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Royal Blue Richlite and Reverse Tanto Make Azo Mai’s Latest Stand out

October 28, 2021

The prolific Kizer designer Azo Mai showed off his newest folder recently: the Towser K. It’s a design that slots into an EDC role, but does so with a cool blade shape and a not-often-seen handle material.

Azo Mai is probably best known as the designer of the Begleiter, a reliable but cool EDC that went on to becoming a hit for Kizer, spawning lots of different variations. But Mai’s work extends well beyond this cult favorite, with dozens of Kizer knives to his name; his recent projects include the Horn, as well as the SS1, a collaboration between Mai and Kizer’s Marketing Supervisor. His daughter also joined the fray recently with a fixed blade design called the Baby.

More than any particular blade shape or knife genre, versatility is Mai’s signature. In his tenure with Kizer, he is always trying new things. We see that with the Towser K’s blade, a modified wharncliffe that borders on the reverse tanto. It measures 3.4 inches, and thus stands ready to tackle a bevy of everyday carry-style chores. Kizer hasn’t disclosed a final MSRP yet, but judging by the blade steel, the Towser K looks aimed a mid-tier price tag. Its blade is made from good old 154CM, a now-venerable stainless with reliable, if not showstopping, performance in all the categories. A similarly tried-and-true opening mechanism, the thumb stud, is affixed to the blade.

The pattern on the Towser K’s scales is very cool

The blade shape is quirkily practical, but the Towser K’s handle may be its most distinctive element despite its very simple profile. It has a finger groove, with a bellied-out portion beneath to respectively secure and fill the hand. It’s the eye-catching scales that are the star of the show here, however. They’re made from Blue Canyon Richlite, a composite material composed of paper pulp and resin. In the hand, it’s reminiscent of Micarta, but stands apart visually thanks both to its royal blue hue and the diamond pattern cut into the front and back scales. There’s a standard stainless steel liner lock underneath these scales, and a reversible pocket clip too; the Towser K weighs 4.27 oz.

Kizer hasn’t given a release date for the Towser K at this time.

Knife in Featured Image: Kizer Towser K

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