Home / Knife Companies / First Look: Kizer Reveals New Budget Knife Series

First Look: Kizer Reveals New Budget Knife Series

July 7, 2017

Kizer has revealed it will be launching a new line of budget knives called the Tangram Series. The budget-friendly lineup (see renderings below the story) is aimed at entry-level consumers and is expected to hit dealer shelves later in 2017. The company plans to have five models out by August with more soon to follow and they tell us the new series will have an ongoing presence in their catalog.

The initial Tangram offering will consist of five products. The Lynx and Tracker will sport stainless steel handles and use opening cut-outs for deployment. Joining them will be the Amarillo and Rumble, two liner lock flippers with G-10 scales, and the G-10 Sante Fe which will feature a thumb stud and wharncliffe blade. Kizer is still deciding which locking mechanism to use for the Sante Fe. Four of the five knives are brand new, in-house designs. The Rumble is based on the Kizer 3401 in a more economical trim.

The Vanguard series is currently Kizer’s most affordable product line. The Tangram models target even more budget conscious consumers and will hit shelves at an MSRP of $60 which should translate into a street price under $50. Material choices include G-10, stainless steel, and aluminum. The company settled on Aichi Acuto Stainless, a Japanese equivalent of 440C, as the blade steel for the Tangram series.

“The Tangram series will allow us to move into areas we haven’t fully explored before,” Kizer’s David Sun tells us. “We want to focus not just on Everyday Carry, but also Everywhere Carry.” With three of the first five Tangram models (the Amarillo, Sante Fe, and Tracker) housing blades under three inches, the company plans on emphasizing smaller knives with wider legality. Sun tells us that locking mechanisms will be an area of experimentation. The Lynx implements a back lock, and the Vector, will be Kizer’s first button lock knife.

> > Keep your folders awesome. Grab a Pack of 5 Microfiber Blade Sleeves for $8.99 < <

Like with its more premium knives, Kizer approached its outside designers for Tangram collaborations. Dirk Pinkerton drew up the Brevis, a diminutive fixed blade, and others are likely to follow. Sun says Kizer intends on maintaining a degree of fluidity between their product tiers: a knife from their more premium lines could make the transition to the Tangram series if it makes sense or vice versa. “We haven’t excluded any design from any particular series.”

Kizer Tangram Series

Knife featured in image: Kizer Vector

Related Items