippers. I also like as much as Spyderco's bearing pivot flippers. CRKT's flippers are really good, but I am not sure I could tell the difference between this knife and a good IKBS flipper in a blind "flip" test.
Frankly, the Ki3404 flips as well as a number of higher end knives. The detent is incredibly stiff, so stiff that using the thumb studs is difficult. But once the blade is pushed beyond the detent it fires like a rocket. The flipper is a little pointy, but nothing bad at all. You will develop a callus, but that has more to do with the addictive nature of the flipper than its pointiness.
Retention Method: 1
It would be remarkable if this knife got a perfect score, especially given its relatively new maker. And here is the place where the Ki3404 misses the boat. The clip holds the knife in the pocket fine, but the up turn at the end of the clip itself is a real paint scraper. Worse than that though is the fact that it is almost an instant hotspot. You can learn to hold the knife to avoid it, but the first and most natural position isn't great.
Lock: 2
Don't give the framelock a second thought. None of the problems that are common to the form exist here. There is no lock rock, no sticky disengagement. Everything just works. The disengagement point is also excellent.
Overall Score: 19 out of 20
Don't worry about the country of origin--this is lightyears better than the Bee, Elan, and San Ren Mu knives of the past. The Ki3404 gets virtually everything right and for a price that is stunning. There is nothing close inthe Ti Framelock Flipper market.
This knife from Kizer along with blades like the District 9 from Reate indicate that Chinese knives are about to make a turn from being budget junk to being top shelf production knives. I am not sure if the price of the Ki3404 is way to get Kizer's foot in the door, but if it is, its a brilliant idea.
I am pleasantly surprised how great this knife really is. Other versions of this knife are bit garish with splash anodizing and Anso-style grooves, but this version is probably my favorite production Ti Framelock Flipper available, regardless of price. The fact that it is among the cheapest just seals the deal.
This is better than the Mini Aegis. It is a different class of product even if the scores are pretty close. The insane thing is that the value proposition, even when you consider how much cheaper the Mini Aegis is, isn't that far off. This is that good of a buy.