Kizer Plans to Release 15 New Models by the End of June

Kizer has 15 models planned for the first half of 2021. The new knives favor EDC sizes and designs for the most part, with an emphasis on affordability as well.

Interestingly, the steel of choice on these knives is N690; whether or not this means Kizer is transitioning completely away from VG-10 for these Vanguard-style models remains to be seen.

We’ve covered two of these, the Grazioso and the Deviant, individually before: you can read those stories here and here. For convenience and organization, we’ve broken up the releases by scheduled release month – even when that month has already passed, as it seems like some of those knives have still yet to arrive.

MARCH RELEASE

Critical Mini

The Critical Mini is a smaller variation on Matthew Christensen’s earlier Kizer collaboration, the Critical. This one brings the blade length down to 2.81 inches, and can come as a flipper or thumb stud knife.

VK1-FL

This design, by Steven Kempa, is mid-size, premium offering. The wharncliffe blade is made from S35VN and runs to 3.33 inches in length. A titanium frame lock, the VK1-FL’s scales have a diagonal texture cut into them.

APRIL RELEASE

Infinity

The Infinity is a design from Kizer stalwart Azo Mai, and is far from the only one he’s bringing us this year. This is an EDC-sized knife with a quirky, bulbous, leaf-shaped blade. A 2.96-inch blade length keeps the Infinity widely legal and easy to carry, and it comes with either a front or standard flipper setup.

October

That’s right: the October is releasing in April. This ones comes to us from custom maker Dmitry Osarenko, and has the same stout, angular look as his handmade stuff. Its 2.93-inch modified sheepsfoot blade looks ready to work, and, like the Infinity, you’ll be able to choose between two different opening methods: opening hole, or exaggerated fuller.

Lan

This one is a three-way collaboration between Azo Mai, Yeu Dong (Doctor EDC online), and Rey Ye (of ReyLight). You might think three designers would lead to a “Too Many Cooks” situation, but in fact the Lan is as straightforward as a folder can be, with a no-nonsense 3.34-inch blade that comes in both American and Japanese tanto flavors.

JUNE RELEASES

Shark Tooth

While the name “Shark Tooth” is cool and all, this one looks less like a squaloid fang and more like a whole shark, right down to the fins serving as a crossguard. This fixed blade is based off of a custom of the same name from Eddie Diaz of Macho Blades.

Mini Bay

The Mini Bay sees Azo Mai teaming up with another designer – in this case, Liz of Kizer. The Mini Bay is indeed very small, a pint-sized font flipper with multicolored G-10 scales, a slipjoint mechanism, and front flipper deployment.

De L’Orme

Justin Lundquist continues his recent streak of production collaborations with this latest from Kizer. The De L’Orme is another front flipper, with a sub-3″ blade shape that reads like a modernized straight razor. A premium-only release (at least for now), the De L’Orme’s blade steel is S35VN, and the handle material either G-10 or carbon fiber.

October (Premium)

This is the Bladesmith variant of the October model by Dmitry Osarenko, with suitably, if unsurprisingly, upgraded materials: S35VN blade steel and titanium scales.

Quatch

Releasing alongside the premium October is another Osarenko design, the Quatch. This one has a 2.96-inch cleaver blade, embellished with a chunky little fuller and a bullnose harpoon swedge.

Z-82

Hawaiian knife maker Nalu Boersma joins the Kizer corral with this one, a mid-sized flipper with a 3.48-inch blade. Boersma gave this design a Japanese tanto blade, and the holes in the handle scales echo a similar visual flourish on his custom work.

In-Yan

The In-Yan, the work of custom outfit Assassin Knives, takes the prize for biggest knife in this 2021 catalog, with a 3.81-inch drop point blade. It opens with an in-line flipper tab, and the sinuous, G-10 handle scale is capped by a faux bolster made from a second piece of G-10.

Knife in Featured Image: Kizer Mini Bay