Kalashnikov Family’s Latest Arrival is the Scaled Down KALS Mini

2024 is quickly shaping up to be a big year for automatic knives. At the tail end of 2023 we highlighted the Boker Plus Thunder Storm, a tactical design from Boris Manasherov; now we’re looking at the KALS Mini, a pint-sized new automatic based on one of the most popular Boker Plus designs.

We’ve said it before, but the Boker Plus catalog is far too big to have a single, defining flagship model; moreover, any automatic knife is going to have to resign itself to a smaller share of market attention, given the general legal complications the format still struggles against both in the US and abroad. But, even with those caveats in mind, the Boker Plus Kalashnikov has enjoyed an enduring popularity since its release. In fact, the amount of variations of the underlying design (both automatic and manual) could constitute an entire brand’s line by themselves at this point.

The KALS Mini joins this large family and, as the name suggests, sells itself as a smaller auto – but not too small. Its blade runs to 2.52 inches, a notable drop in length over the 3.25-inch original, but big enough to be a solo daily carry for the average user. Not everyone is familiar with automatic knives, but pretty much anyone, even a non-knife person, will be able to intuit the uses of the classical drop point blade on offer here. That utility is enhanced by the steel, the semi-stainless that needs no introduction: D2.

The KALS Mini has the same multi-ridged handle that forms the most instantly recognizable visual element of the Kalashnikov profile. The scales here are made from aluminum, housing both the button deployment mechanism and the pocket clip, which itself is ribbed to mimic the handle’s silhouette. The KALS Mini reaps a major benefit of its size, which is a consummate reduction in weight: this guy tips the scales at a mere 2 oz. (compared to the 3.7 or so of the average full-sized Kalashnikov).

This is actually the third recent automatic release we’ve covered. In addition to the Boker Plus Thunder Storm, earlier this week we talked about new, aluminum-handled Hinderer Knives XM-18.

Knife in Featured Image: Bolker Plus KALS Mini Auto

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